Thank you so much, you saved me from a scam! I was so close to making the contract because I was so excited of my first painting going to a show. But they had all the red flags you just said! Phew!
Thank you Mr Packer, this is very important information for any aspiring artist. I remember clicking on a website recently to view some artist's work and a few days later received one of those strange emails from a gallery based in California offering a space! The funny thing is that I don't even have an online art presence at the moment so I knew immediately that this email probably went out to anyone viewing the website. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of this place but yes, these scams can really hurt a young artist starting out.
I just had a gallery in Chelsea reach out to by email and later followed up with a phone call.Definitly a vanity gallery huge fees for use of wall plus a whopping g 45% commission 😀 🙂 😄 😳. I told them thanks for the opportunity but don't think I would be a good fit plus I was looking into multiply options.Great video.
It’s most of private galleries, sadly. Because people don’t buy original fine arts. It’s a bloody hobby and most people have artistic hobbies now. There’s simply no demand and way too many offers. Art is a hobby, not business.
The answer is simple but not easy: Create great work with a unique voice. I go into much greater detail on this subject in my free webinar 10 Keys To Selling Your Art You can watch it at www.aspiringartist.ca 😊👍
@@timpackerfinearts Thank you Tim - I knew you;d say that. Who defines what's great art? I'm sure you'd say the public / your audience & who buys... & there's another deeper more philosophical discussion there haha - are we all about making money, beauty is in the eye of the heholder & much more :)
@@davea9405 it all depends on what one hopes to accomplish with their art... if someone wants to earn a living from their art... then I believe I can be of great help. If someone wants to have their work exhibited in public galleries and museums... and be written about by art critics... then I’m definitely not someone who’s advice they should take😉
Nobody buys original fine art, it’s just a hobby. Most people have artistic hobbies. But it’s not a profession, since there’s no demand. People won’t even get ikea stuff on sale these days.
I know vanity galleries are bad. I mean, having a gallery approach me, was a red flag all on its own. But I am curious about other galleries. The ones that hold frequent open calls, where you pay to submit work for an exhibition opportunity. But if you are chosen, then everything seems to function like a normal gallery. They don't charge for showing your work and they take a 50% commission. Are those galleries worth pursuing? I have been tempted to submit work to their open calls. But I don't want to pay if I don't have more information on whether or not it would help me in the long run. If that makes any sense.
so in Jan 2020 I exhibited with a local gallery in a small town near me. They charged a fee for the wall space. I was able to recoup most of the costs by applying for and receiving an exhibition assistance grant. They did not sell any of my work, even the very small inexpensive pieces. It was supposed to be a 3 month exhibit but due to covid it was extended. They did very little advertising. Was I duped? Was this a vanity gallery??? Should I be taking this experience off my CV?
A “legitimate” commercial gallery does not charge artists to exhibit... it sounds like this gallery makes its money by renting out its wall space rather than selling art. It’s walking and quacking like a duck😉
Thank you Tim! May I ask, do you have inout on submission fees for art galleries, exhibits or competitions? I am seeing smaller fees, but i notice often the websites or 'online' galleries are very small... boasting a social media boost or exposure when these online galleries have very few followers or views doesn't seem quite right to me.. any input? Some do offer cash prizes too, but i am just not sure. Thank you sincerely for your time!
the best way to gauge the merit of an in person show or festival is to actually go and attend the year in advance. As for online art shows... unless they have a huge following I don't think there is much value there.
I just got this offer from a Vanity Gallery. I had a bad feeling immediately. If they can't name what painting they like my warning bells go off. They wanted to send me a proposal via pdf. No way. I don't need a pdf to sell a painting. I don't pay to show my art, that's why I have instagram.
No I don't think it would... most people in the business know who these vanity galleries are. You would be better to rent a pop-up space and run your own show there :)
Hi Tim, I’m from the UK and have had bad experiences with the two galleries I’ve worked with. It’s not just the percentage they take, it’s the fact they do nothing to promote me. I wouldn’t mind giving over a hefty percentage if they actually did something. So, I was thinking of getting an old bread truck and having my own mobile gallery. Do you think this would be a good idea?
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner... sometimes comments slip through the cracks. That might work ... especially if you use social media to promote the dates and locations of where you will be👍
@@timpackerfinearts thanks for getting back to me Tim, I appreciate you’re a busy man. Love your work. You are one of my main inspirations and I tell people that when they ask who are my influences. Glad to see you’re back on your feet regarding your health. Take care and God bless. ☺️🙏
At the end of the day, you’re responsible for selling your artwork, nobody else is going to do it. Galleries are looking for artists who already have the following. I don’t see why give galleries a cut for doing absolutely nothing.
