Recently I decided that it was time to spread out and look for new/more gallery representation for my work. I’m ready, but I wondered if my timing was good. I know from my current dealers that they receive an incredible amount of submissions. Is there a perfect time to get noticed?

  Instead of taking a stab in the dark, I decided to ask everyone I know in the business what they thought was the best time for artists to approach galleries. I asked dealers, reps and professional artists, and this is what I discovered:

  1. Almost everyone agreed that if the gallery is seasonal, wait until the off season. Dealers are more likely to have time to review work and will be planning for the next upswing in their business.

 2. If the gallery is not seasonal, then be sure to check their exhibition schedule. You don’t want to approach them right before or during a big show as the likelihood of having your submission thrown into the pile with others is much greater.

 3. Some dealers said that they are always looking for great work and the timing is unimportant, while others said that unless there is a boost to the economy, they are not really looking to take a chance on new artists right now.

 4. The real nugget came from a gallery close to me who enjoy a long and successful history in the business. There is one universal time when all galleries in the western world have a down time.

January!

  It makes sense. After all, we are not shopping for art or much else beyond the basics after the frenzy of the holiday season. It’s a time when we tend to review the past year, get our paperwork up to date and plan for the future. And that’s exactly what the galleries are doing as well.

 

   So it looks like my timing is good after all. This January I will be taking the big leap and baring my soul to new dealers. Who’s with me?

 

PS: I loved this bit of advice I got from Graydon Parrish:

“Approach and be brave. Entice them and educate them. You are the artist.”

 

My Thanks to everyone who took the time to thoughtfully answer my question.