I’ll never forget the first time I went to an art gallery. I was home from college in the mid-80s, and my date took me to Serge Sabarsky Gallery on Madison Avenue before dinner. He had begun to collect, but his parents were major collectors, so Serge, who was an older, big-time dealer of German Expressionist art, welcomed us in. After seeing the current show, we went to the “backroom,” namely, his office, which was packed with storage racks. Serge told us stories, while my date looked at a print he was considering. I was enthralled by this legendary art dealer, who was actually more charming than my date!
A year later, I found myself interning at the front desk of Castelli, the premier ‘80s Contemporary art gallery, where I learned everything about how a gallery works. I even got to meet the artist Jasper Johns, one of my heroes at the time. But the lack of interaction with the general public on the part of front desk staff was striking. How were regular people who came by supposed to get to the inner sanctum?
P.S. Johns’ retrospective opens at the Whitney on September 29, 2021.
All these years of hardcore gallery-going later, and I still see the problem persists for many. Let’s face it, walking into a gallery can be intimidating! If you want to learn how to get the most out of your gallery visits, have confidence AND have fun, like Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York in this clip from Sex and the City, then read along!
Fun fact: that scene was shot at Sean Kelly’s Chelsea gallery, using the set for Marina Abramović’s month-long performance where she literally lived, worked, slept (and even crapped) in the gallery. 💩
HOW ART GALLERIES FUNCTION
For artists: galleries provide
Real estate to exhibit their work, i.e. exposure
A major stamp of approval (when a gallery commits to an artist, collectors take note)
Financial support to the artist
Marketing and sales of art to museums (this is the gold standard for artists)
Career advice
For collectors: galleries provide
Art exhibitions that change every 6 weeks
Works of art to collect that are “vetted” by a gallery with a track record and point of view
A place to sell collectible art that they no longer wish to own
Camaraderie, a forum for like-minded exchange (the gold standard for collectors)
For the general public (YOU): galleries provide
Free* access to creativity!!!!!!
*free (adv.): without cost or payment.
Q. Why are galleries free?
A. The gallery’s #1 priority is the artist. Artists want their work to be SEEN. Not just by collectors, but also by critics, museum curators, and other artists. Traditional art (but not NFTs) comes alive when the viewer can engage with it physically.
Show you the 💰
Galleries are in business to sell art! All the art in the gallery is for sale.
Legally, a gallery must make prices public, but this is not common practice.
If you want to know the prices, you must ask to speak with a sales director, who is not the person at the front desk.
If the show is sold out, a salesperson probably won’t tell you the prices, but they might provide a range if you’re persistent.
Money does not always equal access. For the hottest artists, you need to be a recognized collector in order to be offered a work of art.
Don’t be surprised if a show is sold out––even on opening day. Galleries usually target who gets what in advance, especially for incredibly popular artists.
PRO TIPS FOR A GREAT GALLERY VISIT
1️⃣ Download an app to help you plan what to see. I use See Saw and Art Guide.
2️⃣ Read reviews before you go. I consult the NYT, Artnet News and Hyperallergic.
3️⃣ Develop relationships with salespeople, or gallery owners, by making appointments in advance. Despite the often frosty appearance of front desk staff, galleries want to know people who are seriously interested in the art on view.
4️⃣ Most galleries operate on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule, with standard hours 10am-6pm. But there are always exceptions! So be sure to check the gallery’s website prior to visiting.
NY GALLERIES BY NEIGHBORHOOD
Upper East Side: townhouse spaces for the most part, for intimate viewing of art, with the exception of Marian Goodman and Gagosian (wow, never thought I’d put those two in the same sentence, very different vibes!). And it’s the UES, so the art is expensive.
Chelsea: big white cube spaces concentrated on the far west side, what you think of when you think, “TV show art gallery.” Mega galleries abound, and the art, with a few exceptions, tends to be by established artists.
LES: funky mix of spaces typically focused on emerging art, spread out from Avenue B to Bowery. Prices tend to be lower, and insider knowledge of where to go and what to see will serve you well in this ‘hood.
Tribeca: old school loft spaces with wood floors and cast iron columns concentrated a few blocks south of Canal. Oodles of charm and a laid back feel, with art typically on the lower end of the mid-career price bracket.
Bushwick: a few outliers here that are worth the trek, plus great brunch.
DO’S AND DON’TS OF GALLERY HOPPING
🔴 DON’T make the mistake of asking the person behind the desk if they’re the artist. This is never the case.
🟢 DO read the press release at the front desk (or scan the QR code). Sometimes, it’s well written and it explains what the show is about. Sometimes it’s a poem written by the artist’s friend and that’s, well, annoying.
🔴 DON’T ask to use the bathroom. Galleries typically don’t make them available to the public.
🟢 DO go to openings and introduce yourself to the sales teams in a social setting.
🔴 DON’T expect to like what you see or to immediately understand it. By visiting galleries regularly you will make connections, both with people and art, you will cultivate your own taste, and eventually feel like you belong! *cue Jay Z’s Picasso Baby*
Let’s Link Up 🔗
For a deeper dive into the contemporary art gallery and its role in the art world, Boom by Michael Shnayerson.
The Girl with the Gallery by Lindsay Pollock, a biography of Edith Halpert, who opened the first gallery downtown in 1926.
ArtForum Magazine is the ultimate insiders’ resource.