The most effective way to get your artistic production exhibited in an art gallery? It's all about being able to stand out!
Steps
Step 1. Visit the galleries in your area and find out which of them exhibit works that match your style
Many galleries are run by a curator with specific tastes, so adjust accordingly. Search for curators who may be interested in your creations, analyzing the kind of works they tend to exhibit and asking yourself "Could this person like my art?"; reflect carefully on the expressive medium of your creations, on the themes that are dear to you, on your approach to art, and so on.
Step 2. Show how your art differs from the work of other artists
This could be complicated, since your production may be reminiscent of the work of others, a condition that cannot and must never be too much or unequivocally perceptible: gallery curators are businessmen, and will aim to some extent at variety of their exposure.
Step 3. Go to art gallery openings and establish a "network" of contacts
Sell your enthusiasm and your talent! Make them want you in that gallery, make people understand how interested you are in exhibiting your artistic production there!
Step 4. Enter contests
Entering contests is a way to introduce yourself to artists and gallery curators who sit on juries. Even if you don't win, it's a way to show your seriousness to the art community.
Step 5. Don't give in to vanity
Do not participate in exhibitions (or competitions) that require an entrance fee. These "competitions" are often mere fundraisers for the organization or gallery that organizes them, and usually offer little chance to make a career or a name (in fact, including such an exhibition or contest in your resume as an artist could push others in the field not to take yourself too seriously). Of course there are sporadic exceptions (e.g. stable exhibitions), but in most cases it is absolutely not in your interest to pay people to consider your art. Especially avoid those galleries that, leveraging your vanity, require you to pay a fee to appear in an exhibition (or even to have a solo show of your work). No legitimate gallery indulges in such practices.
Step 6. E-mail "application letters" to the galleries where you would like to exhibit your works
Include as much information and examples of your work as possible, along with a link to your website. You could also add a synthetic elaboration of your approach to art and creativity: often, in fact, those who manage a gallery find it useful to collect documents and information about the artist before consenting to the exhibition of their production.
Step 7. Create a gallery of your online works
You can also invite other local artists, or artists with similar styles to yours.
Step 8. Become part of a gallery run by a collective of artists
Such a gallery almost never asks for a share on the sale of your works, but often requires the payment of a monthly fee. And yet, becoming a member could prove to be a challenging challenge - you'll need to submit your work and prove your worth as an artist to be accepted. This type of gallery does not "force" you into exclusivity, so you can continue to exhibit your work elsewhere as well.
Step 9. Join a gallery
If you are accepted into a gallery, make sure there is a contract governing everything. Galleries sell your work withholding a portion of the proceeds, and therefore perform the function of an agent, not a buyer. Make sure this percentage is clearly stated in the contract. It is usually quite substantial, ranging between 20% and 50%: galleries still have an interest in your work being expensive, since their income is directly proportional to what you earn. Read carefully any contracts you sign, as there may be clauses requiring you to exhibit and sell your works only through that gallery.
Advice
- Don't just contact galleries in your area; looking for galleries that best suit your art will often mean being willing to move a lot and especially far away!
- Persistence pays off: over the years, nothing prevents you from contacting the same gallery several times.
- When introducing yourself to a gallery, always try to make an appointment with the owner or administrator.
