primalmommy@IVILLAGE.COM on sun 9 dec 01
Last summer my husband (just for fun) let me set up my work in the unused gallery space where he works. (An environmental research station far from the beaten track.) It was just sitting empty in the summer months. So I did. It was fun.
Apparently, somebody saw and liked my work, because I have been invited to do a one-woman show at a "real" gallery downtown. In January. (gulp.) Despite having just sold most of my best stuff at a holiday fair, I said yes.
They sent me some information, but I still feel like I don't know what the questions are, much less the answers. I got a section of cream colored formica, built a light box like in the magazine, and took some slides of my work. (The big silver bowls used with heat lamps to keep baby chicks warm work fine for lighting, and the plastic pried off a shop light makes a passable diffuser.) The slides should come out OK. The miracle of narrow focus means you can't tell they were taken in a dark, cluttered cellar by a woman with a battered camera, while straddling a cat litter box.
The gallery wants me to pay half of the $200 fee for printing 1000 postcards of my pots. Most will be sent to their mailing list or press/media and such, but I will get a stack for myself. Does that sound like an OK deal?
I have no mailing list but have a folder full of scribbled addys, and student lists from classes I taught. Who do I put on my mailing list? I have read about it on clayart but really haven't started compiling a list yet. Family, friends, neighbors? Can anyone suggest what kind of guest book I could put out at the gallery itself? I assume all who sign are fair game for future mailings.
They are offering me an evening for a reception. I am assuming that refreshments would be my responsibility. I am torn between loving the idea of a reception, and feeling sheepish about inviting a bunch of pals to stand around and look at my pots. Any insights about gallery receptions?
All these issues to consider! They have pedestals lighted from beneath, and sent me a floor plan. Their commission is 33.3%.
Aside from little details like producing enough really top quality work to fill the place, and how the hell do I figure out my pricing, are there other issues I need to be aware of? The only thing better than learning from experience - - is learning from somebody ELSE'S experience.
Thanks in advance to my big brothers and sisters out there... thank goodness for the big dogs who have traveled these paths before.
Yours, Kelly in Ohio (who intends to get some sleep as soon as my holiday orders are filled, the tree decorated, packages shipped, gifts wrapped, final critiques (hopefully) passed, kids fed, and on and on...)
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Paul Lewing on mon 10 dec 01
Kelly, the splitting the $200 fee for postcards sounds like an OK deal to
me, if they are going to pay to mail both their list and yours. Their
commission rate of 33% is quite low for these days, and there are all kinds
of deals out there on who pays for what when you have a show like this.
Generally, the more "big-name" the gallery is, the more they want you to pay
for, and the higher their commission.
I've done shows where the deal ranged all the way from the gallery paying
for everything including mailing my list for me, plus food and wine at the
opening, to me paying for everything, including the cost of mailing their
list. The show that my wife and I had in October, at a non-commercial
gallery at a local college, they gave us $100 toward the cost of printing,
which didn't cover it, and they paid to mail all of our list plus theirs.
We provided the goodies for the opening, but they didn't take any commission
on sales. But they're not a commercial gallery. Last January I had a show
in a commercial gallery about 75 miles from my home, which was a 3-person
show. There was no opening, they paid all the printing and mailing costs,
and they take 40%.
By the way, January is not too bad a month in the gallery world. Lots of
people get money for Christmas and spend it on art for themselves. February
and March are much worse.
But in the case of this particular show, Kelley, I'd say you should pass on
it. This would be your first gallery show, and you want it to be special.
But you don't have the pictures yet and you don't have the work yet. What
if the pictures or (worse yet) the pots don't come out right? You don't
want to have to feel that you have to put them out there because you agreed
to fill the store, when you're not proud of them. Thank them for the offer,
tell them you will gladly do a show in their gallery, but you want at least
six months to amass a collection of your best work. Most good galleries are
booking shows at least that far ahead, and many galleries are booking two
and three years in advance. I just agreed to do another show at the
commercial gallery I showed in in January next September. It was the only
slot they had open in 2002. The college gallery show we booked in 1999.
Also you need time to amass a mailing list. And when it comes time for the
opening, invite EVERYONE YOU'VE EVER MET! The more people who show up, the
more you're likely to sell at the opening, and you'll probably sell about
half of what you're going to sell for the run of the show at the opening.
So, do yourself a favor, and do the gallery a favor, and wait till you know
you can do it right.
And knock 'em dead!
Paul Lewing, Seattle
Marcia Selsor on mon 10 dec 01
Kelly,
Your photo setup sounds like mine without the litter box!
The reception should be their cost not yours. They probably have a good clientele on their mailing list. Add the names of your return customers to your list.
The cost of the postcard is usually their expense in my experience but since they are giving you a bunch, I suppose it is OK,
Congratulations on the show. Jan. can be a slow month for galleries..right after Christmas.
Best wishes,
Marcia
Marcia Selsor on mon 10 dec 01
Kelly,
Forgot to mention, Put your mailing list in zipcode order. They will probably do a bulk mailing with your addresses added to their list. It saves a lot of time if you have the zipcodes in order.
Marcia
Richard Jeffery on mon 10 dec 01
congratulations....
a load of questions - all of them good.
first of all, answer this one - why are you doing this?
sort out your objectives from this sale, and some of the answers will come
more easily.
is it money? fame? recognition? launch pad to regular income from shows as
a professional potter? (OK - I put that in for a laugh...)
think about what you want from this in short, middle, and long term (and
surviving the experience unscathed IS an acceptable short term goal...)
Richard
Bournemouth UK
www.TheEleventhHour.co.uk
[very small dog a few bends on the road ahead of you]
[I'm going to regret saying that...]
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of primalmommy@IVILLAGE.COM
Sent: 10 December 2001 04:30
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: first gallery gig --questions!
Last summer my husband (just for fun) let me set up my work in the unused
gallery space where he works. (An environmental research station far from
the beaten track.) It was just sitting empty in the summer months. So I did.
It was fun.
Apparently, somebody saw and liked my work, because I have been invited to
do a one-woman show at a "real" gallery downtown. In January. (gulp.)
Despite having just sold most of my best stuff at a holiday fair, I said
yes.
They sent me some information, but I still feel like I don't know what the
questions are, much less the answers. I got a section of cream colored
formica, built a light box like in the magazine, and took some slides of my
work. (The big silver bowls used with heat lamps to keep baby chicks warm
work fine for lighting, and the plastic pried off a shop light makes a
passable diffuser.) The slides should come out OK. The miracle of narrow
focus means you can't tell they were taken in a dark, cluttered cellar by a
woman with a battered camera, while straddling a cat litter box.
The gallery wants me to pay half of the $200 fee for printing 1000 postcards
of my pots. Most will be sent to their mailing list or press/media and such,
but I will get a stack for myself. Does that sound like an OK deal?
I have no mailing list but have a folder full of scribbled addys, and
student lists from classes I taught. Who do I put on my mailing list? I have
read about it on clayart but really haven't started compiling a list yet.
Family, friends, neighbors? Can anyone suggest what kind of guest book I
could put out at the gallery itself? I assume all who sign are fair game for
future mailings.
They are offering me an evening for a reception. I am assuming that
refreshments would be my responsibility. I am torn between loving the idea
of a reception, and feeling sheepish about inviting a bunch of pals to stand
around and look at my pots. Any insights about gallery receptions?
All these issues to consider! They have pedestals lighted from beneath, and
sent me a floor plan. Their commission is 33.3%.
Aside from little details like producing enough really top quality work to
fill the place, and how the hell do I figure out my pricing, are there other
issues I need to be aware of? The only thing better than learning from
experience - - is learning from somebody ELSE'S experience.
Thanks in advance to my big brothers and sisters out there... thank goodness
for the big dogs who have traveled these paths before.
Yours, Kelly in Ohio (who intends to get some sleep as soon as my holiday
orders are filled, the tree decorated, packages shipped, gifts wrapped,
final critiques (hopefully) passed, kids fed, and on and on...)
_________________________________________________________________
iVillage.com: Solutions for Your Life
Check out the most exciting women's community on the Web
http://www.ivillage.com
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Bacia Edelman on mon 10 dec 01
Kelly: I will offer you what I know from my own past experience
with gallery openings and exhibits. Remember, it is just one
opinion as well.
>The gallery wants me to pay half of the $200 fee for printing 1000
postcards of my pots. Most will be sent to their mailing list or
press/media and such, but I will get a stack for myself. Does that sound
like an OK deal?<<
Yes, it does sound like an o.k. deal. But look at your slides or photos
before you agree to the printing. It sounded as if you haven't got them back.
In a Santa Fe gallery in '93, I paid half the cost of printing
and it was $500. I still have half of my share of cards and my work
doesn't look anything like that any more.
>I have no mailing list but have a folder full of scribbled addys, and
student lists from classes I taught. Who do I put on my mailing list? I
have read about it on clayart but really haven't started compiling a list
yet. Family, friends, neighbors? Can anyone suggest what kind of guest book
I could put out at the gallery itself? I assume all who sign are fair game
for future mailings.<<
Make a list of everyone you can think of, especially those (if you
have their names) who bought at the holiday fair. It is up to them
whether to toss the card or put it on their bulletin board.
A guest book that lies flat would be fine.
>They are offering me an evening for a reception. I am assuming that
refreshments would be my responsibility. I am torn between loving the idea
of a reception, and feeling sheepish about inviting a bunch of pals to
stand around and look at my pots. Any insights about gallery receptions?<<
I would suggest that you ask the person who invited you to the show
about refreshments. Some galleries, in my case, have provided wine, sparkling
water and the usual cheese, crackers, grapes. Others either expected me
to provide it or split the cost. It can be very simple.
In Switzerland, (not my shows), only good bread, cheese, and wine
were offered at what they call Vernissage. My Swiss
sculptor friend pointed out to me an elderly gentleman who went to
every single opening in Zurich to nibble on the refreshments.
>All these issues to consider! They have pedestals lighted from beneath,
and sent me a floor plan. Their commission is 33.3%.<<
Not bad.
Good luck with your pricing and all the things in your life
menu. It sounds like mine when I was raising kids and trying
to get my best work out for a show.
Bacia
Bacia Edelman Madison, Wisconsin
http://users.skynet.be/russel.fouts/bacia.htm
http://www.silverhawk5.com/edelman/index.html
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