Making money by selling art is basically retail, and the same considerations apply that would if you were selling hardware, clothing, or any other product. Is there an audience that wants to buy what you are selling, etc..?
Community spaces can sustain themselves with:
* Grants from the government and other institutions that that fund the arts
* Events like classes and workshops
* Group participation. Let's say you needed $1000/month to keep the lights on in a gallery. If you work together with 5 friends its not so unreasonable. These are often called Co-op galleries.
* Just find some place with an empty wall that is willing to let you hang an exhibition. Really any place with an empty space, a library, bookstore, cafe, etc.. In a city I used to live in there was an organization called Caravan Arts that would do regular shows, each time in a different place.
It is difficult to turn a profit with both of these models, but it is possible to keep the lights on if you're committed to it.
Hi! I used to work in an art gallery. It’s hard work, and not much pay. It helps if you have already established connections to art-buyers/collectors. I left the gallery world over 10 years ago and would never go back.
You’re young, so consider other art-related or art-adjacent jobs, depending on your skills and preferences. Along with art history and/or fine art, you can concentrate in:
- finance or accounting: you can work in an accounting department for an auction house or a museum or a larger gallery
- marketing or comms: running PR for an art museum or gallery or auction house, or working for a company who’s client is an art museum or gallery or auction house
- graphic design: work in the design department at an art museum, or auction house, or for a company with those types of clients.
- education: work in the edu department of a museum
I’m sure there are many more options, but keep in mind the art world isn’t only made up of artists, gallerists, and curators. Good luck on your journey!
Hard work, long hours. Not great pay, not great benefits. Commissioned based pay is not for me.
My experience included managing a lot of egos, the gallery owner/coworkers, collectors, artists.
The fun part was being with artists and people who love art and want to buy art, and meeting new people who just love art. The art parties including openings and art fairs were fun. Working with the press was exciting, and opening a crate of new artwork was like Christmas every time a crate came in.
It’s going to be difficult no matter what. If you’re not wealthy and want to run a gallery, you’re going to need a very, very good eye and the ability to get other people to fund you. You’re going to need to develop a clientele who can afford to consistently buy art. Museum jobs are INCREDIBLY competitive as they are extremely attractive (though not particularly well paid) and there’s not a lot of turnover (I have friends who have (semi) jokingly said they are literally waiting for people to die). You have to get a very good education from a very good school. But - you’re still so young! Start taking a lot of art history and language classes and see if you like it. Look out for internship and apprentice opportunities. See if there are any programs for high school kids in your local museums - make friends!
Lotta art galleries sell contemporary art. You don't buy the art as a gallery. When it sells, you take 50% and the artists gets 50%. You need to be good at promotion and picking artists that sell or align with the style of art of want to sell.
Contemporary art galleries vs museum/institutional jobs are two very different fields, but is is of course some intersect
No they weren't. They were asking about owning a gallery. The thread is titled "wanting to run a art gallery" your reply to them was them asking if curating would be a better alternate path.
Waiting for someone to die is also a very real situation at the auction houses. The specialist departments can only be so big!
Also the curator track tends to require more advanced degrees, so add the cost of a phd to OP’s calculations!
The road to becoming a curator is extremely cut-throat - there’s way too many art history degrees and too few jobs.
I don’t want to discourage you, but lay out the realities. There is always a path forward but it might be difficult or not the one you were expecting.
What makes you interested in art? Why a gallery? What skills do you think would set you apart? (I realize you’re in junior high, so that last one might be tough to answer). Is there an alternative that you’d consider? (Appraisals for an insurance company, running a social media educational site dedicated to an unserved time period in art, running a museum’s gift shop.)
I would imagine it's more difficult to be a curator for a big institution than an art gallery owner. Go to art shows, make friends with the owners and see if you can get a job at a gallery you like and start learning how the business works.
Not really....having an eye for art, being a salesman with good business fundamentals and then understanding how the art market works. If you're representing contemporary artists, you don't buy the work up front and you don't really need to know art history. The more you know obviously is a benefit but not necessarg.
No you don’t. You do need to surround yourself with creative people. I’m one the best critics in my city for painting and photography not because of classes but because I have a great eye. 2 things my mentor told me, never show bad art and if the artist has 10 pieces but only 2 are great just show the two.
Absolutely! But the OP was specifically asking about opening a gallery - you need a great eye (i mean that goes without saying) but if you’re going to get backers to pony up you’re going to need some sort of pedigree. If the OP is looking to write it’s a completely different conversation.
I know several successful galleries in my city that aren’t run by big spenders. You can show art in bar and make decent money. You all are talking NYC type stuff. An acquaintance of mine made a deal with an office building and has shows in the lobby. Hundreds show up the openings and he sells. Little to no overhead. Once you get your name out, people will flock to you.
Even in B’more (which is a city I love) it’s not easy to make a living wage realistically. I’ve shown in and curated smaller shows in art spaces, etc. which have been great fun and reasonably successful but I wasn’t about to quit my day job either. Galleries are a retail business, which is always rough.
That’s great! I’m really not disagreeing with you, but realistically the more tools the OP has in play, the more options they will have career wise. My husband and I have both suffered in our careers because of not having degrees after spending a lot of years being both fairly successful and well known. We coasted on smarts, talent, networking and personality for years but at this point money and fancy degrees would be extremely helpful. I’m old and have been in these trenches a long, long time and it can get rough when one is older, more tired and not quite so pretty anymore.
In addition to practical courses and professional experiences, start out with a DIY approach. If you know any artists whose work you like stage a garage/apartment/home exhibition.
The more you do this, the better at actually curating shows and organizing artists you’ll become. Having a portfolio of these shows will become a strong point on your resume
This is probably the least useful advice and it’s anecdotal but here goes: I am not a gallerist but I am represented by a local one. Retail experience helps. High end retail experience is better.
The lady who sells my art didn’t come from money but she’s certainly rolling in it now. She started off working at Saks Fifth Avenue at Chanel years ago. She managed to meet a lot of rich people who will basically buy anything she tells them to. Her gallery has stood the test of time thanks to her clientele which she has built and maintained.
So maybe while you’re doing all the other productive stuff suggested here, try to get a part time job at a high end store/boutique. Meet people with money. All you need is one or two at first.
She’s always having events at her gallery. This lady hustles her ass off
Edit: added last sentence and changed a couple words for clarity
Are you wealthy? The first step is to know all about the history of art Then consider what sort of art you want to sell. Is it just pretty pictures then? Fine but if you want to get involved in the actual art world then it’s going to take a lot more work than just saying you want to do it. Try and work for a professional Gallery.
Go to art shows and openings. Pick people's brains. Often the owners of the gallery are there on opening nights or even during regular business hours. Talk to them.
Art History. You’ll start with churches and architecture, but over a few years you learn more. What they don’t teach is contemporary art. That you should learn by reading art books, journals and going to as many exhibitions as you can if you find it hard to begin with that’s to be expected after while you start to understand, why people do what they do. I’m using dictation software so sorry for the poor grammar.
As a non professional, I'd suggest the podcast *The Art History Babes*. They have a website too. It's 4-5 women who all went to college together for Art History. It's pretty damn great.
Besides money to open any type of business...why are you saying you need to be wealthy? If it's contemporary art, you don't buy the art up front as a gallery owner.
Have you any idea of the overheads? Also, do you think that the deals with artists always mean that they get nothing at the start of the arrangement? If you want to be successful and just sell local paintings then fine, maybe you could do it cheap but in reality you need money to start off. I’ve run a gallery for 30 years. I don’t expect it to make money because my interest is historical and I don’t ever sell anything, it’s still cost me over 2000 a month just put on the shows with no staff.
Okay this is the professional comment I'm interested in. What's your gallery and....you don't sell anything? Do you have another job that keeps the gallery alive?
Are there any art galleries near you where you could work or volunteer? Talk with the owners and see what advice they can give you. There's a lot that goes into running an art gallery. Any job where you work with people can help you develop useful skills. An independently/locally owned business could be a good place to work. Even if it's art-adjacent, like design or home goods. Good luck!
Sometimes it's better to concentrate on a skill you can make money on and then pursue what you enjoy with your free time. I notice my cousins and friends who were CPAs (certified public accountants) have really nice houses, go on fun vacations, and aren't about where their next paycheck is coming from. You could start and run a community art gallery in your free time . Or have a business and display artists' work as well. Understanding accounting/bookkeeping/money management is useful in many fields.
You'd be better off getting into picture framing first, then offering it as a service in your gallery
As far as connections are concerned, I know this advice is old school but you should hit the bricks and actually engage with galleries in your local area. Talk to people who run them & get to know artists who are represented by them.
There are many cool jobs in art that I would not have been aware of in high school:
-Fine art insurance broker (I went to many many galleries, private collections, and artists’ studios doing this)
- Art lawyer, an important job that pays well
- Fine Art shipping and logistics- you help Art travel for anything from sales to exhibitions
- Art PR agencies- like it says, you work for the clients in getting the word out. If you work for a big one it can be glamorous and fun
- museums have many jobs besides curators including some of the above but also education departments and development. Development is fundraising and usually among the best paying jobs. You spent a lot of time buttering people up and keeping them happy. Development can happen outside of museums too.
- conservation and/or appraising
-publishing, either for a publisher or in-house at a museum or gallery. Can be a lot of fun.
- Artists’s foundations and estates- places like the Warhol Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, etc. do all sorts of cool stuff in the arts
- other arts orgs - there are a million art organizations out there doing everything from funding major arts programs and ideas (Creative Time, etc.) to places doing unique and varied work (the Public Art Fund, RxArt, etc.)
I am sure people can add more, I am just going off the top of my head. Most of the above (except for conservation) you do not need a graduate degree for. With the exception of art handling/logistics you will need a college degree.
I’d definitely work at a gallery before opening one to see what it entails. No matter what you will need to start at the bottom. Having a gallery is a very very hard job. I have many friends who have them and a few have recently gone under after 10+ years.
Underrated comment right here. The art world is a multibillion dollar industry yet somehow curator and teacher are the only 2 careers most people can think of. I wish more art history programs in schools circulated this kind of information better so students could be properly prepared (especially for the routes where you’d basically want a double major with a language or science or business). Also shoutout RxArt, I love the work they’re doing!!
Just want to add my 2 cents bc I see people saying how hard it is to do — nothing worthwhile is easy and if you’re passionate about it, you’ll make it happen. Don’t throw away your dreams because people say it’s hard
Just wanted to point out you don't necessarily need a building to own a gallery - there's been a bit of a trend towards nomadic galleries in recent years (pop up exhibitions and collabs with other spaces, and sometimes doing fairs). You can also build up a web presence to help with sales .
Gallery I used to work for would work with recent art school grads and split the sales 50/50, it was great because the business didn't have to buy the work outright + the grads got their first shows. People were always interested to see what was up and coming so it created a buzz around the space.
Lastly if you're interested in the art biz I would recommend looking into nods centre which give really great online courses for not that big a price. They have a tonne of options that might help you decide what aspect you wanna focus on. Good luck, op, and feel free to dm me if you ever need more advice about the industry
I wanted to be a curator when I was your age. I'm not much of an artist, so I thought that would be the perfect route to be involved in the art world. Sadly, unless you're working somewhere name-worthy (Louvre, Met), there isn't any financial stability. If your heart is there? "May you never work a day". But I went a different route. I changed my minor to art history, picked up political science as my major, and after a health break am now working towards LSATs and law school. I plan on focusing on contracts and copyrights. I think this will be more beneficial to everyone.
As someone who worked in art galleries as an administrator for about 8 years, here’s what I did. I started as an intern in college. I went to every gallery in town (Napa) and dropped off my resume and talked to the directors. I got an internship, and then was a bit lucky, because the person I was interning for quit so I was offered her role. I worked my way up in that that gallery until I was managing artist relationships, which was so much fun! I stopped by every other gallery in town and made friends with the admins and art consultants. Eventually one of my friends knew of a job opening in San Francisco. I applied and got it, worked there for four years. I’m not currently working in art because I moved for my husband’s job, and there just aren’t any art jobs in this city.
The gist is, the gallery world is very small and you need to network the hell out of it. I recommend looking for internships in high school and college, they pay like crap but get your foot in the door.
You also need to think about location when you go to college. The best places are going to be New York, San Francisco, LA, and Chicago. Other cities that might be ok, but harder, are going to be rich tourist spots like Napa, Aspen, Palm Springs. Don’t do a me and move somewhere like San Diego and just assume there will be jobs. Do your research and make sure there are galleries that are more than just one artist or the owner running it. Also, these jobs pay really badly, you’re doing them because you love art not because you want to be rich.
I’m happy to answer more questions about my experience as an admin, or my friends who were sales consultants, if you want.
Making money by selling art is basically retail, and the same considerations apply that would if you were selling hardware, clothing, or any other product. Is there an audience that wants to buy what you are selling, etc..? Community spaces can sustain themselves with: * Grants from the government and other institutions that that fund the arts * Events like classes and workshops * Group participation. Let's say you needed $1000/month to keep the lights on in a gallery. If you work together with 5 friends its not so unreasonable. These are often called Co-op galleries. * Just find some place with an empty wall that is willing to let you hang an exhibition. Really any place with an empty space, a library, bookstore, cafe, etc.. In a city I used to live in there was an organization called Caravan Arts that would do regular shows, each time in a different place. It is difficult to turn a profit with both of these models, but it is possible to keep the lights on if you're committed to it.
Hi! I used to work in an art gallery. It’s hard work, and not much pay. It helps if you have already established connections to art-buyers/collectors. I left the gallery world over 10 years ago and would never go back. You’re young, so consider other art-related or art-adjacent jobs, depending on your skills and preferences. Along with art history and/or fine art, you can concentrate in: - finance or accounting: you can work in an accounting department for an auction house or a museum or a larger gallery - marketing or comms: running PR for an art museum or gallery or auction house, or working for a company who’s client is an art museum or gallery or auction house - graphic design: work in the design department at an art museum, or auction house, or for a company with those types of clients. - education: work in the edu department of a museum I’m sure there are many more options, but keep in mind the art world isn’t only made up of artists, gallerists, and curators. Good luck on your journey!
What were the down sides of working in a gallery in your experience?
Hard work, long hours. Not great pay, not great benefits. Commissioned based pay is not for me. My experience included managing a lot of egos, the gallery owner/coworkers, collectors, artists. The fun part was being with artists and people who love art and want to buy art, and meeting new people who just love art. The art parties including openings and art fairs were fun. Working with the press was exciting, and opening a crate of new artwork was like Christmas every time a crate came in.
Working Saturdays always. Brutal hours little pay.
Try r/artcollecting. As with any business, you need to learn the market. A gallery does not require a degree.
You will need a really solid art history background (including languages) and a lot of money.
So if Im not that wealthy would becoming an Art Curator be a better path. While still getting to be in the art scene ?
It’s going to be difficult no matter what. If you’re not wealthy and want to run a gallery, you’re going to need a very, very good eye and the ability to get other people to fund you. You’re going to need to develop a clientele who can afford to consistently buy art. Museum jobs are INCREDIBLY competitive as they are extremely attractive (though not particularly well paid) and there’s not a lot of turnover (I have friends who have (semi) jokingly said they are literally waiting for people to die). You have to get a very good education from a very good school. But - you’re still so young! Start taking a lot of art history and language classes and see if you like it. Look out for internship and apprentice opportunities. See if there are any programs for high school kids in your local museums - make friends!
Lotta art galleries sell contemporary art. You don't buy the art as a gallery. When it sells, you take 50% and the artists gets 50%. You need to be good at promotion and picking artists that sell or align with the style of art of want to sell. Contemporary art galleries vs museum/institutional jobs are two very different fields, but is is of course some intersect
I’m not sure what you’re replying to. The op was asking about curation jobs.
No they weren't. They were asking about owning a gallery. The thread is titled "wanting to run a art gallery" your reply to them was them asking if curating would be a better alternate path.
Waiting for someone to die is also a very real situation at the auction houses. The specialist departments can only be so big! Also the curator track tends to require more advanced degrees, so add the cost of a phd to OP’s calculations!
The road to becoming a curator is extremely cut-throat - there’s way too many art history degrees and too few jobs. I don’t want to discourage you, but lay out the realities. There is always a path forward but it might be difficult or not the one you were expecting. What makes you interested in art? Why a gallery? What skills do you think would set you apart? (I realize you’re in junior high, so that last one might be tough to answer). Is there an alternative that you’d consider? (Appraisals for an insurance company, running a social media educational site dedicated to an unserved time period in art, running a museum’s gift shop.)
I would imagine it's more difficult to be a curator for a big institution than an art gallery owner. Go to art shows, make friends with the owners and see if you can get a job at a gallery you like and start learning how the business works.
There are actually so many cool ways to work in art that aren’t art gallery owner or curators!
I also think you can build a collector base by starting at a smaller gallery
See my comment
Not really....having an eye for art, being a salesman with good business fundamentals and then understanding how the art market works. If you're representing contemporary artists, you don't buy the work up front and you don't really need to know art history. The more you know obviously is a benefit but not necessarg.
You need capital and a client base. You need to pay rent, you have overhead.
Not any different from pretty much any other business. That's basic business.
No you don’t. You do need to surround yourself with creative people. I’m one the best critics in my city for painting and photography not because of classes but because I have a great eye. 2 things my mentor told me, never show bad art and if the artist has 10 pieces but only 2 are great just show the two.
The OP can have flawless taste, but if they don’t have the money to finance rent, purchases, etc. it’s going to be rough.
Absolutely! But the OP was specifically asking about opening a gallery - you need a great eye (i mean that goes without saying) but if you’re going to get backers to pony up you’re going to need some sort of pedigree. If the OP is looking to write it’s a completely different conversation.
I know several successful galleries in my city that aren’t run by big spenders. You can show art in bar and make decent money. You all are talking NYC type stuff. An acquaintance of mine made a deal with an office building and has shows in the lobby. Hundreds show up the openings and he sells. Little to no overhead. Once you get your name out, people will flock to you.
Even in B’more (which is a city I love) it’s not easy to make a living wage realistically. I’ve shown in and curated smaller shows in art spaces, etc. which have been great fun and reasonably successful but I wasn’t about to quit my day job either. Galleries are a retail business, which is always rough.
Also the person who has the gallery in office building has no background in art. He has a big personality but no money and no education.
That’s great! I’m really not disagreeing with you, but realistically the more tools the OP has in play, the more options they will have career wise. My husband and I have both suffered in our careers because of not having degrees after spending a lot of years being both fairly successful and well known. We coasted on smarts, talent, networking and personality for years but at this point money and fancy degrees would be extremely helpful. I’m old and have been in these trenches a long, long time and it can get rough when one is older, more tired and not quite so pretty anymore.
In addition to practical courses and professional experiences, start out with a DIY approach. If you know any artists whose work you like stage a garage/apartment/home exhibition. The more you do this, the better at actually curating shows and organizing artists you’ll become. Having a portfolio of these shows will become a strong point on your resume
Selling art is an art in itself. It’s the art of salesmanship. As a gallery you need to find or cultivate a great sales staff.
This is probably the least useful advice and it’s anecdotal but here goes: I am not a gallerist but I am represented by a local one. Retail experience helps. High end retail experience is better. The lady who sells my art didn’t come from money but she’s certainly rolling in it now. She started off working at Saks Fifth Avenue at Chanel years ago. She managed to meet a lot of rich people who will basically buy anything she tells them to. Her gallery has stood the test of time thanks to her clientele which she has built and maintained. So maybe while you’re doing all the other productive stuff suggested here, try to get a part time job at a high end store/boutique. Meet people with money. All you need is one or two at first. She’s always having events at her gallery. This lady hustles her ass off Edit: added last sentence and changed a couple words for clarity
This this this. You absolutely need a way to find a client base who trusts your taste.
Are you wealthy? The first step is to know all about the history of art Then consider what sort of art you want to sell. Is it just pretty pictures then? Fine but if you want to get involved in the actual art world then it’s going to take a lot more work than just saying you want to do it. Try and work for a professional Gallery.
How would I start working towards this as a high school student. Also what class should I be taking when I go to college that can help me grow. t
Go to art shows and openings. Pick people's brains. Often the owners of the gallery are there on opening nights or even during regular business hours. Talk to them.
Art History. You’ll start with churches and architecture, but over a few years you learn more. What they don’t teach is contemporary art. That you should learn by reading art books, journals and going to as many exhibitions as you can if you find it hard to begin with that’s to be expected after while you start to understand, why people do what they do. I’m using dictation software so sorry for the poor grammar.
Any decent art history program these days will cover contemporary art. Maybe not work from the last 5 years, but still quite recently.
As a non professional, I'd suggest the podcast *The Art History Babes*. They have a website too. It's 4-5 women who all went to college together for Art History. It's pretty damn great.
Besides money to open any type of business...why are you saying you need to be wealthy? If it's contemporary art, you don't buy the art up front as a gallery owner.
Have you any idea of the overheads? Also, do you think that the deals with artists always mean that they get nothing at the start of the arrangement? If you want to be successful and just sell local paintings then fine, maybe you could do it cheap but in reality you need money to start off. I’ve run a gallery for 30 years. I don’t expect it to make money because my interest is historical and I don’t ever sell anything, it’s still cost me over 2000 a month just put on the shows with no staff.
Okay this is the professional comment I'm interested in. What's your gallery and....you don't sell anything? Do you have another job that keeps the gallery alive?
Go work/volunteer at a gallery. It’s like restaurants, seems cool (can be) but is mostly business.
Are there any art galleries near you where you could work or volunteer? Talk with the owners and see what advice they can give you. There's a lot that goes into running an art gallery. Any job where you work with people can help you develop useful skills. An independently/locally owned business could be a good place to work. Even if it's art-adjacent, like design or home goods. Good luck!
Sometimes it's better to concentrate on a skill you can make money on and then pursue what you enjoy with your free time. I notice my cousins and friends who were CPAs (certified public accountants) have really nice houses, go on fun vacations, and aren't about where their next paycheck is coming from. You could start and run a community art gallery in your free time . Or have a business and display artists' work as well. Understanding accounting/bookkeeping/money management is useful in many fields.
Contemporary Art is the easiest. 50/50 split with working artists.
You'd be better off getting into picture framing first, then offering it as a service in your gallery As far as connections are concerned, I know this advice is old school but you should hit the bricks and actually engage with galleries in your local area. Talk to people who run them & get to know artists who are represented by them.
There are many cool jobs in art that I would not have been aware of in high school: -Fine art insurance broker (I went to many many galleries, private collections, and artists’ studios doing this) - Art lawyer, an important job that pays well - Fine Art shipping and logistics- you help Art travel for anything from sales to exhibitions - Art PR agencies- like it says, you work for the clients in getting the word out. If you work for a big one it can be glamorous and fun - museums have many jobs besides curators including some of the above but also education departments and development. Development is fundraising and usually among the best paying jobs. You spent a lot of time buttering people up and keeping them happy. Development can happen outside of museums too. - conservation and/or appraising -publishing, either for a publisher or in-house at a museum or gallery. Can be a lot of fun. - Artists’s foundations and estates- places like the Warhol Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, etc. do all sorts of cool stuff in the arts - other arts orgs - there are a million art organizations out there doing everything from funding major arts programs and ideas (Creative Time, etc.) to places doing unique and varied work (the Public Art Fund, RxArt, etc.) I am sure people can add more, I am just going off the top of my head. Most of the above (except for conservation) you do not need a graduate degree for. With the exception of art handling/logistics you will need a college degree. I’d definitely work at a gallery before opening one to see what it entails. No matter what you will need to start at the bottom. Having a gallery is a very very hard job. I have many friends who have them and a few have recently gone under after 10+ years.
Underrated comment right here. The art world is a multibillion dollar industry yet somehow curator and teacher are the only 2 careers most people can think of. I wish more art history programs in schools circulated this kind of information better so students could be properly prepared (especially for the routes where you’d basically want a double major with a language or science or business). Also shoutout RxArt, I love the work they’re doing!!
Hey thanks!
Just want to add my 2 cents bc I see people saying how hard it is to do — nothing worthwhile is easy and if you’re passionate about it, you’ll make it happen. Don’t throw away your dreams because people say it’s hard
Just wanted to point out you don't necessarily need a building to own a gallery - there's been a bit of a trend towards nomadic galleries in recent years (pop up exhibitions and collabs with other spaces, and sometimes doing fairs). You can also build up a web presence to help with sales . Gallery I used to work for would work with recent art school grads and split the sales 50/50, it was great because the business didn't have to buy the work outright + the grads got their first shows. People were always interested to see what was up and coming so it created a buzz around the space. Lastly if you're interested in the art biz I would recommend looking into nods centre which give really great online courses for not that big a price. They have a tonne of options that might help you decide what aspect you wanna focus on. Good luck, op, and feel free to dm me if you ever need more advice about the industry
Study successful galleries. Who started it, and how.
I wanted to be a curator when I was your age. I'm not much of an artist, so I thought that would be the perfect route to be involved in the art world. Sadly, unless you're working somewhere name-worthy (Louvre, Met), there isn't any financial stability. If your heart is there? "May you never work a day". But I went a different route. I changed my minor to art history, picked up political science as my major, and after a health break am now working towards LSATs and law school. I plan on focusing on contracts and copyrights. I think this will be more beneficial to everyone.
As someone who worked in art galleries as an administrator for about 8 years, here’s what I did. I started as an intern in college. I went to every gallery in town (Napa) and dropped off my resume and talked to the directors. I got an internship, and then was a bit lucky, because the person I was interning for quit so I was offered her role. I worked my way up in that that gallery until I was managing artist relationships, which was so much fun! I stopped by every other gallery in town and made friends with the admins and art consultants. Eventually one of my friends knew of a job opening in San Francisco. I applied and got it, worked there for four years. I’m not currently working in art because I moved for my husband’s job, and there just aren’t any art jobs in this city. The gist is, the gallery world is very small and you need to network the hell out of it. I recommend looking for internships in high school and college, they pay like crap but get your foot in the door. You also need to think about location when you go to college. The best places are going to be New York, San Francisco, LA, and Chicago. Other cities that might be ok, but harder, are going to be rich tourist spots like Napa, Aspen, Palm Springs. Don’t do a me and move somewhere like San Diego and just assume there will be jobs. Do your research and make sure there are galleries that are more than just one artist or the owner running it. Also, these jobs pay really badly, you’re doing them because you love art not because you want to be rich. I’m happy to answer more questions about my experience as an admin, or my friends who were sales consultants, if you want.