Art Business Basics 101: You’re an Artist, but Are you a Business? – May/June 1998

New Mexico is called “The Land of Enchantment.” I feel our studios can claim the same title. (enchant In-­’chant\: Bewitch: to attract and move deeply). However, there’s also a practical side to our work if we want to make it successful. My research [or this column is coming to you in two parts: PROMOTING IT, and ACCOUNTING FOR IT. This is Part 1.

PROMOTING IT

We have a yen to work with stone. We go to school, symposiums, talk (a lot!) about it, and spend days in dust and sweat. We even work at day jobs to support our passion. Then the time comes to face how one goes about being seen and sold without losing one’s soul and shirt at the same time. Make it the best business you can. Take the final steps of presenting your work carefully and well to as wide an audience as you deserve.

YOUR SIGNATURE

Put your art in your communication. Resumes, brochures, letterhead, envelopes, and business cards are a beginning. The brochure is for selling your art-and the resume is a tool for selling yourself. And the more original you can make all of these … the more enticing. Your art is you ultimate communication … why not splash it across your pro­motion? It can become a soulful communication and other can get excited about your work.

PRESENTATION

Your portfolio is an indication of your work style. Take time to make slides of your work. Constantly update them. It’s worth it. You never know when you may need it on a moment’s notice.

And allow yourself time to do it well. I found out last month just how it feels to be dogged by Murphy’s Law. Even though I started more than two weeks before the deadline for two competitions I was enter­ing, one thing after another happened. The first roll of slides showed incorrect color; I purchased the correct blue filter. The next two rolls of slides came back totally underexposed; the speed selector on my camera was damaged. Four days and $I20 later, as I set up the floods and shot two more rolls, I noticed the “new” film counter that had also been installed wasn’t working … and I didn’t know if the film was advancing properly or not.

With only a day away from deadline, I delivered the slides to be developed … I returned the camera (on warranty), and prayers were said … and answered! The last day, with the proper labeling and all the enclosures double-checked, I took both entries to the post office with two hours to spare for postmark. Hooray!

INVENTORY CONTROL

Always know where your work is. The longer your career, the more inventory you’ll create. An inven­tory control system or an inventory journal will help you track each piece. Once you have created the first 200 sculptures, they’ll become a blur in your mind! Seriously, this is potential income and you do not want to lose track of it. Whether you use your computer. or a card system, it is simple to trace your work.

– Use a numerical system, i.e. #100-96-Alab. Which could mean #100, created in 1996, in alabaster

–  Assigned to this card or data base is relevant information about the piece: materials cost; title; size; value; date out/location; date sold! check number (that’s the fun one!) and the purchaser’s name and address. Some artists also attach a photo for reference.

– When a work returns from a show and is re­-consigned to another to another location, replace the old information with the current location, or keep a log of its activities.

ALL of this is invaluable [or tax purposes and it just may keep you from losing track of a piece. A lost stone is lost income.

PROMOTION OF YOUR WORK 

A thought … from Insight, by Bruce Holly: ‘Art is a process worth doing until it is truly done, and your work deserves the effort. whether you carry it to market yourself or hire others to do it for you.” You can learn to bring your art to the world yourself … or you can partner with an agent, art consultant, gallery, co-op or the internet. Here are some differences within this group:

Agents can help keep the flow going! They represent your work according to the contract you have made with them and receive a fee when sales or commissions are made. Often “agent” and “consultant” are considered the same when the agent’s area of expertise contains some of the responsibilities of the art consultant.

Consultants basically give advice and function as small service companies. They review your portfolios, help you develop action steps, notify you of openings they discover and often charge on an hourly basis. Corporate decisions to buy anything are often supported by these “experts.” They collect a commission on sale of art they have placed.

Gallery: “Look for someone who connects with what you do.” This advice is given by a consultant, Dan Concholar, who targets galleries and other exhibition spaces for clients on the east coast. Use other artists as a sounding board when you choose. By the way, according to Washington law, “if an art dealer accepts a work of fine art on a fee, commission, or other compensation basis, on consignment from the artist: the art dealer is, with respect to that work offline art, the agent of the artist.” Usually this precludes an agent representing your work to galleries unless they have agreed upon a multi­level commission fee.

Galleries usually fall into four categories:

1. Lower level with little connections to the money crowd. These galleries usually don’t even draw critics.

2. Mid-level with set groups of artists. They may or may not sell much but they provide a sense of loyalty and commitment. Often the owner of the gallery is financially stable and can support the overhead if necessary.

3. The majority of sales are from the “cutting edge, trend-conscious” ones. They pick up more new artists than any other group.

4. And then there are the blue chip/establish­ment galleries. These have the power.

Whichever you choose, there are good people who can and will help you.

Co-op: Some artists see co-ops as the light at the end of the tunnel. You do not have to pay the large gallery commission and you can control your own artwork. It is a group environment­ commitment and passion are necessary. There are some great ones and some really terrible ones. Often co-ops are developed within neigh­borhoods where they may not be competing with larger galleries but located close to antique stores or boutiques. Some artists need the time to develop, to get their work out there, to have it showcased … and just possibly a dealer will see it at a co-op gallery.

Note: Be sure you understand your agreement with agents, consultants, galleries and co-ops. Read the fine print, document your discussions-do your homework-this is your responsibility and your business.

Internet Web Site: Brilliant technological advance … or is it? After much research concerning art sites, I have found very little evidence of sales or phone calls produced by web viewing. However, some artists believe the internet will soon replace the need to send out slide packages. Your clients can view the portfolio of your web page for a sample of your work.

There are a couple of ways you can place your art on-line. You can go it alone-lots of books show you how to create a web page and how to link up to the big search engines (which will help viewers find you) –or you can contract with an art site company. For fees ranging from $10 to $1,000, they can place your resume, statements and images on-line. For example, Art Xpo (http://www.artexpo.com) advertises 2 images (3 sizes), your photo, bio and a statement for $39/year. Another one is Art Quest (http://www.artquest.com).

Remember, Buyer Beware! The web is the newest medium for the con artist … watch carefully any “free services” claim. Again, do your homework … there are over 30,000 artists shown by Art Resources (http://www.artresources.com. Go on-line yourself and contact four or five clients of a site. Look for art sites that are linked with the web pages of publishers, art collectors, art dealers, etc. And when you are set, promote it. Your web site can become a marketing tool … but only if you spread the word.

There are many other ways you can become visible: create your own video of your work; give a piece to a credible auction; publish or be interviewed for publications.

SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS SHARE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

Barbara Dougherty, publisher of the Art Calendar, spent three years researching exactly what was in common among artist who had in their lifetimes made a living with their artwork. Instead of finding careful business plans, here is what she discovered.

Lots of work. Whether painters or sculptors, the artists created a tremendous body of work. There was no absence of inventory, they literally pro­duced rooms full of work. And they also had in common that they had included some “startling large works among their other pieces.”

Artists Statements made by the artists themselves. Do not allow a manager or curator (or critic) to decide what your work is all about. Your own statements should be quoted in catalogues and placed on the walls of the exhibit. The viewer of your art has a special presentation of what the work is all about-written by you. The successful artists took their clients on an inside private journey.

Separated themselves from demands. The normal business activities that take place in an office can rob you of the creative spirit needed to produce work which “intrigues a crowd.” As the business increases, often the artist will add an assistant to meet these demands. Until this happens, the suc­cessful artist may have family or friends who have more patience for these details.

*These are the details we will discuss in the next issue.

Part II. Accounting for it. Being a self-employed artist; i.e. when responsible for sales tax, what supplies aren’t tax-exempt; how to avoid the sales tax on tax-exempt supplies, estate planning, divorce (be prepared for community property!) Stay tuned!

© 1998 Patricia Sekor

Resource list: Doughnuts and Destiny, Psychology a/Cre­ativity, Bruce Holly; Art Calendar, April 1998; Washington RCW 18.119.020.