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You are here: Home / Business Skills for Artists / How to Return to Selling Art After a Long Time Away

How to Return to Selling Art After a Long Time Away

Every so often I get an email like this one. 

I have an extensive history of shows and sales, and was heavily involved in the art world 24/7 decades ago. For family caregiving reasons [or health, or other reasons], I did not focus on my sales for quite a while (20 years!) and do not know how to do things now.

I’ve been doing this long enough that I have a few suggestions for artists who have spent time away. 

Schedule a New Show

Schedule a day and location to have a new exhibit and/or studio visit. Give yourself 2-3 months of lead time so you can revive your contacts and let them know what’s happening. 

Reach out to the people on your lists (see below) and let them know you’re having a show for the first time in years, and that you’d like them to attend. It can be an exhibition at a favorite gallery or a private studio visit or even a living room show. Whatever works best for you and your personality. 

Another option is to create an online art show you can share directly via link in a personalized message to reconnect with past clients and give them a glimpse of your current work. You can save time and resources by digitally curating your new work and presenting this collection in an engaging digital experience.

Reach out to old contacts

A lot of artists think they have to start from scratch, but the nice thing about being seasoned, as it were, is that you probably have an extensive list of contacts. 

One thing that hasn’t changed is that large sales happen through relationships. Make a list of people you’ve been connected with in the past, including: 

  • Previous collectors
  • Previous galleries 
  • Places you’ve exhibited before or outdoor art fairs you’ve attended 
  • Journalists and other people who have written about you before 
  • Friends and family who don’t fit the above criteria

Reach out to new contacts 

Once you have your time and location in place and the support of your longest tenured friends and colleagues, it’s time to let the new ones know. 

Make a list of journalists, bloggers, and social media influencers who might be a good fit for your art. Reach out to them with a few short sentences about your art, why your new show is relevant to them, and one specific ask: write about the show or tell their followers about the show. 

Remember not to limit yourself to art world influencers. If you’re an artist who makes art about women’s rights, contact social impact journalists or local feminist influencers. If you’re someone who upcycles art, reach out to environmentally conscious groups and media. If your work is deeply spiritual, reach out to the religious groups likely to be connected to your work. Each of these groups have media and networks that you can lean on to get the word out about what you do. Consider writing a formal press release, or a cool informal press release, for the journalists and read our blog post on how to pitch journalists and influencers. Anita Nowinska did an amazing article for us on leveraging interior design influencers via Instagram. 

If you do everything we’ve listed here, you’ll fill up many hours and set yourself up for success. 

Filed under: Business Skills for Artists, Mindset

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