In conversation with Emma Rowland: How to approach a commercial gallery
Have you ever wanted to sell your creative wares and/or artwork in a commercial gallery setting, but don’t know how to approach them? You might have tried to approach some galleries already, but not yet been successful in getting your work into these spaces. if so, this blog might help…
I caught up with creative Emma Rowland who has experience in running a commercial gallery for many years and asked her what her top tips would be for any product-based small businesses or artist wanting to approach commercial galleries like hers. Here’s her top 6 things you should consider first:
Research.
Come in and chat! Do we share the same values and aesthetics as you? Could you see your products in our space? Does the price point fit? Is it the same level of quality? Doing your research first will really help save you and the gallery time.
Personal touch.
It's easy to find out who works at and runs Pen, drop me a message or an email or come in and chat. We are human so approach us like that! Many other commercial galleries are the same.
Specifics.
What are you selling? Have you created a collection? We often get people showing us a single drawing, which we can't work with. The admin that surrounds selling work is too much for one item. Do you have pricing? Do you have experience selling elsewhere? Make sure all these are sorted first before approaching anyone.
Be nice.
This is such a simple tip, but being bolshy or rude really won't make us want to work with you. We are also really busy and do A LOT with just one full-time staff member and one part-time, so repeated emails, comments and messages won't help us get to you sooner.
Exhibitions.
For exhibiting artists we are looking for a full concept show, a body of work that showcases who you are as an artist or a project you have worked on. We love a good theme and a write up. We are always open to pitches, and the best way is to email in:
examples of your work,
an artist bio
and a bit about the project you'd like to show.
We do host a range of exhibitions, from more commercial to fine art, so if your work isn't 'sellable' that doesn't matter. Again, the best way to see if your work fits is come see a show, come to a private view, or check out who we have previously hosted exhibitions for. This is the same process for most galleries.
Quality.
We are looking for work that is ready to hit shelves in our shops. For example, we can't take unpackaged prints. It's also worth making sure you have information on your work, what's your name? How can someone find you online? Do you want a business card in the packaging? These are small but vital things to think about before you make the approach.
We hope these help with your first steps in approaching galleries to sell or exhibit your work.
If you need any support on getting your pricing or presentation of your work sorted, just drop me a line here and we can talk it all through.