Artist Representative

[bluedogshuz]

I spoke wit someone today in Miami that has some deep roots with galleries and collectors. We have done business in nonart areas. Does anyone have experience with Rep's. , what they get paid, splits with galleries etc? :confused:

[Arrow]

Depends a lot on location. New york city commissions go as high as 90% and I doubt ever lower than %50.

[bluedogshuz]

Whoa arrow wheres my runnin shoes??!??

[GaryR52]

90%!! Jeez, why don't they just hold a gun to the artist's head and take it all?! What would be the point of even using a rep who took almost all of your earnings? That's just insane!

Gary

[bluedogshuz]

Have an idea! For 80% I will represent the representative, they can do my work and I will pay them 20%! Ofcourse I don't provide health insurance so that when their back is out they will have to collect social security as I am not eligable cause I'm a BUSINESS OWNER!

[JamesDFarrow]

And your cut (if you can call it that) is before taxes. So what you are left with after taxes is pretty well nothing. Forget agents.

James :)

[Arrow]

I didn't mean to start a lynching mob with my post. Not all Reps have horns.... :rolleyes:

[oddist]

Here's an article (http://members.aol.com/thedrawing/rep.htm) on getting a rep.

Down at the bottom it says 25%.

[ironman]

Hi, I've met 2 so-called artists reps at gallery openings. Neither one knew as much as I or had any more contacts. Needless to say, I didn't use their services. I think they are just another leech to suck the life blood out of artists.
Anyone with a positive experience with artist reps, please respond, I'd like to hear about it.
Have a nice day,
Jeff

[GaryR52]

Probably so, Jeff. It's a lot like employment agencies, in that, they can't help you do anything that you couldn't do for yourself if you just had the time to. An employment agency can't make you any more salable than you are and they can't do anything for you if you're not. Same thing with artist's reps; they can only present your work and hope someone buys it and that's nothing you can't do for yourself. Also, who knows more about your work, why you made it, what it means (if anything) and what motivates you? You are your own best spokesman for your art because you know it like no one else does.

If reps are good for anything it might be in securing commissions, but, even there, this is nothing a sculptor can't do for himself if he really wants to. I have connections in the world of architecture and interior design that give me a better leg up on getting monumental commissions than any rep has.

Gary

[fused]

Arrow, I have never heard of any artist paying a 90% commission to an art rep for their services.

I've had several Art Reps jump through hoops to get me corporate commissions. One of them worked extremely hard to create an opportunity that I didn't know existed and received 35%. The other charged me 25% for meeting with the client and pitching the art. The worst thing about art reps, consultants, and designers is that they are often "go betweens" who relay all info about the desires of the client... who you never meet or talk too directly.

Some reps do no pitching or jumping through hoops for you, they simply give the phone number of someone who has expressed interest in your work or is looking for a sculpture. You do all the connecting and if it works out, and you do actually get a commission out of it, they expect a 15% finders fee.

[GaryR52]

The worst thing about art reps, consultants, and designers is that they are often "go betweens" who relay all info about the desires of the client... who you never meet or talk too directly.

Actually, that's probably one of the best things about reps. Despite what I said about them above, it's true that they do have more connections and more up to date information on them than we do. They have to, in order to survive. As for the "go-between" aspect, that is always (as opposed to "often") what reps do, as that is what they are: i.e., go-betweens. If they let us know all about their contacts, we'd do our own marketing, using that information, and the reps wouldn't have a business any longer.

Gary

[fused]

One other thing --generally speaking-- an art rep does not have the overhead of a gallery and usually doesn't require as big a piece of the art sale pie.

[GaryR52]

True, though some charge as though they think they should. Still, that 90% rate is completely unbelievable. As I said about it earlier, what would be any artist's motivation for doing that to himself?

Gary

[GaryR52]

Agreed on the practice of continuing to charge a commission on future sales from the same source. If the rep played an active role in securing the initial contact, fine. She deserves a commission for that one transaction. However, if the buyer comes to you afterward and commissions you directly, I don't believe the rep should be profiting from this exchange, since she did nothing to secure the subsequent commission.

I guess I may have been biased by my own experience when I said most sculptors can market their own work if they really want to. I happen to have a degree in graphic design, which included education in business, advertising and photography, as well as fine art and graphic design, so, I'm probably a little better equipped to market my own work than some others are. This tends to color my perceptions of the subject. ;)

Still, I believe anyone who wants to expend the time, money and effort can market his/her own sculpture. It's not rocket science.

Gary

[GaryR52]

True enough, NYC, and that would be the difference between an average rep and one who can really do your career some good. Of course, that also means it costs more, but, I guess it must be worth it.

By the way, I saw a list of some of the most active collectors and, while Gates made the list, they said he's not really a serious collector. David Geffen was another, as was Speilberg. Speilberg's supposedly very much into collecting. Unfortunately, most of these guys are looking for very rare and expensive works, not work from living unknowns like us. So, even if we could afford the top reps who have such connections, I'm afraid it wouldn't do us much good.

Gary

[iron ant]

Still, I believe anyone who wants to expend the time, money and effort can market his/her own sculpture. It's not rocket science.

Gary[/QUOTE]
Gary,
Not rocket science?How about closer to mad science.Remenber NO one,rep or gallery,can and will represent you better then yourself.Unless you are bringing in serous change,you have to push and market yourself because the galleries wont spend the money and time unless they are getting a return in there investment.Now there are some galleries that will market there up an comming artist,but never rely on a gallery to do what you can do better.I almost went the rep rout several years ago,decided to stay freelance.I have been bound by gallery contracts that killed me,one made me sign a 13 state exclusive,which I did because I new he was fixing to really get behind me.Then here comes 9-11 and bingo the contract was tore up in a year after I found out my work was sitting in storage,nice HA.Freelance,gallerys without crazy contracts,and working it constantly works for me these days. m3