Hello dear readers and subscribers.
Are galleries simply taking half of your money or is a 50% commission justified?
It's a question that becomes more and more pertinent, especially in today's era, where finding exposure and generating sales can be done online.
So the question is why do we still need a gallery and how can that commission still be justified?
The art world is in fact filled with different galleries, and although this 50-50 split and the exhibition space make all those galleries look rather uniform, they actually have very different ways of operating.
So, as a result, in this video and also in the more extensive article that I wrote on the occasion of this video, I'm going to provide two checklists one with some red flags to actually identify galleries that are not worth working with that 50 commission is not justified that are too transactional, that focus too much on sales and taking half on your sales.
And, on the other hand, a checklist with some very, very good signals that this is a gallery where that 50 commission is completely justified, because they're not just trying to generate sales.
They're helping you to build your career in the long run.
So let's have a look.
Here at KAI, we help artists find success in the contemporary art world.
And especially for painters sculptors photographers, people who work something that is very collectible.
Galleries play a very important role in this process.
However, to be able to find a good calorie, one must first be able to identify them.
And to be able to identify them, one must first also understand the different types of calories.
So let's start with addressing three important distinctions.
First and foremost, there are a lot of galleries or at least they are called Gallery X, Gallery Y or Gallery Z that are simply exhibition spaces for rent.
So in this case, this is not an actual gallery as we can simply rent a space, pay a fee for that.
But there is no sales infrastructure or curated exhibition program.
These exhibition spaces are not real galleries, but they are actually a great place to start.
So if nothing is happening just yet with your art, then these galleries, these exhibition spaces are actually ideal to gather some experience and get your work out there.
In contrast, there are also galleries that call themselves galleries and look a little bit more similar to the commercial Bonafide galleries that you want to work with.
But beyond actually that fee to participate, the rent of the wall space, they also charge a commission.
And these galleries are the vanity art galleries.
This is something we have talked about in the past as well.
And the main problem here is that when working with these galleries, they are not your business partner, but you are their client.
Their business model is actually organized that they make money on behalf of the artist instead of with the artist.
It also has other problems that they can't make a significant impact for your career because they have a program that is based on who wants to pay them to exhibit in their gallery.
They do not have any influence in the art world.
So they perhaps can make a few sales if they are in a location where there is a lot of foot traffic, but they won't be able to get you any press coverage or new exhibition opportunities, let alone engage in a more long-term collaboration where they really focus on increasing the value of your art and your career.
So if nothing is happening yet and you have to choose between those exhibition spaces or the Vanity Art Gallery, then the exhibition space is arguably a better option, because then you're in control of the entire exhibition and you can also curate it to the standards of a good gallery, instead of being presented in some questionable or next to some questionable curatorial decisions.
So these two things will actually be the first two points on our checklist with red flags.
But before we proceed to that checklist, what is the ideal type of gallery that artists should be looking for, if not for these vanity art galleries and these exhibition spaces?
Well, the commercial galleries, which might have a negative connotation, but it's actually a bona fide gallery, a gallery that works with you in good faith, with this 50-50 split in which the gallery does not make money on behalf of you but with you.
So what is good for the gallery will be good for the artist and vice versa.
They only make money based on how, in which capacity, they're able to deliver and to close deals and to make sales happen.
By doing so.
That 50 50 split is justified by the cost.
However, that 50 is actually also justified if they do more than simply exhibiting the work, that they actually promote their artists and really try to grow their careers.
And this is something um, we'll discuss thoroughly also in this video how to know when a gallery is actually doing this to truly justify that 50 50 percent, uh splits.
And this is exactly why one still needs a gallery in 2025.
Yes, we can find exposure and sales online, but you cannot get into an international art fair, for instance, without a gallery where the entire art world and the more serious collectors and the curators gather to get your work seen in such a context.
You can't have your works collected by, for instance, a public institution, which is also why a gallery is important.
You can't get press coverage by more reputable art magazines, such as Artforum, if you're only selling online and having your work online.
We need exhibitions and an ambassador, someone with connections with reach, but before we dive into those representational activities that make that 50 50 split completely worth it, let's first have a look at our checklist with the main red flags.
First and foremost, as discussed briefly, a participation fee.
Generally speaking, if there is some sort of participation fee, we are dealing with a vanity art gallery or not a real art gallery.
So, in a nutshell, instead of earning a living together, they are making a living of the artist and are not committed to contributing to the future of your career.
Or another important red flag is when they do not have a roster of represented artists, meaning artists that they truly commit to.
So on a good gallery's website one should be able to find a segment listing those artists that they represent.
If they do not have such a roster, it is very likely that they work more transactionally, from exhibition to exhibition, sale to sale, instead of supporting an artist throughout the entire year or for many years to come.
Similarly, when they do not have an exhibition program, this is also a red flag.
If there's no exhibition program, but they simply hang art in their space and occasionally change a few pieces, they are operating more as a retail store rather than a gallery.
This indicates a clear lack of artistic vision and also shows that they are pursuing commercial goals instead of artistic ones.
Then we have also a couple of red flags that we can actually see in the gallery when visiting it.
First and foremost, an exhibition space that is simply too packed, where they try to get as much art in that gallery as possible.
With artworks hanging too closely together or even stacked above one another, the gallery is kind of presenting the work in an unprofessional manner that leaves no room to breathe.
They're not doing the work justice.
So a gallery making this fundamental mistake will not be able to serve your work well, not during the exhibition and especially not in the long run.
Another common mistake, or kind of red flag, is when they hang the works on cords and strings instead of properly attaching them to the wall using cleats, nails or screws.
This often results in artworks hanging at an angle and the visible cords kind of disrupting the overall presentation visually, which is a vastly different impression compared to the high-end presentation of more serious contemporary art galleries.
Another common presentation mistake is the use of wall labels, and It's a bit harsh to say that this is actually a mistake.
But in the art world, museums use wall labels and good art galleries keep their walls clean.
They don't have that visual noise and they simply use a checklist or a catalogue to communicate the metadata of the artwork.
Another red flag is the absence of any form of content in the form of texts or press releases.
If exhibitions or artists are never accompanied by a text or a press release, the gallery is very likely just prioritizing form over content, to the point where the work is actually treated as purely decorative.
This approach does not hold up well in the contemporary art world, where content and context do matter.
Another red flag is if there is no gallery website at all which, in 2025, is simply um yeah, it has become impossible to do your job as a gallery properly if you do not have a website where you can present all the information that is necessary of your artists in one place.
The website of art galleries provides this information for collectors, for curators, for press, for people who Google a particular artist.
So if they're not fulfilling this role, they're not doing a proper job.
Up next we have three more red flags that are not as visible, but that are actually very, very problematic.
First and foremost, a lack of transparency.
If the gallery leaves you completely in the dark as soon as you hand over your works, there might be something wrong here think of you not knowing how much they actually ask for your works for how much they actually sell them so how can you know if your commission is being paid properly so if this occurs this lack of transparency malpractices are very likely to follow which brings us to the next warning sign which is bad references.
Before working with a gallery, it makes perfect sense simply to reach out, for instance through Instagram, with a direct message to other artists in their program to kind of ask what their experience has been dealing with that gallery.
This helps you to make sure that they definitely pay their artists fairly and on time, return the works as agreed and generally operate with integrity.
To conclude, another big red flag is some rather strange exclusivity demands or requests.
If a gallery demands exclusivity over your work or restricts you from exhibiting elsewhere, without even offering sufficient sales, shows or visibility in return, it is very wise to step away quickly.
Exclusivity is only justified when the gallery provides consistent opportunities and career growth.
If they try to limit you from new exhibitions, they are trying to keep you dependent on them and to keep you small and own you, whereas good galleries will actually encourage you, support you and even help you seek new exhibition opportunities so your career can continue to grow.
Now that we have completed our checklist with red flags.
So if you see one of these red flags, it's probably wise not to work with that gallery.
Let's have a closer look at what good galleries actually do.
And here it's also kind of important to make a few subtle distinctions within that term of commercial galleries.
First and foremost, the distinction between the typical brick and mortar gallery with one or more physical locations and the online gallery, which is, of course, a rather new phenomenon.
They seem to operate very similarly.
They curate a roster of artists they represent and sell the work.
However, when they do not have a physical location, we see that they find it very difficult to truly have an impact on the career of an artist because they cannot generate enough buzz or an occasion.
A reason for a press for serious collectors, for curators, to come and actually see the works in real life.
As a result, online galleries are very transactional and we still need physical spaces and everything that comes with it to truly see your career advance.
Another important and a bit more subtle distinction, because we cannot really see it from the outside is whether the commercial gallery is a true promotion gallery, meaning that it works together with the artists and promoting them, or just a dealer gallery.
What this means is a promotion gallery works with living artists and sells their work, brings it to the primary market, so the first sale or works closely together with the artist estates.
Then the dealer galleries are actually buying the work elsewhere, for instance on the secondary market, at auction, and then exhibiting those works in their gallery to sell them for a profit.
The best way to recognize those types of more dealer galleries is when they predominantly focus, for instance, on big famous names of modern masters and post-war artists Picasso, Carol Apple, etc.
Predominantly because of the price ranges, sell prints or editions of those artists.
There are also galleries who kind of have a combination of both models, so it is not always crystal clear.
However, the galleries that do work with the secondary market or with artists that have passed away, the promotion gallery will most often actually engage in a long-term collaboration with the estate or with the family of those artists.
So that's also an important difference.
And this results also in the first few points on our checklist.
Before we dive into this checklist on how to identify a good gallery, it's also important to know that only the first seven items criteria on this checklist are the most important.
Not all galleries will be able to deliver all these services, because in the end, it also is a matter of resources having enough staff to dedicate enough time to it and also having enough influence to do all of these things.
So if a gallery only has the first seven criteria, it is also already a good promotion gallery, but not as powerful or not as good as, for instance, the mega galleries who are able to take off all criteria of this list.
So, as a result, the first criterion on this checklist of a good gallery is having a physical presence, a brick and mortar gallery.
A gallery that has at least one, perhaps even multiple locations, can organize exhibitions, truly attract audiences, host openings and generate buzz and momentum around your work, something an online only platform cannot replicate.
A brick-and-mortar gallery therefore invests in space programming, public presence, which signals long-term commitment rather than transactional, one-off sales.
The second criterion deals with this distinction between a promotion gallery and a dealer gallery, in which they represent artists on the primary market or work with the artist estates.
They promote those living artists and represent those estates of artists who have passed away, rather than just buying and reselling the works for profit, which is a sign that they value legacy context and therefore long-term significance over resale margins.
Another criterion is a gallery staff of at least 2 to 3 people.
To be able to run an art gallery adequately and actually promote the artists they work with throughout the year, a gallery needs staff.
It's a task that simply cannot be done alone.
So if the gallery has a team of at least 2 to 3 people, they have the capacity and time to build careers beyond setting up one exhibition after another.
Another criterion is having a professional gallery website.
So not only for artists there are certain best practices, but this is actually also the case with art galleries, and it enables you to identify whether or not the gallery is a good one or not.
They follow a recognisable structure where they have, for instance, a page listing all the artists they represent, that you can click through to the individual artist pages, where they have a biography, a portfolio, a resume and other relevant information.
But also an exhibition page with current, upcoming and or past shows, an about page as well and possibly additional sections sharing news, such as institutional exhibitions or individual achievements by the artist.
They represent fair participation, press coverage and more.
Another indicator that is easy to recognize of professionalism is when the gallery uses ArtLogic to have their website online.
It is often mentioned in the footer of the website.
It is a costly but widely regarded high quality system for gallery management.
So if we see this, this is also a good indicator.
And you'll notice that all ArtLogic websites follow the aforementioned website structure.
Up next, simply common sense.
If the gallery has successful artists in their roster, if they are able to work with reputable artists or, even better, if they made those artists reputable, then we're dealing with a good gallery.
Of course,
For instance, if you see that the artists have their work in public collections, in museum collections or exhibit at renowned institutions beyond their gallery shows for instance, they participate in the Venice Biennial or the Whitney Biennial or simply have an art facts ranking within the top 10 000 globally then these are very reputable artists, which makes the gallery also a reputable gallery.
Another indicator is that they have multiple solo exhibitions with their artists, meaning they do not show them just once, but every one, two to three years and also over a longer period of time.
By doing so, they truly give their artists a consistent platform to develop, present and position new work.
Another very important indicator are of course having high exhibition standards.
How professional is the installation and presentation of the works?
Do they repaint the walls for each show?
Do they allow artists to get creative with the exhibitions, even when it increases production costs, without necessarily having a return on those costs?
Do they commission press releases by art critics?
Do they hire photographers to document the exhibition professionally?
All of these choices reflect commitment and care, professionalism.
Another possible indicator of a good gallery is simply if they are in business for more than five years.
Every year, many galleries open their doors, but most new galleries have very short lifespans and have to close within three to five years.
Running a gallery is difficult, so if they are able to run a gallery for more than five years, it's a strong sign that they know what they are doing, that they're delivering results and that therefore, they can be trusted to work responsibly with their artists.
Next, press coverage.
A good gallery has the network or PR infrastructure to secure press for its artists.
Very simple and very necessary for an artist to gain some career momentum.
Their exhibitions may appear, for instance, also on platforms such as Contemporary Art Daily Ocula Artnet, Artmuse Galleries Now Daily Art Fair Artforums, Art Guide, Listed on Artsy and others.
Another very important indicator is if the gallery searches actively, searches throughout the year, so also when they do not have an exhibition of that artist, for other value driving opportunities for their artists.
This means that they help support the artist to find, for instance, additional gallery representation, perhaps on another continent, or to get them, through their network and contacts, into institutional exhibitions or to have them participate in renowned residencies.
So through its network of collectors and curators, they can achieve this.
They will also, for instance, produce publications and monographs to canonize the work of their artists.
So there are a lot of other promotional and representational activities that happen throughout the year beyond the shows they curate together.
Another sign that it's a good promotion gallery is when they acquire work from their own artists.
This is kind of an indicator that they truly believe in their artists but also believe in their own ability to see those artists increase in value because they have done it over and over again.
So if the gallery is doing this, this is of course, a very good indicator.
They can, by doing so, not only financially support the artist, but In some cases it also kind of allows the gallery to resell the work later at a profit margin exceeding the standard of 50.
So that part is a little bit questionable here.
However, when done ethically, it's an indicator of genuine belief and investment in their artists.
Next, something you might expect, of course, is whether or not they participate in international art fairs.
Having a booth at those international art fairs is a true sign of being a respected gallery, because it's very difficult to get accepted into these fairs.
It's very competitive, highly selective and also very, very costly.
So they have the budget and the success to do this.
Having your work shown in those places is, of course, great for your career, because it's a major international stage where the entire art world gathers and gets to see your work.
We conclude with monitoring the secondary market of their artists.
This is something a good and successful gallery will definitely do to kind of protect the market of their artists, that the values stay intact and that they are also still somewhat aligned with the primary market pricing.
This might involve, for instance, bidding on unsold lots at auction or purchasing the works at auction to protect the market value and the sell-through rate, which they then later on resell, through the gallery, for instance, to offset those costs.
So that is also something a good gallery will do to protect their artists.
And there you have it a list with some very important red flags galleries to avoid, and then also a checklist with the criteria of a gallery that truly earns that 50 commission where it's completely justified.
And it's those galleries that will make this difference for your career as an artist, those galleries that will generate organic demand, more career momentum and will allow you to climb that ladder of success in the contemporary art world.
If you think this video has been useful, definitely also consider reading the online article, but also visiting our overview page of advice for artists at contemporaryartissuecom, where we have lots of more free educational articles for artists to help them figure out how this contemporary art world works, but also artist tools to professionalize your business and also some mentorship in the form of consultation services.
Thank you so much for tuning in today.
Perhaps makes sense to also have a look at our video on how galleries can find you where they look for artists in 2025.
Next, support us on Patreon and please consider subscribing to stay posted for more contemporary art.
Bye.
