Edward_ Winkleman has an excellent post on how to get your foot into the NY Art World.

Here are his four steps.

1. Build a support network of NY artists. 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. There’s strength in numbers. Get some artist friends.

2. Submit your work to registries. 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.

3. Take a survival course. Two to consider: Artists Space offers an amazing series of workshops. 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.

4.Get involved in another way in the meanwhile. Best advice I ever got before I opened my gallery was “You MUST get in the game.” So much of getting the career you want is being aware of the opportunities. Being involved in the art world (in any capacity) greatly increases your chances of hearing about those opportunities. 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. Be out there, be seen, be heard, look, hear…etc.

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