Category: concept

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what if there were no more art galleries?

What if there were no art dealers, no “art reps”, and no commercial galleries to sell our work?

What if we summoned the courage to take full responsibility for our careers instead of placing our future in someone else’s hands?

What if we used our creative abilities to think up new and exciting ways to market our work?

What we embraced the very real fact that artists are entrepreneurs?

What if we stopped making excuses, and started making choices?

What if we worked harder at building relationships with people who have shown interest in our work?

What if we were less afraid to step into the spotlight and stopped hiding behind our work?

What if we stopped expecting our art to “speak for itself” and became the passionately vocal champions of our own work?

What if we stopped worrying about accumulating lines on our resume and focused our energy on building relationships with would-be collectors?

What if we told everyone we met that we are artists and confidently invited them to see our work?

What if we stopped blaming the economy?

What if instead of spending money on entry fees, we invested in marketing classes?

What if we stopped waiting for external approval?

What if we worried less about “the art world” and focused more on creating a productive and consistent studio practice?

What if we finished what we started?

What if we stopped searching for a quick fix?

What if we developed discipline?

What if we stopped treating out profession like a hobby?

What if we talked less about what we want to do, and skipped right to the actual “doing” part?

What if we stopped apologizing for being artists?

What if we asked for help when we needed it?

What if we stopped feeling afraid/ashamed/nervous about making money?

What if we learned to price our work in a way that doesn’t under-valued our skill and experience?

What if we stopped comparing ourselves to others?

What if we were less afraid?

What if we spent just as much time marketing our work as making our work?

What if we reached out to help other artists instead of seeing them as competition?

What if we stopped waiting to be rescued?

What if we rescued ourselves?

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If you haven’t already, please sign up to http://baangandburne.com/blog/ as it is a great place to visit when you’re ready for new ways to expand the possibilities and opportunities for your art career.

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one hundredth gallery is for everyone new to art and we know that we can help you get your head around some of the great questions posed by Baang + Burne.

 

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silent auction | update

As you may have read, we recently tested a not-so-new way of selling artwork. We ran a silent auction of three artworks as a part of introducing new art and new artists to the public.

Whilst there was sporadic bidding on the artworks, all three passed in for between $565 and $610. I hadn’t mentioned it previous posts, but the original listing price on each was $1950.

With the artist’s expectations now reset, all three acrylic on cardboard paintings from 1998 and 1999 are now priced at $990. All three paintings are extremely vibrant; are of generous proportions, are framed (with glass) and can be viewed in the gallery at 49 Porter Street, Prahran.

 

 

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silent auction of three artworks

one hundredth gallery is for everyone new to art.

As a part of introducing new art and new artists to the public, we are very excited to test a not-so-new way of selling artwork.

The three artworks you see below are for sale via a silent auction.  The three pieces are framed acrylic on cardboard paintings from 1998 and 1999. All three paintings are extremely vibrant; are of generous proportions and can be viewed in the gallery at 49 Porter Street, Prahran.

Whilst a reserve price has not yet been set, the artist is keen for these paintings to go to a good home.

You’ve got to be in it to win it, so please get your bid in by 4.00pm 31 July 2011.

Not so fine print – Your auction bid includes GST. Successful bidders may pick the artwork up from the gallery. Postage and Handling costs are additional to the winning bid. The artists reserves the right not to sell the artworks if expectations are not met. The highest bid (at any point in time) for each artwork will be posted on this website.  All bidders will be informed if their bid is surpassed up to one hour before the auction ends. No artist was harmed in the making of this auction.

Larger images and details can be found by clicking on the images below or by clicking on the i symbol in the top left hand corner of the pictures above.

Please click here to bid on one of these artworks.

 

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for everyone new to art

My eyes were helped open yesterday. That’s not to say that they were closed before; it is just that I have been struggling to clearly articulate exactly what one hundredth gallery’s brand is.

From the start, we have been using the line ‘dedicated to aspiring and emerging artists’, because that is exactly what we are. The problem with this line is that it doesn’t really explain what we ‘do’.

one hundredth gallery has two primary markets (1.artists, 2.public), and finding branding that suits both has eluded us for the past six months.

Enter Bambi Gordon from the The Woo (The Small Business Marketing Agency). An artist in her own right and a lover of the arts, Bambi has been a huge supporter of one hundredth gallery from the start. She believes in our vision and can see our objectives… maybe a little bit clearer than we can!

In a one-hour conversation yesterday, Bambi helped articulate exactly what one hundredth gallery is all about; but before I share that with you, I need to share with you what one hundredth gallery is not.

one hundredth gallery is not –

  • a traditional gallery
  • a place for pomp or ceremony, or art wank
  • a gallery that requires the public to have any knowledge of art
  • a retail shop for dime-a-dozen wall decoration

one hundredth gallery is –

  • a meeting place for artists and the public
  • a safe place for artists to market their work
  • a safe place for the public to learn more about (and buy) local art
  • for everyone new to art

Snap! That final bullet point is actually what one hundredth gallery is all about! (Thanks Bambi!)

We are for everyone new to art.

New artists. Artists new to galleries. People that are new to art. People that are new to galleries. People that have never been into a gallery before. People that want to know more about art but are scared of traditional galleries. People that want to know what to buy, how to buy, how to exhibit, how to hang.

We’ll put the fun back into art and help you enjoy the gallery experience. We’ll even make you a cup of green tea whilst we’re at it!

one hundredth gallery is for everyone new to art.

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getting your art into a gallery. part 1: question everything.

by Baang and Burne

I came across the following blog post by Baang and Burne yesterday and the good people there have allowed me to share it with you. The post articulated many of the conversations that I have had with artists recently which is why I thought it would be good to share.  one hundredth gallery is all about helping aspiring and emerging artists get their work out into the public; but first and foremost, artists need to understand what their objectives are, both for their art, and for themselves.

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Every Artist  I talk to lately wants to be in a gallery. But why?

Too many of us Artists rarely even stop to ask ourselves this one very simple, yet crucial, question.

What exactly do you expect a gallery to do for you?

Anyone can hang your work on 4 walls, send out invitations and pour some wine.  What is it that the gallery is expected to do during the exhibition that you cannot do yourself, right now?

Do you want into a gallery because you want exhibitions of your work?  Do you want into a gallery because you want more sales to more collectors?

Do you want into a gallery because you think it will get you a review in Art in America, placement in prestigious museum collections, and the chance to represent your country in the Venice Biennial?

What do you think will change in your career once you get into a gallery?

Here’s another critical question to consider:

Are you and your artwork even ready to be in a gallery?

Do you have a strong and cohesive body of available work, a well developed list of collectors who have bought your work or expressed interest in buying your work in the past?

What about inventory?  Do you have enough high quality new work to keep the gallery’s backroom stocked when collector’s show interest?

Do you have a solid and consistent enough studio practice that guarantees you’ll be able to keep producing a decent amount of high quality work?

How talented are you at promoting your own work?  Can you talk about your work in a clear and confident way when a collector asks you a question?

Have you created an Artist Statement that crafts a compelling story about you and your work to help the gallery introduce your work to new collectors?

In another words, are you prepared to help the gallery sell your work or  are you clinging to the outdated idea that you will just hand over your art and let the gallery handle all the “business stuff’?

And last but not least–Do you fully understand the risks you take and the complexities of the business partnership you’re getting involved in when you enter into a business contract with a gallery?

The relationship you create with your gallery is a critical one. The right fit and the right approach could win you a champion for your artwork for the entirety of your career, or it could make your life an absolute nightmare.

I pose all of these questions because you need to be absolutely clear in your expectations and understand exactly what is required of you.

Question everything.

Only when you’re completely clear on the why, should you start to look for any type of gallery representation.

 

– Charlie Grosso (aka  Mr. Baang)

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one hundredth gallery just got better

One of the major benefits of being a small business is the ability to change quickly when necessary, and when people ask nicely. There are no committees to run proposals past and no boards to seek approval from.

Whilst we have only been around for 6 months, and only 1 month in our physical gallery we are very keen to adapt to what artists are asking for; so long as it does not dramatically change our raison d’être.

With this in mind, I’m pleased to announce that we will now take artist bookings for one-week exhibitions, rather than having a fortnightly minimum.  As you would expect, this also brings the cost down considerably… to as low as $65 for an exhibition wall! Discounts of 15% will be offered to artists who exhibit for 2 or more weeks, OR who choose to book an entire room or rooms within the gallery.

Weekly exhibitions will run for 4 days, Thursday to Sunday and will be supported with website, facebook, twitter, and Art Almanac promotion. We will consult with artists on all other promotion requirements.

one hundredth gallery is dedicated to the exhibition and sale of artwork by aspiring and emerging artists, and we also work with established artists who are trying something new.

We hope that by offering the option of weekly exhibitions, that we will be able to provide the opportunity of artwork exhibition to a greater number of artists.

Details of our new pricing can be found here.

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Are you an aspiring or emerging artist looking for exhibition space?

Regardless of whether you are looking to build your exposure, your CV, or your bank balance, one hundredth gallery would like to help.

We are dedicated to the exhibition and sale of artwork by aspiring and emerging artists, as well as by established artists who are trying something new.

one hundredth gallery offers low-cost rental on a wall by wall basis with a low commission on sales.  We partner with aspiring and emerging artists to provide a space to exhibit, and determine the best ways to commercialise your work (if that is your  objective).

Think of one hundredth gallery as a ‘serviced-office-gallery’ for artists with complementary business consultancy.  We do not work to a pre-determined formula and will work with you to develop your objectives.

Please call me on 0413 00 1234, email me at charles@100thgallery.com, or drop by 49 Porter Street, Prahran for chat.

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it’s a partnership

I’ve had some great conversations with about 20 artists during the past fortnight.

A question that is asked by the more savvy artists is, “How does one hundredth gallery get people into the gallery?”

This is a quite an interesting and multifaceted question, and one with no simple answer.

Like any other business, we could do endless advertising and promotion to get people through the doors; however if there is nothing of quality for them to look at, then they won’t be back and the exercise would be a huge waste.

one hundredth gallery aims to partner with aspiring and emerging artists to 1. provide a space to exhibit, and 2. determine the best ways to commercialise artists’ work (if that is the artist’s objective).

Rather than use a blanket approach to advertising and promotion, we will work with artists to define the objectives of their exhibition and devise the best plan to support those objectives.

We aim to keep our rental fees and commission as low as possible so that we can provide artists with an opportunity to determine what works and what doesn’t when it comes to comercialising their art.

It’s a partnership.

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open book – how much does a gallery cost?

I’ve been quite conflicted about writing this post as it relates to a taboo subject… money.  As a culture, we don’t talk about money or our finances unless we absolutely have to.  And even then, it is usually to someone like a bank manager or a partner.

I’ve recently been reflecting on the purpose of this blog.  It is about documenting my journey and being able to share it with you.  With this in mind, it is only fair that I open my books and share the financial side of one hundredth gallery with you.

There is another reason for my sharing.  Up until now, everything I have done has been for free, including the Grand Opening Exhibition.  However, logically this can’t continue as I don’t have an endless supply of funds.  After reading the financials below, you will see that one hundredth gallery is my ‘passion project’ for aspiring and emerging artists and is not a business that is ever going make me rich; well at least not in the financial sense of the word.

Start Up Costs
·        Floors 3,400
·        Walls 5,000
·        Lighting 3,200
·        Hanging 820
·        Council 1,000
·        Furniture 2,500
·        Interest 8,550
·        Running Costs (Bills) 2,700
·        Total 27,170
Monthly Costs
·        Interest 1,710
·        Council Rates 100
·        Body Corp 170
·        Electricity 200
·        Water 100
·        Advertising 100
·        Insurance 100
·        Total 2,480
Potential Monthly Income
·        Rental 6,088 (100 per metre per fortnight)
Forecast Monthly Income
·        Rental 4,262 (based on renting out 70% of the wall space)
·        Commission (10%) 300 (based on 3,000 worth of work selling per month)
·        Total 4,562
Forecast Profit (before tax)
2,082 per month
24,984 per year

So, there you have it!  My forecasted profit, which is also my forecasted salary is just under $25,000 per year before tax.

However, before I actually make any money, it will take over 13 months to recover my start up costs.

As with any financial planning, there are a number of variables at play with all of these numbers.  If the gallery wall space rents at less than 70%, then I will make less than $25,000.  On the flip side, if 100% of the gallery space rents out, then I will make a $47,000 profit/salary before tax… Look out seaside mansion in Brighton, here I come!

Commission is another variable; however one hundredth gallery is dedicated to increasing the exposure of aspiring and emerging artists, giving them the opportunity to build their CVs. If we do sell artwork, it will be at a lower price point, and 10% commission on a low number is a much lower number.

The last major variable is the interest rate.  For every 0.25% they go up, $750 per year is added to my costs.

So the lesson here is, don’t open an art gallery for aspiring and emerging artists if you want to make money.  Open an art gallery for aspiring and emerging artists for the love of art and to help a segment of our community get a head start.

I hope you have found this post interesting, and I hope that you will tell your aspiring and emerging artist friends about one hundredth gallery.

Our success and ability to support aspiring and emerging artists well into the future depends on it!

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