Discuss: Do you get angry if an art dealer does not respond to your messages?

The artist contacting the gallery is not a customer unless he or she is contacting the gallery about a potential purchase. The artist -- in this context -- is calling at random concerning a potential business arrangement (representation). That is spam in my book... unless the gallery has had an open call for artists.

The gallery has customers to attend to -- as well as represented artists -- and that can be hard to do if time is spent responding to random solicitation. I've known art dealers who receive hundreds of unrequested emails from artists each month. I have to side with them on this... they should not be expected to respond personally to questions about representation. They have a business to run.

True, the gallery owner could assign a staff member to the task -- BUT which would you want if you owned a gallery? Would you want an extra set of feet walking the gallery floor... or someone planted at a desk responding to solicitation during gallery hours? Be honest. We are talking about a small business here... like it or not, contact like that is trivial compared to the other obligations involved with operating an art gallery. Assigning a staff member to that task would be a HUGE waste of resources.

Charles -- You said, "A gallery would not exist first and foremost with out it's stable of artists.". Exactly. The focus is on the represented artists... not every artist under the sun.

Charles, I've known of gallery websites that clearly state that unsolicited email will be delete -- yet artists still click send... and still get angry when the message goes unanswered. I've known of some that clearly state that they are not looking for other artists to represent -- yet artists will still write and ask about it... and still get angry when their questions go unanswered.

I recall that Edward Winkleman once posted about an exchange he had with an artist seeking representation at his gallery. Winkleman was polite and explained that he was not looking for other artists to take on. That was not good enough for the artist... and it turned into a back-and-forth exchange that was not productive for either party. As I said, it is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for art dealers.

Why would you want to be represented by a gallery that spends hours responding to unsolicited representation requests instead of representing YOUR art? That just does not make sense to me. You would honestly be OK with your dealer spending that time answering unsolicited requests OR the gallery being open less hours in order to hire staff to handle unsolicited requests from artists?

You said, "They need professional guide-lines on their website that reduce the flow or at least increasing the better/more professional artist.". It is not professional to send a gallery an unsolicited request concerning gallery representation. Period. That is widely established.


You tell me.... why should an artist contacting a gallery at random about representation be considered a customer of the gallery? Explain that to me. The job of the gallery is to promote represented artists and market their work, do we agree on that?

Brian, I get it. I really do. What you are saying it that it's not the galleries fault....And by default you are making it the fault of the unprofessional artists. I get that too. But what is the solution? Art schools and universities don't train (or even offer to train) artists to be business people, how to incorporate, how to find representation, how to work as a professional artist. So maybe it's really the educational system? Maybe we need to return to a system of apprenticeship? (like that could happen!) So it comes back to the gallerist (or critic in your case) If your artist friend is dumb enough to approach galleries without researching them first, fine...then he still deserves to get a generic reject letter/note at the very least. The volume of stupidity does not negate the rudeness and bad business practices or of being impolite. Any gallery owner who ignores artists does so at their own risk. Artists have a voice in their community and should be vocal about when this sort-of-stuff happens. Telling other artists or clients to avoid galleries with bad business practices is only the first step.

BTW the first advice given in both of the books I listed is for artists to do research and ONLY target galleries/reps match there genre.) I would tell artists that get ignored that: no matter how talented/professional they are as an artists, they are better off not being represented by someone who ignores messages and correspondence anyway...but next time do you homework! As for Vanity galleries approaching artists, that equals SPAM and I don't see how it fits into the original question anyway.

Charles -- You said, "Art schools and universities don't train (or even offer to train) artists to be business people, how to incorporate, how to find representation, how to work as a professional artist. So maybe it's really the educational system?" That is assuming that all artists attend art school -- which is simply not the case.

If the gallery website states that unsolicited email will not be responded to... artists should just accept that. A lot of the gallery websites I've visited have a contact form that clearly states that the gallery may be unable to respond to every email -- some will say outright that questions about representation will not be answered. I don't think that is being rude.

As I've said, the gallery has a business to run and artists to represent. Like it or not... they will focus on their represented artists. That is their business. You -- the artist not represented by the gallery -- are of little concern to their business unless you are a customer interested in buying artwork at the gallery. That may seem harsh... but it is a reality. They have a job to do... and artists not represented by the gallery are not part of the job.

The way I see it, if you are really interested in a gallery you will attend a few exhibits -- you will become a 'face' in that scene, if you will. You will build upon that. You will talk to represented artists -- perhaps network with them online. You will build upon that.

You said, "As for Vanity galleries approaching artists, that equals SPAM and I don't see how it fits into the original question anyway."

It fits because you stated that an artist seeking representation should be treated as a customer. If that is so, shouldn't the artist be polite and respond if a vanity gallery contacts him/her after visiting his/her artist website? After all, according to what you said... everyone should be treated as a customer and should receive a response. I don't expect artists to respond to unsolicited messages... just as I don't expect galleries to respond to unsolicited messages.

Smart galleries deal with all the artists they meet . thats how they make a living. What if one of their "gallery artists " dies, then whos gonna make them a living! The mentality of who has the power is skewed! The artists are the ones that make these people their livings and should be treated with respect. I dont expect them to respond if i solicit them over the internet, but when they ask me to send them my info when i am talking to them in person and they blow me off. I let the one who doesnt make a living off my hardwork!

If you hate galleries so much why not open your own space for exhibiting? Why rely on art dealers if you don't need them? Be your own art dealer. Open your own space. Crying around about it is not productive.

How many art galleries have you helped open with a donation? I thought so. Most art galleries are first generation. Someone had to work their butt off to get it off the ground. They put time and money into it. You can do the same.

Chaz -- I don't think art dealers are going away. That said, I do think that we will see more artists combining resources in order to establish their own space. I know of a group of artists in St. Louis that did that... it was hard to get a foot in the door with local galleries -- so they took matters into their own hands.

Do artists need galleries that they have little to no control over? You tell me. Some of the first co-op galleries in NY (think 1950s) involved 200 artists -- they pulled together resources because the established galleries ignored them. That IS something to think about.

I have been contacted recently by a gallery that was in the process of opening. They found me, had seen my website, and sounded like they were interested in representing me. I replied, asking for the next step and was told I would hear more closer to the time that remodeling was complete. Months later when I hadn't heard, I checked the website and they were already open with a large selection of artists. So I contacted them again, only to be treated as if they never heard of me, asking for images, etc. Of course I was told that they were no longer seeking new artists.
This had happened to me previously in a different scenario too, I think it should work both ways, especially when I was not an unsolicited artist. I had held off contacting other galleries, thinking that I had new representation. The whole thing left me disappointed.

I tired to respond the other night after Jackie posted but my response evaporated when I tried to submit it. I will try and recreate my my points. 1)Artists being spamed to participate in a vanity website or gallery don't need to reply. It's junk mail after all. My point was NOT that everyone needs to be treated like a customer in both directions no matter the source. It was that a gallery or art dealer (the middle person) needs to treat potential artist and clients as good customers and with respect. If they don't that is not good business. At the very least you can get your email set up to sent automatic replies that say "don't call us, we'll call you" or something similar. One of the other posters also seems to think I am looking at this as an artist and that I am being a cry baby...but that is not the case. I am looking to open my own gallery someday in fact. I can't imagine treating artists with such contempt and a general policy of 'delete' Maybe someday I will live to regret it but I can not accept that any good art business would act this way.

I went and looked at Jackie's and Andy's blog site and their art. I have worked in two commercial galleries and I can tell you the reason the gallery ignored you. Most likely they just didn't like the work. That brings me to my second point: 2)The art world is full of people that are supposed to know about art BUT very few of them are willing to say they just don't like something. So instead you got the silent treatment. It's safer but also rude.

Here is my 2 cents worth: The work is solid (specifically the Black and White ones) but it is NOT something I want on my walls at home or gallery or anywhere except maybe a travel agency. It is a little to 'commercial' for a professional 'art' gallery in my opinion. You should look into Getty Images. I think that type of venue could really be a breakthrough for your type of photography. If you really want to be in an art gallery you will have a long search. You might think about joining an artist collective or artist run initiative (ARI). They are VERY popular in Australia but almost unheard of here in the USA.

Also @Jackie and Andy. I don't know if you realize this or not but any professional gallery or art dealer would not expect you to do "free" stuff for representation. The offer to do a professional catalog for free may have been a turn off even if they liked your work. Also please re-think selling your prints as photo giclée because I see that and I think 'cheap photocopies' not worth the paper they are printed on. They are worthless to collectors and your artwork (and clients) deserve better. And pick up one or both of the books I posted about. Good luck!

Charles -- You said, "At the very least you can get your email set up to sent automatic replies that say "don't call us, we'll call you" or something similar.". Most are set up that way -- OR clearly state that unsolicited representation requests are not desired. I've known dealers who still receive harsh email after the fact... or end up bashed online -- all because the artist is mad that he or she did not receive a 'real' response. I also know dealers who have responded only to be met with hostility when the artist does not like the response (which is why most choose not to respond to cold emails or cold calls from artists). Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

You said, "It was that a gallery or art dealer (the middle person) needs to treat potential artist and clients as good customers and with respect. "

Yes, they should treat potential clients (as in people interested in BUYING art) as good customers (I never said otherwise). That said, they don't have to treat artists who send them unsolicited representation requests as good customers. That is SPAM. They are NOT customers. Furthermore, they are NOT 'potential artists' for representation if the gallery has no clue who they are. The gallery knows their represented artists. The gallery is working with them. The gallery WILL focus on its represented artists. The gallery will most likely have no problem finding more artists to represent when desired. Deal with it.

If I operated a gallery I would focus my time on the artists I represent. That does not mean I don't like other artists. It means I have a job to do. I have obligations. It means that I take the artists I represent seriously. I would NOT waste their time (or mine) responding to unsolicited email from artists who wish to form a partnership with me. In that scenario -- I'm not looking for artists to represent. I HAVE artists to represent. I HAVE a job to do. Period.