How can I get my artwork into a gallery?

• I am 25 years old and getting my MFA in figurative painting...how can I begin to get my artwork seen? I would really like to get some of my paintings into a gallery, but I need to know the best approach. Can anyone help me?

• Answer:

  My major was Commercial and Illustrative Photography / Minor in Graphic Design and Illustration. Getting your work seen should be your primary goal right now. Unless you have connections, an amazing portfolio or pretty strong credentials you’ll have to wait a little on gallery showings.. (with a few exceptions I’ll mention later) 1) Get your portfolio together and TIGHT (also practice your presentation). 2) Get business cards you can leave at locations you show at (and/or on your artwork) 3) If possible, have slides of your work shot. (“Call for Artists” always seem to want slides) 4) Start your research and lay out your plan on paper (you’re starting here which is GREAT) Your main goal is to locate business that need artwork on the walls, are appreciative of the arts and that have good traffic. Look for art districts in your town or towns near to you. Also, (I was apprehensive about putting the following down, due to how it sounds.. but it worked for me)….It may sound snobby, but this is a business… It doesn’t hurt to look for areas where upper and upper middle class people live – If they like your work they may have connections to gallery owners or art dealers. Places I’ve had success – Coffee shops / Small restaurants / Pottery shops / Country Clubs / Jewelry stores (NOT in malls)/ Winery’s/ Specialty Grocery Stores (the type that has imported cheese and aged meat-lol) . One of my best locations was a County Government Executive office building (go figure!) – My work was in a long corridor between 2 buildings – LOTS of traffic. The goal is to make an appointment with the owner to present your portfolio. (Also, create a flyer with examples of your work and your contact information on it- which you will be able to leave). And follow up, follow up, follow up! Your selling point – You have a rotating gallery that you will maintain /change (every 2 months is what I did). You attach your contact card to your artwork (as well as leave additional cards with the receptionist for inquiries they may get) Find a radius of large towns to market to – My area consisted of Pittsburgh / Cleveland / Columbus / Toledo and Detroit. (I later found out this was too big of an area) To begin, you may want to find good prospects in 2 of the larger towns near you. Regarding gallery showings: After years at a college you have great connections without even knowing it – Your art instructors. They may have knowledge of Artist Galleries. Those galleries owned and run by artists, and looking for new work on a regular basis. Also, join art societies (national and local) – either specializing in your medium or interest. They always seem to have gallery showing information (local or out of town) and always seem to be asking for submissions for one thing or another. An odd “get it out there idea” that worked for me - Subscribe to a magazine in your medium / area of interest. Most have contests a few times during the year.- or have “calls for artists” listed in the back of the magazine. Last (and sorry for my rambling) -- Go to every gallery showing you can—drive the extra miles and stay out of town if you need to. NY,NY, NY! (I made more connections at a 1 week show in NY then I did after 1 year of local showings)– Become chatty, make friends / connections. (Travel with your portfolio attached to your hip!) How artists fail (and I've seen a number fail over the years) - They aren't willing to go outside their area, they aren't willing to work at selling their "product" (it is a business no matter what we want to believe)-- they hold on too tightly to the idea of being a starving artist or suffering for their art. It’s a wonderful field!—I’m very excited for you, hope I’ve given you a few ideas—Enjoy!