Popped Art: How to Promote an Artist's Work?

4. While I'm here, might as well look for advice regarding the sale of aforementioned artworks, especially re: pricing, marketing, distribution of giclees, photographs, and installation/site-specific pieces. This is kind of an aside, yet relevant. A friend of mine runs an "under-the-radar" urban gallery. For the past year or so, they've done a number of shows where they've had a color-laser printer on site. If someone likes a piece but can't afford the purchase price, they can just order a print and have it produced right then and there, even as a t-shirt if they so desired. The point being: be open and aware as to what new-tech is doing to the marketplace, and plan accordingly.

Besides question #1, your other questions are way, way too broad to receive an answer. But in general, when thinking about calls for submissions, remember Groucho Marx: "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." Almost every 'resource' out there for artists is just another way to separate them from their money. There is no silver bullet to take an artist to the next level. But you need to start local. Whether it is a local gallery, a local art show, anything to get the work in front of people. Exactly why 'facebook, twitter, flickr, tumblr' is a terrible marketing plan. Who is going to see it? It is like planting a flag in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and expecting people to find it. Start local and build a community, then take it from there. The relationships, shows, sales, everything will flow naturally out of strong local foundation.

Visual Arts (on a Museum level) is a really really tough business to break into, statistically almost nil if you are not already part of that level of art system (but there are flukes). You are competing with many many people who are highly talented and highly motivated. If you have the will, nothing is impossible, but you are competing with many other people who also think this way, and many of them are geniuses. You should probably focus on achieving representation with a Gallery/Dealer who represents other work which you like. Send portfolios (not more than once a year). If accepted, they will take much of the money your work sells for, but they will (probably) promote your work. In the mean time, try to participate in the (uh) next emerging art-scene by going to small shows of other new artists. Join an arts collective (they pop up all the time in most not-small cities). Show stuff at storefront galleries. Rent a storefront for your own show/party. Of course, study criticism of your work carefully. Keep an open mind. Not all great art ends up in a museum.

@philip-random - thanks for the point of reference. we're very aware of the fluxes of the marketplace. probably should have saved that question for its own askmefi thread; it's a world unto itself. @infinitefloatingbrains - actually, 'facebook, twitter, flickr, tumblr' has worked quite well, because we treat it as local. just because it can have an international reach doesn't mean that we rely on it. rather, we are active in local communities that have extensions online, rather than starting from the online and hoping to move off. i guess my question was how to move to that next level, since it doesn't seem so 'natural,' especially as 'local' might be *too* local. @xo - thanks for the links. exactly what i was looking for. your advice is spot on as well. @ovvi - the artist I'm working with has had some big wins with museums, so there is definitely a leg up there. I'm actually at an advantage because it's not my work, so i can remain fairly objective about which opportunities are promising, relevant, and realistic.