by D. Kearney Sparano

Created on: March 23, 2009

The purpose of the art gallery is to make money, plain and simple. An art gallery is a place where things are sold. If they sold clothes it would be a boutique. If it were food then a restaurant of grocery, cars would make it a dealership and so on. Everything the art gallery does is about that goal.

It is an interesting industry because it is rare, and probably never has happened, where demand out paced supply. There has always been more artists then galleries. It has always been the struggle of the fine artist to "get a show." It is part of the romantic idea that it pervasive in the art world, the painter who shows his/her works and lives on the proceeds. Being an artist of that caliber is the same as playing professional sport, being a movie/TV/rock star or being a best selling author. Perhaps 10% in the field achieve that level of success and that 10% is enough to keep the other 90% reaching to attain that stature.

Galleries at the core work simply. They have a space, often bare white walls. They offer this space to artists in 2 ways.

1) Through a selection process of some kind. In this way they review portfolios/artist's work and see what they think they can sell. The determination of what can be sold is achieved based on the current art market and trends as well as the focus of the gallery. For instance a gallery that features contemporary video art installations will not be accepting the work of a semi-figurative marble sculptor. That work is not what they are known for and subsequently not what their clientele is interested in.

2) Another way a gallery offers space is by out right renting it. If the artist or artists have the money to spend for the space, the gallery is willing to accept it. This often could mean that the gallery machine is not behind the show. More likely then not you will be responsible for promotion and sitting in the gallery during hours.

If you are lucky you get option 1 and the gallery takes an interest in you and decides to represent you and sell your work. This is not a free service or magic bullet toward fame and fortune though. Gallery representation often comes with the price of 50% commission. This means whatever work they sell of yours, they take half. So you might have labored for 2 years on that piece, but half the $20,000 price goes to Pace-Wildenstein. There is a good reason for that though, the gallery has employees (salesman, photographers, art handling staff) rent, insurance, promotion fees and what not to pay. They are putting in (probably) more work then you did on selling the piece then you did to make it. Representation also has the benefit that your work might be selling even though you don't have a show. If you are represented by a gallery with good salesmen they will move your work like it was any other kind of inventory.

None of this of course I guaranteed. The gallery business is a fickle one. Many places shut down as quickly as they opened. Often they fail for any number of reasons, changes in the art market, economic downturn, bad management, you name it. However, the next time you walk into an art gallery, look around. You might notice people being ushered into back rooms and quiet discussions being held. That is art being sold and how the gallery work.

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