The Do’s and Don’ts of Applying to Art Galleries

One of the traditional markers of an artist’s success is securing a gallery to represent their work. While it is by no means necessary to have a gallery, especially in the last several years with more artists selling directly to collectors online, the right one can lead you to new opportunities that you might not otherwise have access to or could take longer to do on your own. These may include securing museum acquisitions, planning solo exhibitions, exhibiting at art fairs, and reaching a new set of clients for your work.

Finding a partnership that works for both you and the gallery is essential. While it does take time and a fair bit of research, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The application process itself can be equally daunting, whether you have already sent out a hundred emails or are mustering up the courage to reach out to your first gallery. Based on insider knowledge from working for galleries and our own previous experiences approaching this as an artist, we’ve put together our tips on what to have prepared before you submit, how to find the right fit for your work, and what to avoid when applying to galleries.

How to present yourself.

1. It is important that you use a simple, memorable domain name and email address. You’d be surprised at how many people send applications with websites or personal emails that do not include their names or aren’t directly related to their art! Ensure that your first impression makes you look like a professional studio artist who is ready to take the next step and partner with an established gallery.

2. While you may be tempted to, don’t jump the gun and try to submit before you’re ready. Have a consistent body of work that includes at least 15-20 pieces viewable on your site. They don’t all have to be in the same medium, but should demonstrate that you’ve put thought and effort into developing an idea, a technique, or certain subject. Remember that a prospective gallery has to imagine what a full solo show of yours would look like. If you don’t have many works posted on your website, the gallery owner might think that you don’t have enough pieces to fill a solo exhibition in their space. Having additional pieces available also gives the gallery a variety of your art to choose from, making it more likely that they will like enough pieces to want to work with you.

How to decide on where you should apply.

3. You definitely need to research and compare galleries. In the best-case scenario, you would visit all of the ones you are interested in and talk to the owner or director in person beforehand to get a feel for whom you would be working with. Just like when you’re job searching, you want the relationship with your gallery to be mutually beneficial. If you don’t like the space or didn’t connect with the staff, you’ll be glad you avoided applying there.

Think about what are must-haves for you in a gallery relationship. You might want to note if they regularly produce a catalog for their artists’ exhibitions, if they are private versus open to the public, and which art fairs they attend, if any. If these things are important to you, don’t waste time on applications to galleries that don’t meet your requirements.

Don’t be afraid to talk about contracts if your meeting was successful. Get all of the important details on how they handle commissions, discounts, shipping fees, framing costs, and how often they plan on exhibiting you both in their space or at offsite locations like fairs. You want to make sure that you agree with their terms before signing anything. Have a lawyer or someone you trust look over any contracts. Ask your peers about what they have experienced in their own gallery partnerships so that you know what to expect and can see if anything a potential gallery is proposing seems out of the ordinary.

4. For those who can’t visit galleries they’d want to apply to for whatever reason, do some solid research online to find the best matches. Find out who they already represent. Visualize a group show with their artists and honestly answer the question: Does my work fit the aesthetic? Read their artists’ resumes to see where they studied and have exhibited. Do you have similar accomplishments or degrees? If you feel comfortable asking what a few of their artists’ works sell for, are your prices comparable? You may even consider reaching out to the artists directly and asking for their opinion of the gallery. Of course, it is not likely an artist would bad-mouth whoever is representing them, but they could give you additional insight you would not have known otherwise.

It can be slightly more difficult, but not impossible, to find a gallery that specifically focuses on artists at the beginning of their careers. Try looking for galleries with a smaller project space or other dedicated area where they are often more willing to show emerging or experimental work. This is an easier way to get your foot in the door that asking to be represented outright. Then, after you’ve shown with them and if everything went smoothly, you can broach the subject of continuing to work with them. You can also visit art fairs, which sometimes have a dedicated section of booths that are representing emerging artists or that are of newer galleries that have been in business for less than five years.

5. Look closely at every gallery’s website and social media channels. A quality gallery will maintain their online presence using the same standards that they expect of yours: modern, clean, and up-to-date. Irregular posts or no new content for some time may simply be an indicator that they’ve been very busy, which is a good sign, but finding errors and broken links throughout the site could be red flags. Trust your instincts!

If they are active on social media, it may seem like a good idea to reach out via a direct message or tag them in your posts, especially if you already have a strong following of your own. There are a few reasons why this is not recommended. First, not all gallery social media accounts are run by the director, but rather by an assistant or specialized marketing person. If this is the case, who knows who will actually see your message, if it will be responded to, and if it will be passed on to the person at the gallery in charge of acquiring new talent. You could easily be wasting time sending messages that won’t help you connect with who you actually need to speak to.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that even if the right person does see your message on social media, they will likely go straight to your profile page first rather than directly to your website. Whereas your website will give a complete, professional overview of your and your work, that is much harder to maintain via a Facebook/LinkedIn page or Instagram/TikTok account. Why take that risk, even if you’ve worked hard to establish strong social media pages? For example, neither of these platforms make it easy to share your resume and it would take quite a bit of scrolling and searching to figure out which works are available. Both of these underscore the idea that you need to put your best self forward on your first impression, which is more easily accomplished by getting a gallery to look at your website first.

Along the same lines, if the first time a gallery notices you is because they see multiple posts you've tagged them in to get their attention, they will probably not be interested in working with you. It comes off as too eager and is distracting. Remember that they are using social media as a tool to build their brand too! Galleries, writers, and curators these days use Instagram quite a bit for scouting new artists, but best practice is to let them come to you. If you find someone you want to reach out to, we highly recommend using email instead.

6. Speaking of checking out the gallery's website and reading it thoroughly, please do not submit an unsolicited application if it explicitly says that they are not currently looking for artists. Alicia worked at several galleries which noted that they were not actively seeking applications and yet were still contacted by multiple artists each week! Please read their websites thoroughly to avoid making this mistake. Yes, the gallery will usually at least review the work, but we’ve never heard of anyone securing representation this way. Not to mention, if they specifically state that they are not looking, they likely will not even respond to your message.

Galleries do not do this to be rude or because they don’t care about new talent. Think about it from another perspective – if you were already represented by a gallery and they continued to take on more artists, you would have less opportunity to show and they would focus less effort on selling your individual work. They only have a set amount of resources (staff, marketing, budget, space, etc) so wouldn’t you want them to use as much of it as they can on you? Though we would personally avoid applying to galleries that aren’t looking altogether, if it otherwise seems like the perfect fit for your work, our best advice is to see if you can get a face-to-face meeting with the director. Alicia does know of an artist who did this successfully so if you’re gutsy, go for it!

Reading the website carefully can also help you put together your a better application, which improves your chances of a successful outcome. We have received many requests from artists wanting to join the roster of our gallery PxP Contemporary since we launched in May 2019. When Alicia has reviewed work from potential new exhibitors, however, she noticed several who submitted art that was not within our specified price range. This means that the artists were blindly applying without even reading through our ‘About’ page. Make sure to note any key details like this so that you’re not making a simple mistake that will lead them to reject your submission.

How to introduce yourself.

7. Please don’t just show up to a gallery with your portfolio. Again, Alicia worked at galleries where this happened weekly and it simply is not the right way to start the conversation. If you arrive unannounced, you are catching the staff off guard and there is no guarantee that someone will be available to meet with you. It’s extremely awkward and uncomfortable to have to turn artists away in this situation so it’s best to avoid putting the gallery in this position! Similarly, exhibition openings and the first few days of an art fair are tough times for long conversations with a dealer because they will be focused on their clients and closing sales. If you’re there and you notice a lull, however, certainly take the chance to meet them or ask them for an appointment at a more convenient time. This way, when you follow up via email you can say that you’ve already met. Be sure to always mention when and where you first connected so they remember you.

8. Continuing on that theme, do find other opportunities to introduce yourself. Besides showing up to gallery openings, attend art events in your community and you are likely to meet the people you are looking to work with organically. Practice speaking to people about your work confidently, be able to an elevator pitch that is short (one minute) and one that is a little longer (around five minutes or more) if you have the time for an in-depth conversation. Try your pitch out in front of friends, family and peers first. Be concise, be memorable and be confident. Make them want to represent you.

How to apply!

9. Now that you’ve found a great gallery accepting submissions, read their application instructions carefully, triple check your materials, and have a friend look for typos or other missing information. If they do not list specific instructions, send a brief email stating your interest in the gallery with a link to your website and either attach a few of your best artwork images or a PDF portfolio. You don’t have to attach a resume, statement or bio directly to your email, but these should be easy to find on your website. For large files, you can use programs like Dropbox and WeTransfer, but be wary of having to send multiple emails for the director to open. Ideally, you want to send a complete application in one message. Look on the gallery information page of their website to find the name and email address of the owner or manager so you can send your message directly to them.

Here’s a template that can be tailored to you:

Dear [Gallery Owner],

I am writing in reference to the call for artists listed on your website [OR to submit my work to be considered for representation]. [Have a sentence or two that covers how you know about the gallery, why you want to work with them, and why you believe you’re a fit for them - BE SPECIFIC].

My current body of work [describe in one or two sentences]. I have exhibited most recently at [name notable exhibitions, preferably solo or two-person] and am part of the permanent collection of [list any]. [Also mention relevant awards, recent press, residencies, or other gallery affiliations].

I’ve attached a few selected works to this message and my full portfolio can be viewed on my website: [list website here]. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at [list email, phone or both]. Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
[your name]

This example is a bit on the formal side, but it gives you an idea of what you can say to keep it simple and direct. Remember to note at the beginning when and where you met if you had the chance to introduce yourself to them recently.

10. Try not to get frustrated when your application goes unanswered. Hopefully, a gallery will at least do you the courtesy of acknowledging your application, but they often do not. Alicia’s general rule is that once she applies to something she “forgets” about it rather than spending countless hours worrying or obsessively checking her email. If she hears back, hooray! – but if not, it doesn’t feel as disappointing because she’s already working on the next project or opportunity. There are always going to be more chances to apply and it will take time to find the right gallery for you. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t follow up though. It is appropriate to send a message about a week or two after the initial one to ask if your application was received or if it is being reviewed. If they still don’t respond, however, then it’s time to move on. Feel free to try again in about six months to a year when you have new work to share.

Final notes.

11. As you go through this process, we suggest that you also consider alternative models like co-op galleries. Depending on where you are in your career, it might be worth it for you to exchange a few sitting hours per month for the opportunity to show. Always read their agreements carefully to decide if the exhibition potential outweighs the membership fees and/or working requirements.

While we love traditional galleries and Kat has experienced success with being represented, we also highly suggest looking into other avenues as well. We go into this topic further in a later chapter, but it’s worth noting that connecting with independent curators, art advisors, and interior designers can help broaden your client base as well. While most galleries sell to private individuals or people purchasing on behalf of an institution, a curator or designer might be looking for art to place in a corporate office, hotel lobby, restaurant, or department store, and some are tasked with finding artists for large-scale mural projects. But most importantly, never underestimate the power of building your own personal brand! With a strong website and social media presence, you can start to make sales on your own.

12. Lastly, never let the fear of rejection hold you back. When Alicia was still in art school, she found a gallery in Philadelphia that focused on emerging artists. She compared her work to who they were already showing and thought that she would be a strong match, but after letting doubt creep in, she then talked herself out of submitting an application for a whole YEAR! Luckily, once she finally pushed her fear aside and applied, she heard back shortly after and was asked to bring in a few pieces for a final review. At the meeting, the gallery director decided to take all of the artwork she presented and she signed a contract on the spot. Sadly, the gallery eventually closed, but at the time, despite being overjoyed at the positive outcome, she was a little disappointed in herself for having given into her self-doubt for so long. Don’t let that be you.

Now that you are armed with the necessary tools and information, go apply to amazing galleries and get represented. Tell us about it when you do!

Action Steps:

• Make in person visits to any local or regional galleries that might be a fit for your work

• Find galleries online and read their websites thoroughly to ensure that they are a match

• Introduce yourself at events and follow up to share your artwork

• Put together a complete submission package that you can send to your list of potential galleries

This is just one chapter in our essential book for emerging artists: The Complete Smartist Guide.