What is the best way to start up a small scale art gallery?

May 11, 2007 6:58 AM

What is the best way to startup a small scale art gallery? I'm moving to a new apartment next week. The front room is an old store front. The previous tenant used it as a small art gallery. I'd like to continue this every so often. Not every month but when I get a really good show organized. I'm not concerned about making any money just mostly about showing off work I like. Do I have to register it as a business or non profit organization? Although, it's going to be small scale I would like to do some advertising as well. Not a whole lot but enough to get peoples attention. I'm really new to all this so I don't know very much about it. I've been thinking of some solutions like calling it an exhibition space and if someone wants to purchase something I'll just refer them to the artist and let them handle it themselves. Will that make things more complicated than necessary? Any advice would be very much appreciated.
posted by austinlee to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: I did exactly this while living in New York (East Village) in the mid 80's through early 90's.

The only difference was my spaces were commercial and I was living in them illegally. I didn't register my spaces as a business and in fact did everything possible to keep them off the record. Utilities were in my name, etc but you probably won't have this problem as your space is primarily residential.

One thing I did learn however is the need for proper paperwork. No verbal agreements regarding what you're showing, representation, etc. Get it all in writing to avoid misunderstandings and if someone won't sign then refuse to work with them, as it won't be worth the (inevitable) hassle. Also, you'd be surprised what percentage of the general public thinks nothing of either defacing, damaging or stealing art. So you need some general purpose document that each and every artist will sign detailing the terms of your agreement.

Finally, make sure your agreement mentions the return of property; I had many artists flake out and simply leave work behind after a show. Sometimes they would show up a year later asking after a painting. Its a strong incentive to act responsibly if they know you're gonna bin their work 90 days after a show.

Best of luck with this! For several years I had the most exciting living space in Lower Manhattan; constantly changing interiors and almost always folks like myself - art lovers - dropping by.
posted by Mutant at 7:17 AM on May 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Friends of mine in NJ had a small gallery in their basement. The city shut them down because they didn't have a museum permit. To get said permit, there had to be adequate bathroom access, fire extinguishers etc. If you are able to contact the old tenant, perhaps he would be able to provide the best advice for you intended operations.
posted by zem at 7:23 AM on May 11, 2007

It's hard to do what you're suggesting: run an art gallery and then again not run an art gallery. It's like anything else, you get back in proportion to what you put in. Apart from the hassles listed by mefites above, you have the question of opening hours, of staffing during those opening hours, of your budget for receptions and advertising, of other associated costs (e.g. public liability insurance, transport, photography). You may try to cut back on some or all, but the more you cut back, the fewer the artists who will be interested and the lower their quality will be. As for just giving potential purchasers the number: generally speaking, people buying art in an art gallery like to have a fun and knowledgeable gallerist selling them the work.
posted by londongeezer at 9:45 AM on May 11, 2007

I have done this four times. I actually think it's easy and fun, especially if you already have the space and aren't trying to make money. Ideally your space would function as a place where artists could do projects that would be impractical for more commerical venues. Invite people you already know who's work you admire, or young artists who don't have a commerical gallery. Buy beer, invite all your friends and the friends of the artists. Make a website, write brief and enticing email invites, collect a mailing list of people who come to the events or visit the website. Don't bother with print advertising, instead get coverage online through art and community blogs, craigslist, etc. Consider having music, or readings or other social/creative events in the space as well as a way of building audience. Show work that is local so that you don't have to deal with shipping and so that the artists will bring their own audience. Have the gallery open only on weekends, which is when most people will come anyway.

After you do this for six months or so you will have a better idea of this is something you really want to do, and at that point you can start thinking about all the official paperwork and such if you really want to.

My current gallery project is running strong after four years. My email is in my profile if you want to ask any follow-up questions offsite.
posted by puppy kuddles at 10:24 AM on May 11, 2007 [1 favorite]