Marketing your art work can lead to a whole host of questions. How do I begin to sell my work? What is the best venue for selling my work? What sort of price range should I be in? How do I write an artist statement and resume? Should I build a portfolio? How do I approach a gallery? This page attempts to begin to answer some of those questions.

General links on selling art

Selling Art

http://artistsregister.com/resource2.phtml?resourceId=46

A short article on selling artwork from 2002.

Selling Art Work

http://www.redimat.com/sellingArt.html

Various sections on marketing and pricing. Take the section “To frame or not to frame” with a grain of salt, as the site is sponsored by a company that sells matboard.

Pricing Art

Pricing your art work can be a difficult task. Do I sell this for less to get rid of it? Should I charge more because I love it? Many sources recommend a formula based on price per square foot, or materials and hours worked and this can be very useful in determining a round figure when you are just starting out. However, I've never felt limited by this number. A quilt which is more heavily embellished might require a higher price. Likewise, sometimes I've felt I wanted to charge more for a quilt I particularly liked. I've resolved to myself never part with a piece for a price that will make me less than happy. I may not make as many sales, but I'll never say "I wish I hadn't sold that piece."

Another way to get ideas for pricing is to to view the web pages of other quilters who work in a similar area of the country. Look at the type of work they are doing, the amount of detail, the size and the price. But don't stop there--look at their show history, and how long they have been working. This may give you an idea of how much to begin pricing your work, but it will give you an even better idea of how to increase your prices as you progress in your career.

Here are some formulas to get you started, but don't stop there.

Pricing and Selling Quilts

http://www.bryerpatch.com/faq/marketing.htm

Caryl Bryer Fallert's page on pricing and selling art quilts.

Art Studio Chalkboard—How do I price a work of art?

http://www2.evansville.edu/studiochalkboard/r-pricing.html

A formula for pricing artwork based materials+hours worked+studio costs.

Building Portfolios

At some point in your artistic career, you may find you need a portfolio. Whether you are approaching a gallery, trying to obtain a solo show, or going back to school, a well done portfolio will help you communicate your art to others.

Here are some sites to get you started:

Building Portfolios

http://www.artsresourcenetwork.org/professional_growth/building_portfolios/default.asp

Great aids for building an artists portfolio, including tips on resumes and photographing your artwork.

Creating a Professional Portfolio

http://www.nyfa.org/level4.asp?id=160&fid=1&sid=51&tid=169

A short article on how to make your portfolio stand out (in a good way).

Galleries and other art spaces

Terrifying? Choosing a place to show your work can be, but it doesn't have to be. Get to know the art spots in your city. If you're just starting out, carry a small example or a few photos in your purse and take a walk around. Often the person sitting behind the counter of that small independent retail shop or coffeehouse is the owner--if you happen to strike up a conversation and show off your work perhaps you'll get a place to hang your work. If there isn't much going on in your city, consider starting your own open studio event, or check with your local library or other public places that might be interested in displaying art. You never know.

As you begin to be more familiar with the process and have shown in more places, you may want to approach more traditional galleries and museums. Be organized! First, check out the gallery to make sure they are reputable and carry work like yours and in your price range. Make sure you have a good portfolio. Then, let the chips fall as they may--rejection is a fact of life.

Art and Coffee Shops

http://www.nyfa.org/level4.asp?id=175&fid=1&sid=51&tid=169

An article about coffee shops as alternative art spaces

How to Start an Open Studios Event

http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/resources/resources_arts_start_open.htm

Ideas for How to approach a gallery

http://www.potters.org/subject74268.htm

A thread from a potter's list. This is interesting because it also comes from a craft/high craft/art perspective.

Top 10 reasons why galleries reject artists

http://artistsregister.com/resource2.phtml?resourceId=85

Here's an article that will make you feel like it's impossible to do anything right. However, these could be considerations.

How to Write an Artist Statement

Opinions vary on artist statements. I have met a good many artists who hate to write them. They are, however, one of the first things you'll be asked for, even if you only have one quilt in a show and never sell your work. So, with such a nescessary evil, one might as well learn to do tolerably well. Here are a few articles to get you started:

How to Write and Use an Artist’s Statement

http://www.mollygordon.com/resources/marketingresources/artstatemt/

A step by step how-to on writing an artist statement by business coach and fiber artist Molly Gordon. Includes a sample statement.

Art Business.Com—Essays on Writing the Artist’s Statment

http://www.artbusiness.com/artstate.html

http://www.artbusiness.com/artstate1.html

http://www.artbusiness.com/statement.html

Tips and pointers on writing a good artist statement from artbusiness.com.

Writing an Artist’s Statement

http://www.eciad.bc.ca/wc/artstate.htm

A more academic approach to the artist statement from the Emily Carr Institute (British Columbia, CA). Includes links to online sample statements.

Creating an Artist’s Statement

http://www.artic.edu/saic/life/career_artiststatement.html

Guide from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on writing statements