About Show RSVP's

In a recent show, an RSVP was requested for guests who planned to attend. Not many guests bothered to RSVP but lots of clients showed up. This caused some problems beforehand and during the show.

Beforehand, since so few people had RSVPed, there were some potentially sour moments between the galleryowner and the artist involved.

Both the gallery owner and the artist harbored thoughts that the other had not done as good a job of mailing invitations or pumping the publicity for the show. This is a problem since the gallery/artist relationship is based on trust to a large degree.

RSVP’s can also be used as an arms race. From the gallery owner’s viewpoint – the last artist show had lots of RSVP’s and the current show has very few. Means the current artist either: has no clients coming, is relying solely on the gallery’s drawing power, or the artist ranks so low in the clients mind that if there is nothing better to do they will go to his/her show. All not real comforting from the gallery owner’s view.

The artist has similar concerns. The gallery has no clients coming, they are relying solely on the artist’s mailing list, or the gallery is a very low priority for the client. Problem is that neither the gallery owner nor the artist can or should address this issue because of it’s volatility. Not a great way to engender warm fuzzy relations between a gallery owner and an artist.

During the show was the other problem. The RSVP’s give the gallery owner a feel for the logistics involved. Such as should the band be outside because a crush of people is expected? How much wine and cheese to order? Should there be police involved to direct traffic? Does the gallery owner need extra sales or cash/wrap help?

So what to do? Be kind, RSVP. Yes it does commit you to being someplace but what better way to spend a night – seeing great art by an artist that you enjoy, breaking out of the mold of staying home or going to the movies (doing different things than normal), meeting new people and renewing old friendships, and perchance buying some art. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Your RSVP is a small item with larger ramifications. Just think, because of your thoughtfulness, you have indirectly helped make a relationship stronger (gallery owner/artist). This leads to less tension between the gallery owner and artist ergo a better evening for the client. Such a small gift with large benefits.

copyright 2009 Carl Wright

Quality, Delivery times, and Client Input

Quality versus Price or Price versus Quality

After getting a wonderful commission for some artwork, there are some considerations to consider. There is quality to price issues, delivery times, and client input. First, there is a price to quality ratio. Quite a few artists I have met are of the opinion that you give sufficient quality for the price quoted. Actually the reverse is the proper way to think of the ratio. As an artist you should have a certain non-negotiable level of quality that you out into each and every piece of art that you create. That quality equates to a certain price. Then do not budge more that 5% from that price. Reason is that in many cases, the client will forget that they agreed to a lower level of quality for a lower price. When you deliver the completed artwork, then you have to resell the concept of lessened quality for a lesser price. Besides, as a pride issue, would you really want to put out substandard or subpar work for a subpar price? The client who foisted this on you is proud of their “negotiating” skill and brags to all his friends. All the braggarts’ friends see is a sad and low quality artwork that he bought because of a low price. Is that the reputation you want to be tarred with – a low budget, low quality artist? Don’t think so. Artwork should make the soul soar to a higher level, not fall to earth like a lead balloon.

Delivery Times

Make delivery promises set in concrete. Your client expects you to deliver the right item in the right time frame. Anything else is playing into the old lame game of artist as tortured soul, poor business person, etc. Also gives the customer if they are shrewd an opening to renegotiate the price downwards. Or you can invoke penalty clauses if those are in your contract for the artwork. Penalty clauses are a quick way to lose any and all profit in a project. On-time delivery is a sign of a professional artist.

Client Input

All people feel that they are creative. Be aware of this when accepting custom work. You need to listen carefully to the client, take notes, and if possible try to work in some of the clients’ notions. Ultimately though, the client asked for you based on your previous work. The client may have some great insights that will help your work tremendously. Sometimes, you have to diplomatically ignore the client suggestions – preferably not in their presence though. If your design is strong and thoughtful enough, the client will forget all about their hot trendy ideas and embrace your ideas. In fact the client may just congratulate you on how well you translated their ideas to the “perfect” artwork for them. That would be wonderful.

Copyright 2008 Carl Wright

Expectations When Visiting an Artists Gallery.

Managing a sale of art versus art-seeing expectations

There are two viewpoints that are at contretemps when it comes to visiting an artists studio/gallery. The artists and the clients. Unfortunately both camps have to get over their pre-conceived notations of what is to go on. That does not mean that you can‘t have those thoughts – just that the thoughts have to be tempered with reality.

For the artist the client visit will be objective and to the point. The artist thoughts are that all visits are going to lead to quick sales. In addition, the client is, or should be, focusing solely on the art in the room or wants to discuss a commission today and give the artist a down payment to get the process started. The thing to be avoided is the client speculating or doing “blue sky thinking”. This burns up the artist’s creative time. Unfortunately for the artist, he has been surrounded by the art for a while and knows it cold. He is familiar with all the nuances and details. The artist just knows, from his point of view, what the best piece is and that the client should be happy with the artists decision and buy the artwork.

From the client point of view, all of the above could not be further from the truth. The client is coming to see the art – yes, but and this is a big but, not necessarily to buy. Above all the client wants to browse the art, discuss the motivation behind the making of it, engage in some small talk, almost anything to get away from a quick commitment/buy. The client does not want to be rushed into a quick decision, particularly if this is the first visit to the artist’s studio/gallery. Occasionally, there is also the expectation that the artist’s work that the client saw elsewhere has now taken a radically different course either in design, subject matter, color, etc. So there is bound to be some conflict here.

The key is to understand that each side – the artist and the client - both have valid points of view and that their mutual destination is the same. Eventually the client/artist situation will work itself out – though from personal experience – never in the artist’s time frame. The artist always wants it quicker.

Visiting an artists studio for better pricing

Some Clients visit artists studios to, in their mind, receive better pricing. Some clients, and to be honest some artists, buy into the notion that the artist can sell art cheaper through their studio/gallery than through their gallery representation. Some clients actually befriend artists to get their “artist friend” to make them a piece of art. There is a reason artists sell through galleries – that is so that they do not have to invest in the time and money to meet and greet clients on their turf. This frees up the artist to produce work to supply his/her gallery network. This can also be seen as profit for the artist. All businesses like profit.

Most times the client well understands that they are taking advantage of the artist. The client also does not care that the artist, by selling his work at a wholesale price, is undermining his galleries. To the client, this is a one time transaction and a good deal. The artist though, has driven a stake in the gallery/artist trusting relationship that is so necessary to sell art. No wonder galleries are so leery of artists selling their work independent of the gallery.

When artists have their own stand-alone gallery, the artwork prices should also be exactly what their galleries sell work for. Clients in this instance think that since the artists gallery is not on prime real estate that they should pay less. To turn the tables a little bit, if the client was in the artists position, should they lower their price? Just because the overhead component is less than a typical gallery do you use bargain basement pricing for a limited edition product? Not in conventional economics and not in a real world scenario.

copyright 2007 by Carl Wright