Comments on: Know when it's time to move on to new exhibit venues

By: Joanne Bartone

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:54:49 +0000

Hey Alison!
Thanks for this post – it’s just what I was looking for…information on where/how to get started. I was thinking of contacting you separately, but wanted to get feedback from your followers as well…
I’m a photographer – I’ve a degree in my field and nearly 20 years experience in my field, but my career has been built as a wedding photographer and I am very well known and respected in the community. Even though my focus has been to create wedding art, I’ve won awards in competitions for both my wedding photography AND my personal art photography and now I want to focus more on creating art and expanding on that side of my career.
When I first started in the field of photography, there were dues to be paid: assisting for next to nothing, and at the time it was a field that was dominated by men. I never believed in the “dues to be paid” mentality and felt that when I acquired success, I would help others do the same minus any “dues,” and I’ve mentored many a photographer into their own success.
Now that I’m moving more into the art end of my career, I don’t want to have to go back to dues-paying. So, pardon me if I sound impatient, but I want to “exhibit” in places that will get me noticed, not started. I’m a go-get ‘er – having built my career, success and reputation on my own and without anyone’s help. I have every faith I can do this again, now in fine art, instead of wedding art.
My problem is this…art photography is a new direction for me and I’m not sure how to move it forward. I am passionate about it, have tremendous skills in both the technical and creative aspects of it, but I don’t want to feel as if I’m climbing a slow ladder, or a crooked one – I’m happy to climb the ladder in a direction that will give me results, but I don’t want to waste time.
I’m not intending to talk down to anyone who is exhibiting in coffee shops – it can be a safe place to start, but I’m a risk-taker and never been afraid to jump in full force, so feel I can do more than starting small. I just want to start out in middle- or higher-ground. Call me impatient, call me 55 and highly-motivated by death knocking on my door at some point in my future…I just don’t wan to waste time.
Can you, or anyone offer me some suggestions or provide me with some direction on jump starting my new art career? THANKS!
Joanne Bartone Photographer

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By: andrea wedell

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:34:19 +0000

In reply to andrea wedell.

I’ve just realized something when writing my comment. I’ve never gone out and looked for venues – not really. They have presented themselves to me- including my Paris gallerist who I met when I was doing a show in a restaurant, and offered to show me in his gallery. Maybe, next steps out of my comfort zones should have been looking for juried shows, or really trying (I only half tried), to find other galleries in other parts of Europe. Or something that required a selection process of some kind ?

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By: andrea wedell

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:13:40 +0000

This post comes right at the moment I happen to be REALLY thinking through these issues. I live in France, and was very comfy at a gallery in Paris here, doing group shows and one (my first) solo show two years ago (that went very well). I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone when I moved to the South of France, but, alas, didn’t choose well and reversed the process. I went from my gallery (the gallerist had become a friend over the years, and somehow I decided that wasn’t a selling point for the value of my work) to shows in the regional part of the South of France where I live (with has much more conservative tastes), did one “show” in a hotel and followed all the rules to try to do it well, two others in a small rented gallery space, another in a space in Paris that was a big mish mash of unrelated objects, and one I’m doing right now in a vineyard. None of this has been particularly productive, I’ve spent lots of energy, money moving the art around, and there have been very few sales. I’m wondering what the next steps after the Paris gallery should have been. How should I have pushed my comfort zone and kept myself going in the right direction ?

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By: New dream studio that I can afford | Laura's Art Blog, Exploring the Material World

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:50:40 +0000

[…] LINKS: Sarah Kinn NoBo Art District Holiday Neighborhood Know when it’s time to move on to new exhibit venues […]

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By: Top 10 Marketing Advice Newsletters from Art Biz Coach — Art Biz Blog

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:00:26 +0000

[…] the same artist guild year after year or returning to the local coffee shop over and over again. Expand to grow your market. Since June 20, […]

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By: Embrace a Space and Get Your Art Out There — Art Biz Blog

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:01:18 +0000

[…] said Yes because she is seeking fresh exhibit opportunities, and this was a new venue. She embraced the […]

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By: Spit Shine Your Image — Art Biz Blog

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:56:28 +0000

[…] Your Venues Will you forever be known as The Coffee Shop Artist because you found a safe place to show your art and never left? Or are your venues consistently […]

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By: Alyson Stanfield

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:30:51 +0000

Sari: Wow. I’m sorry to hear about the mess! I hope it gets straightened out soon.

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By: Sari Grove

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:12:35 +0000

Just to update the thread…Wow. Our artist union Carfac has had to intervene on our behalf. (husband is an artist too). The landlord claimed (falsely) that works on consignment were his property to seize. Also, wants a ‘writ of declaration’ that the works were really consigned & not sold to the owner? From a lawyer. I feel for the jewelry artist whose work is locked in too- all consignment too…
Anyways, word of advice to artists- make sure you get gallery to sign a piece of paper with a date saying the word consignment on it (when you deliver)…Not for you, or for the gallery, but for 3rd parties like a landlord . (we were on a verbal contract-which was fine just for us)…
I actually now have a voice recording of my gallery owner, online, which I taped from my voicemail onto my computer, superimposed on a Fine Art Registry (dot com) screenshot of my works which are registered online & all have security tags…(vouching that the works were not bought)…
Meow! (all today)

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By: Sari Grove

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:55:54 +0000

Even more disturbing is that there are 4 new paintings on the wall of that closed gallery, still…I left a message with the landlord, whose number I got from the business upstairs…It looks like the owner is so depressed over the lousy Xmas take that she is hiding & moping…I’m not worried yet though- this was a good person & I trust that things will work out…Worse comes to worse, Carfac(artist union here) will act on my behalf to tell the landlord the paintings were on consignment & aren’t part of bought inventory…But like, the neighbour says it has been closed all January- it’s a good thing I like to walk…(would have gone by sooner, but hate to be That person who always comes by to see if anything sold, or checks up, like a spy)…

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