Last night, the Washington Glass School hosted a panel discussion, "HOW TO GET YOUR WORK NOTICED BY NEWSPAPERS, GALLERIES, AND MUSEUMS." The participants were Washington Post Sunday Source writer (and former arts beat writer) Nicki Miller, Washington Post weekend section art critic Michael O'Sullivan, Studio Gallery Director Lana Lyons, Fraser Gallery owner Lenny Campello, Glass Gallery owner Sally Hanson, and Renwick Gallery Curator-in-Charge Kenneth Traff.
The Washington Post writers, Miller and O'Sullivan both emphasized the constraints and preferences shared by journalists covering the arts:
* Journalists prefer to have an interesting, fun, or relevant reason to write about work, other than the formal properties of the work itself.
* Journalists prefer to cover work about ideas they find interesting. Thus, artists would benefit from become familiar with the all of the relevant Post journalists, and making contact with those who would be interested in their work.
* To make a favorable impression when making initial contact with a journalist, send an email that concisely and politely describes you and your art. High quality JPEG picture attachments of your work are a requirement.
The work speaks for itself, but a brief bio attachments with past achievements helps. All Post email addresses have the format of
@washpost.com (e.g., millern@washpost.com)>
* Never show up unannounced at the Post with your portfolio, or do anything else that seems unprofessional and over the top. Be civil when you meet them in person such as at art openings.
* After saying hello on the phone, always ask "Are you on deadline?" This shows courtesy. If they are on deadline, excuse yourself and tell them you will call them the next day. With voice mail (for everyone in the art world), speak slowly, briefly, and leave a call back number.
The gallery owners emphasized artist professionalism, pricing, marketing, and networking:
* Artists make a bad first impression when they are rude and pushy, haven't checked the gallery's web site, don't know the institution's history, haven't done their research, don't make appointments, and assume that working in a gallery, commercial or nonprofit, is easy.
* As with journalists, the proper way to introduce yourself is with a concise, informative email with attached high quality JPEG photographs of your work. Additionally, state why you would be an appropriate artist for the gallery, what product you make and techniques you use. Include a resume of academic preparation, shows, and awards. A statement about your work and influences might help but leave the abstract, mysterious explanations for the critics. Label any photographs of your work with size description and price. If you do send anything you want returned (e.g., slides), include a stamped self-addressed envelope. However, as with journalists, slides are out of favor compared to email attachments.
* You need a single, fixed price for each work, regardless of whether the seller is you or a gallery. Further, because the value of your work should rise with your career, you should have very reasonable, market-based prices for your initial work, regardless of how much time you invested in production. You should never be in a position where you have to go down in price on your work.
* Work produced in multiples (e.g., photos, lithographs) must be in limited editions. An especially noteworthy pricing strategy employed by the photographer Joyce Tenneson is to greatly increase price for the last unsold editions. This provides an incentive for early buyers.
* Networking and self-promotion are critical. Go to openings. Create your own web site with high quality photos. Contact journalists besides just those at the Post (e.g., small local papers, alumni newsletter, online sites) especially if there is some relevant angle for them (e.g., you grew up in Montgomery County). Note that the gallery owners have to somewhat
limit their communication with the Post if they want to be taken seriously. Thus, you need to do some of your own promotion even if you have gallery representation.
Finally, Kenneth Traff of the Smithsonian's Renwick gallery gave advice especially meant for interacting with museum staff:
* When approaching museum staff, know the person's name, title, position, as well as the institution's history. This shows professionalism and competence. Traff (probably others, too) makes an initial classification upon meeting artists as being professional, careerist, or casualist.
* When talking to a curator, ask if they have a specific policy with regard to acquisitions. They will likely want to know about your developed patrons to see if they will purchase and donate your work (funds for acquisitions are always tight). Include a price list, in which there are reasonable, market-based prices. Finally, when your work is purchased, never discuss the selling price to others, especially in the press.
* Never take the attitude that you are owed special treatment because you are a taxpayer and the other person is a federal employee.
* Artist's statements are drivel, the work speaks for itself.
* It isn't necessarily good or bad for an emerging artist to show in a museum. However, you have to be aware of the long term negative consequences of showing prematurely or being in the wrong exhibition.
