Business
■ By Paul Dorrell

Courtesy of Leopold Gallery; Kansas City, Missouri

Finding the
Right Gallery

ment and confidence, or despair and ineptitude? Most importantly, are the director and staff snobs, or are they considerate and helpful? If the former, I advise caution.

An experienced art dealer shares advice
for choosing and approaching the best
galleries for you and your work.

www.artistsmagazine.com ■ November 2008

All right, let’s assume you’re ready to submit your work to a gallery. Let’s also assume that you have a résumé in depth, meaning you’ve exhibited in juried shows and artists’ coalitions, have found your audience and are confident of your work. With these things behind you—or even if all you have behind you is confidence—you’re ready to begin the process of finding the right gallery.

Learn to anticipate it. Then let me give you another: Determine to persevere, no matter what.

Note the way you’re treated If the staff acts superior with you, chances are they treat clients similarly, which will only lead to lost sales. I have to admit though, some snobs do make excellent art dealers while maintaining very high standards; they’re just a real pain to work with. In the end it’s a personal call. If you feel you can work well with these folks, go ahead—just watch your step as you proceed.

 

Anticipate and persevere Before we go on to the galleries, it might be wise for you to acknowledge that your work may be rejected several times initially, and that finding the right gallery is not necessarily a simple task—though sometimes it can be. Therefore, allow me to give you a piece of advice about rejection:

Get a general impression I advise that you start with galleries located in a major city or resort near you. Visit them and browse. Don’t mention you’re an artist. Just walk around and get a feel for the place. Is the gallery well laid out and well lighted, or is it dim, dusty and disorganized? Does it exude content-

 

■ Paul Dorrell founded Leopold Gallery in 1991 in Kansas City, Missouri. As an art consultant, he has clients that include H&R Block, the Kauff-man Foundation, G.E. Aircraft Engines and the National D-Day Memorial. He’s also the author of the guidebook for artists Living the Artist’s Life. Learn more at www.pauldorrell.com.

Determine if your work is a fit Once you find a group of galleries that impress you, you’ll need to assess if they’re a fit for your work. If they carry only landscape, it’s doubtful they’ll be a good fit for abstraction. Some galleries (like mine) carry both contemporary and semitraditional art. These businesses are open to a wide variety of work and can have a broad range of clientele. If your work is a stretch for a particular space, no matter: It could stretch the gallery in a good direction, provided the dealer