Hello dear readers and subscribers.
In today's video, we're going to talk about the five biggest discovery funnels, ways that artists are being discovered by galleries and become the start of a gallery collaboration.
First and foremost, other artists.
Too often, artists are focused on the people they think they need collectors, galleries.
However, you're not really on the same foot as those entities because they are being approached by so many other artists, so it's kind of an uneven balance and therefore a very difficult relationship to start out of the blue.
However, with other artists it's a little bit easier and an artist network can be so tremendously important to actually have an entry ticket to those galleries and collectors.
For instance, if you have a network of artists good artists, artists who graduated, or artists who you, for instance, look up to, artists that are slightly above you they are in those galleries.
They are in touch with collectors and if you are part of that network, you can get in touch with the network of those artists.
Galleries are always looking um, who is talking about who when it comes to other collectors, but also the artists in their program and other artists can very often vouch and be like this is a very good artist and therefore one of the main discovery channels for the galleries are other artists, the artists that they know, the artists that they work with.
Up next, we have instagram, which is really a tremendous discovery funnel.
That does not require all that networking.
However, it is a little bit of tricky.
If you want to use instagram as a discovery funnel to work with galleries, then the main aim is not to get as many views and followers as possible, because that would involve a content strategy that galleries not always like.
So at the moment it's doing a lot of reels.
Think of a painter just sitting there in the studio.
Then you're not really seeing any art, and then there is this text that you have to read the caption about whatever they do to make their our business run successfully, those are actually reels that perform well with with other artists, but it's not the type of content that galleries are looking for.
It needs to be about the art.
That does not mean that you can't do any reels, but avoid the typical trends.
You know the art reveal where they turn around with a painting but, for instance, that show yourself in your studio working, or a video of a particular artwork that you go a bit more into detail, or an interview or when setting up a show, kind of the behind the scenes of the artist.
You can keep it professional, but still try to make the most of the algorithm.
I have a separate video on Instagram for artists.
I will link to it in the description below.
So feel free to have a look at that video and also its article version next.
So definitely do not underestimate the power of instagram.
At the moment it is still the number one art platform, especially for the art galleries where they browse for other artists.
Having a decent amount of followers is not the main priority, however.
If you only have 100 or 200, that is not a good impression.
So you do want to be very proactive with Instagram to build kind of a decent following, let's say starting from 5000 and onwards, for instance.
And you would be surprised how many artists went from Instagram straight to a gallery.
In fact, the gallery that I have in Paris also first found me on Instagram.
Then it took three years, and also, of course, meeting them in person first, before I had my first show.
But the first contact was made through Instagram.
The third discovery funnel is collectors.
Collectors are actually a lot more powerful than most people think because, from the perspective of a gallery, listening to collectors can be very, very valuable.
If there is an artist that they really really like and they share this with them.
Well, if they show that particular artist in their gallery, they will appreciate it and therefore likely also purchase an artwork.
Some collectors are very influential in this and if you have these collectors, they can be true ambassadors for your work.
So if you have a good relationship with your collectors, which is something that you really need to try to achieve by maintaining the contacts with your collector well, then you can sometimes even ask if they know a particular gallery that they really like to introduce them or to have a good word.
So don't underestimate the power of the collector.
Up next we have other shows, and this is of course a little bit of a catch-22 situation for new artists.
If you're completely new and you're not having shows and you want to have your show by working with a gallery, then of course other shows is not what you're looking for here in this list.
But it's true.
For instance, this can also be graduation shows.
Very often galleries go to these graduation shows.
If they have been in touch through once more the artist that they already work with, that someone is there, then it's a great way to kind of be seen.
But also shows that other galleries can be a great way, because the galleries have a decent reach and your work will be seen also by other galleries.
This is actually how my second gallery, my gallery in Antwerp, got to know me, and then they drop by for a studio visit.
We had a first show.
It went great and they have been representing me ever since.
The same can also be said for award shows, for instance.
If there is a particular award that has a certain standard, then the art world gathers, because very often these are also organized in spaces that are very well connected with the local art landscape or the local or national art scene.
So those are also places if you do not win the prize, but you are a finalist and you're in the finest exhibition a great place to be, to be discovered, and not only by galleries, also by curators, collectors and more.
And now the last discovery funnel.
Perhaps this is not one that you would expect me to mention here, but it is through direct contact, And don't get too enthusiastic just yet.
You might have seen several videos in which I advise not to contact galleries directly through emails, cold calling walk-ins, etc.
And this remains very true.
It's one of the most ineffective ways, especially for better galleries.
However, in some circumstances it is accepted or it is possible to be a bit more direct.
And this is particularly for artists who already have a couple of collectors that if they have a show that they know they can deliver and then you can actually lead the conversation here.
Sometimes it's good to do this either in person and make it clear in the first few sentences that you are not an artist who is looking for their first show, but that you have a good track record of sales or a lot of followers or whatever you have to bring to the table, or that you have showed in prestigious venues before.
That's kind of the requirement for them to take that conversation seriously and not have that kind of instinctive reaction.
Galleries develop by being contacted daily by artists.
By switching off completely and forgetting it the second the conversation ends.
And another great way actually to do this is, for instance, also in a more informal way, for it could, for instance, be on instagram.
If you see particular gallery is following, you don't instantly contact them as soon as they follow.
You let them first hopefully have a look at your work for a while.
If you see that they are frequently liking your work, then you can also engage a little bit more with their account.
And then a good, A bit cunning way to initiate a conversation is, for instance, if they are having a show, you promote the show in your story.
If you promote something or share something in your story, this will open up a direct message window with that account, so with the gallery.
If they say something like thanks, which is a nice thing, Then you'll see that they are kind of responsive, because not all galleries are very responsive, especially if they have large accounts.
For instance, with our main account on Instagram, it's impossible to track those messages, and for some galleries it's even worse, I imagine.
So if they respond to you, supporting them, that's a great sign that you can informally like, approach the gallery also through direct message, perhaps not straight away.
Perhaps you can do this a couple of times, perhaps also visit them in real life if it's possible.
And then if you have something to offer to the table for instance, You have an artwork that is going to be sold and you want to use this sale to get your foot in between the door and get some other works that you do not have a client for yet also in that show and hopefully sell one of them that they could share in that sale and by doing so, proactively start up this collaboration with a gallery.
Some artists are very good at this.
Galleries are interested in artists.
They are looking for good artists.
They are looking for artists that sell, of course, to survive.
So if you can show or prove or initiate a contact in a casual, informal way that you can deliver this, they will be interested, but only if your level matches their level.
If you have no shows at all and try this approach, it will not work.
If you have a couple of shows, then it can and like a couple of collectors that can work with entry-level galleries, but not the mid-tier galleries, the medium-sized galleries.
If you are a mid-career artist, then it will definitely work with a lot of entry-level galleries and it might also work with some more mid-tier art galleries, but not with the industry-leading galleries.
And then, of course, if you are an established artist, then anyone is open for the conversation.
So that is kind of important to be aware of and also to kind of understand your level, their level, and that does require some understanding of the art gallery circuit and, uh yeah, the art world in general.
So there we have it five ways to be discovered by a gallery in a nutshell.
If you found this type of video interesting, definitely let me know.
I also warmly welcome you to have a look at our section purely dedicated to career advice for artists, which has become a bit of my personal avocation and kind of moral duty in the past few years to provide adequate career advice that is rooted in infield experience.
And you can find all of it there.
Tools for artists, a little bit like a starter pack for the artist to be ready for business, to be professional resumes contracts, etc.
But also a lot of free resources, how to photograph your work, how to set up your website, etc etc.
And also mentorship, in some cases a one-hour consultation with me or the advisory report surface, which i am still offering at this moment, but it seems like We're almost full for the year.
So if you're interested in all of that, definitely have a look at contemporaryartistrycom.
Advice for artists.
As always, I will link to it in the description below and in the pinned comments.
Thank you so much for tuning in today.
Feel free to watch our video on the power of the artist studio next.
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Bye.
