Negotiations Between Artist and Gallery, Contracts Must Be Clear, Flattery Gets Ya Nowhere Pt. 1

Part One of Three:

New galleries and their quest for a team of artists and vice versa must be done artfully. Artists and galleries need to think things through before making requests or shipping out art.

You have to put yourself in an artist's place. Here I am not knowing you or perhaps anything about the location. You contact me, like my art and want it. Cool, I appreciate the contact and compliment. Yet, if you are asking me to consign my work you become a voice over the phone or internet without credentials.

I had my work in a gallery in San Francisco on Union Square years ago. There was no contract and being a fledgling artist I did not ask for one. I was simply thrilled to be in a gallery in Union Square. There was a wonderful opening that I attended with all the other artists who had become part of the gallery. Wonderful food and wine were served and important people came, everything an artists desires from a gallery.

Living somewhat close to that gallery made it convenient to pop in on occasion. I went a few times to make contact with the gallery owner and see about future shows. Time went by and my contacts became less and more by phone. I later learned that the gallery owner had been 'renting out' the paintings to banks and corporate offices. That is not an unusual thing to do but it is unusual that the artist not be informed of it and receive a cut. I had no idea where my paintings were from one week to the next.

Continued on part two.