I was reminded recently of something I had decided I wanted to do the other day... Which is to open an Art Gallery to sell art to collectors on Cape Cod. Why at the Cape? For one it's only two hours from where I live and I know there are thousands of tourists that visit the Cape during the summer.

My question for anyone who might know... is it worth it to try to open a gallery?

*edit*

Kinda tired of repeating myself.

You do not need to be an artist to own a gallery. You can sell art from artists and from collectors. Then take a percentage of it for a profit.

Are you talking about a permanent gallery or renting gallery space for a temporary exhibition?

I have friends who did the latter, renting a gallery for one week...
One guy did that this Christmas in downtown Toronto...his stuff is AMAZING, but he only broke even at the end of the week, making back the rental money...he didn't make any real profit, but he got his name out there, which is great.

Probually summer rental at first then once I've aquired a collection and gotten clients I would set up a more permenent gallery.

But I figured if I was able to sell a few thousand dollar paintings I would be alright. (the gallery I has gone into that I got the idea from had multiple paintings over five thousand, most expensive fourty)

Well yeah, rent for a short period and see how it goes first, and if there's a market for your stuff before you rent something permanently...

I find it's becoming harder and harder to sell art simply because people aren't willing to pay that much for art, unless you're an already established artist and people want to collect your work.

I think you have quite an advantage to live in a tourist region, because people who can afford to go on vacation usually have an easier time to spend extra money on souvenirs - or artwork.

Yeah. I just am wondering if I should. But I would need to take some courses so I can know how to properly price artwork.

When I went to my friend's gallery, I was in for a few surprises...

He was selling some life drawings that he did in college for $500 a piece...I didn't even know there was a market for that.
I learned so much from just hanging out at his gallery for a couple of hours...

If you can, maybe go take a look at some galleries to get a general idea of people's asking prices...

I was in Maine... in Belfast there was a modern art gallery. (where h'omg all the artist are still alive) They had prices ranging from $5 - a few thousand. But they had a lot of prints from photos, which were around $20- 100.

The gallery I got the idea from was much more upscale... the owner sold art from his own collection and art from artist or collectors. He said he would take a fee for selling the art. (one painting that I really wanted was from the 1800's by an unknown painter)

I'm not too fond of gallery owners who take fees for selling/letting you sell your art...
Most places like that around here want 50% of the profits O.o

Basically they tell you to set the asking price for your artwork higher so you feel you're still getting enough out of it when it sells.

I really think it's better to rent a small street-level gallery and run it by yourself (with a family member or friend to help out) for a while.

You have to take a fee.... you wouldn't make enough for rent otherwise unless you were the artist. (which would probually be doomed to failure if you sold only your own art.)

The owner I talked to said he only took 20-30% which is reasonable. If it's 50% and not in a huge city like NYC, you'd be lucky if you got anyone who wanted you to sell their art.

I know nothing of opening a gallery.
A good friend of mine though had one and ran it for little over 3 years.
It was a permant gallery, filled with local artist, the only non-local things she had was clothing, shoes and bags. Those came from li service.
Th gallery was called the "Bat kave" and I miss that place more than anything.
Bu she closed it to go and take care of her dying grandmother.
Her bussiness changed a part of my town from a place you dared not to go, to a thriving bussiness area. When she had opened her shop, it was only her and the HCAR studio there.
If I find her email, would you like it so you can get some pointers and help.
I know she took great pride in helping others, so I doub she would have much problems.
What type of gallery are you going for? Will there be a look and theme?
Do you have any investors lined up? Um, yeah, I wish I could help, because i love anything that gets people buying art!

It's a possiblitly in a few years. But not anytime soon.

It would be great to talk to her, because I wouldn't know where to start.

As far as theme it would be selling classic older art and modern art.

Where?

*sighs*

Zakkk.... *points above to first post*

Oh, so like a shop on Deviantart? thats cool, but you'll need to capture the essence

*falls over*

No no, Zak. A gallery that has nothing to do with the internet other than a website. *thinks* I'm sure you've seen them, in small shopping plazas in tourists towns there are galleries that sell art from local artists and collectors. That sort of thing. ^^;;

Originally Posted by [.Lorana.

]*falls over*

No no, Zak. A gallery that has nothing to do with the internet other than a website. *thinks* I'm sure you've seen them, in small shopping plazas in tourists towns there are galleries that sell art from local artists and collectors. That sort of thing. ^^;;

Oh Cool, Cause you can Start one on Deviant Art too

Not really. That is for if you are selling your own art, and not even that... more for displaying and praying you get a commission. Which is 100% different than what I want to do.

The type of people I want to deal with wouldn't want to go on a website and spend hours looking through mediocre artist to find someone amazing that didn't use cg. They go to art galleries and auctions, and spent thousands on one peice instead of a hundred. @.@

Originally Posted by [.Lorana.

]Not really. That is for if you are selling your own art, and not even that... more for displaying and praying you get a commission. Which is 100% different than what I want to do.

The type of people I want to deal with wouldn't want to go on a website and spend hours looking through mediocre artist to find someone amazing that didn't use cg. They go to art galleries and auctions, and spent thousands on one peice instead of a hundred. @.@

ahh okay

I think you should make some nice peices and see how much they go for.

If they sell for how much you wanted or above, then yeah, it'd be worth it.

O___O
*squeals*
*...loudly.*

My grandmother used to live up in Cape Cod, so we visited her a lot...I love it super much.
x3

We were only a couple blocks away from the beach, and you could see Martha's Vineyard. It was fantastic. And Wood's Hole was just about 10 minutes away....
*happy sigh*


You should give selling your pieces a shot!

I think you would get quite a bit of business. As you said, it's an incredibly popular place to go. (And once you go, you keep wanting to come back.... T3T)

xD
<33

No you guys are misunderstanding.... An art gallery isn't always your own art. Most of the time it's only selling of various artists' art and collectors. Or selling art that you have bought in the past.

Many collectors sell their art because they either grow tired of it, to gain money, or to be able to afford more pieces.

@ Croon: Yes there are many people who go to the Cape. I still don't see why, it's so boring. (I lived there for two years.) But then again back then the only thing really to do was play in the woods go to the Cape Cod Mall and the Christmas Tree Shop.

Paladin you should read the posts you know.



& no I don't think I've been good enough to rent out a place & show my art. I'm amateur after all. Photography is something else though. Maybe when I get better. Melbourne is such an artsy place... People would appreciate it here.

*sighs* You don't need to be an artist to have a gallery.

As long as you are skilled at pricing art and can manage a business you can do it.

Originally Posted by [.Lorana.

]*sighs* You don't need to be an artist to have a gallery.

As long as you are skilled at pricing art and can manage a business you can do it.

Xd, i misread, i thought you were opening a gallery of your art.

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I think it would be interesting to own a gallery. I'd find it a lot easier to sell someone else's work than my own.. XD I'm sure you would find plenty of artists, but finding those who are actually good enough to be in a gallery.. hmm.. :D