Branding Yourself Article- 2

So you have painted the right kind of art. You have received recognition either nationally or internationally. You work has received recognition to a degree but you feel something is missing. How do you take it to the next level?  You need to be visible to the right people. Who are the right people? You know that you are a passionate artist with talent. Close friends know who you are. Some galleries know who you are there for your name is out there and your work is selling. You have won awards in recognized shows and exhibitions but…. on the circuit, who are you? Your name may as well be, “Jo Nobody”. Let’s use a pyramid as an analogy. As you climb the pyramid the size of the circle gets smaller and smaller.  Knowing this, it should be relatively easy to become noticed as a fine artist. So what is the next step?

Being know in a positive way is just as important as selling your work. People buy art for many reasons. Ultimately you want the renowned collector that will let you say, this well-known person collects my work. While grateful that people buy your work and enjoy it, you are waiting for that celebrity to say, “Yes, I believe in (your name),” the celebrity endorsement.  They may even let you photograph them with your art for publication.  There is another kind of collector. Some collectors are dealing in art as a form of currency.  They buy a piece of art then donate that art to a museum. This donation is a legitimate tax deduction. There may even be a list lurking of collectible artists with curators of museums. Your goal is to be on that list.

So how does this relate to the gallery?  Galleries like collectible artists or even better an emerging collectible artist that they discovered. This last statement levels the playing field. So, let’s say you have many galleries wanting your work. They see you as a bright star but how do you know who to go with?  Ask the gallery questions? Do they like your art? Observe how they speak of you while promoting your work? Do they absolutely love your work and want others to feel the same way? They are human beings also. They will have likes and dislikes. Do your homework.

Let’s go back to branding. Not all galleries know how or have created a publishing plan, but some have. Not all of the galleries that represent the artist need to be publishers. For example some galleries approach promoting you as let’s throw you out into their customer base with events and see if your art sticks. This can be costly, but may work. Don’t discount different approaches. One thing is for sure; everyone in the game can and must win to have true success. Identify where the promoter is coming from then choose your plan. Evaluate the results and move on if you need to. There are a lot of artist, galleries, and promoters. Since selling events to artists has turned into a big business, some artists are jumping from being artists to being promoters of their peers. This is an interesting development. I have seen over six artists in the last month jump into the sea of promoters. Just like the stock market, when the market gets saturated it will be due for a correction. With this said, stay alert, look to find the silver lining because guaranteed it does exist. Make sure before you invest your valuable time and overhead, you know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, you have chosen the right horse in the race. Something good comes from every experience but something GREAT comes from positive choices. Stay tuned to these blogs for more valuable tips on maneuvering through this exciting but mysterious art world.