Closed For Business!

I am not closing down but I have spent my day off researching trends in spending of all 'classes'. It would seem that my potential clients are being the hardest hit. The whole concept of 'disposable income' has taken a battering. People are being increasingly cautious about exactly what they do with their money.

In several reports I have read that the people who are reliant on the creative industries are in dire straights. With freelance work virtually drying up, contracts not being renewed etc. It has always been true that most artists/writers etc have had to have some source of alternative income to help fund their artistic endeavours. I read just last week that famous writers are not getting the financial support in terms advances on their book deals anymore. No longer can they just focus all their energies on their craft.

To what end?

How do creative people survive in this current climate?

I am constantly thinking about how I can earn extra cash, I say 'extra' as if that means I need to supplement my already healthy income. There are some things that I cannot avoid like the monthly bills and the outlay involved in putting on exhibitions. People are always saying I do not charge enough but the truth is that if the artists can't afford to pay it then what?

I have also been told that I under value what I offer as workshops. Do you think you are more likely to pay £75 than £50 because there is more of an expectation of quality at £75 than at £50? I really would appreciate your feedback. I think offering good value for money is key. For every satisfied customer they will tell others and then hopefully more people will come.

One of life's difficult truths is that I could probably make more money if I closed the gallery and leased the premises out. The question is 'Is money my driving force?'. The answer is no.
I also know that in an average month I might see under 10 local artists in the gallery.

If they aren't using the gallery (I obviously mean to look not to buy) I am not sure how I can encourage others. How do you interest the disinterested?
I appreciate that there will be things that interest you more than others and I do expect people to be discerning. But and there is a big but. Being interested in what is going on around you is surely as important as seeing as retrospective of work by some long since dead artist?

Independent galleries are closing down all over the country I know because I have seen them. I have also spoken to one time gallery owners and the general feedback has been that it wasn't just that sales were not being made. Watching a door that never opens + poor sales + increasing overheads = one closed down gallery.

To maintain a professional exhibiting space is hard. It is very tempting to water down the space by providing more commercial items for sale. I understand why this has happened in other galleries but I am going to have to pull out all the stops to prevent it becoming a necessity for my gallery.

I have also been researching what is happening globally and it would seem that the Australians and the Americans are reporting their sadness as many galleries are closing down in both places. Us Brits seem less concerned that galleries are disappearing from our towns and cities. I should mention that there is a list of artists who have protested about the cutting of the national Arts budget. But do they support small independent galleries? I think you all know the answer to that.

Does an independent gallery have a place in modern society? Should galleries all apply for charitable status?

Feel free to chip in with your views.

Got An Exhibition? What To Do Next

The unwritten rules about what to do next are like a closely guarded secret. Those who know it do not necessarily share it with others.

       PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE

It is NEVER to early to start telling people about your exhibition. Yes you could argue that they could forget to soon in advance but with todays 'free' social media and smart phones that is nigh on impossible. Create an event and invite all of your friends, family etc. But more importantly your contacts from the industry. They will be grateful for the advance notice, if they are anything like me I am invited to lots of PVs and openings and unless I am creative with my diary can attend only a few. The sooner I/they know the more likely it is that they will try to attend.

In yesterdays blog I said do your homework the same is true about promotion. If you know 10 galleries that are selling work that is similar to yours. For instance abstract paintings then make sure they get an invite.
N.B If that gallery is in Glasgow there is a good chance that they won't make it. But if you have your website and contact details on they may just take a look at your website. Which could lead to something?

When thinking about having a show you MUST budget for advertising. In my experience people do not do this. They think the outlay for the show itself is all they should spend.
There are so many ways to advertise for free on the internet that you should be doing that anyway. Plan to spend at least 10 minutes a day posting in various social networking sites.
Targeted adverts, look at the local art publications for us in the South West it is Evolver. Yes it is pricey but if you have a show planned for the end of the year and you squirrel away £10 a month you will easily be able to afford it. Alternatively, approach the gallery suggest a bigger advert that promotes your show and the gallery and split the costs. I have done this on several occasions, but unless you pay your share I won't do it on your behalf.

Postcards are a great and fairly cheap way of getting your art work under peoples noses. Do your homework but services I have used in the past include Vistaprint, (expensive delivery), Instantprint (£5 delivery on any size order) Overnight Prints (Average Delivery costs). Business cards are also a good idea.

If you are hiring a space then the onus is on you to promote your exhibition. Be creative, be inventive but most importantly be proactive. This is the area which most artists I deal with struggle. Use your friends to help you. Get them to help spread the word, in my experience people are only to happy to share a post or retweet.

I know you think that the work is the most important thing and in some ways it is. But the more important truth is that if people don't know that you are there it doesn't matter how good the work is. The work can be awesome but if no one walks through the gallery door it makes absolutely no difference.
Another truth is that the person that is best qualified to sell your work is you. Try and be at your show and designated times during your exhibition so that people can ask you about it.
Many shows I put on I see the artist at the PV and at collection time and that's it. Get involved, it is up to you. You could arrange to have Q & A or Meet The Artist events.
I would happily support this as long as the artist set the wheels in motion.

A regular occurrence for me is that people want to pay me the minimum hire rate but expect the platinum service.
I suggest you ask yourself the following questions.
1. How good am I at self promotion?
2. How much can I afford to spend?
3. Do I need to just focus on making the work?
4. Would I prefer to just supply promotional images and let the gallery take over promotion?

Depending on what you answered then act accordingly. You know yourself better than anyone if you are an expert at self promotion keep your hard earned cash and do it yourself. If not consider paying someone else to do it for you. If you have a friend you can pay in beer and food even better. You don't know until you ask.

Feel free to share my blog with others.

Planning An Exhibition? Then Read This

On to the next topic for discussion, selecting work for exhibiting. There are quite a few things to think about and it does depend on where you are lucky enough to get an exhibit.

REMEMBER LESS IS MORE

The most important thing to bear in mind is the fact that unless the exhibition is called a retrospective the work should always be as new as possible. That is not to say that if you know that the area you are showing in, no one has previously seen your work then a small selection of older work can contextualise where you are now creatively. If the gallery owner is curating your exhibition I'm sure that they would find it useful to know dates of when things were produced. What you don't want is them selecting an entire body of work that is 10 years old. 

If you are a regular exhibitor in a town, then the onus is well and truly upon you to ensure that gallery visitors aren't seeing the same thing in a different gallery up and down the High Street. It is better to show less and have new work on offer when you do. Another fact worth remembering, quite often people who visit galleries, will visit most galleries in a town as they are genuinely interested in art.

Another thing to consider is varying the scale and price range of the works you exhibit. Be mindful of the fact that there is a recession and there is a definite comfort zone of spending. That is not to say that you shouldn't ask the right money for your work. Just be aware. I would also recommend having at least one wow factor piece. This could be a large scale piece that you are particularly pleased with, just because people may not buy a very big image that's not to say that you shouldn't show one. 

N.F.S - Not For Sale are a gallery owners least favourite 3 words. I do not like to have work in the gallery that isn't for sale. A word to the wise, think of a price that you could bear to be parted from it for. Then price it accordingly. Or just select another piece in it's place.

If the gallery that you are showing in has windows, these are your first point of sales. Whatever goes in the windows will help to entice people inside so give the images you use here some very careful consideration.

Group shows are such a great way of getting your work seen that it definitely will help your artistic journey on its way. Selecting work for these should really follow the same rules. Keep it as fresh and new as possible. Have business cards available with your website and contact details on. As a gallery owner I am constantly visiting shows and picking up cards. On quiet days I trawl through artists websites looking at their work. If I think their work might fit an exhibition I'm planning I contact them.

An overall comment would be adopt a certain amount of uniformity of framing. If you only have three images in a show it would look better if all three frames are the same style/colour. Unless the frame is an integral part of the work then it's uniqueness might be crucial.

Lastly, do not invite potential buyers to exhibitions of work that they have already seen. This is a rookie mistake, but you will definitely not win any fans by making them travel to exhibitions that for the most part they have previously seen. 

I hope that this helps.

I am having an Open Exhibition at the end of the month and I am looking for people to contribute to it.

Get an application form from www.lartishegallery.com

How Big Is Too Big?

So my appeal for a 28 hour day failed miserably, subsequently I haven't been able to cram my blog into my average 24 hour day. I do not even know how people manage to do it everyday. Blog that is. When I first opened the gallery somehow I found the time and now I don't seem to.
I wish my busyness was a clear reflection of my income. May be in the next life it will be.

Let's talk about Mark Harris. He put a body of work together that was so impressive and people clearly thought the same. The feedback has all been positive.
The most common comment 'Does he always work so big?'. I can tell you now that his desire is to work bigger. He is true to his art and that means no compromise. The question is do you think that he should work smaller to take in consideration peoples homes and available space?

This is such a contentious issue and it isn't the first time I have come across it. Remember Josh Hollingshead another artist that I really rate. He paints these terrifically big images. They are not destined for someones lounge. I should also inform you that his new work would take up the majority of a wall in my gallery. His desire is to work on an immense scale.

Are these artists cutting off their nose despite their face? Should they live in the real world and start producing bite sized chunks that are easily digestible and hung over the mantlepiece? I welcome your input on this subject.

I am not sure that an artist should minimise his work in order to fit in to someones home. But.....and it is a big fat hairy one. In order to have commercial viability should it be a consideration?
I have to say with regard to Marks work I do not think that the physicality that is apparent in his work could be achieved on a smaller scale. You have to see the sweeping brushstrokes to get the feel for it.

How big is too big? The truth is that our homes are full of the ephemera of our own existence. (Notice how I made clutter sound posh). This being said unless you are lucky to live in a warehouse loft apartment or a 5 bedrooms+ house there's a good chance that you will struggle to do a large image justice.

In my own home I have one wall that has only one image on it and it takes up the whole wall. It is the most perfect wall in the entire house. Everything else has some space but not in the same league.

So I have come to an end, but feel free to give me any feedback as I think this is good subject to debate.

Sir Anthony Caro Celebration of Achievement at Tate Britain 26/02/14

Sheila Girling, Sharon James and Sir Anthony Caro @ L'Artishe Gallery 

I have been posting some old blogs as I know that my readership has grown and it is difficult to reinvent the wheel every day. I also know that some of my more informative blogs definitely still have some mileage in them. I hope that you have enjoyed reading them.

I was very honoured to have been invited to the Celebration of Achievement of Sir Anthony Caro which took place yesterday at Tate Britain.

There were the art great and the good and surprisingly a fair few chefs. The fact that such a large crowd could manage to be silent during the speeches just showed the amount of respect in the room.

It was a great tribute to him to see so many people gathered together in his memory. There were some moving speeches and it's so encouraging to hear that this giant of the International Art scene was most respected for his humility, modesty and a determination to do better.

I may not of had the pleasure of knowing him for very long but it is amazing how both he and Sheila never wavered in their support of me and the gallery. He would often ask if I thought there was anyone he could write to on my behalf to secure funding for the gallery as he knew the importance of independent galleries. In the end we settled for him submitting a drawing to my Drawing Open Exhibition. What a privilege.
It was said many times last night that he was a man of the people. That much is true, he was so genuinely interested in art and that meant he would happily talk about the work of others with little indication of his own great talent.

My best memory and it will now become a treasured memory is of Tony looking at my bird skull sketchbook and saying that he could quite happily own it. High praise indeed.

It was also good to hear that some of the art initiatives that he was involved in setting up are still doing incredibly well 30 years on. I think it is safe to say that everyone that knew the artist and the man will sorely miss him.

There is however no doubt that he will always be one of the most influential sculptors to come out of Britain and his legacy will live on in future generations.

For Everyone Who Does Not Use Social Networks - Wake Up and Smell The Coffee!

I  have written several blogs about the power of social networks. I deal with many artists/practitioners who say they don't like the new technological age. More importantly don't understand it or know how to use it.

I have offered my services to help get people started and have got a few people up and running. Now I am going to tell you a few facts.

I started my own page to promote my work two weeks ago. I have been posting to it daily, I have also uploaded some videos of my drawings. Over 700 people have viewed my videos in the last 5 days. That is more people than I could ever hope to reach at any gallery over a 5 day period. (With obvious exceptions) I should be so lucky.

The picture in this blog is of the gallery Facebook page. I saw this excellent photograph about buying handmade goods. So I posted on my wall and shared it with 3 groups that I belong to. You can see for yourself how many people ended up seeing that post and it was also shared over 70 times.
That is a whole load of people and it also resulted in more visits to my gallery page and some new page likes.

Embrace the new technology, but the down side is in order for it to really work for you, you MUST post on it every day. It is tedious but necessary. Content must be relevant. Factor it into your daily routine. You can now set posts to update at a certain time, so if you have more time on some days then do more and time them to post over the next few days.

You can also use Twitter to get your pictures into the world. Take small steps and go at your own pace. But it is an excellent way to promote your work, future exhibitions etc.
Why not get together with a few other technophobes and do it together over coffee. Virtually everywhere has free wifi these days.

If you really want to get started but could do with some guidance then come and see me. I can get you started and more importantly I can help you with follow up sessions. I charge £12.50 an hour and I can guarantee that at the end of it I will have helped you get your social networks up and running.

Whatever you do, don't think that it doesn't work. I don't think it will be long before there will be an artist led social network separate from Facebook. Maybe there already is and I am behind the times. Feel free to share it with me. I know that in America there are many more groups and apps that are solely focussed on Art and Artists.

The most important thing is when you find something you think that you think other artists will be interested in SHARE it. Buy taking the two seconds to do that you could engage a totally new audience.

Why Commission Puts Food On My Table.

Mark Harris

I have had another busy week, with lots of work coming at me from every direction. I am climbing the work mountain and the view is pretty good from up here.

This week has seen me have to justify why I charge commission. I don't think people realise that it is a necessary evil. When I exhibit else where I also have to pay the venue a commission. 

When people hire my gallery essentially they are renting the space and me for about £20 a day. That is a nonsense wage. I need commission from sales to give me an income. The gallery is also open 6 days a week and needs to be lit, have internet access and be heated. Unfortunately, up until now none of the major telecom or utility providers have seen fit to give me those services for free. I will however keep asking.

I don't ask for much but I would also like to stay open and continue to provide the service that I do. In my last blog I wrote about how important it is to support your local galleries. It really is important that you do. I am sure there are some unscrupulous galleries out there, in fact I know there are. Some charging up to and beyond £500 a day. What do get for your money? 

The space, maybe a great location, access sometimes to their mailing list, a presence on their website. You would be expected to curate and hang your own exhibition, host your own Private View and then man the exhibition, produce your own price lists and labels. That is not so great for the money but if you don't believe me then check it out for yourself. By the way I do all of the above in my most basic package.

I just really want to contextualise what actually takes place in terms of what you get for your cash.

Well that's more than enough about that, more importantly have you seen my latest exhibition? If not you should make sure that you do. It really is good, I know that I am biased but it is also true.
If you wanted a beautiful large scale abstract image at a price that is right for you then you can come and bid on one of Marks paintings.