Comments on: 5 Benefits of an Art Gallery Membership

By: trish

trish — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:49:48 +0000

thanks Miranda!! I bought a pkg. of sharpie fine point pens, but they only have a few colors in it (red, blue and green-plus a black one) I found a couple pens in my supply box, not sure what brand…there felt tipped, like the sharpie’s much more:) I must say, leaving the doodles black and white is much easier
have a good evening!
Trish

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:04:49 +0000

José: Well, some galleries charge and some don’t, I guess it depends on their mandate and type of programming. Perhaps my next post should focus on reasons not to belong to a gallery! It’s not for everyone, but personally I feel it’s important to support local arts and to give back to the community. These are some of the benefits I get from being involved.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:53:13 +0000

Good point Gary! I agree that some arts groups can be very cliquish! You definitely have to find your niche where you feel you belong. Although I’ve focused on art galleries, that doesn’t encompass the entire arts community. I know that here, at least, there are many different organizations independent of the galleries that you could get involved in depending on what you’re into. Thanks for commenting!

By: José

José — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:29:24 +0000

Hi Miranda,

I could pay a museum’s membership, namely to be able to go there and spend a couple of hours drawing, have discount or free admitance into exhibitions and the buffet (if there’s one).
Pay a membership to a gallery ?
Well….maybe if I get to exhibit at the Tate Gallery.
Why should visitors have to pay to seen an exhibition if that’s in the interest of the gallery.
I find this even worse than vanity galleries that charge for exhibiting one’s works (in fact I do understand their point of view).
As for artists seminars, well, when I want to learn something I ask my coleagues from Wetcanvas.
Sorry to be against your line of thought, but that’s my opinion.

Kind regards,

José

By: Gary Brant

Gary Brant — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:43:56 +0000

Great post, thank you for writing it.

However, I’m not sure that always being involved with one’s “local arts community as much as possible” is such great advice.

Sometimes a local community, arts-based or otherwise, can be very cliquish and sometimes downright mean-spirited. That might have an adverse effect on the artist and their career.

An artist, IMHO, needs to find his or her audience, and certainly, if that audience is local and supportive, then they should go for it. But, if they find more acceptance in another venue, then they can establish their success there.

Gary Brant, Director
Galerie St. George
Staten Island, New York