How to Get Your Art in a Gallery The Portfolio Part One of Five

Diana Hobson Fine Art Gallery credit: Nelso.com

Whether you have abstract art for sale , watercolor paintings, or assemblage art. Surely you have wondered what the first step is to getting your art into a gallery would be?  We all wish our art could be as well known as Diana Hobson.....

This five part series will teach you all you need to know to become more exposed, and on your way to getting your work into galleries.
 
Step One:  Physical Portfolio

All artists need a professional portfolio of their work. In today's society this should be easily compiled into files that you can electronically send if requested. As well, you may need printed materials for local and galleries who do not wish to have e-mailed files.

There are specific requirements for each gallery (when they have open call for submissions). Some may want you to email photos of your work or up to three photos of one item. It varies but you should have these files online in a folder for quick access.  Additionally, most all galleries will ask for an Artist Statement or CV/Resume of the artist, which we will discuss more later.


Having great photos of your items are key. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Paintings may deflect the flash and taking them in natural light on the wall may be key.  As far as getting the show of any type of sculptures. It may behoove you to find a local photographer in your area.

Need a good photographer but have no idea who could photograph your art?  I have a great solution for this.  Etsy is a great place to start, search locally in your area for entepreneurs who sell photographs or prints of photos they've taken. You can tell a lot by a photographer's work.  If you do sculpture and you find a photographer that takes great 3-D items, convo then via Etsy and ask them to do some custom work for you. You can get a custom listing set up in their Etsy shop and work with them locally to meet your needs.  

Niche Portfolios

If you are a multi-talented artist, meaning you have everything from watercolors to mixed media, then you should probably tailor a few different portfolios based on the type of art you are submitting. Your artist statement may vary based on the medium you choose (see below.)

To Summarize the Portfolio

Most portfolios should be concise and professional.  They will include:

• A few of your best samples via photographs
• Your Artist Statement.
• and your CV or Resume

The Artist Statement

The artist statement is a one to two word summary of what motivates you, or what your art is about. This should be original and now borrowed.


The CV or resume should be tailored around your art world experience, not a job resume. Finding examples of these online is easy. Make them clear and concise. They will often contain any exhibits you have been in, any art affiliations you belong to, or key highlights (for example if you work was featured in a magazine or local newspaper.)

Do not worry, I'm living proof that a resume can be shabby but your art still accepted into a museum based on your submission shots aka photographs of your work.   As you follow the five step process you will build more

Now you have a nice portfolio, now what?

For one, you may wait for submission calls--you can't just spam them out to art galleries. Most art galleries do not accept blind submissions. So what now?

The portfolio is only the first step.......continue to How to Get Your Art in a Gallery Part Two.