Chris Campbell on tue 2 jan 01
Respect is earned and should be appreciated, not dismissed.
When you ask a gallery to sell your work for you, you are entering into a
contract. Whether you sign an agreement, shake hands ... whatever. You are
making promises.
You provide them with your best work, on time and as promised.
They agree to show your work in an attractive manner, price fairly and
represent you to their clients. They also agree to pay you on time.
They tell the public that your work is well made and worth the price they
have put on it. Their clients in turn believe them about the worth of your
work. A circle of trust and respect is built here and it works very well when
good people are involved.
So, when you decide to sell your work for less, what statement are you making?
Are you telling people that they are overpaying and your work is not worth
it?
Are you saying that the extra is just paying the gallery's utility bills and
that the representation they provide is worthless?
Are you telling your gallery that you are just using them for exposure and do
not respect the efforts they expend on your behalf?
Why would you sell yourself short? Why would you undermine your gallery?
Think about it because a good gallery will dump you like last week's
leftovers if you mess them around like that.
Chris Campbell - in North Carolina - I appreciate my galleries and gladly
help pay their utility bills and payrolls !!
Janet Kaiser on wed 3 jan 01
Chris Campbell warms the cockles of my heart.
Yes, respect earns respect and it is a two way
process.
Of course there are black sheep on both sides of
the equation: galleries and makers. Galleries
who do not treat their artists well, soon go to
the wall. Same goes for makers... Mess with a
gallery or two and you soon find you are a
persona non grata. Bad press travels far and
wide and at astonishing speed.
But most established galleries and makers get on
well and support each other. Neither can do well
unless they have a mutual understanding. Like
Chris says, it says a lot about you and your
attitude, how you treat the other party and how
they treat you.
It is the little things in life which count
most. Respect is pretty high on my list.
Parents, teachers, all those I work with...
Mutual respect. They do a good job and I do
mine. To the best of my ability. That is
professionalism and dedication.
The commission paid to a gallery does much more
than "pay" the utilities and payroll... It
promotes you and your work. Establishes you as a
bone-fide maker. Gives you the "name". Increases
your income. Makes you into a real professional
living off the fruit of your labours. Takes away
the worry of selling your work. Saves travelling
around the country. Frees time for the creative
process. It is a pretty long list.
And don't sneer at little galleries... The "big
boys" often find new makers and artists through
them.
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
> Respect is earned and should be appreciated,
not dismissed.
>
> When you ask a gallery to sell your work for
you, you are entering into a
> contract. Whether you sign an agreement, shake
hands ... whatever. You are
> making promises.
>
> You provide them with your best work, on time
and as promised.
>
> They agree to show your work in an attractive
manner, price fairly and
> represent you to their clients. They also
agree to pay you on time.
>
> They tell the public that your work is well
made and worth the price they
> have put on it. Their clients in turn believe
them about the worth of your
> work. A circle of trust and respect is built
here and it works very well when
> good people are involved.
>
> So, when you decide to sell your work for
less, what statement are you making?
>
> Are you telling people that they are
overpaying and your work is not worth
> it?
> Are you saying that the extra is just paying
the gallery's utility bills and
> that the representation they provide is
worthless?
> Are you telling your gallery that you are just
using them for exposure and do
> not respect the efforts they expend on your
behalf?
>
> Why would you sell yourself short? Why would
you undermine your gallery?
>
> Think about it because a good gallery will
dump you like last week's
> leftovers if you mess them around like that.
>
> Chris Campbell - in North Carolina
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