Opening Art Gallery !!!!

Good luck!!

I do wish galleries would put their money where their mouths are. If they think someone could sell well they should have printers they can call on to frame the work themselves. I see a few people offered this chance who cannot afford it. I've just had the same thing happen to me.

I hope you raise the money.

You have to spend money to make money. Maybe get a job to pay for the canvases? Or go the old fashioned way and hit up the parents.

Just do you homework to make sure the investment will pay off. What is the track record of the gallery? How many pieces to do they typically sell in such a show?

Edward:
You do have to spend money to make money. You also have to live within your means. I'l like to get a full-page glossy ad in the New Yorker magazine to market my art... but I don't see that happening anytime soon on my budget. Sometimes you have to live with the level of marketing that you can afford.

Nicholas:
Galleries don't pay the cost of producing art. They expect artists to provide art that's ready to hang, period. The artist pays for the art supplies, studio space, frames, making prints, providing the artists' business cards that galleries keep on hand, shipping & insuring the art if it's not a local gallery, etc. etc.

Often galleries expect the artist to pay for and write up the price tags, in accordance with the gallery's specifications - some galleries handle the price tags themselves... which is great until the gallery returns the unsold art to you and you have to get their price tags off so you can sell the art someplace else.

The only things a gallery provides are display space, and (if it's not a co-op) sales staff, gallery management, and marketing (what different galleries offer for marketing varies a lot -- usually they promote the gallery as a whole, sometimes they pick and choose individual artists or pieces of art to feature (what gets chosen as a feature is the gallery' choice, not the artist's - it's completely subjective). They may be out there, but I have never encountered an art gallery that pays for framing.

If your work is accepted into a gallery where you can't afford to do whatever-it-is the gallery requires for finishing the work so it's ready to hang, you may need to find a different gallery. Explain that you cannot afford to meet their requirements at this time, maybe you could work with them in the future when you can afford to have 15 canvas prints made that perhaps may not sell... and stay within your budget.

There is a large range of ways to finish art so that it's ready to hang in a gallery -- especially for photography. You can try to do a certain amount of negotiating, if the gallery rules are flexible. Smaller pieces, framed or matted prints instead of canvas prints, test-marketing (for example) 3 canvas prints instead of 15 - 25 pieces might be options they will consider that will cost you less money up front. Occasionally, an art gallery will buy the art, instead of taking it on consignment. You could see if they will purchase the first 15 canvas prints from you, and if they sell, you can consider a different business arrangement if the art sells and they want more.

If *they* contacted *you* it means they really want your work and may be somewhat flexible about working with you in order to get your work into their gallery.

Nicholas,
I think you have to give us more details on the gallery, did you submit to them or they just contact your through email? did they offer you a contract? is the gallery offered you a one person show, group show or just having your works around? How long will they keep your works? I find it is unusual for a gallery to ask a new artist without any sale history to come up with 15-20 photographs to sell.From my experience, galleries usually break a new artist in by having one of two works in a group show to see how it will sell before taking in more works,
My advice is don't do anything until you have all the details on paper..

Thank you all for the great information ! A family friend owns the Art Gallery in Arizona and after we spoke a little about my photographs she said she would love for my pieces to be displayed in her shop. She is very professional so even though we are family friends it is all business talk. I was curious to know where you guys get your photos printed and how much does it cost. I want good quality canvases.

"If they think someone could sell well they should have printers they can call on to frame the work themselves."

Not very realistic and never going to happen.

Less then half the art shown in a gallery will sell. Who is going to pay for all of those frames? The gallery? What do they do with them when the art does not sell? And then what do you think they are going to have to charge for commissions?

The question I have is, if an artist thinks his are will sell, why is reluctant to buy his own frames and then take them with him to the next show when the do not sell at the first one.

The artist needs to look at the framing as part of the artwork instead of a necessary evil.

A farmore practical and realistic approach.

FAA sells canvas prints, I understand they're good quality.
There's nothing stopping an artist from buying their own work from FAA.

If you're looking to get some control over the color, etc. you will need to look at local printers who can provide you with a proof & make changes before making the final print. Walk into the print shop and ask what they offer RE: canvas prints. Maybe someone from your area is online here who could refer you to a good local printer in your area. Sometimes it matters which person at a local print shop you're working with... some people are better at color balancing, etc. than others.

Floyd, there always the exception,. one of the galleries I showed paid for all my framing. The gallery also do custom framing, some of my first paintings sold within hours and the gallery knew my works sell and they can. make a really good mark up on the custom framing with my works.
Another gallery also do custom framing as well, they only charge me for the cost of the frames. With my experience, buyers often re- framed my framed paintings, Now I sell almost all my works unframed.

"Not very realistic and never going to happen."

Rubbish! I've had galleries matt and frame my work, a couple of which are based in the US. It's called having faith in an artist's work.