galleries Archives

Reinventing Your Art Career with Ali Cavanaugh (33)

In 2014, Ali Cavanaugh had 11 galleries representing her work throughout the U.S. and even overseas. It was all she could do to paint fast enough to supply these galleries with new work.

What a great problem to have, right? But something wasn’t sitting right with Ali. So she asked each of the 11 galleries to return her work. One by one they sent back what few paintings remained in their inventories.

There was no animosity. Ali greatly appreciated all the work the galleries did on her behalf, but she was no longer satisfied with the status quo.

She had begun to reconsider not just what her business model looked like, but the art itself.

She decided to take control and be very deliberate about her next moves.

In episode 33 of the Art Biz Podcast, you’ll hear about:

Ali’s first steps as an artist and initial gallery representation.
Why galleries weren’t interested in work behind glass.
How Ali took 6 months to teach herself a new watercolor technique and why it was important to do this.
How Ali used her blog to attract press coverage and

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The Art Biz ep. 22: Opening and Running Your Own Gallery with Tracy Miller

A lot of my students and clients have mentioned their desire to open a gallery. And some have done so without putting much thought into what it takes and … later regret it.

I’m excited that artist and gallerist Tracy Miller is on this episode to talk about her experience running Tracy Miller Gallery for the last 7 years.

She talks about selecting a tight focus for her gallery, which she feels was critical for its success. The artists she chose to work with are in the genre of New West and have some experience under their belts. They are also savvy professionals.

She also reveals why she chose the specific location for the gallery and the many challenges—including wildfires and city-wide flooding—she overcame while running the business.

Tracy, who spent much of her time networking and connecting to people and businesses in the community, offers at least three pieces of advice for anyone interested in opening a gallery.

1. Work at another gallery for awhile. She learned a great deal by working at a large space for 5 years.

2. Crunch the numbers. And know the numbers. Tracy knows not only her average monthly sale in dollars, but the average sale for surrounding businesses.

3. Figure out how you will continue to have studio time. If you say you’re an artist, you must be making art and serving as an example to the artists in your stable.

Tracy also discusses her decision to

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Karin Olah speaks at her opening. Photo courtesy Alicia Leeke.

5 Crucial Things To Do After Your Art Opening

Your art opening is not the end. It’s only the beginning.

It’s common for artists to be bummed after an opening. So much work went into making the art, promoting the event, and installing it. No wonder you’re deflated when you wake up the next morning.

This is when you must soldier on. You have artwork hanging in a public space, and it’s the perfect time to get some things done that couldn’t happen if your art had stayed in the studio.

The fun starts now with these 5 To Dos.

1. Schedule a Photo Shoot

When your work is hung in a beautiful setting, you want pictures!

This is no time for amateur hour. You need fantastic photos to use in your promotions and to document the occasion.

Get photos of:

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Leslie Neumann with her paintings Beauty deep Within and Fateful, Faithful. Each 60 x 45 inches.

Are Art Consultants Right For You?

This article is excerpted and summarized from an interview with artist Leslie Neumann for our members. Leslie generously shared her experience working with art consultants. The key points here are provided by Leslie and with include my annotations. If you have a solid studio practice and welcome the challenge of commissioned work, art consultants might

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Vanity Galleries vs. Co-ops

I was talking with an artist-friend the other day and this came up . . . Deep Thought: What’s the difference between a vanity gallery and a co-op?
Why are co-ops (where artists pay to be members) considered okay, whereas vanity galleries (where artists pay to exhibit) are off-limits?

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Friendsourcing for a Successful Gallery Opening

Guest blogger Marcia Crumley shares her first solo exhibition last November in Boston was a spectacular success. She’s a bit of a control freak, so letting go of certain things was very challenging at first, particularly when those tasks involved the art itself. But as the opening date grew closer and the to-do list kept getting longer, Marcia realized that accepting help from others was the only way to get it all done.

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What Galleries Should Expect From Artists At Openings

As a gallery artist, you have a responsibility to help commercial gallerists sell your art. Last week I wrote about the galleries’ responsibility to you at an exhibition opening. Now let’s talk about your role. What should galleries expect of you and from you at an opening? Above All . . . Ask a lot of questions.

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