ARTIST BENEFITS
SPEND MORE TIME MAKING WORK
It can be a struggle to make artwork when you are stressed out about your financial situation. With the Studio Direct model, you build up a solid foundation of income at the start of the year. If this is budgeted out responsibly, you’ll be able to spend more time in your studio making artwork instead of taking on those extra shifts or freelance gigs.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEW PATRONS
One of the best things Emerging Artists can do is meet new Patrons and stay in touch with old ones. This program gives you an excuse to reach out to people who you may have never met before as well as offer a nice discount to those Patrons who have already purchased your work. Over your yearlong partnership, you’ll build a closer relationship with Patrons old and new.
EXPERIMENT AND TAKE RISKS
Before Studio Direct I lacked the financial security to experiment in my studio. I was overly concerned with creating sellable work or was constantly scrambling to finish paintings for an upcoming exhibition. I had very little time to sketch and play with new ideas.
Once the program was underway I was able to focus on the eight purchased paintings while I planned out new directions for my work to go in. I spent nearly 4 months working the largest painting I had ever made. I could have never afforded to do that without the financial support of my Studio Direct Patrons.
BROADEN YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
Through the program, your small group of Patrons are encouraged to introduce you to their personal network of friends and colleagues. They are supporting your art practice for an entire year because they believe in your work and will be excited to share it with others. Many of my Patrons visited my studio multiple times over the course of the year to introduce guests to my work.
The final exhibition offers Patrons the best opportunity to show off their piece of artwork to others. They will invite new faces and make your guest list much more valuable.
BE CONFIDENT WITH YOUR PRICING
Some artists love the bartering side of selling artwork. I do not. Many artists undersell their work when they really need the money or overprice their work when a gallery has a steep commission. I believe you should stay as consistent with you pricing as possible. Studio Direct gives you a very valid reason to say no when people (or galleries) ask for discounts: You’ve already given your set amount for the year.
PRESERVE GALLERY RELATIONSHIPS
I was initially concerned with how galleries may feel about the Studio Direct program because it functions outside of the normal art sales structure. In my experience, galleries have actually been impressed by the Studio Direct concept. I am upfront about the program with them and explain that it’s how I can afford to make the artwork that goes into their inventory. They’ve understood that and know in the long-run, the program increases my collector base and heightens the value of their inventory.
