Collaboration is Key: Art Galleries and Consultants
Jaime DeGroot visiting Regards Gallery in Chicago
Simply put, the gallery and the art consultant share a similar end goal: connecting people and artwork. That said, their roles within the art market take on subsequently different avenues converging in a common goal. These paths are not parallel, so much as cross-sectional with various points of interfacing, that when done effectively result in an elevated standard of art acquisition for all those involved.
Role of the Gallery
The gallery’s job goes beyond occupying a white cube with rotating exhibitions. Its fundamental objective is to support and cultivate the careers of artists. The gallery represents a roster of artists and acts as the agent for each one. An artist on the gallery’s roster may get a show at the gallery once every year or two. In between those shows, the gallery continues to advocate for acquisitions of their artists’ work in private and public collections. In order to do so, galleries pursue and develop relationships with collectors, art consultants, interior designers, and curators to place artwork by their artists. Taking direct approaches to broaden their artists’ reach and boost sales, galleries will apply for and attend notoriously expensive, and often high-risk art fairs to sell their artists’ work, with the intention of meeting new clients and keeping connected with their existing patrons and colleagues. Galleries will also consign or loan artists’ work to other galleries, museums, and art spaces as an opportunity to show the artists’ work to a new audience and further develop their curriculum vitae. Additionally, galleries may design, produce, and distribute publications of their artists’ artworks and information as another means to grow the artists’ professional careers.
Role of the Art Consultant
DeGroot Fine Art Office
The art consultant’s purpose is to cultivate relationships with private collectors and corporate clients. The art consultant helps their clients to focus their interests and build a collection unique to their preferences and budget. Meanwhile, the consultant has a history of relationships with art galleries and knowledge of artists’ practices and their position within the art market. Not only do consultants help to shape their client’s collections with years of industry know-how, but a consultant is able to provide more business to galleries than an individual novice collector, thus the consultant’s client receives a leg up in regards to access to desired artists. The consultant’s role goes beyond facilitating the sale between the gallery and their client and provides additional services including collection management and appraisals. Furthermore, consultants can liaise on behalf of their client to handle conservation, insurance policies, shipping, and art handling.
Meeting in the Middle
Jaime DeGroot with the Monique Meloche Crew
Where the gallery seeks to find the right collection for their artists, the consultant searches for the ideal artwork for their client. The interaction between the two parties can manifest in a number of ways and is not exclusive to phone conversations and email correspondence about available inventory, upcoming exhibitions, and art fairs. Ideally we also meet together at the gallery, in the artists’ studios, at the art fair booth, and at other art-related happenings to nurture a relationship that ultimately will benefit all involved.
Understanding the position of the gallery and the art consultant within the art market can help set a roadmap for the exchange not only between the two, but with the artist and collector as well. Of course, this is not to say these are the only players in the market, but within the primary market these are key. The secondary market takes on new players such as auction houses and institutions which merits its own post which is forthcoming.
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