The Internet Is Your Friend!

While galleries are approaching their clients and attracting new clients over the web, so are artists who sell work directly, bypassing the gallery system or working alongside their galleries with direct “studio sales.” Sometimes, represented artists will pay a small percent to their gallery as a courtesy; other times not, as negotiated in advance. Some artists work exclusively as their own sales agents. The advent of Instagram, in particular, makes this possible.

Nashville-based artist Shane Miller was the subject of a Forbes magazine article for his success in selling via Instagram. To quote Marion Maneker of the Art Market Monitor, a popular art-and-business blog, “Miller’s ‘aha’ moment with Instagram came when he reached out to Instagram influencer Ruthie Lindsey, a friend with a large following in March 2017. ‘She had 90,000 followers and I asked if she’d trade a painting for a promoted post,’ he says. ‘When we met up she brought a friend who had 1.2 million followers with her, and he liked my work and ended up showcasing it on his feed.’ Almost overnight, Miller’s following ballooned from 500 to 3,500; today it’s a respectable 4,279.”

The bottom line is this: Don’t sell yourself short. Sustaining yourself as an artist is an attainable goal — and one that will help you reach your creative potential. You can have a successful art business. Go for it!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Updated February 23, 2023.