Marketing of Artwork – JSS3 Cultural & Creative Arts Lesson Note (Second Term)

Marketing artwork means promoting your art and building relationships with people who might buy it.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what it means to market artwork;
2. list ways of sharing the process and story behind an artwork to attract buyers;
3. describe how artists can involve their audience through feedback and votes;
4. state how galleries, designers, the media and past collectors can help an artist promote and sell work.

What is marketing of artwork?

Marketing of artwork is the work an artist does to make people aware of their art and interested in buying it.

• Sharing: the artist tells the story and shows the process behind the work.
• Listening: the artist asks the audience for feedback.
• Partnering: the artist works with galleries, designers and the media.
• Keeping in touch: the artist stays in contact with past and potential collectors.

What are the key terms in marketing artwork?

• Collector: a person who buys and keeps artworks.
• Audience: the people who see, follow or read about an artist’s work.
• Influencer: a person whose opinion many people follow and who may share your work with them.
• Gallery: a place where artworks are shown and sold.
• Consign: to leave your artwork with a gallery or shop to sell for you.
• Testimonial: a short statement from a buyer about what they think of your art.
• SEO (search engine optimisation): using the words people search for so that your work is easier to find online.
• Pitch: to suggest a story about your art to a writer, editor or company.

What are the ways to promote your art and engage with art lovers?

There are 50 ways to talk about your art and connect with potential and current collectors, grouped here under eight headings.

1. How can an artist ask the audience to take part?

• Feedback on progress: ask your audience whether the piece is finished.
• Title vote: ask your audience to vote on a title for your latest piece.
• Colour input: ask your audience which colours to use.
• Display vote: ask your audience to vote on how you display your art.
• Guessing game: show close-up details of your work and let your audience guess what it is.
• Composition: ask your audience about your latest composition.
• Feelings: ask, “How does my work make you feel?”
• Three words: ask, “What 3 words come to mind when you look at my art?”

2. How can an artist share the process and story?

• Secrets: share secrets about your process.
• Work in progress: show your work as it develops.
• Live Q&A: do a Facebook Live Q&A on an announced date, with questions ready to answer.
• Tutorial: create an in-depth tutorial about your process.
• Workspace photo: photograph your workspace.
• Working photo: photograph yourself working.
• Working video: take a video of yourself working.
• Speed video: make a fast video of your process from start to finish.
• Inspiration: share the story or inspiration behind your art.
• Problems: share problems you have met and how you solve them.
• Honesty: be open about your process and your life as an artist.
• Chapters: tell the story of a series over time, in “chapters”, to build interest in the whole series.

3. How can influencers and other writers help?

• Similar blogs: write guest posts for blogs with a similar audience.
• Large platforms: write guest posts for a large platform such as Tiny Buddha or Huffington Post.
• Gifts: give art to influencers who might enjoy it and share it, with no demand or expectation. Give it because it feels good.
• Inspired art: make work that continues a story an influencer has shared about their life, then talk about it.

4. How can an artist keep in touch with collectors?

• Phone calls: call collectors and ask how the art is and whether there are any issues.
• Testimonials: collect testimonials about your art.
• Exhibition notices: send upcoming exhibition notices to past collectors.
• First view: offer past collectors a first look at new work. It is a nice touch to show them before anyone else.
• Thank-you note: send a yearly note of thanks to past collectors.
• Survey: ask collectors about packaging, timely shipping and the checkout process, then improve where needed.

5. How can an artist help buyers enjoy the art at home?

• Care advice: offer advice on caring for your artwork.
• Hanging advice: share how best to hang and display art in a home.
• Decorating advice: offer interior decorating advice.
• Designer partnership: introduce yourself and your work to interior designers with a similar style, to reach more collectors.

6. How can an artist work with the local community?

• Consignment: consign art to a local gallery or coffee shop.
• Talks: give talks about your art at a community centre.
• Workshops: create workshops to pass on your artistic skills.
• Meetup: host a local art meetup.
• Abandoned art project: leave your art in a public place with your card beside it.

7. How can the media and brands help?

• TV and radio: go to your local TV or radio station and pitch a story about your art.
• Newspaper: pitch a local newspaper about your art.
• Large sites: find current writers for Huffington Post or similar sites and pitch being featured.
• Magazines: find a magazine that sells your materials or uses your medium or style, and pitch your story.
• Brand partners: ask which stores, brands and magazines suit your type of art, and build a partnership.
• Supply brand: use one art supply brand for your next piece, tell the company, and pitch the result as a story.

8. How can an artist reach more people through writing and online tools?

• E-book: write an e-book about yourself and your art.
• Batches: present new art in batches, as a series, to build interest in each piece.
• SEO words: find the words people use to describe your art, then add them to your SEO efforts.
• Variety of media: try writing, photographs, recordings and speaking in person.
• Newsletter: keep an email newsletter list and ask people to sign up.

What is the summary of the eight groups?

Why must an artist spend time with people who might like their art?

People buy from artists they know, so the artist must build that connection.

• Share: show your work, your process and your story.
• Open up: let people see you as a person.
• Take the initiative: do not wait for buyers to find you.

Evaluation

1. What does it mean to market artwork?
2. Give three ways an artist can involve an audience in the making or presentation of a piece.
3. How can an artist use photographs or videos to promote their work?
4. Why should an artist stay in touch with past collectors? Give two ways of doing so.
5. Name three places or people an artist can approach to help promote their art.

Assignment

Choose any five of the ways listed in this note. For each one, write two sentences explaining how you would use it to promote an artwork you have made.