The Business Of Being An Artist

Artwork must be photographed, put into a frame, crated when shipping and needs extra care in handling. While artist may need to be publicized to the media to gain more exposure. Still others use a website to showcase their art pieces – which then will need to be regularly developed, updated and maintained. No doubt this is a lot for any one artist to handle, so why not hire a dealer or a manager to pick up the slack?

Gallery dealers and managers are often responsible for multiple ends of management. They ensure that guests coming in and out the gallery to view exhibits or buy artwork are well accounted for and looked after. Further, they are responsible to share necessary information about the pieces they found of interest at the gallery show.

Although most artists have no personal managers or dealers, many of them today are seeking their services. As times have evolved, these people have called themselves art dealers or managers even with little or no experience.

A gallery manager is in control of overseeing the functions of the gallery such as installation of exhibits and other behind the scene activities before the show starts. Indeed, their role can go further and farther with various activities including liaising artists, overseeing the gallery program, selling art and the most important, managing finances.

Most of these dealers or full time managers represent the artists in several art gallery shows. They also act as private consultants. Instead of a commercial gallery, most of these dealers work out of their homes. If you are an artist who can afford the services of a dealer, it is a good way of decreasing the stress brought about by selling and representing your work on your own. However, if you are just starting to emerge as an artist – your sales may not meet the amount of money that will be required to pay for the salary of your dealer. Wait for the perfect timing – when you are already a well-established artist.

In case you’ve decided to hire a private dealer or a manager, be sure to check their background, references and previous experience.

Why Having An Art Agent Is Pivotal To Your Career

If you are just showing at least one or two galleries for each, might as well save your money or just hire one art agent to manage your career. Additionally, a good dealer can also act as your informal agent in handling the odds and ends of your career. They are responsible for giving professional advice, which you will need on an ongoing basis. Organizing and scheduling of future gallery shows is also their forte; as is publicizing your work to be sold as quickyly as possible.
If you have long been working with a dealer or with a gallery and you feel like you need an additional dealer, reach out to the gallery as well as your agent in order to spit ball whether this move falls into the overall long term marketing and sales strategy they have laid out for your career.

In reality, working with a publicist can be costly and the result is not really guaranteed to be positive. For sure, no dealer will guarantee an artist about how your show will ultimately be reviewed by the critics, even after they have gone to a great deal to have it featured by the media through television, newspaper and magazine. However, some who have dealt with dealers and agents have seen their career prosper over the long term. And in the end, it is a strategic gamble you need to take in order to see if you have the stuff it takes to make for a successful international art career.
A few of the notable benefits of hiring a dealer are as follows:

• Ongoing Sales & Direct Marketing Of Your Work
The dealer hunts sales opportunities for the artist by constantly promoting the artworks to various potential art buyers. This usually involves using the dealer’s past networking connections and contacts as well as by creating new contacts.

• Sales Support Services
The dealer takes care of all the sales related headache, which includes the packaging and shipping of artwork of the artist to clientele. With local sales, the dealer is the one doing the delivery and installation of the art piece to the buyer’s preferred local location.

• Continuous Online Marketing Strategy
The dealer takes advantage of the sales, exposure, web traffic the internet brings. By investing the capital on behalf of the artist to promote the artworks on blogs, websites, social media, through channels such as SEO, google and more.

• Internet Marketing Support
The dealer may help the artist in creating or developing a website, including its maintenance and updates with the help of SEO friendly efforts to create the most attractive brand identity and lure more potential buyers.

• Print Media Marketing
The dealer will also find a way to identify more and new marketing ideas such as the print media advertising, art catalogs, and curatorial materials that will be utilized further for promotion.

• Sales Representation In The Gallery
The dealer will represent the artist in gallery shows, exhibitions, art festivals or other shows. So, even if the artist is not available the dealer is there to publicize the artworks.

• Logistical Gallery Support
The dealer will help the artist with the whole duration of the show such as setting up and taking down of the artworks after the event.

Conclusion

Before anything else, get a clear understanding of what kind of agent you are working with before you move forward. Moreover, do some in depth research about your potential agent and firm before you sign a contract.

Indeed, the hiring of an art dealer will most likely help you increase profits and sales because of the dealer’s ability to expand your repertoire. When this happens, the value of your artwork and your credibility and desirability as an artist will also increase – thus gaining you the popularity you seek.
In addition, an art dealer can aid the artist in increasing your artwork’s prolific appeal due to fast sales equaling better turn over rate, while increasing the public exposure of your art. Overall, an increased business operation and production of artwork will help you move forward in your career and revenue goals.

Junzi Fine Art has brought together one of the finest teams of art reps, art consultants, art curators, gallerists, and industry professional in the world. As founders of the firm established in 2012, Joseph Manqueros and his partner Serina Manqueros are dedicated to creating a strong foundation via a powerful and well strategized gallery & curatorial program to the artists represented. The firm’s associates bring a combines 100+ years in expertise as private consultants to the international art market.

For information regarding our artist management services, visit our Artist Services page by clicking here.