Art Marketing Secrets

What particularly caught my attention was an article by North Carolina artist Susan Lyon called “Most Likely to Succeed” in which she shares shares her opinions on important topics including: Should I go to art school?… Challenging yourself to push the boundaries and go beyond your comfort zone might mean that some paintings don’t come out well, but it also means you’re growing as a painter” Susan also made some comments about artist’s websites which we also strongly believe in: It’s a mistake to think of your website only in terms of selling paintings…. Also in the October Artist’s Magazine is a great article by artist and art career coach Kathy Gulrich, titled “Decisions, Decisions”.

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

In today’s art market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the myriad of different possibilities and challenges in marketing your art. So much so that sometimes it can be hard to figure out if we are really artists after all or if we’ve crossed that dangerous line and now only create art in between our marketing activities…. The more you do it, the more your creative faculties open up and help to solve other problems (including marketing)…. If you ever have one of those days when nothing seems to work, give yourself some time out and go visit an art museum or exhibit.

In order for an artist to be successful, there has to be a system in place to manage all the parts of being an artist.  I’ve gone for years thinking it’s not a problem to get organized in the business of art – I’d just let it happen naturally.  I wasn’t sure if I should [...]

This week’s quote is from from one of our favorite 20th century american artists, Georgia Okeeffe.

She served as publisher and managing partner until the magazine was sold several years ago. The magazine continues as the premier resource for pastel artists…. She serves on the boards of several art organizations in Oregon and is a member of Editorial Advisory Board of The Pastel Journal…. Note from the AMS Team: Janie’s also a very warm and generous being who loves to inspire other artists to success.

Edward_ Winkleman has an excellent post on how to get your foot into the NY Art World…. No one is a better ally in your fight to get the recognition you deserve here than other artists. They’re undoubtedly the most qualified critics of your work, they understand completely what you’re going through, and if you share what you hear about opportunities with them, you should be able to expect the same in return…. These are curated generally, so your work may still be rejected, but they do indeed lead to group exhibitions and other opportunities. There are two primary registries you should apply for: the one at Artists Space and the one at White Columns. Please note that both of these spaces focus on emerging artists engaged in the “contemporary” dialog, so if you’re more of a traditionalist, you might not be accepted…all I’m saying here, is consider their mission before you submit…. And the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ “Artists in the Market Place” is a remarkable program that I’ve seen change everything for some of its alumni…. So organize an exhibition, write reviews, work for an art handler, work for a museum, hell…work for a gallery, teach, join an artists’ crit group, start an artist crit group, go to salons, go to lectures, go to openings.

I stumbled across this great quote on a forum at Digital Outback Photography: When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss art; when artists get together for dinner they discuss money Oscar Wilde Certainly true of many artists I have known:) Mostly the discussion is about how to get more (money)!