Have you been approached by an art gallery and don’t know if the conditions they offer are good? Then you’re in the right place. I have put together a list of the most important questions you should ask a gallery that will help you determine if it’s a good fit for you before joining its roster of artists.
Will they sell your art on a commission basis or buy it? There are two ways your work can enter a gallery: by consignment, which entails that the artist consigns their work to the gallerist, or by purchase of the artwork by the gallery with the aim of reselling it. Both approaches have their pros and cons for both parties. Artists who consign their works will be paid later, instead of upfront, and risk having their art held hostage by the gallerist. At the other end, galleries that acquire an artist’s work are more financially precarious as this is an uncertain bet.
If sales are on commission, what's the percentage? Most galleries split sales with artists on a 50/50 basis. Some of them still share the profits by sale in what used to be the traditional custom - 60% going to the artist and 40% going to the gallery, but it is becoming less common. Nevertheless, in addition to the total sales price, there are other considerations. Occasionally, galleries include the cost of shipping or reframing. When dividing the commissions, these may or may not be subtracted from the gross sales price.
Will the gallery insure your works while they are in their care?
Although it is common practice for galleries to insure all works on consignment, many only insure artworks owned by the gallery, whereas others have no insurance policy whatsoever. Always ask whether they’ve got one, what does it cover and what are the exclusions.
Does the gallery expect total or partial exclusivity over your works? Galleries usually offer territorial exclusivity over a city or region. This means that your work cannot be sold in the same area agreed upon.
Some galleries may request exclusivity for a country, or even worldwide representation, but it’s uncommon as these types of exclusives prevent artists from taking advantage of other opportunities.
My advice is for artists to be represented by more than one gallery as each of them may offer a different context, whether that's in terms of their artist roster or location. In any case, they will expect an artist’s work to be consistently priced wherever it is shown.
How long will your commitment with the gallery be? Although professional relationships with a gallery are a long term commitment on both sides, don’t commit with a gallery for a very long period of time without having tested the collaboration first.
How are selling prices calculated? I believe that artists should be the ones setting their prices and that galleries should review them and raise their concerns if they consider them to be unrealistic for the artist’s market so that adjustments can be made to the prices accordingly. Following galleries that the artist might work with in the near future should adhere to the pricing agreed, taking into account any major differences geographically or otherwise.
Do they offer a collector discount? Most galleries offer discounts for specific clients or museums but only with the artist’s prior consent. The standard discount rate is between 5% and 15% for buyers, depending on the total price of the piece and the gallery policy, and up to 50% for museums as having an artwork at a public institution boosts exponentially the career and reputation of the artist.
When will I receive payment for sold works? This is dependent on the policy of the gallery but usual time frames tend to be between 15 to 28 days from the invoice date.
Will they be organising any solo shows?
I don’t recommend signing to a gallery that does not offer at least a solo show, depending on the given period of collaboration. Collectors must see your works on a regular basis and solo shows are the most important promotion activities that galleries can do to sell and promote your work.
In what other ways will they promote your career?
Apart from checking how many individual exhibitions will the gallery organise, always ask how they will further promote your work through its marketing tools, whether they are newsletters, social media, catalogues and other publications, gallery dinners, etc.
All in all, if you start working with a gallery, make sure to have some sort of agreement in writing that spells out all the terms and conditions.
Let me know in the comments section below if you’d ask more questions to a gallerist before signing in!
Very useful, thank you!