Would You Pay $400 A Month To Display Your Art

Probably not.

Nope!

In the Guggenheim? - Yes!

Yes. If main artist and shows being arranged. Yes, if sales of each piece was over 1000 and I was assured of at least one sale per week. Yes, if sales of prints generated over 1000 a week.

No for all other eventualities

Yes -- if the venue had an established history of art sales, and the majority of participating artists were telling me they were very successful there.

Locally, I can rent a similar space for less than $100 per month. Unfortunately, the artists I've met who have their work in these spaces are not selling.

$400 is a lot of money to spend in a location that i never saw, to a person i never heard about. and not only the money, but my items would be there, not being supervised by me. as you said in the reply, it would then depend on how many people cycled through, is there a history of people buying things. what is the insurance, contract etc, i would step away from that amount, as it sounds pretty high and if your going to have items stolen, broken, or not sell at all, you won't recoup the money.


---Mike Savad

This is probably a stupid question, but what is CAM?

@ Colin... me too :)

absolutely not.
i don't pay anyone to show my work.
you get paid when you sell my work.

its too costly

Not unless I was paying dues to an Artist Co-op.

That's what 1 or 2 art shows cost and those don't last a month. But it would depend on traffic, location and sales. I might try for a month and see.

The article does say it could be $250.00 a month.

It would appeal to me because there are no tents to set up and weather to worry about.

But who would actually SELL the work and collect the taxes? Would the artist be required to "sit" at their space?

The monthly cost doesn't matter much if there are sales. I paid $600.00 for a 4 day show this year and barely recovered my cost. Not to mention I had to sit out in the hot sun for 9 hours a day.

A lot of galleries seem to be closing their doors so maybe monthly rent is the way for them to stay in business as opposed to a commission on sales.

I love how she describes the area" this area is a hotbed for artists and buyers of art. This location is close to many existing thrift stores". people goes to thrift stores are not paying big bucks for art!

I too want to know what CAM is and why I would take seriously someone who thinks people outside the Real Estate business would know this. Especially artists.

I do know one Real Estate phrase. "Location, Location, Location."

I know one up and coming location near me that will be bringing a captive audience of wealthy tourists as soon as a new facility opens. A reknown and somewhat entrepreneurial artist must be thinking the same way as he just opened a new gallery nearby. And you better bring a lot more than $1000 for an original work. There are booths available but they are outdoors. Not sure the price or even how long they will continue that. If I had the money I would be getting a building and renting booths myself. It sounds like a better arrangement to be on that side of it. Personally I am not looking to retail at all but would be happy to wholesale work to someone in a good location. But $400 a month for the right spot for the right artist. Downright cheap.

No, theirs no guarantee if my work is sold. Why should i pay out of my pocket.

I would, but my hubby wouldn't like it. I know I would make the money back and he is suspicious about everything. He would say, "shouldn't they be paying you?" The conflict is that if I didn't make that money back, I would feel bad. I think it's better than renting out a space for artwork which is as much money per month or more with less exposure.

Hell no i'm already paying someone $400 a month to make my art for me... LOL

Never mind. Google is my friend.

Common Area Maintenance (CAM): This is the amount of additional rent charged to the tenant, in addition to the base rent to maintain the common areas of the property shared by the tenants and from which all tenants benefit.

thanks, April...like an HOA fee.

My city is a tourist destination for waterfront charm, seafood and art. Indoor spaces at the galleries/shops run around $100 a month. But no one wants to sign a contract to spell out who is responsible for damage, theft, fire, etc. Just hand in an inventory list so they will know what you are leaving. I left four photographs and a dozen note cards in a gift shop one time for a year (inventory list only) and only sold one photo and one card. My friends cannot understand why I won't put thousands of dollars of inventory in a space with no contract.

Alfred - no - it was me that asked if Bonita Springs was a "hotbed" for art buying. It does lay just outside Naples - the place in Florida that is pretty flush with folks with money - but - do they buy art? IF this were a gallery - not just a place for a 10 X 10 booth - as in an antique mall - and IF there was some 'jury' process for the handmade/handcrafted work - it's perhaps a maybe. Remember - this is Florida - and there are good spots for artists - I don't know about Naples - the gold coast - like over where Miami is - can be pretty good - and there are galleries up around St. Pete. I've 'done' Florida - and a lot of cities - even big ones like Jacksonville, with around 843K population - not really into art. Most of the places were art sells - it's "beach art" or tropical genre. ALL that is from my journey through art festivals a few years back - times could have changed everything - so it be my opinion.

I'm with Marlene on this one.

The short answer is NO

Roy, interesting. It has been my experience (and research) that it takes "people with money" to buy art. But it does not follow the people with money buy art. Many (most) people with money are as plebeian as anyone and tend to buy houses, wave runners, motorcycles, etc. WAY before they buy art. Also, most of the upper middle class homes I have been in consider a framed print from a frame gallery "fine art." Discerning art buyers are often like Sasquatch, much sought after, but seldom sighted.

I would pay $4000 if I knew there was a good chance that I could sell $8,000.

How do you answer a question like that without due diligence?

Kevin! I love that!

Would you rent a commercial studio retail space from which to work and sell your art?
The question is: would sales substantially surpass the expense.
The same issue applies to showing at small shows, selling on FAA, selling via commission via a gallery, and so on.
I would consider this a "pig in a poke" as a default, and need very good evidence to conclude otherwise.
As many others, my short answer is "no".

Why would anyone pay $400.00 per month, when you can pay $30.00 per year, and be given your very own premium website to boot at the same time???

@Karen -- Because I try to go where the buyers are. Your buyers seem to be here; mine . . . not so many and not so much. It's a good thing I use several online venues and have real world business to take up the slack!

As Floyd mentioned, above I'd gladly pay, if I had evidence that sales/profit would follow; that's no different than the risk I've taken every time I've paid for space at an art fair.

However, the link in Roy's OP, as is, doesn't inspire confidence.

Perhaps I've overlooked something but what experience does this realtor have in selling art?
Would she think us artists could sell houses?

Marlene,
I am the only RealtorŪ that I know personally and professionally that does not own rental property, residential or commercial. If you buy the right property at the right price and the right time it is a way to have REGULAR cash flow when your sales are down (or nil!).

I don't think she intends to sell art at all. I think she intends to rent out a commercial building that she may own or have an interest in and she is trying to figure out how to do that!
Just my perspective! :)

exactly, Kathy...if she could rent the space and bring in income for herself and offer it to aardvark breeders, she just might.....
Artists need to understand how just getting your work hanging on a wall, is no guarantee that it is the right venue.

I have spent a fortune so far on Pinterest, FB, Twitter, and now Flickr.

Huge amount of my money.

I value my time.

So far only barely beginning to be noticed by the public.

Not much to show for all that time.

Dave

I will say it again (and again).

The money in the art world is NOT in creating the art, it is "supporting" the artist. Galleries, POD sites, and places like Dick Blick, B&H, and the people that put on the art shows. Those are the people making money.

If I was sure I could make that money back in sales, then yes.

David,
sadly, you don't have much to show in your portfolio....have you considered THAT as the major issue?
You can utilize social media to the nth degree, but after all is said and done, you need concrete work to move.

Ummm Marlene, how's my portfolio? Do I need more concrete work? It needs more work to make it move, I know.

I am trying a consignment shop locally with one of my images, and the owner splits 50/50. Maybe its alittle high but, If I rented a space it would cost me more. I had to charge more for my image because of the markup. At least I don't have to rent a space.

wait, how does one invest in pinterest, flickr etc? and with only 3 images, what kind of huge money did you toss around? if you want your name known, you have to have work that people can identify as yours. and it will take years. and no you don't have to spend any kind of money. i didn't.

---Mike Savad

just make sure everyone has a contract outlining what happens if there is theft, fire, flood, damage, bankruptcy of building, etc.

---Mike Savad