Liz Barber, Ocean

From time to time, we are asked to share our thoughts about gallery representation. We have the utmost respect for artists who have chosen this daring and difficult career, and we know how difficult it is to break in to the right market and gallery. It pains us to say no when we tell an artist that their work isn’t right for us. And yet, we know that our job is to be very selective, and to take on only the artists whose work is well suited for our gallery.

So, in an effort to help aspiring artists with their search for gallery representation, we decided to share some of the discussions that we’ve had with artists, both local and national. Hopefully, this will be helpful to those of you who have bravely decided to follow your heart in the career of art.

When Searching for Gallery Representation:

•  Respect the rules: Check out the gallery and before you submit anything, make sure your work is a good fit
•  Don’t try to talk to the owner of the gallery about your work unless they initiate the conversation
•  Follow the gallery’s policy for submitting work (please, don’t show up on the doorstep with paintings you’d like us to look at!)
•  If the gallery shows interest, send low-resolution images that won’t clog up the inbox
•  Wait a while for an answer, and if you don’t get one, send another friendly email reminder with one photo
•  If it’s a no, try not to take it personally. Galleries have their own looks and your work may not fit it
•  Respect the gallery’s decision – they know what sells for them.