Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

New Manager At Art Gallery

Posted by Anonymous on 3/5/2010 at 8:03 PM ET 250 Points
I am a new manager at an art gallery located in a mall. We specialize in hand-painted oils as well as prints and custom framing. What we do best is try to keep art affordable for customers.... some of our 36x48 hand painted retail for around $300. We get great foot traffic, but it is mostly "lookers" who tend to treat it like a museum to just look at our work, not to buy. We have a huge diversity from sport sprints to high-end oils. We have something for everyone and also include Thomas Kinkade.
I've been brainstorming ways to advertise inexpensively and would love to hear some ideas. I totally welcome "out the box" ideas!! I would like to take this place to the next level and was even thinking about a "designer meet and greet night" Any suggestions? I was thinking wine and cheese after the gallery closes so it will be one on one attention with the designers, which of course, can bring lots of business. I would appreciate any and all feedback, thanks so much! :)
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/5/2010 at 8:41 PM Accepted
    Is your artwork on your website for people to see 24/7?
    When people come into your art gallery, do you talk to them? What are they looking for? What do they like/don't? How much do they spend annually on artwork?

    How about offering a take-it-home-for-a-week-for-free program. Let people decide if the artwork fits their home, and if not, let them return it (assuming it's in a salable condition) easily.

    Some people may be interested in meeting designers, but at the price point you're targeting - why not bring in people who stage spaces. People bring photos of their homes, and stagers suggest ways to rearrange and use the artwork to improve the feel of the room.
  • Posted on 3/5/2010 at 9:30 PM Author
    Thanks for the response and it's funny you should say.... we actually do a 7 day "grace" period for our customers to try out artwork. I always speak to customers of course and generally ask if they are interested in a certain subject matter. Some indulge, some say "know it when I see it" which leads me to the space they are looking for to see what may be appropriate. We also do layway to make it more affordable.

    What I meant by designer meet and greet is closed for designers only to see what we have to offer them and their clients. I was just hoping for some fresh ideas for sale ideas and to generate some new business without a huge cost.

    Any fun ideas?
  • Posted by michael on 3/5/2010 at 10:19 PM Accepted
    April,
    I don't know about the 7 day deal. I could decorate my home for a big dinner and then return it. Maybe 1 day or 48 hours to see how they like it.

    If you have a customer base already why not do an "artware party". YOu know, like a tupperware party. You bring in the easels with the paintings and they invite their friends. You can give them 5% or 10% of the sales. The point is that people buying this kind of art probably have friends that buy art too.

    Food, drinking, laughing, friends...it's a great atmosphere to buy in.

    Michael
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 3/6/2010 at 9:11 AM Accepted
    If you are going to target the designers, ASID and IIDA are always looking for a sponsor to host their monthly meetings. They will need a grace period. If they purchase something for a client-- and they absolutely hate it, they need to replace it. If they are just going to decorate for a dinner party, they can still do it in a day. Sometimes you need a piece to sit on the wall a few days to fall in love with it.

    A gallery I often bought from did quarterly wine & cheese parties-- it was the rare occasion I didn't bring something home.

    Remember the nature of your biz is the lookers. Collecting art is a passion of mine. When I visit an area I always hit the galleries. But I probably visit 20 of them before a piece grabs me.
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