Careers >> Browse Articles >> Featured
Careers >> Browse Articles >> Fine Art
Ten Tips for Success in the Art World
Geoffrey Gorman / NYFA
I am always interested to hear how artists succeed in the art world. Most artists don’t have an advisor to help them, galleries don’t seem to have as much time for career development, and unfortunately the days of being discovered are over. Therefore, I have come up with my ten tips to help artists succeed.
1. Set yearly, five year, and ultimate career goals. The goals that you plan are a road map for your career. Be realistic but at the same time don’t be afraid to dream about your goals. Be prepared to change and re-prioritize your goals as different opportunities arise.
2. Be committed to realizing your goals. You have to believe in your work and yourself; you have to love what you are doing and be persistent. Sometimes the day-to-day details are the hardest ones to take care of, such as updating your resume, photographing your work, or keeping accurate records of your inventory. These are also some of the most important tasks to stay on top of.
3. Understand where your work fits into the market. Read and analyze a variety of arts related journals, books, and newsletters to find out where the audience is for your work. When you approach galleries and museums, do your homework ahead of time so that you know what type of work they are interested in exhibiting.
4. Document your work and career. Always photograph all of your work and have a labeled record of every piece you have created. This means producing good slides of each piece. Good slides are professional and in focus. I have seen many portfolios that have had dark, out of focus pictures that were shot in the backyard. Also keep a clean copy of every article about you and your work in a notebook that can be reproduced. This book, which should have your master slide list along with any press you garner, becomes your bible.
Continue reading on next page.
BrJaws
about 1 month ago
16 comments
I am a new be, thanks for the info.
jenniferleigharts
about 1 month ago
390 comments
I've been showing for over 10 years, this article gave me some extra pointers.
myartinspiration
10 months ago
10 comments
great artical thank you.
Quenivere
10 months ago
466 comments
Thank you for your post! I have a lot of work ahead of me, but now I have a better idea on where to start.
Jae00
about 1 year ago
2 comments
Very informative and interesting. Easier said than done, in my opinion. But nonetheless very possible. Thanks.
bgi262
about 1 year ago
250 comments
Very helpful, thanks!
sector
about 1 year ago
10 comments
thank you for ur post. I really wish that advice was given to me years ago. I probably would've looked at my future a bit differently or at least plan a bit differently. I think that should be posted in all art classrooms and schools.
Pennsington
about 1 year ago
312 comments
aloha. mahalo for the wonderful guide. i will definitely pass this to my fellow classmates!
brokencolor
about 1 year ago
10822 comments
Good overview. Some people are moving away from slides. What about a web site?
sushilover8
about 1 year ago
20 comments
this helped alot thanks!
gekko
about 1 year ago
5330 comments
good stuff.
Lin
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I meant to give this 4 stars !!! I really do believe that " exposure equals success " because it forces you to stay on top and forces you to keep coming up with new things to show for yourself.
peteart
about 1 year ago
12 comments
Thanks for the refresher. I have read the same guidelines in a freelance book a few years ago.
peteart
about 1 year ago
12 comments
Thanks for the refresher. I have read the same guidelines in a freelance book a few years ago.
Laureleo
about 1 year ago
3028 comments
I like that statement "exposure equals success for artists". It gives me hope. Thanks for narrowing down the steps.