Hi artists!
As we prepare to celebrate our 15th birthday at Huff Harrington Fine Art, we’ve been thinking about the privilege of working with artists over time and how lucky we are to have the immensely talented and wonderful group that we represent.
Over the years, so many artists have asked us how to break in to the gallery scene. We know that for artists accustomed to working alone, selling your work can be a daunting task. And for gallery owners, as thrilling as it is when we find an artist who will be successful in our gallery, it’s equally painful to say no when the work isn’t the right fit.
So artists, if you are looking for gallery representation, here’s our take on how to approach and work with a gallery. And although it is based on our experience at Huff Harrington Fine Art, we’re pretty sure that these guidelines will apply to almost any gallery.
- Respect the rules: Check out the gallery and before you submit anything, make sure your work is suitable.
While we want our artists to represent a broad spectrum of styles and subjects, we won’t be looking for an artist whose work is completely anathema to the others in our roster. Do your homework and make sure the gallery you're applying to is the right fit.
- If you come to the gallery, don't try to talk to the gallerists about your work; that should all be done via email.
When our gallery is open, our priority is to help our customers. If you are an artist and have submitted your work and we’ve made contact with you, we will definitely set up a time to speak to you about it.
- Follow the gallery’s policy for submitting work and don’t show up on the doorstep with paintings you’d like us to look at.
Yes, it has happened! And we understand that you may think that seeing it in person will be more effective than an email. But that may actually backfire in any gallery. And every gallery is used to working off of digital images.
- Personalize your ask: It's hard to get excited about "Dear Gallery Owner."
It seems so obvious, especially in this day when so much of ourselves and our gallery is transparent online. In our case, it doesn't take much sleuthing to figure out that you're either writing to Meg or Ann or Linda or Mac, or all of the above! A little personalization goes a long way!
- If the gallery shows interest, send low-resolution images that won’t clog up the inbox.
We’ve had our computer crash more than a few times with artists who have sent huge files of work that have clogged up our emails. It's hard to be forgiving when that happens, even if the work is amazing!
- Wait a while for an answer, and if you don’t get one, send another friendly email reminder with one photo.
We almost lost a great artist recently because her “ask” ended up in our junk file. Luckily, she wrote again with a gentle reminder and this time we got in touch. We try to answer every inquiry from artists, regardless of whether it’s a no.
- Keep in mind that a "no" shouldn't be a rejection of your work but rather of the fit in the gallery.
That’s right: if we say no to you it’s because we look for variety and uniqueness in our artists’ work and yours may either be too similar or too different from what we represent. Just like any other gallery, we need to be selective and wouldn’t be doing you or ourselves any favors if we took on work that wasn’t the right fit.
- Respect the gallery’s decision – they know what sells for them.
Every gallery is different and they will have their reasons for accepting or rejecting your work. But we firmly believe that for the committed artist who is passionate about their work, there is a gallery out there for you.
If your work is selected
Congratulations! Some of this may seem obvious but it doesn’t hurt to emphasize it:
- Do your homework about the gallery and ask for references from other artists;
- Read the fine print of the contract and make sure you understand your respective responsibilities and geographical, or other, limitations
- Understand that sales can be cyclical – up one minute, down the next.
- Decide if you’re an artist who wants to sell — or an artist who wants to paint. If you want to sell, listen to what your galleries know will sell.
- Be open to direction if needed.
- Don’t drop by to chat without a courtesy phone call first (we’re busy, busy, busy even when there are no customers).
- Send good quality jpgs in low resolution but save your high res version in case the gallery requests it.
- Think about painting in pairs or in a series – too much disparity is not good.
- Figure out what the gallery likes (palette, subject, size) and paint several for the gallery to review.
- Respect how the gallery hangs.
- Always bring your work wired.
- Always bring your work dry!
- Always sign your work!
- Finally, we always like to start by “dating” before we get married. We want to make sure it’s a right fit before we commit, because we all want to work with people we like and respect, and that definitely goes both ways. We think that's a good rule of thumb in any relationship.
How does an artist get accepted to Huff Harrington Fine Art? There is no real science to it because so much of it as an emotional decision. But here are some givens:
- We look for that indefinable quality that says that you know how to paint and are confident in your medium.
- Regardless of style, medium or subject (doesn’t matter if it’s super representational or abstract expressionist), true talent and ability will shine and sell.
- We look for depth in the medium. That's why it's important to just send a few different shots that show a range of work, but be prepared to show that these are not "one off's".
- We like to see a range of styles and subject matters. Many times, we get images that draw our attention…but when we do further research, we see that the artist isn’t as strong (or conversely is even better!) in other areas or subjects.
- You'll hear this over and over from us: We love the mix! We look for artists whose work will complement our existing roster but be different enough to offer a contrast.
- We wait for “aha” moment, when we draw a breath or the pulse quickens. We’re firm believers in art being an emotional investment and that purchases or decisions are best made when they come from the heart.
Artists, we know it’s not an easy road but we encourage you to follow your heart and your passion. We hope this has helped and we wish you good luck.
Ta ta,
HH
