Art Is A Business – First and foremost, consider your art to be a “product,” and with any product, it must be presented and package professionally for sale. If you consider yourself a fine artist – you should always treat your art as a highly valuable good. Therefore, be discriminative when choosing where and how to present your art. Choose distinguished and reputable art galleries, dealers and consultants to work with to display and market your art to the public.
Don’t Think Short-Term – The “starving artists” mentality can deter you from having a long-term career in art. Creating art that will only bring quick cash and one-time buyers will stunt your creativity and turn your art into a menial job. Instead, create works that attract collectors, which will ultimately form long-term relationships and continues sales.
Work With A Professional – Working with a reputable art consultant will help set the foundation for who you are as an artist, and aid in the development of branding your artwork. Art consultants give you the necessary information and guidance on how to display your artwork, increase its value and promote sales. With the proper consultation from a professional that knows the industry, you can jump start your art career.
What’s Your Story? – Provide detailed information about who you are as an artist and your work. Write an artist statement and/or bio to aid in the promotion of your work. The more people know about you, the easier it is for them to understand and appreciation your work. Hence, when there is an appreciation for your work, the more it increases in value, and with respect to the art market, the more attractive it is to buyers. The story behind the art adds value and deepens the experience someone has when they view your work. Documenting when, how and why you created a piece starts conversations and sparks interest which will opening the door to new buyers.
A Website Is Cornerstone - Having a website and/or web gallery not only will help promote your work, but it will allow you to easily catalog it. Both are a key components to marketing your art. Be sure to always use high quality images of your work.
Use Social Networking Sites – Create a Facebook, Twitter, or Linked In page. Social networking websites provide free promotion and networking with art enthusiasts, buyers, galleries, and other artists. You will have global exposure that will generate a following and reiterate your brand. Please be aware that the quality and content of your posts will contribute to the branding of your art. So stay away from posting spam about personal things and stick with the business content. Also, one rule of thumb is before publishing your work on any social network websites read the fine print. While these websites offer free promotion, they also have copyright and publishing conditions that could pose an issue concerning ownership.
Published by Clarke Art Consulting © 2009
