How to Become an Artist Representative
There is a great demand for artist representatives today. These are individuals that work with other individuals who produce creative arts, including anything from fine art to music, to help them market and sell their products. It is important to understand that this is a commission-based business. In order to become an artist representative there are some steps that you must take.
- Learn about the fine arts field. This can be done through informal training by visiting local art galleries and museums.
- Attend art seminars and read books about art like catalogues, art history books and industry magazines. They will provide you with a lot of insight and information about major art concepts.
- Attend college. Major in marketing, business or sales. These are ideal backgrounds for an artist representative.
- Make sure you have all of the things you will need in order to do your work, including a computer, Internet access, phone, voicemail with a professional message on it, filing system, website and business cards.
- Locate artists who need a representative. Visit galleries and maintain a journal of artists who show an interest. Ask gallery owners about the artist and how their work sells. Visit the artist’s website to find out if they have a representative. If not, create a pitch letter and service brochure to send to them. Follow up by inviting the artist out to coffee or lunch so that the two of you can chat.
- Once you have an artist to represent, it is time to start marketing them. Your goal is to find them buyers. Oftentimes an artist will have a list of past buyers that you can work off to create their brochure, which should include their bio in order to help drum up business. It is also important for you to organize exhibits for the artist.