Archive: Business Questions for the Community

[Kevin]

Hi all, not sure if this is the right place for this or not but here goes.  What is everyone’s thoughts on putting prices on your website.  I have heard some say not to, others say you should have them there. I think it’s good to have them but want to hear other opinions.

Cheers

[isamybella]

I’m very new here but if you set a price on your art and that is the price, I think that posting the price on your website makes sense.  It seems that it would build trust with those who are interested in purchasing your work

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[Michal Tkachenko]

Well, I have always believed in not putting the prices on the website. For many reasons, but the main one has always been that it is not done by really established and top artists and galleries. I suppose in the art circles that I am in everyone thinks it lowers the standards. Discreet and snobby! Ha ha!

[TaLisa.]

Michal i see the same at high end galleries. No prices. One time i inquired about a piece, through the website link (more of an experiment for my art class). They promptly replied with “Thank you very much for your enquiry.  We are asking $18,000 for this work”  🙂

[Michal Tkachenko]

It appears I am totally in the minority for not putting prices. Hmmm. Well, I can learn from that. But how does one post prices tastefully? I also usually do what you do, TaLisa, have a hidden page with prices that I can send anyone a link to.

[Michal Tkachenko]

Also, what do you do when you’ve sold work? I am not sure I like seeing a “sold” under a work. How can this be tasteful and keep that air of calibre? Either you have it because you have a big name or you are trying to appear like you have it. My site is trying to appear like I have it! Am I totally on the wrong track?

[Kathleen Steegmans]

I don’t have prices on my website right now but I’m planning to add them soon. Like said by others, if I don’t see a price on something I want to buy I most of the times don’t inform because I’ll think it must be very expensive.

To Michal: I think putting sold under a work will be good for business because people are more confident to buy when they know other people have bought…

 

[Beverley]

I don’t have prices either, Michal. I see my website as an online portfolio, and at the moment I don’t feel I want to put a shopping basket and prices up.

[Cherilynn]

I actually got rejected by a gallery I submitted to because I do have my prices listed on my website. I inquired after getting the rejection and that is what they told me. So I am thinking of taking my prices off my website moving forward. I do hesitate though because, I feel, like others have said here, that without the prices being listed, I will lose some buyers who will not take the extra step and email.

[Michal Tkachenko]

To further that, we are creating but we are also trying to build value into something that is generally very cheap in material terms to make. And building a luxury item is all about quality versus quantity and building a brand. I always believed it was something to do with “if you need to ask the price, you can’t afford it”.  But hey, I could be wrong.

[Kevin]

I know for myself personally, if I go to a website and see something I like, but they don’t list a price, I will not inquire and they have lost a potential customer.  I took the time to find your site, I should be able to get all the info I need while I am there without having to send an email.  I also feel like if the price isn’t listed then you may have one price for me and another for someone else.  But, that’s just me.  If it is good practice to either put it or not, I would like to know.  Thanks for the responses so far.

[sandrajordan]

Hi Kevin.  I do have prices on my site.  I always feel that if there isn’t a price on there people might be embarrassed to email and ask because they then might worry that they will be harassed to purchase something.  I know some artists/galleries have “Price upon application” (which always makes me think I probably can’t afford it then!) but the London gallery that represents me does have prices for my work on there so I followed her lead.

[Kevin]

Thanks for the response Sandra. I feel the same way, and I have seen some large galleries that list the prices and others that don’t. There is a gallery that I am going to be sending a submission to and one of their criteria is that prices are listed on your site, so I guess that answers that for me.
Cheers!

[sandrajordan]

that’s interesting. sounds like they’ve made the decision easier for you 🙂

[TaLisa.]

i think i have been totally playing the field (all wrong too), but i have some links hidden in my site. meaning they don’t show on the home page. because i have friends and family asking about some pieces (which is not too often), and then i’m applying to galleries that many want you to submit  your price list. i haven’t gotten close enough to know if they would want me to publish prices on my site too. i guess the moral of the story is that you can control what you show on your site. and its different works that i have on different links. i don’t have the same piece on my site twice with different prices.

[Michal Tkachenko]

I have to say, Sandra, I like your site so much I checked to see how you had your prices displayed. It looks really good and professional (my worry is it won’t). I am willing to try it out and see what happens. What pops up when it is all sold? How does it compensate for different currencies? What currency is best? Is postage added? I am between UK and Canada. Do you sell well through your site? Or better through your gallery? Questions, questions, questions!

[Deleted User]

Hi Kevin I think it important to post prices of your work. Like you said you would have lost interest yourself had you not known the prices and it is important to confront your potential buyers with all the information they need. How often do we go into a clothes shop and not look at the price of what we are about to buy?

[Michal Tkachenko]

I have so many questions that I am not sure will come up in this course. So I am just going to post them here.

ONE STYLE OR MANY?
I’ve had mixed advice on having a variety of styles of work on my website or in my portfolio. I get quite bored doing only one type of work. I am a fast and prolific painter and paint figurative, still life, interiors and landscapes. I’ve had the advice that I should keep to one stream and one style and that is what galleries want to see. I can see from a lot of major artists that that is what they do as well. Having to choose is tough. My landscapes are fast, make money, are relaxing to produce but are not a challenge. The figurative work I REALLY love alth0ugh I haven’t found a market that is very strong for sales. Any thoughts?

 

[Michal Tkachenko]

GALLERY APPROACHES?
What are ways to approach galleries? Okay, assuming our website and everything on it is in place, what is the best way to approach or get into a gallery? An artist recommending you who is on the gallery’s roster is one good way I’ve been told. I’ve asked a lot of artists this question.
I’ve got some shows and gallery representation by writing out a very specific introduction letter stating I was having an open studio and really liked their gallery and certain artists in it and could see my work fitting in too. I printed out a glossy invitation to the event and hand delivered it with the letter.
I took a marketing workshop with French and Mottershead who have shown at Tate Modern and they said they found at the beginning they were having shows in warehouses with other artists and realised after awhile that it was only artists and their friends coming to the events. They sat down with a free small business initiative and pinpointed 10 top places (including Tate Modern) they would like to see their work, similar to Crista asking where we want to aim with our work. They then cold called the directors and asked for meetings! I couldn’t believe it when they said that. They were even shocked it worked. I guess artists don’t do that very often. Then they had a very specific and clever presentation when they did meet with them. They are a collaborative performance artist pair. They formed relationships with these people and then kept in touch and proposed shows as long as the specific people they had relationships with were still there.
How did you get into your galleries? How have you learned others have gotten into theirs?

 

[Michal Tkachenko]

I also like Crista’s suggestion that we find our own path apart from galleries. I have a series in the works that are contemporary icons. Since Crista’s suggestion I have thought of several UK cathedrals I know with dedicated galleries, a London gallery that used to be a nunnery whose director I know, and a prominent theological college in Canada that has a gallery. So did I have the wrong question originally? How do I get where I want to be as opposed to how to get into galleries? But what if where I want to be is a slew of top commercial galleries in a number of different countries?

[Helen Fraser]

Hi Michal,

I got into my next solo exhibition by emailing the gallery owner who followed up to make an appointment.  I took in samples of my work which she loved and she offered me an exhibition on the spot.  I think it helped that she knew the woman where I have work on consignment in a nearby town, which I mentioned in my second email.  She was the first gallery I had shown this new work too, which she appreciated as well.  Other solo gallery opportunities have been through a formal submission process.  The biggest thing that has helped with that has been having professional photos taken of my work since art school, having this documentation there and ready.  Group exhibition opportunities have come through Instagram, getting involved in community art projects and through other artist friends.

I must admit that as an emerging artist moving to mid career in some situations (fourth solo next year, planning to do two per year from here, doing community projects regularly and building an new portraiture arm of my business) that I have been pretty careful not to approach galleries that are out of my league.  That are more focused on solid mid-career artists.  Though I’m starting to wonder about this….am I waiting too long?   I’m thinking it is good to be steady and patient and build the relationships over time.  I’m interested in your thoughts.

Helen

[Michal Tkachenko]

HOW MUCH OLDER WORK SHOULD BE ON A WEBSITE?

I have really struggled to remove older work from my website. Okay, really old stuff is easy, but different bodies of work that have got me to different stages of my career are harder to not want to show people. I keep telling myself the weakest work I show is the level my work will be be seen at. How far back do all of you go when posting work on your website?

[TaLisa.]

i have been told to show your best work and not overwhelm the viewer on your website. i’d think if your older work has a story, relevant to your artist statement, and/or was in a special collection, then maybe keep it. i don’t show older work since its not a cohesive style for what i’m doing now. there are some pieces that i would share, but now (as emerging, smile) i just focus on lots of new work. instagram  has become my initial feed for my new work, because it’s quick and easy to post. so i have a stream showing on my website… at least until i can officially update my images.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Talisa, I think showing off your best work is important and not to overwhelm at the beginning.

[Michal Tkachenko]

EMERGING, MID-CAREER OR ESTABLISHED?

What are the criteria for each of these stages exactly? I thought maybe I was mid-career until a dealer told me I was emerging. So now I call myself emerging which doesn’t seem right when I see submissions for emerging artists and I have shows dating back 20+ years.

[TaLisa.]

Hi Michal – was was just going to comment on your pricing thread and mention that i’m at a different stage than you (based on my limited info of you). so if you’re emerging, then i’m… incubating, lol.

so great question – how are those defined?

[Michal Tkachenko]

Incubating! Funny. You are definitely hatched and emerging!

I wonder if it is length of time or level of attainment. I can fulfil the length part but not the level part.

[TaLisa.]

Anyone have/had a flat fee art licensing agreement? What are your thoughts and experiences?

[Helen Fraser]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick question about my CV.  If I go into prizes or awards and I am not successful, do I add them to my CV or leave them off completely?  I would value your feedback here.

Thanks!

[TaLisa.]

hi Helen – i left it off of my CV for now. but also think about “recognition” or “accomplishments” that could broaden the scope of that section.

[maralo (alois maringer)]

Hi all, I come with a technical question. We have been told to submit images for galleries and competitions at 72 dpi. As this does not mean to much for me, I asked an expert to transform all my images to the 72 dpi. He came back to me with the following : Your images are at present 96 dpi, to change them to 72 dpi does not make any difference. Perhaps they need to be set to A5 size at 72 dpi, or maybe 1000 pixel long edge at 72 dpi ! Please if anyone knows this answer , I would really appreciate to know and it should be useful to all of us!

 

 

[Deleted User]

Hi Alois

Would an online DPI changed do the trick? Something like this? https://convert.town/image-dpi

Let me know how it goes for you!

Thanks

Lily

[maralo (alois maringer)]

Hi Lily, thank you for your reply. The problem I have, is not to change the dpi of my images, but to what I have to change them.
Apparently 72 dpi or 96 dpi does not make any difference.Therefore to send images to a gallery, at what clarity do one have to do them.

Greetings from Cape Town

[Crista]

Alois, I think you are confusing something that doesn’t have to be complex. If you want to keep them at 96 dpi, that’s okay just don’t make them huge in size. You don’t want to clog someone’s inbox with huge images.

 

72 dpi is a standard, not a rule. And if this is stopping you from sending in an application then let it go. Make a note to learn more about this subject at the next opportunity. But don’t sweat too much over this detail.

[maralo (alois maringer)]

Thank you Crista, I thought so, but just wanted to make sure.

[sandrajordan]

Hi everyone. Hope you’ve all had a good Christmas.  I would love a bit of advice on the following:

I received this email on the 20th December.

“Dear Ms. Jordan 
I am interested in purchasing two of your prints but am having difficulty finding the image number or name. Both are in the Silent Beauty collection and are the 17th and 22nd images as you scroll through the online site. I also am considering image #5. Please tell me the exact dimensions of the printed images. I am considering either small or medium sizes and would like to know how large the white border will be.

Your work is beautiful and I look forward to enjoying them in my home.Thanks for your help”

We had a few emails go back and forth, I gave her the dimensions of them all and the last email from her, which I replied to said

“Thanks, Sandra.
We are discussing sizes now and will get back to you, probably after the weekend. Just to be clear, the sizes you gave me include the 1″ borders all around, correct? Dee”

So my question is, do I just wait and see if she comes back to me or should I wait a while and then contact her to see if she’s still interested and if the latter, how long should I wait bearing in mind it’s the holidays. I always have this worry of being too pushy but also need to maybe ‘man’ up a little and be more business like!

Any advice is much appreciated.  Thanks

 

[Anahata Ishaya]

Hi Sandra;

Clearly, they love your work and are interested enough to contact you for additional details. Unless you have some new information that you might share with them, I would give them the space to continue their processing of the idea of buying.

What has just occurred is to send them one of the images they are interested in,  in situ above a sofa or bedroom which could help them visualise it in their home. Some people need that additional boost.

 

Good Luck! Your images are serene.

 

Anahata Ishaya

NZ

[sandrajordan]

Thanks Anahata, sorry for taking so long to reply, I didn’t get a notification, I must have forgotten to tick that box!

I waited a week and then contacted her again and asked if she had any other questions or if I could help with anything and she ordered two prints straight away. So good result!