ART MARKETING COMMENTARY

Quiet Artists: No Fanfare
by L. Diane Johnson

As most of you know, I am a great advocate of marketing yourself by building strategic marketing plans, keeping up with your artist's statement, package, collateral materials (i.e., business cards, brochures, etc.) and the business side of art.. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it - either you or someone else.

However, some artists are not suited to nor want to engage in any marketing aspects of their career. Except for attending their solo or group shows, they are virtually invisible. An old art colleague of mine is an example of a truly humble and quiet artist. He paints, is friendly and would give you the shirt off his back. However, he has done only a few things to market his work.

We first met many years ago while he had display in a greater Washington, D.C. mall. A mall? Yes, a mall. It's amazing to me how this venue has given many painters a great way to meet people and get the word out about their work. Most folks shopping in malls are not necessarily in the market for a painting. Nevertheless, they keep the brochures of artists whose work they admire and sales are made subsequent to a show; sometimes years later. This painter's work is engaging, beautiful and gets noticed wherever he goes. At that time his prices were already climbing and have ever since.

Time and place IS everything. Once, while walking in NYC, he stopped into a few galleries. But while he was just about to enter one establishment the owner was on his way out. My friend, with paintings under each arm, was invited in to the store so the owner could view them. The owner was thrilled with the work and said it was exactly what he had been looking for! It was one of the most prestigious galleries in the City, and for years my friend has enjoyed the royal treatment, career advancement and tremendous sales.

This artist's wife does quite a bit of promoting for my friend, but she works a full-time job as well. She is very outgoing and loves to talk about her husband's work. We could all use an advocate like that.

Many painters are very quiet by nature. My husband frequently says that's why there is such sensitivity in much great artwork. There is no fanfare, but there is awe. There are no loud sales pitches, but there are sales. But no matter if you are an extroverted or introverted artist the usual careful planning, strategy, selectivity in where you will sell is still important. At the same time, you must be prepared for opportunities as they come to you just as in my friend's story above. At the very least, he was out there with his work pounding the pavement.

While painting on location I frequently receive this comment from passers by , "Gee, it must be fun to do what you love." Or, "You make painting look so easy." Yes, I enjoy painting and yes, it may look like I am doing with ease, but being a painter is hard work. Make a list of all you do to deliver just a few paintings to your gallery representative! You have to decide what to paint, then paint it, buy supplies, order and frame finished pieces worth taking to market, make the coffee, empty the trash, correspond with new or existing representatives, travel or box /ship paintings to/from locations, spend time with gallery partners, work on your collateral materials and update your web site, shoot high-quality photos of your paintings for slides/advertising, the list goes on! This photo that I used when my husband and I owned the Art Business Academy tells the story ...

So back to my title. While quiet artists receive little or no fanfare, many do experience great sales from their marketing efforts. Quietness gives way to it's own type of fanfare: the mystique and popularity of a painter. So too, do artists who are not so quiet - they hunt in every bush, follow every trail, and work extremely hard at marketing/selling. Even with a full plate of gallery representatives, it's still many balls to keep in the air.

If you are making a living by being an artist, that's what it takes. Quiet does not mean inactive. Quiet means working smart, efficiently and consistently over time to achieve the same results as those who do it with gusto.