It is a warm summer afternoon, and I am sitting with the owner of a popular gallery in the area.

The gallery is in between shows, so there is some downtime for me to hang out, talk art, have some wine and enjoy an afternoon out of the office.

The gallery is quiet, save for some music in the background. The silence is broken when a young person enters the gallery with a backpack.

“Hi, is there something specific you’re looking for or a particular artist perhaps?”

“No – just looking around thanks,” says the young man.

A few minutes later the man comes up to us and starts asking about the current artist. He then asks how the gallery finds the artists they show. He reaches into his bag and reaches for his phone. He begins to show his Instagram, telling us that he’s an artist and has a lot of followers and that the gallery would do well to show him in a few weeks….

I’m not even sure where to begin as to where things went completely wrong for this guy. He didn’t get offered a show, nor make a lasting impression or even get the gallery’s contact info on his way out.

Members can request a free copy of this white paper as we examine the proposal packet, and how to write one.

Not a member? Membership is free, so what are you waiting for?

Viable Studios