The Thriving Christian Artist
The Thriving Christian Artist Podcast helps Christian artists grow in faith, creativity, and income as Spirit-led creatives in God’s Kingdom.
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The Thriving Christian Artist
195 – 5-Minute Mentoring: Pro Tips for Successful Gallery Submissions
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Have you ever wanted to know just what it takes to get into an art gallery? I get asked about this all the time, and in this episode of 5-minute mentoring, I‘ll be sharing three tips, straight from a local gallery director, that will help you get your art ready for submission to a reputable gallery.
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I was in a gallery the other day making a delivery and the gallery director and I and his staff started laughing because we were talking about this whole concept of what it takes to get into an art gallery. So I want to share with you three things that we talked about that day that I think will really be helpful for you here on 5-Minute Mentoring.
UNKNOWN:5-Minute Mentoring
SPEAKER_00:God created you to be. So hey, my friend, super glad that you're here with me today on 5-Minute Mentoring. As many of you know, I've been transitioning out of my River Arts District studio where I've been for the last 10 years into a private, not open to the public studio, and I'm starting to sell my work through galleries again, which I'm super excited about. And I'm featured in a brand new show that's here in Asheville for the next couple of months. So I was making a delivery the other day and just got to talking to the director and their staff about, you know, the mentoring program that I have and helping artists thrive and, you know, all of that sort of thing. And really, I told him, I said, you know, one of the big questions I get all the time is, Matt, how do you get into a really reputable gallery? And it just kind of, the whole thing kind of devolved into, well, here's how not to get into a gallery. And I just thought these three things were, you know, kind of obvious, but, you know, really bear repeating to anybody who's wanting to get into a reputable gallery and sell your work through it. The first one is follow the procedures. And I know that may seem like a, you know, like a duh, you know, man, of course, everybody follows the procedures, but not everybody does. In fact, so many people just walk into galleries and say, hey, can I, how do you get into, how do you be an artist in this gallery? Can you look at my work on my phone and all this? And listen, any reputable gallery has got a process on their website, typically, that when they are looking at work, when they're going to accept work, how they want you to submit it, in what time frame, when they'll get back to you. They want you to follow the procedure. Why? Because they're a business and they're very busy people. All right. And so they want you to follow the procedures. It also lets them know that you're somebody that can be trusted to work with long term, which, you know, you have to think about because you're not they're not just showing your artwork. They're going into business with you as the distributor of what you do. So follow the procedures. That's really, really huge. And if they don't have any, ask how they'd like for you to submit your work for their consideration. Number two, be on time. It was so funny. One of the things that they were laughing about was, wow, if all of our artists would be like you, Matt, you're actually on time. You're here when you said you were going to be. And amazing, you have your paperwork. I'd already filled out my artist inventory. I'd already submitted my headshots and bio and artist statement and all this sort of thing. I did it exactly like they asked to, and I did it early. Again, I'm making it easy for them to do business with me. They have a great feeling about me, about my work. They're much, much, much more willing to talk to clientele about what I do creatively, not only sell my work, but also refer it out for commission. And then the last thing was, and this is kind of, you know, I hope a basic thing, but again, people don't get this a lot of times, is you got to be making great work. Great artwork is the basis for everything when it comes to marketing. You can be the best marketer in the world, but if you're making work that is substandard, that's not finished well, that's not of good quality, that's not desirable in the marketplace, then you can't expect a gallery to get really excited about what you do. That's what we talk so much about on here on the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, on 5-Minute Mentoring. We talk all the time about being both filled and skilled. being in the studio, having a studio practice, pursuing the development of your unique aesthetic voice so that when you are creating and you are going out into the marketplace, you've got something unique to offer people and to offer galleries. Listen, when you do those three things, I promise you, you will make friends and influence people quickly because it will set you apart from so many other artists in the marketplace who may be great at what they do, but who are just sling in there, not paying attention to the rules and procedures, not making it easy to do business with them. And that becomes a pain and it's usually ends up in a short-lived relationship. So I want to see you have long-term relationships. I want to see you have galleries and partners that love working with you. And if you'll do those three things, if you'll follow the procedures they have, if you'll show up on time and do it the way they ask and you'll make great artwork, I promise you galleries will want to carry your work. All right, my friend, listen, I love you very much. Until next time, remember you were created to thrive. All right, bye.