I remember when I first thought I was ready to have a show and sell my work, I had been painting for a few years and accumulated a number of good works. It was time. If you are in this situation, heed my words they come from experience. Marketing art is a business, you better know, understand, and practice good business principals before you embark into this new world. Without this knowledge you can damage your reputation, spend unnecessary time straightening out messes, and leave yourself vulnerable to be taken advantage of by those who prey on the uninformed. You also better be ready to hear, not only praise, but criticism of your work. If you cannot take rejection, you are not ready.
Running a good business, keeping records, knowing the tax and copyright laws, understanding accounting, shipping, framing, documenting, and all the other tasks associated with self-employment eat up time. Huge chunks of time. Time away from the easel, time not spent on the gathering of research, and time away from the creative process. It is not easy to know when you are ready, there are no real guidelines or rules. I used to want my work out everywhere, all the time, on gallery walls, in juried shows, and I would jump at any and every opportunity to display. Now I’m very selective, and reserved. I carefully plan where and when my work is shown, research the caliber and ethics of the organization or gallery, use iron-clad contracts and keep a good paper trail. Even with all of this I spend more time than I want straightening out snafus or repeating efforts.
Inevitably with handling, work gets damaged and frames dinged. It takes money to make money, unless you have a trust fund or a generous patron be prepared to go into debt for the first few years. If you go about entering the world of the business of art slowly, deliberately, with professional support and advice, selectively choosing venues to exhibit and keep accurate records it can be rewarding. National statistics show that only 10% of artists in the U.S. make enough to support themselves. I think this shameful statistic is due in part to the poor preparation given students who seek college art degrees. I was fortunate to study at Syracuse University where I earned a MFA in Illustration, this excellent program really prepared me for the business of art. And, I waited until I understood the principals of business and have been blessed with a successful career as an artist from the beginning.
Gail Niebrugge, artist/business person
