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04/12/2007 05:18:16 PM · #1 |
Hey everyone -
As a bunch of you know I go to school at Brooks Photography in California...it's awesome. Well long story short, I'm going to try and organize a small team to open up a photography gallery in town to sell student work. I need tons of help from all of you for stuff like figuring out how to convince the administration we should do this, prices, commission for the photographers, etc.
I̢۪m thinking that the students would print and frame their own work, bring it in, and once it sells, earn a percentage of the sale. Their work would be changed out on a rotating basis so everyone has an equal opportunity to earn money. Just an idea...
Sound like a plan?
Thanks in advance for the help! |
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04/15/2007 02:13:17 PM · #2 |
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04/15/2007 02:25:53 PM · #3 |
| Since it is a business, I'd say you should draw up a business plan. Part of writing a business plan is researching similar businesses. You should interview other gallery owners about their businesses, their rates, their art styles, their clients, etc. |
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04/15/2007 02:30:16 PM · #4 |
Maybe you can contact another local college of business and have the students of that class help with the business plan, advertising, and the accountants can help set up the books!
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04/15/2007 03:26:34 PM · #5 |
Making a profit with a gallery is iffy at best.
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04/15/2007 03:35:18 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Making a profit with a gallery is iffy at best. |
It doesn't sound like he's interested in profiting as a gallery. It sounds like he wants to create a coop gallery for himself and other students. |
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04/15/2007 04:38:04 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by _eug:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Making a profit with a gallery is iffy at best. |
It doesn't sound like he's interested in profiting as a gallery. It sounds like he wants to create a coop gallery for himself and other students. |
Some people hear about the prices some small portion of artworks command and get giddy from the dollar signs. |
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04/15/2007 05:19:50 PM · #8 |
I would recommend one other thing to give a little cash flow. I find that small works, such as notecards, sell really well. So generally speaking, you could offer the works as a framed print and as a smaller version in a notecard. A number of photographers around here sell different grades of prints, such as unmatted and in plastic sheeting, matted (usually white or ivory or black) and some framed and matted. It is a bit of a risk, though, especially if you need to rent a storefront. We have a number of images available on consignment at local gift shops, a few have openings at art centers in the surrounding towns, but the majority of the photographers I talk to have found the best, most economical way to sell photos is through craft fairs. A table costs around 50-100$, or some craft fairs just ask for a percentage of the profits.
You should do a demographic study and see if any mall shops sell prints. That is your main competition. We sell prints at my shop for only around 15.00 for a 24 by 36 print. It isn't a photo quality image. It is just a print that is restocked when it is sold. That is another way to keep your costs down. If you have a print shop in your school that can do brochure quality prints over and over, that is how to get the best bang for your buck. |
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04/15/2007 06:35:18 PM · #9 |
My mom is a painter and she is a member of an artists guild. A local group of artists that have their own gallery to show and sell their work.
The artists pay memberships for the club, rent space for hanging, with time to work so many hours in the gallery. They also offer classes to help pay for it. It is also sponsored by local businesses and the township. If they don't want to work in the gallery, they have to pay more for hanging. The club also shares craft fair costs.
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04/15/2007 06:41:26 PM · #10 |
The small gallery I frequent hosts monthly exhibitions. The exhibitions are virtually free to the artists outside of production costs - they only ask for $150 to cover the cost of providing some food at the opening. The place is a co-op, managed and populated mostly by the same five or six artists. Other artists, however, can rent "bin space", which is nothing more than a bin in which to sell your matted and sleeved prints.
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