Mike Gordon on sun 30 jan 11
Mel wrote.......do you think galleries are in business in new york for
the love of
art? the love of artists? why do they call their artists `the stable?`
they are cattle. to make them money. if you do not make money
for them, you are gone in a heart beat. the bigger the gallery, the
more you have to do for them. and new work is a must. get the old work
out of there.
Good point Mel... here's my story, happened last week. I've been with
this gallery for 4 yrs. Positioned right under the metal arch with the
town's name on it, on Main Street. Upper middle class income
neighborhood. All the artists got the boot last week, so I went in to
pick up my work. Replacement work? Disney Art! Star Wars, Donald Duck
paintings! Hey, it keeps the door open. Mike Gordon
Beth Donovan on sun 30 jan 11
That's a darn shame, Mike! In our exburb, Leavenworth County, Kansas, we
have an artists association, and we have about 8 different businesses, from
a bank to an animal hospital to the library, etc, that have agreed to show
one artist's work each month at no cost to the artist- and even though thes=
e
are not galleries, quite a few of the artists are selling their work. My
best friend, a good potter, as opposed to me, a bad potter, just sold a set
of three beautiful lidded jars that she made for exactly the price she
wanted. They were displayed at the bank.
Many of us have looked at galleries, and just can't afford to sell wholesal=
e
- we are all pretty small producers as yet.
Beth Donovan
The Farm at Castle Argghhh!
http://www.thedonovan.com/the_farm
On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 2:32 PM, Mike Gordon wrote:
> Mel wrote.......do you think galleries are in business in new york for
> the love of
> art? the love of artists? why do they call their artists `the stable?`
> they are cattle. to make them money. if you do not make money
> for them, you are gone in a heart beat. the bigger the gallery, the
> more you have to do for them. and new work is a must. get the old work
> out of there.
>
> Good point Mel... here's my story, happened last week. I've been with
> this gallery for 4 yrs. Positioned right under the metal arch with the
> town's name on it, on Main Street. Upper middle class income
> neighborhood. All the artists got the boot last week, so I went in to
> pick up my work. Replacement work? Disney Art! Star Wars, Donald Duck
> paintings! Hey, it keeps the door open. Mike Gordon
>
Mike Gordon on sun 30 jan 11
This is what I wrote in correspondence to Bonnie off list.........with
a few additions. Mike Gordon
Bonnie, I thought it was kinda funny too! Getting replaced by Disney
has sort of ring to it. I know the owner personally, so I don't have
any hard feelings at all. Times change....... I'm retired and don't
need the income from sales, just need to get rid of all the pots so I
can make some more! I'm stacking a kiln this week, I can't not make
art! We had a long relationship that went well until the economy
changed. I taught her son in law, when I was teaching, donated pots for
a fund raiser for her daughter, who eventually died of cancer. If
Disney can keep the doors open .... more power to her!!! All of your
points are well taken, maybe others will benefit from your
observations! Thanks Mike
Lee on sun 30 jan 11
The gallery owners I personally know are not in it for the money, but
for the love of the art and craft. Actually, I know they often loose
money and are supported by the owner.
Beth,
Galleries are similar to the reason why I do the few local
Craft fairs I do: Not for the money, but as a way to get your work
out there. If we only think about short term profit, we'll never get
anywhere.
And remember, listed to people who are actually out there making
their living with clay. Not folks who do not depend upon their
pottery for income. It is the only way to get real, usable
information. Not from the loudest voices.
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
steve graber on mon 31 jan 11
getting the boot from mickey mouse or donnald duck i guess is better than =
=3D
=3D0Agetting it from some tole painted wood thingy stuff......=3D0A=3D0A=3D=
0A=3DA0Ste=3D
ve Graber, Graber's Pottery, Inc=3D0AClaremont, California USA=3D0AThe Stev=
e To=3D
ol - for awesome texture on pots! =3D0Awww.graberspottery.com steve@grabers=
po=3D
ttery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's website=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay=
.com/blo=3D
gs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A________________________________=3D0AFrom: Mik=
e Gordon ayart@EARTHLINK.NET>=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0ASent: Sun, Januar=
y 30=3D
, 2011 12:32:34 PM=3D0ASubject: Gallery business plan=3D0A=3D0AMel wrote...=
....do=3D
you think galleries are in business in new york for=3D0Athe love of=3D0Aar=
t?=3D
=3DA0 the love of artists?=3DA0 why do they call their artists `the stable?=
`=3D0A=3D
they are cattle.=3DA0 to make them money.=3DA0 if you do not make money=3D0=
Afor t=3D
hem, you are gone in a heart beat.=3DA0 the bigger the gallery, the=3D0Amor=
e yo=3D
u have to do for them.=3DA0 and new work is a must.=3DA0 get the old work=
=3D0Aout=3D
of there.=3D0A=3D0AGood point Mel... here's my story, happened last week. =
I've=3D
been with=3D0Athis gallery for 4 yrs. Positioned right under the metal arc=
h =3D
with the=3D0Atown's name on it, on Main Street. Upper middle class income=
=3D0An=3D
eighborhood. All the artists got the boot last week, so I went in to=3D0Api=
ck=3D
up my work. Replacement work? Disney Art! Star Wars, Donald Duck=3D0Apaint=
in=3D
gs! Hey, it keeps the door open. Mike Gordon=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
steve graber on mon 31 jan 11
galleries in Solvang and other wine country regions of california got the b=
=3D
oot =3D0Awhen they found they made more money simply setting up more wine=
=3DA0t=3D
asting =3D0Astores.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0Ai don't live close enough to them t=
o think se=3D
riously about setting up art-in-the =3D0Apark shows so people slightly tipp=
y =3D
might open their wallets to buy some =3D0Apot......=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0Stev=
e Graber, =3D
Graber's Pottery, Inc=3D0AClaremont, California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - fo=
r aw=3D
esome texture on pots! =3D0Awww.graberspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com=
=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's website=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs=
/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A________________________________=3D0AFrom: Bonnie Hellman ou10ms@F=3D
RONTIER.NET>=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0ASent: Sun, January 30, 20=
11 2=3D
:00:31 PM=3D0ASubject: FW: Gallery business plan=3D0A=3D0ANote: this is NOT=
an at=3D
tack on Mike or anyone. Mike and I exchanged emails=3D0Aabout this privatel=
y.=3D
=3D0ABonnie=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AMike, your story made me chuckle. Periodical=
ly when we=3D
were near Hastings-on=3D0AHudson, NY, a suburb of New York City, we would =
go=3D
to a shop that had Disney=3D0Aframes from the old cartoons, as well as sma=
ll=3D
er works of all sorts of art,=3D0Alocally made. We actually bought some of =
th=3D
ose artistic works. That store=3D0Awent out of business, even covering both=
m=3D
arkets. I would guess that their=3D0Afixed costs (rent, utilities, insuranc=
e)=3D
were just too high for sales. They=3D0Awere in business for a number of ye=
ar=3D
s so perhaps sales decreased as well.=3D0A=3D0AIMHO the artists are not for=
ced =3D
to sell in galleries, and indeed many=3D0Agalleries require that artists se=
ll=3D
a certain volume per square feet of=3D0A"floor" space or maybe wall space,=
t=3D
o keep their work in that gallery.=3D0A=3D0AIt may seem like a rotten deal =
for =3D
artists, who are selling on consignment,=3D0Abut if an artist's work cannot=
s=3D
ell for enough money to pay the gallery's=3D0Abills, that artist is in the =
wr=3D
ong place at the wrong time.=3D0A=3D0AI am not canonizing gallery owners, b=
ut E=3D
VERYONE in business has to think=3D0Alike a business person in terms of tur=
ni=3D
ng a profit. This includes the=3D0Agallery owners, the artists, the people =
wh=3D
o work for the gallery owner or=3D0Athe artist, and so on down the line.=3D=
0A=3D
=3D0ANo one is entitled to make a profit. There may be desire and people ma=
y =3D
be=3D0A"good people" and therefore deserving, but there is no entitlement.=
=3D0A=3D
=3D0AMike, when a long time gallery gives you the boot, so many things coul=
d =3D
have=3D0Ahappened. Maybe your work sold really well, but no one else's work=
d=3D
id.=3D0AMaybe the owner just got tired of selling art, which may have seeme=
d =3D
like a=3D0Alot of work, including educating employees and customers. Maybe =
th=3D
e owner=3D0Ahas made a very poor decision (and you'll be able to monitor hi=
s/=3D
her success=3D0Aor lack thereof). Maybe the stars just got out of alignment=
. =3D
=3D0A=3D0AAnyone who has owned a retail business with a store front can =
tell=3D
you that=3D0Athere are a lot of "hidden" expenses, so unless you know the =
ow=3D
ner and the=3D0Aowner is honest with you, you'll never know the reason.=3D0=
A=3D0A=3D
Mel has already told us the story from the viewpoint of the artist selling=
=3D
=3D0Ain the high rent district. =3D0A=3D0AMike, I am sorry you've lost a=
venue=3D
for your work, and I hope you can find=3D0Aanother way of deriving the sam=
e =3D
net income from another source.=3D0A=3D0AI was going to add that most peopl=
e do=3D
n't start off trying to squeeze their=3D0Avendors, but maybe this isn't tru=
e.=3D
However, as others have said, each=3D0Aof us has to put together our o=
wn=3D
business plans, and figure out how to make=3D0Aa living in a way that make=
s =3D
us happy, or doesn't make us unhappy.=3D0A=3D0ABest,=3D0ABonnie=3D0A=3D0A=
=3D0ABonnie D.=3D
Hellman, CPA in CO and PA=3D0AOuray, CO. USA=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A-----=
Original Mes=3D
sage-----=3D0AFrom: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of =
Mi=3D
ke Gordon=3D0ASent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 1:33 PM=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CE=
RAMI=3D
CS.ORG=3D0ASubject: Gallery business plan=3D0A=3D0AMel wrote.......do you t=
hink g=3D
alleries are in business in new york for the=3D0Alove of art?=3DA0 the love=
of =3D
artists?=3DA0 why do they call their artists `the=3D0Astable?` they are cat=
tle.=3D
=3DA0 to make them money.=3DA0 if you do not make money for=3D0Athem, you a=
re gon=3D
e in a heart beat.=3DA0 the bigger the gallery, the more you=3D0Ahave to do=
for=3D
them.=3DA0 and new work is a must.=3DA0 get the old work out of=3D0Athere.=
=3D0A=3D0A=3D
Good point Mel... here's my story, happened last week. I've been with this=
=3D
=3D0Agallery for 4 yrs. Positioned right under the metal arch with the town=
's=3D
=3D0Aname on it, on Main Street. Upper middle class income neighborhood. Al=
l =3D
the=3D0Aartists got the boot last week, so I went in to pick up my work. Re=
pl=3D
acement=3D0Awork? Disney Art! Star Wars, Donald Duck paintings! Hey, it kee=
ps=3D
the door=3D0Aopen. Mike Gordon=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
| |
|
