ARTISTS - read!

I don't want to rain on anyones parade but I got to put in my two cents. My wife and I opened a gallery a few years ago, worked it for a couple years and gave it up, it was a labor of love, break even at best without making a dime for our work. It's a tough gig, I promise. You have to sell a bunch of art to cover the overhead, rent, insurance, utilities, advertising, ect, ect. Then someone got to run it, that means saleries. Even with cheap rent (ours was $600 month) you have to sell $300-400 a day, every day. We might sell a $1000 dollar piece one day but go 5 without one sell. Drove me nuts.
One other issue for the artists, particularly new ones. Standard gallery commissions is 50%. Do you double the price of your art to cover it and if you do will it sell or be overpriced? Or are you willing to get half of what you feel it's worth?
I think an online gallery would be more feasable, La, New York, wherever, it's international, location doesn't matter. Much cheaper to run and maintain and with the right advertising you'll get more shoppers on the information highway then ANY busy street or highway location.

 

I would say I'm in, but I do it on salary for the man. So the man owns it all. I should start taking some of my own shots from now on. There was a place I visited out in Detroit, Gallary and Online. www.horsepowerhalloffame.com
Doc Watsons' son runs it.

 

Thanks for the link, nice site... I would stray away from the "collectables" though.

Metalman, good advice, but we are still looking at the "gallery" thing differently. It would be down the road, after sales of the combined artwork started increasing enough to have an actual, physical "space". My idea for a gallery has always been a place where I could live also... an old warehouse with living quarters attached somewhere. The wife has a good RN job, and I already have income on the average of 2k/month just from my monument etchings, so running and watching a gallery of friends worrk really wouldn't be a hardship.

Insurance would be a *****.

 

and i sure wouldn't think 50% commission would be fair at all... I was thinkin that 10-15% back into the "coaltion" fund, to cover expenses, insurance, and growth, would be plenty.

 

I posted a thread about a year ago about starting a gallery relating to our type of art. I got great response to it and was thrilled to try and open one. After many setbacks including not finding a location, investor problems and lack of local interest i gave up. I would still love to open one but around the Nashville area at the time the market could not support it. I might try again in a few years cause the hot rod market is increasing here just not fast enough. If you do try to find investors dont let them try to run it, Tell them from the beginning what you are doing and dont stray from your plan. They kept trying to make me go other directions with it and thats when i finalyy just said forget it. Dont let me get you down on the idea, i just wanted to let you know what i ran into when i tried to do it.

 

I wanted to stay awy form that too but sometimes thats what brings in the people to look at the art. It also can be a filler for income when the art is not selling. I worked at a gallery and the collectible **** was a better seller sometimes then the art. Just two cents.

 

yeah... that's one of those "it's the principal of the thing" things.

I believe you can run a business and not stray from what you believe in, or your goals. I'm sure the membership of the HAMB would increase by thousands if the cut-off date were 1974 instead of 1964... but it's the principal of the thing.

I'd also love to have a few hotrods sitting outside for sale too, on commission... cars, furniture, clothing, artwork, sculpture, don't see anything that wouldn't appeal to a BUNCH of folks...

Planning stage has begun, I will keep you all informed per PM, I've printed out all those interested... thanks again.

 

Greg,,I see your vision. ----After starting online,,,I see your physical space as a hot rod lifestyle gallery and shop.VINTAGE (1940's -1960's) living space decor,,,ie;,,Furniture,,clothes,,Framed art,,,,
I see It-- This could truly work

 

Greg,

You sound like where I was at a few years ago. I've tried the store front and now have an online gallery. Please, pm me before you make any big decissions, I'd like to give you some feed back.

Glenn

 

I don't do much but I'd do a lot more if there was an exclusive place to show/sell it. I like to do metal panels with hot rod paint schemes and effects. Some of that stuff brings decent dough. As far as collectables I'd think only genuine things that get traded regular are ok. Things like Williams prints, Roth stuff, some of the history books, a poster from an old race or event, you get the idea. I'm gonna be watchin this.