Gallery Owners’ Advice for Surviving in a Weak Art Market

8/2/2010

Los Angeles may be to art what Paris is to fashion, providing an array of eclectic creations in every style and medium, yet in this recession-ravaged economy even die-hard collectors have scaled back on their gallery splurges. This poses a serious challenge not just for gallerists but for the glut of ambitious artists who seek to attract their attention. Localartla.com spoke with a few gallery representatives about what they think of the city’s art market, how they choose artists to feature and what type of work is most in demand now.

Though artists in the Los Angeles area may be as inspired and prolific as ever, it’s undeniable that the market for their handiwork has soured right along with the Golden State’s economy. “It’s been a really difficult couple of years in the L.A. art market,” concedes Robyn Feely, president of Topanga Canyon Gallery, an artists cooperative. “Artists who do local shows and festivals are reaching into other areas like New Mexico and Arizona to attract buyers.” With supply far outpacing demand, the region’s galleries are being superselective about the pieces they display. Clyde Beswick, who only opened CB1 Gallery, in L.A., this year, receives three inquiries a day from artists eager to have him exhibit their creations. The problem is, he’s intrigued by and would like to showcase far more pieces than he has space for. Katrien Van der Schueren, owner of the predominately contemporary-art-focused Voila! Gallery, also in Los Angeles, has watched as a huge portion of the middle market has weakened or disappeared because young people and those of average income, who typically buy pieces for decorative rather than investment purposes, can no longer afford the extravagance of an art purchase.

Still, not all gallerists take a dim view of the economy’s effect on the art market. Mark Steven Greenfield, the director of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, for one, believes there is a silver, if not golden, lining to the recession. “What I see happening is a return to work that has a basis in skill and craft,” he says. “The thing I’ve been telling people is that as bad as the economy is, it’s probably the best time to be marketing art, because your motivations are really clean.” He contends that true artists are concerned not about sales but about doing solid creative work; thus they’ll survive the economic downturn. Individuals whose major motivation is profit, however, will be driven out of the industry, since they will be disappointed if they don’t make money quickly.

Gallerists are divided about the kinds of art that yield sales in these tough times. Greenfield has observed that among avid collectors the big draw now is pieces by artists who have received professional validation from experts in the business. Art aficionados, he explains, want their collections to increase in value over time as well as be aesthetically pleasing. For Feely the one bright spot in the market has been art that benefits charitable organizations and causes. “Over the past year I’ve noticed that if we [Topanga Canyon Gallery] do shows tied to a nonprofit fundraiser, we sell a lot more.” She’s found that collectors who might have passed up on desirable artworks sometimes end up purchasing them after learning that part of the proceeds will go toward a good cause. Among collectors, Feely has also seen a rise in the popularity of brightly colored pieces and those that feature religious symbols like crosses or that have a spiritual theme, particularly Dia de Los Muertos. In addition, Topanga Canyon residents have individual preferences, including art depicting peace signs and the zany flying pigs that are all the rage in the area.

Diversity, both in the types of objects offered and in the range of prices, is key to a gallery’s survival in these rough economic times, adds Van der Schueren, who says this strategy has helped her business stay fairly strong. In cutting-edge L.A., steampunk-related art, a relatively new trend that refers to pieces that are made from once-functional 19th-century objects, is all the rage, according to Van der Schueren, whose Voila! Gallery features examples of that genre, including automatons crafted from vintage materials.

As for what drives gallery owners to choose particular pieces, their decisions are based on a variety of factors. In the case of Topanga Canyon Gallery, whose artist members make selections through a juried process, the main criteria are the quality of the work and if there is an opening for that art medium at the gallery. “Because of where we’re located, we look for contemporary work,” Feely says. But more important, for an artist to nab a coveted spot at the gallery it is essential that what he or she has created expresses something. Thus, the photographers the gallery members select, she explains, “tend to have a unique perspective that comes through—it’s not just a pretty picture of a landscape or a child.” They all have the ability to make their camera lens capture what they perceive in a way that makes the photos a representation of who they are. Likewise with painters, “the artists almost look like their work, and so collectors can identify the work with particular artists,” she adds.

“I look for art that I like and respond to,” explains Beswick, who has been collecting for decades. And in a nod to budget-conscious art buffs, he tries to feature pieces that are reasonably priced. He favors painting and drawing as mediums because “I respond to art that shows the artist’s hand involvement.” Particularly drawn to architecturally based and abstract work, he adds, “I like art that challenges you intellectually and aesthetically.”

Within the walls of the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery one can find new media, like video installations; contemporary paintings, drawings and sculptures; and performance art. Greenfield points out that what makes this exhibition space different is that “it fills an interesting niche in the city because it is not a commercial gallery or a museum—we have a lot of latitude with what we can and can’t do.” Another advantage of the gallery is that it is able to give out 15 City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowships each year, 10 of which go to visual artists, whose work is premiered at the gallery in an annual May show.

Fellowships can be crucial in a city where, Greenfield notes, the art market is like a game, and the way it is played has a lot to do with relationships—specifically, the ones among the art schools, the museums, the galleries and the artists. For the unknown artist, achieving recognition and acclaim sometimes comes down to who you know, rather than the level of your talent. So someone fresh out of school who has already established good professional connections may get a show easier than an artist who has toiled away, producing consistently excellent work for 20 years, but hasn’t developed relationships with people who can promote him. And according to the gallery director, the age factor is at the heart of an unsettling trend in the art world. “There is an interesting youth bias going on right now that has a lot of older, more established artists upset,” Greenfield says. “I know artists in their early 30s who are already being categorized as midcareer artists. You can come out of school and be the hot new thing, but by the time you’re around 30, galleries and museums are looking for the next new thing.”

One of the factors that give Los Angles an edge in the art market, Greenfield believes, is that “the West Coast has a preponderance of good art schools, so a lot of artists want to be here.” He adds: “It is one of the reasons why it is such a feeding frenzy [in L.A.]. There is a certain cache to being an artist from Los Angeles.”

Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to become the next Andy Warhol in this city, where it can be as tough to achieve fame as an artist as it is to go from an unemployed actor to the star of the next Hollywood blockbuster. “A lot of artists need to learn how to market themselves, because they’re not taught that in art schools today,” Greenfield says. Feely firmly agrees, believing that artists must put their all into not just creating standout pieces but marketing them. “I think artists should have really high-quality photos of their work,” she advises. A lot of artists don’t understand that gallerists won’t have a good impression of or feel for their work if the photos are mediocre. Feely also emphasizes the importance of artists doing research on prospective galleries before approaching their owners so that they can target gallerists who showcase work similar to their own.

Budding artists who are seeking to catch the discerning eyes of gallery owners shouldn’t waste time going door to door with a portfolio, according to Beswick. “For me, an artist walking in with a portfolio doesn’t work, because I don’t have the time to look at it during the day,” he says. He suggests that artists e-mail images of their best creations to gallery owners so they can view them at their leisure. Van der Schueren concurs, adding that gallerists prefer to receive images electronically so they can decide if the pieces are suitable for their gallery before speaking with the creator. She also stresses the importance of an artist finding his or her own voice and not straying from that for commercial purposes. Another tip, which seems obvious but may be overlooked by overconfident artistes, is to avoid coming across as arrogant when approaching gallerists. Beswick cites the example of an artist who recently contacted him who, upon hearing that Beswick prefers to show art he personally connects with, said, “I don’t care if you like my work; I just want you to sell it.”

So rather than display an inflated ego along with a body of work, artists should try to promote their masterpieces in a more positive way, such as through unusual advertising. Feely recalls one individual who created a series of flying pigs and decided to design T-shirts with their images and the logo “Swine Flew.” Though this marketing ploy may have offended some people, Feely is certain the artist got the attention he was looking for. And with unwavering determination, marketing savvy and a paintbrush stroke of luck, other artists, too, may receive the kind of acclaim that can withstand any economic conditions.

The following are links to the websites of the galleries mentioned in this article:
http://www.topangacanyongallery.com/
http://www.cb1gallery.com/
http://www.voilagallery.com/
http://www.ci.la.ca.us/cad/lamag/Home.html