After my post about the advantages of a studio gallery, a few folks asked if I could share some of the criteria I used to help me choose a location for mine. No earth-shattering secrets to success here, but the following are what I looked for. (In no particular order.)
1. A relatively small town with some existing galleries.
2. Consistent foot traffic. (Limits the need for a lot of advertising.)
3. The right kind of foot traffic. (It helps if a good percentage of the potential customers are willing to spend the money necessary for original art and aren’t only looking for a t-shirt and ice cream. A vacation spot can be a good location since vacationers seem willing to spend some money to make their getaway more memorable.)
4. Affordable rent, utilities, etc. to keep overhead as low as possible.
5. A nice-looking space with room for a display area and a studio area.
6. Enough room to teach classes.
7. A place where I and my family would enjoy living.
8. An area with inspiring scenery for outdoor painting.
9. Good proximity to a larger city with museums, galleries and stores.
Opening a storefront will always carry a certain amount of risk, but these criteria helped me at least make my risk a little more calculated.
7 Responses
Gary Westall
Hello Dan,
thanks for the Information. I am in the proceeds of setting up a Studio/Gallery. The lighting for my Studio is solved, what lighting would you recommend for the Gallery? Kelvin? Any other advice would be very much appreciatet
Many thanks in advance
Best wishes
Gary
Bobbi Dunlop
Thanks for sharing this checklist, Dan. It is fun to think about having my own gallery and I’ll keep your list in mind. You’ve found the perfect spot but what’s apparent to me also is the hard work you’re putting in to make it such a success. Congratulations! I’m really happy for you!
Bobbi
Dan Schultz
Hi Gary, I’m currently using a crazy mixture of lighting in my gallery. Some 3000K LEDs, some standard CFL floods and some halogen spots. The halogen spots are hard to beat as they really bring the paintings to life, but these LEDs I installed recently provide beautiful clean light. (More pricey though.) -Dan
Dan Schultz
Thank you, Bobbi — I appreciate your kind supportive words!
Karen Mary Castranova
May I add, that if you are entrusting your work to a gallery, make sure the owner has a nice smile and is friendly. Sour pusses never sell ANYTHING, no matter if they have a fantastic location or not. I am located in a busy area with other galleries around me and am having no trouble selling……:) So if you can’t afford to spend 2800 or more in rent each month, find someone who will foot that bill for you (like myself) and gladly pay the small hanging fee to be a part of a beautiful space with other artists–and lots of foot traffic!!!
Laurie Lerner
Hi Dan, Thanks for putting pictures of all of your gorgeous work up on your web site. Until I can purchase one of them, just looking at your site brings extra beauty to my life!
Dan Schultz
Thank you for your nice comment, Laurie!