Independent art galleries can be your route to success and making your art profitable. That is why you need to be prepared before entering their premises.
Check the list below to make sure you are prepared before you attempt to ask a gallery owner if you can exhibit your work there. Art gallery owners/managers can sometimes be quite intimidating as they get a LOT of artists asking if they can exhibit in the gallery but remember that you are just as worthy as the other artists are of his/her attention.
Get yourself and your art ready to impress!
Explore online or in person the type of art they typically represent. If your art does not look at all like the type of thing they exhibit then save your energy for a more suitable gallery. Some galleries are more open to accepting a variety of artwork but others know their typical customers (due to location, reputation etc) and stick to what pleases them.
Be ready to promote your art verbally with a brief statement. If you have the courage to drop in without a prior arrangement, be especially ready to talk confidently and precisely about your art.
Have some work completed in your studio so you can exhibit straight away if need be. They will lose interest if they offer you the chance but it is obvious you are not ready or have no experience of selling your art.
Have a selection of photos of your artwork ready to show them. Display your artwork either by being able to show them your website (have an ipad ready) or have photographs displayed professionally in an album ready.
Be ready to tell them what you charge for your artwork (even if you’ve never made a sale in your life!) Galleries usually take quite a large commission on any sales (due to their rental, staff and energy costs of running the gallery) so be aware of that factor.
Have business cards so they don’t forget you or your artwork.
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