Five Alternative Places To Show Your Art
Think you need a gallery show to sell your work? Think again. I've sold my work on the sidewalk, out of a restaurant, from a park, in a pop-up show, and of course, in a gallery. But most of my sales have been outside of the gallery setting. Of course, these days, it's easy to sell your work without a gallery - and you should. So here are some ways to start selling your work, and none of them involve a gallery.
Coffee shops, restaurants, real estate offices, and hair salons: Many coffee shops and restaurants feature rotating displays of local artists' work. Artists can reach out to these establishments and offer to display their artwork, which can help them gain exposure to a new audience. Check with your local coffee shop or favorite cafe. If you patronize the place, you may already have a relationship with the owner. This is a perfect place to start if you're beginning to show. I've sold big paintings (with a big ticket price!) out of restaurants.
I'm a big proponent of making your own thunder. By that, I mean, give yourself a show! Do you have a friend with a big swanky house? Ask them to host an evening art salon for you. How about that vacant storefront in your neighborhood? Get a group of your artist pals together and have a pop-up show. Create a themed exhibition that showcases the group's work. Empty storefronts that have been "spruced up" with an art exhibit are more likely to get leased. Use that idea to get the landlord to give you the space for free for a weekend.
Outdoor art groups and fairs: I showed with the San Francisco Artists' Guild for years. This group shows outdoors all year round in several busy public spaces in San Francisco. I've sold thousands of dollars of artwork right on the sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Is there a similar group near you? Art fairs are also an excellent place to start. Check online and see which ones are near you, and start there.
Non-profit organizations: Many non-profit organizations have spaces that showcase artwork related to their mission. For example, a nature conservancy might feature artwork highlighting conservation's importance. Artists can reach out to these organizations and offer to display their work.
Online galleries: I saved this one for last because it's a tricky subject. Many online galleries do nothing more than take your entry fee and post an image. There is no active promotion, no way for your work to be singled out from the thousands of other artists in the gallery. Granted, there are artists making good money online in places like Society6, Redbubble, and Etsy. But these are not online galleries. These are storefronts, and the artist fulfills orders. Online galleries like Saatchi (which at last count had 60,000 artists) leave the promotion up to the artist. The bottom line when submitting to an online gallery - do your homework and plan on doing plenty of your own promotion.
These are just a few of the ways you can make sales without a traditional gallery. Get started now! There's no time like the present!
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