Our mission is to help our clients collect fine art by introducing them to selectively chosen established and emerging artists, and to help them edit their collections to tastefully meet the needs of their lifestyles. We do this by welcoming submissions from artists who meet our standards for originality, integrity, professionalism and dedication to their work.
Doug Foltz, Haven
What we're looking for
- Indefinable quality that signals to us that you know how to paint. Regardless of style, media or subject (doesn’t matter if it’s super representational or abstract expressionist), true talent and ability will shine (and sell!)
- 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.
- We like to see a range. 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 subject matters.
- Because it’s our gallery, we get to choose what we love – and we love the mix!
One final point: We don’t sell! That’s right; we’ve learned that you can’t sell art because of its emotional and personal quality. We’ve found that people usually know what they like and what they want, and we respect that. And of course we’ve found that great art speaks for itself! So instead of selling, we like to educate, inform and facilitate the buying process by providing an easy, comfortable and pleasant environment for our clients. It works for our clients and, happily, it works for us.
Think we're a good fit?
For submissions, we require the following sent by email:- 3-5 low resolution images that are indicative of your work. We want to see a range and depth of ability. Please do NOT send high resolution images. They “clog” up our computer and make us cranky. Our email address is info@huffharrington.com
- Your resume or CV
- We regret that we cannot look at work during gallery hours so please do not stop by with work samples.
- Because we receive a large number of submissions, we may not always get back to you in a timely manner. If you don't hear back from us, feel free to send us a follow-up email.
- Please also note that while we encourage you to send us images of your work, at this time we are not actively pursuing new artists.
Thank you for your interest in Huff Harrington.
If your work is selected
- Always bring your work wired.
- Always bring your work dry!
- Always sign your work!
- Decide which party will assume framing responsibilities.
- 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 your gallerist who can convey buying trends to you.
- Be open to direction if needed.
- Don’t drop by to chat without a courtesy phone call first (we’re busy, busy, busy even if someone’s not in here).
- 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.
- Don’t call us… we’ll call you. If we like your work, we really will!
Advice for seeking representation
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).
- Personalize your ask: It's hard to get excited about "Dear Gallery Owner."
- 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.
We are also pleased to include some thoughts from some of our own wonderful artists with advice about breaking in to the market.
