Many art galleries display and sell the work of local artists. They are always eager to have a chance to sell art done by famous artists. Attracting attention from the local community is a good way to boost sales. For this reason, many galleries work to bring in artists from around the world. These temporary displays may not always result in sales for the booked artist, but they are designed to bring more people into the gallery.
Getting potential customers in the door takes good marketing skills. Art is a niche market, and there are not always a large number of people willing to pay huge sums to purchase it. Big cities often have the greatest number of people available to buy art, but each person generally only needs a limited amount. Finding and encouraging new buyers is work for art galleries. Promoting a showing from a non-local artist is often good for finding new customers.
Running an art gallery takes a great deal of business knowledge. Artists with a following do not generally pay galleries to display their art. The money for this space must come from somewhere, and sales are the income of the gallery owner. They make money from each piece of art sold. Percentages depend upon the following of the artist, the price their work commands and the notoriety of the gallery. Artists and galleries negotiate these amounts.
Traveling art shows are promoted in newspapers, on the radio and occasionally on television. Because of their cultural value, many are advertised for little or no cost as public service announcements. Online advertising is done through gallery websites and affiliated art sites as well. All of this is designed to increase gallery sales and introduce new people to this market. Art sales are a high value market, but they must still use promotional marketing strategies to find their customers.
