How Commercial Art Gallery Work For Artist?

Inside Commercial Art Gallery

Commercial Galleries is also known as retail galleries. Commercial art gallery runs on different perspective compare to publicly funded art gallery. You can imagine commercial gallery as business platform only. Like any other business, idea behind a commercial art gallery is that it exists to make money as much as possible by selling painting or other artwork and turn a profit.

The primary means of income of commercial gallery is selling art only, so it doesn’t means that the galleries has perspective of earning money only. Galleries are responsible for helping the artist gain exhibitions and generate income so that they can continue in developing and producing art work.

Artist is chosen (they choose artist whom they like) and one art dealer assign to artist who take commission on each sale. The commission rate is set by art gallery from 40% - 50% and also depends upon artist popularity and art work. Sometime commission for new artist can be more than 50% and sometime unknown artist need to pay for exhibition - rent for gallery. The exhibition is for particular time period depending on you only. It can be for 3 days to 15 days or more than that depending on you and your budget.

Having an exhibition in popular and quality commercial art gallery is hard because mostly top level commission gallery in major cities select artists from their closed circle of friends and associates. The art business become like a club run by small groups of individuals, critics, curators, dealers and collector. To get exhibit in a top level commercial art gallery is not that much easy. They select new artist from their known group only. These types of top level art gallery nurture their artist, maximize their popularity. They do this to maximize to develop market value of art and artist. So they gain more profit. Sometime they also ask well known artist to sign contract.

To be in hierarchy of commercial art gallery is not simple, this gives rise in alternative type galleries. So you need to start with lower level commercial art galleries.

How this is helpful? In returns of commission or paying rent for exhibition they give their regular customers. Provide you a promotional/marketing assistance in which press release, opening parties and other publicity and media marketing is included. These all increase the chances of sell of your art piece.

Classifiaction of Art Gallery

Types of Art Gallery

Artists are creative and imaginative and give their entire dedication & time in creating art work. But they can’t survive without money. They need to sale art work and that is the challenging part for them. They need to come out from their studio and start interacting with art marketer, art gallery or other people. This is sometime opposite of their nature. Balancing these two inner and outer worlds is hard not only for artist but some normal people also find it hard.

Promoting art work through art gallery is the key starting place where an artist can sell their artwork. Before you met the nearer art gallery on area and starts exhibiting your artwork learn about the different types of art gallery.

Every art gallery has different structure for an art exhibition, on the basis of membership or commission. These points are counted to classify art galleries. Find which art gallery is better to join to exhibit and to sell your artwork.

Below is a list of different types of art galleries:

Commercial Galleries – Exhibition by artist is represented by gallery. Gallery will promote your work through media and also to their customers. They will charge you commission between 40-50% or more than that.

Non-Profit Gallery – compare to commercial gallery non – profit gallery is less in numbers. They take low commission 20%- 30% compare to commercial gallery. This type of gallery is not going to help you in any kind of promotion of your art exhibition/work.

Artist Owned Gallery – rental space run by an artist or a group of artist. Artist owned gallery also known as co-op gallery. This gallery runs by artist for artist. Membership fees cover the gallery’s expenses and rent. Members are allowed to exhibit their work in space. If you have access to any exhibition space you can create your own artist gallery or ask your friends to start a co-op gallery.

Rental Galleries – rents spaces to artists. As they are charging for rent they are not taking any commission on art sale. Although some of art galleries are charging small amount of commission.

Studio Gallery – single artist with exhibition space attached to the artist’s studio

Online Galleries – WebPages with art for sale. This gallery excess by any one from any corner of the world.

There are also other ways to sell your art work. We can define gallery as the place where artist can buy space for some slot of time to exhibit art. Every art gallery has some benefits and some drawback, but artist need to start from somewhere. As suggest find best convenient and economic way.

± Art Hub – Online Art Gallery + Artist Community

Today I have a chance to review one online art gallery. The name of the art gallery is ART HUB. The design and features of website is really good and search engine friendly.

Here artist can join Art Hub community for free. There are no hidden charges for membership or registration. As other gallery earn through commission this gallery is also taking commission. I think you started thinking that all art galleries have same way of functionality why I should become member of art hub?

And the reasons to join Art hub Gallery is:

1. Free membership + Unlimited Upload
2. SEO friendly Website. Such website get good rank in search engine and chances of your painting to sale will increase.
3. Wide range of category: In paintings, print and sculpture.
4. Easy admin panel to upload your profile and art work
5. The display of art product is also good with all information
6. Allowing you to create your profile
7. The most important is that Art Hub is not only promoting your product / website but promoting the artist.
8. ART Hub has artist community + Studio
9. They are giving you chance in Workshop + Exhibition.
10. One more plus point of this gallery is anyone can join this community.

Right now Art Hub has one local artist community at Baroda. You can view their artwork online on gallery website. All artists are studying in Maharaja Sayajirao University, Faculty of fine arts, Baroda

Join this artist community to have lots of benefits.

Corporeal Descent by Tariq Rafiq

Tariq Rafiq a talented artist from the United States, was born in Kabul Afghanistan. He has created a wide range of paintings in Surrealism. In addition to surrealism he has also created modern abstract paintings and sketches. He plays with Oil and Acrylic to put his incredible imagination on canvas. He also creates watercolor drawings.

I had the chance to interview him about one of his latest creations “Corporeal Descent” - a Surrealism painting.

Hi Tariq I saw your art gallery and”Corporeal Descent” really impresses me. Tell me what’s the inspiration you have for this painting? And give me more details about the painting.

I created this painting for an upcoming exhibition and this one was a hard one to do because its 48 inches by 60 inches and I hadn't created artwork that big for years. I get inspiration for my artwork from many different sources. I am inspired by the work of other great artists, my music and the people in my life. I am especially inspired by the work of Picasso and Dali. Over the years, I have drawn so much that my brain is consumed with ideas. When I start a sketch or painting I start off with an idea and then the painting takes me somewhere else and after a while the painting seems to be controlling my thinking process and my hand. My art is an expression of my subconscious mind.

What story does “Corporeal Descent” tell?
As far as the story that it tells--- I create paintings in a manner that will challenge the eye and mind of my audiences. Creating stories through my paintings are one of my goals, without the obvious and clear meaning. I hope that the final story is created in the viewer's own mind.


Can you tell me what other peoples reactions have been to this painting?
The public reaction to this painting has been very positive. One of my friends had an image of this painting at her job and her co-worker thought that it was a Dali painting. Dali was one of the greatest painters of all time and it was a really great honor for me.

Additional comments and complements about "Corporeal Descent:

The “Corporeal Descent” speaks to death. or more precisely the moments before death ... the life, dreams, aspirations etc of the person being re-lived or remembered and thus let go as the person descends into the unknown after-life. – by Randy P

A sheer masterpiece! I have seen a lot of your work and it all speaks to me, but this one, wow! There is a pleasing contrast between the relative simplicity of the sky and the complexity of the world below with your trademark combination of geometric abstracts and humanoid features. As usual you have utilized colors that complement each other beautifully and at 48 by 60 inches I'm sure that the original would take my breath away. I hope to see it one day. – by Omar Z

Visit Tariq Rafiq Art Gallery For more Art