Do Artists Still Need Art Galleries In This Age Of The Internet?

Many artists may ask themselves that “do I really need to sell my work in an art gallery in this age of the Internet?” Many artists may never sell their art in an art gallery, but other artists may only sell their art in an art gallery.

Art galleries are still relevant places for artists to sell their art – even today in the Internet age. The reason is that art galleries provide some particular services that the Internet cannot provide. One of those services is the experience the customer or buyer has going into an art gallery to view the artwork in person.

The Internet cannot duplicate the services the art gallery provides a person going into an art gallery to purchase art.

Selling Your Art In An Art Gallery

This is the age when so many things are being bought and sold online. People have gotten used to buying something online and have it be delivered right to their door.

This is also a time when many art galleries have been struggling to remain in business. Art galleries have been closing down around the world at an alarming rate. But this does not mean that they are still not relevant or important places for artists to sell their work.

In the 1960s, setting up a gallery became very popular. So many small galleries began to open their doors. There was really no alternative or way for people to buy good art except through a gallery during this time.

Many of these same art galleries around the world are now closing their doors. This is partly due to the Internet boom, but may also be the rebalancing between the art galleries, artists, and consumers. In other words, maybe in the past years, there were just too many art galleries.

You may call this the survival of the fittest or a turning down in business – but whatever you call it – art galleries around the world have been closing down or having to change how they do business.

This is partly because many artists have become a lot more sophisticated in marketing and selling their artwork. No doubt many have found ways to go around the gallery and to sell their art directly to the consumer. But not every artist is able or wants to do that.

The Reasons Why Art Galleries are Still Relevant

If you were a customer would you purchase a piece of art that costs you $10,000 or even $5000 that you did not see in person? Wouldn’t you want to know something about the artist and to know a little bit about their background if you were an art collector?

Would you buy something that expensive without seeing it first in person and knowing what you’re buying? If you were the customer wouldn’t you want to go to an art gallery and be able to compare several pieces of artwork and pick out the one you liked best?

Even though the Internet is still a very powerful medium, seeing art online is not the same as seeing it in person. Online technology has not yet been able to solve the problem to really make things look and feel the same as they do in person.

Here are some reason why Art Galleries are still relevant today:

Visual Arts – The entire point of visual arts is about seeing the art in person and experiencing that art in person. This encompasses most arts, with perhaps the exception of digital art. So, in reality, for a person looking to purchase a piece of art, they need to see that art in person to have the full experience.
Colors – Anyone who deals with colors understands that color can change online and colors should be viewed in person. Even with all the new technology, color can still quickly change according to the light and view. This is why many customers, interior designers, and collectors want to see the piece of art in person before they actually make the purchase. This is especially true for the higher cost or higher ticket artworks.
Curation – The galleries are curators of art. In other words, they will usually show and represent certain types of art or artists that they know will sell. They are taking a risk when they show your art and usually want to be pretty sure that your art will sell. The gallery may take a chance on you and selling your art, but if it does not work out, they will be telling you, ” sorry – we can’t sell your art.”
Information Base – For collectors or potential customers, the art gallery is a really great base of information. Their job is to sell your art and talk to the customers or potential collectors about you and why they should buy your art. For most artists being able to do the same in-person for every single potential customer would take a lot of time or may not be practical.
Evaluation and Comparison – The gallery helps provide the potential buyer with a place to evaluate and compare the art. This means that a buyer can go into an art gallery and look at many art pieces and pick up the one they like the best. A buyer cannot get this full in-person experience on the Internet.
Saves Time – An outstanding art gallery with good cooperation with an artist can help the artist save time. This is because the gallery will help take care of all the sales and all the administrative details, and the artist can concentrate on their artwork.
Gives Support – Good art galleries give support to the artist. They may help direct the artist in their art and guide them to what will sell and not sell. In the long run, this will help the artist to be able to earn more money and to be able to produce artwork that will be commercially viable and can be sold. This is important because at the end of the day, and artists need to eat and pay the bills.

The truth is that anyone can set up a website to sell art. But not everyone can lease a building, present a good physical gallery space, and get in the artist and artwork needed to make that art gallery successful. For these reasons alone, the art galleries continue to serve a concrete purpose in the art world and remain relevant even today. Yes, these art galleries may be reduced in numbers for a long time to come, but they will remain relevant.

Art galleries are still a relevant place for artists to sell their artwork. A good art gallery that cooperates with an artist can have a mutually beneficial relationship that could last for many years. An art gallery can help artists to sell and promote their artwork.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Selling Your Art In An Art Gallery?

When selling your art to an art gallery there are many pros and cons that you need to consider. One of the major pros is that the gallery usually helps you to market your artwork. A major con is that you usually lose control over who buys your artwork. An artist needs to weigh out if selling through an art gallery is what they want to consider to sell their artwork.

You can learn more by reading our blog Pros and Cons Of Selling Your Artwork To An Art Gallery by clicking here.

What Are The Pros and Cons Of Selling Your Art At Art Fairs?

The Art Fair model of selling art is has been around for a long time. But with any method of selling your art there are pros and cons if you choose to use the Art Fair as your main way to sell your art.

You can find out more by reading our blog Pros and Cons to Selling Your Art At Art Fairs by clicking here.