Gallery Commissions

[tzahn]

Fellow artists: Could you give me some insight into the artist/art gallery world? I have only been sculpting for about 3 years and consider myself a novice to this relationship. In Minnesota the regional art galleries require a 50% commisssion for any sales—for sculpture as well as wall art. Yet as sculptors we almost always have a much greater investment in materials and fabrication than 2-D artists.

Last year I was fortunate enough to be included in a New York exhibition by the National Sculpture Society, and I came in contact with other recognized professional sculptors. One well-known figurative sculptor told me that the gerneal rule was 1/3-1/3-1/3 division of profit. 1/3 to the foundry, 1/3 to the gallery, and 1/3 to the artist.

What % are galleries taking in the larger cities around the country? What % do websites sales generally take? Has anyone given up on gallery sales and gone totally to internet sites and sales? Any insight?

I am currently the President of the Society of Minnesota Sculptors and your responses may be helpful to me in implementing some artist/gallery changes here in the Upper Midwest. Thanks for any help.

Tom Zahn
Saint Paul, MN

[jwebb]

In all honesty, I consider galleries are little more than parasites. But it's very difficult to exist as an artist in this country without having one or more of them in your life. I did so for many years, just submitting stuff to occasional shows in museums and Community or University sponsored shows. But I always had a "day job" to pay the bills. That afforded me a weird kind of "freedom", but I finally decided it made little sense to make sculpture and just horde most of it at my place with nobody seeing it. I now do have work in a gallery. I loathe Openings and chitchat and all that goes with it. But it's cool to occasionally get some objective feedback from strangers. In my region the galleries take at least 45% of retail, some more. And there may be some that do something for their "stable" of artists beyond merely providing space and a few blurbs of publicity, but I haven't experienced it. At the same time, I admit that some do it better than others, and I do enjoy going to a "good" gallery and seeing good work, when I have no vested interest in it. So, they do perform a service. The whole thing about selling Art is very un-satisfying for me. If I had my way, I'd have every piece I've sold back, all standing in the yard. I'm sorry if this offends you, since you're going to run a gallery, apparently. But maybe some others will give you some more positive input...

[Roy Tamboli]

Tom, What I think is important is what you are getting for the money the gallery earns. A good gallery works hard for you with a limited number of artists, a bad one does nothing but waits for a sale, sometimes even waiting for the artist to make the sale and then getting their fee.
A good gallery will command higher prices for your work so the percentage is less relevant. However, you must stick with that price range from then on.
I have had gallery cuts like this- subtract the sculpture cost (foundry fee) from the sale price and split the balance fifty fifty with the gallery. That way the gallery is not making a ciommission on the money you paid to the foundry. This often ended up being very close to the one third arrangement you mentioned.
Roy

[Araich]

I now rarely make a sale without a gallery. But you have to choose ones that will advance your position (put food on your table and your work in good collections).
I think many artists find it hard to accept the commission, but the smart thing to do is focus on your slice. 40% to the gallery is the norm here in Australia, and many deduct specific costs like casting before the commission split - mine all do.
What I've realised is that a great many collectors will never deal direct with an artist, they need the assurance of a dealer/gallery. Plus things like payment plans, valuations, catalogues, press and a 5 day a week point of presence, as well as the experience of a gallery director all count.
Market prices are more or less set by commercial galleries - meaning that the price you would expect includes that gallery fee. So really an artist should look at only 60-50% of that price as the actual sale price.
And consider that every other shop out there doubles or triples the wholesale price.

... but yeah, it sucks when you make a sale, and have to hand it to them. What you have to hope for is that they will spend that back when your not selling. That they will support you when your producing bridging work (crap work), and explain this to your collectors and critics.

... and interestingly I'm happy to see my work off into the real world. For me it's all over at the workbench, and whilst it's nice to see old work, I prefer to start new.