Presenting yourself to an art gallery is not that dissimilar from presenting yourself to the media. It’s not a one-to-one correlation, but the approach is very similar.
Below are some pitching tips to consider when contacting one, or both.
Contacting the media with a generic pitch will get you nowhere and the same is true with your gallery presentation.
The media needs to know why you’re contacting them. Why should they take time out of their hectic schedule to review your pitch? What is in it for them? Gallery owners need that exact information.
Each media outlet you pitch needs to feel that this story is being presented specifically with them in mind and that the presentation is targeted towards their readers, viewers or listeners. Each gallery you contact needs to feel the work you are presenting is being pitched specifically to them, fits their needs and targets their clientele.
When contacting the media, you don’t want to go in pitching them a number of different stories, but one specific, well thought out story idea. Similarly, when approaching a gallery, you don’t want to tell them your entire history and review all of the works you’ve done since starting your career, you want to present your most recent art and focus solely on art that is relevant to that particular gallery.
When pitching the media, you want to have a specific storyline in mind, and offer all of the elements that are needed to make it a strong piece with a compelling narrative. When contacting a gallery you also want to have all of your elements ready to present: how many pieces are completed, how many more are you working on and when will those be completed? What are the dimensions, medium and price ranges?
When contacting the media, you want to give your story context. Why should they cover this story? Why should they take the time to interview you or do a story on your art? Chances are they have no previous information on you or your work, so it’s important that you offer them that in your pitch in a very concise, easy-to-grasp manner. Similarly when approaching a gallery you need to offer them a roadmap that (very briefly) explains you and your art, why you are contacting them and why you believe your art is a good fit with their gallery.
If you send out a press release to the media without an individualized letter and a pitch crafted to meet each media outlet’s specific needs, you’re basically wasting your time. No one wants to feel that they are simply receiving one of many random email blasts. Similarly if your art gallery presentation is not personalized, if it at all looks like a form letter, or generic presentation, don’t even bother presenting it. You’re wasting your time and theirs.
And don’t forget to include the call to action when pitching either the media or galleries. What is it you want from this communication? Too many people send out information without clearly defining what they are looking for.
One area where pitching the media and pitching a gallery differs, is that you’re not selling stories to the media, or asking for a pricing structure. You’re offering a compelling story with a strong narrative. But when approaching a gallery the financial structure is definitely a part of the process and you want to make sure that you’re clear about your pricing before you make your initial contact. Be clear as to your price ranges. Make sure that those ranges fit in with the gallery you’re contacting. Do your homework and then do the math to make sure it will be a good fit.
Unless you come in with quite a bit of clout, the gallery will dictate the terms of any arrangement, so whereas you need to be very specific about what you’re looking for, don’t contact a gallery and immediately start demanding specific terms, conditions or requirements or you’ll be walking out of that gallery in record time.
So whether you’re presenting your work to galleries, or pitching stories on you and your art to the
media, study the above tips before moving forward.
And then –
Move Forward.