Are Galley Shows Worth It?

 

There is no more ego-boosting for an artist or photographer than having his or her art displayed in a gallery.  I get that.  I have had some of my works hung in a gallery show and even a private one.  

I have followed a New York Artist on YouTube for a long time. His YouTube channel is SLEW.  Recently he had a private gallery show.  I watched as his excitement grew over his first-ever private gallery show in New York.  I watched as he took on a self-challenge to paint a huge oil painting for the show.  His largest canvas yet.  This piece would be the centerpiece of the show and he wanted it to showcase his talents and abilities.  

I watched as he made this huge endeavor that would require considerable work and funds.  Gallery shows are not cheap in any respect. 

So, let's talk about cost. 

Rent.  Some galleries rent out their space.  Especially for a private showing.  In the case of Slew's show, he did not disclose what the cost was.  But considering New York pricing and that the gallery was two floors, then I would guess the amount was considerable. Some galleries work on a commission basis so that if you sell any works the gallery takes a percentage of the sale.  This can be as high as 60%.

Frames.  Presenting your work in most galleries requires your works to be framed. And some galleries are very particular on framing.  Most galleries will not accept saw tooth hangers on the frame, but require wire hangers.  Others require specific frames such as all the works require black wood frames.  In SLEW's show, it was completely up to him as to how his works will be presented. 

Time.  There is so much that goes into a gallery show.  There is considerable planning and preparation.  Depending on the size of the show.  In some cases, the gallery has staff that does the complete show layout and hanging of the art pieces.  In SLEW's case, he did everything with some help from a friend. This helped reduce the cost of the show considerably. 

Transporation.  You have to get your art to the gallery.  If you have large works of art then transporting the art can incur cost.  In the case of SLEW's gallery show, he and a friend bubble-wrapped each work of art then boxed them, and finally rented a You Hull truck for transportation.  Remember, this has to be done twice.  Getting the art to the gallery and once the show is over, getting it back to your studio or home, and doing this safely.  This adds to the cost, labor, and time. 

Opening. It is common practice to have a gallery show opening.  This can be a private opening or one that is open to the public.  Think of it as a social party.  You need to provide your guests with finger food and drinks.  In some cases, you may want to have this catered.  In SLEW's show, he included a free open bar.  This really added to the cost of his show. 

In conclusion, considering the considerable cost in money, time, and labor, is a gallery show worth it?  There are perks to gallery shows beyond the possible sales.  There is a great deal of prestige in a gallery show.  This is great BIO material.  Gallery shows help artists get known and recognized.  And there is the EGO boost.  The ability to show of your work to family, friends, and the community.  

My personal experience is the same as SLEW's.  He did not sell a single item at the show.  This included no sales of his artwork or merchandise.  The show seemed well attended, and some of his followers even traveled from out of town to attend the show.  In the basement was his student's show and I do not believe any of those works sold.  I wonder why?  He is very talented and his works reflected that. But not to even sell his Tote Bags that I an sure were priced affordable leaves me wondering why.

My personal experience has been the same as SLEW's.  I have been part of club gallery shows, independent gallery shows, and even a private gallery show.  And out of all of them, I have only sold a few works of art.  Nothing that came close to covering the cost or effort.  And like SLEW, was I disappointed?  A little bit.  Was it worth it?  I am not sure.  Would I do another one?  I never say never. As I said, there are benefits of having your art hanging in galleries beyond the monetary rewards.  You have to balance that with what you want out of the show.  If you want to have the gallery show with the bet of making a lot of money, well, good luck with that.  Not to say artists do not find galleries financially rewarding, I am just not sure I know of any that has.    

Reference SLEWs gallery Show.  
https://youtu.be/vGEVu_-pEws?si=BbNPrCGU9eSQJ6PM

   

Sunday Morning Artist - Why get into art as retired senior?

I have gone through many chapters in my life and have many interests. I think I have always been curious about how things work.  From my early days with an interest in electronics, to later in life my interest in photography.  My interest quickly builds into a passion.  I am never satisfied with being halfway into anything.  I am all in.  

People ask how long I have been creating art. It is something I have thought quite a bit about and a hard date or event that set me on this journey.  I do remember enjoying art in school and an art teacher who tried to discourage me in art, saying I would never become an artist.  Thinking back, what type of teacher would ever say such a thing to a student.  I did have a friend who was amazing at art in High School and I sure admired his work.  And in Jr. High, I took drafting and sure loved that class.  Again, not enough to fire up a lifelong interest in art.  Later in the military, I got interested in photography and thinking back, I believe it was my interest in the darkroom and how that worked.  The person who ran the photo lab was a very interesting character.  His photography was simply amazing and inspiring.  Mostly of beautiful women he photographed in the studio.  I wanted so much to do this type of photography and that started my passion for studio photography that would lead to studios I owned later in life.  I admired the old master's type of studio photography that mimicked great oil paintings.  I started doing a lot of oils over portraits and restoration of old photos that helped feed the family and pay the bills. 

The photography passion lasted for nearly 50 years.  But with my legs failing me and the pandemic hit, I hung up my camera bag.  I was retired at this point and missed not only the creative process of photography but also the social aspect of it.  I started getting into compositing in Photoshop, but soon though YouTube I found an interest in watercolor.  And said to myself, how hard could that be. hehe.  Well, little did I know that watercolor is considered the hardest of all art media to master.  But like the bumble bee that does not know he is not supposed to be able to fly, I forged forward.  Finding a new passion. 

What I came to realize was the way painting made me feel.  All my worries and concerns drifted away in the painting process.  Painting was all about problem-solving and focus.  It is how I maintained my sanity during the isolation of the pandemic.  And when the pandemic was over and people started venturing out from their caves, it became an opportunity to become social again.

I found some local artists who got together once a week to paint outdoors. Painting once again gave me the creative release I so needed, provided psychological therapy, and gave me joy in not only how I felt about my paintings but how others felt about them also.  Yes, it stroked my much needed ego.  And there is nothing wrong with that. Finally through much practice, and hundreds of hours of watching YouTube, I started to see progress in my own work. 

Why get into art as a retired senior?  It gives you purpose, is a great relaxing hobby, and a great social tool. Just pick up a brush and give it a try.  It is not important that it is not good, but more important to how it makes you feel.