Art Agents: Do You Need One?
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Could your art career use an extra boost? Here’s our guide to finding an art agent, including art broker commissions, types of artist representatives, and more.
SEPTEMBER 01, 2021
Making art is, unfortunately, only a tiny part of being an artist. Networking to find clients, promoting your art and chasing down payments make up the everyday realities of being a creative professional.
If you’ve come to the realization that you can’t do it all on your own—or you feel like your art career development has hit a plateau and could use a little professional muscle–you might want to consider hiring an art agent.
If you’re seriously thinking about boosting your career as a fine artist or visual artist, art representation can help you take things to the next level. Finding someone experienced and knowledgeable to promote your work, help you find paying gigs, and put your online art portfolio in the right hands could significantly accelerate your career growth—and free up valuable time for you to actually do the thing you love!
Naturally, you might have some questions: Exactly what does an art agent or art representation agency do? How much are art agent fees? How do I know if finding artist representation is the right choice for me–and how do I make that happen?
We’re here to point you in the right direction. Let’s get started!
What Does An Artist Representative Do?
According to NYC art representation gallery Agora, “an artist agent is any professional who works on behalf of an artist to represent, promote, and sell their work.”
People seek out artist representation for a wide variety of reasons, aside from simply wanting to find a larger audience for their work. Here’s a few of the other services an art agent could potentially provide:
- Negotiating for better contracts and increased pay
- Scouting out potential sponsors or buyers
- Supplying industry contacts
- Safeguarding your privacy by acting as a go-between between you and professional contacts
- Planning and executing marketing strategies
It’s worth thinking long and hard about your short-term and long-term goals for your art career and looking for an artist representative who’s equipped to help you make that happen, whether that’s selling individual works of art, scouting out commission opportunities, scoring licensing deals, getting featured in media, scheduling event appearances, or anything else on your wish list.
Read the whole article here:
https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/art/art-agent-artist-agency