Artist’s Notebook – As an artist, the art crawl should be a must; but to be frank, I rarely get to them. By Friday evening, I just want to go home and relax.
If there is a gallery opening with an artist that I really appreciate then I make the effort. My attendance doesn’t really depend on the day or location. For example, Christina Sealey showed her new works at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas on a bitterly cold night last year. The place was packed with patrons and supporters for each of the three different artists showing that evening.
In my view, this is why social media is so important; people want to know if the effort of visiting a gallery is worth the effort. Social media is your way of raising your profile and promote your new works.
A big name gallery owner in Toronto once said that he rarely makes sales with people who walk in from the street. I can understand this experience because art is a luxury good, your selection reflects strongly on your tastes. It is very unlikely that you are going to gamble a few thousand dollars on something without a certain amount of research and reflection.
I find many galleries and artists seem to hold tight to any information that may make their potential patrons more informed. Maybe artists and gallery owners fear that more information about their interests and techniques will somehow destroy the mystery and power of their picture puzzles.
Anyway, the art crawl is a great development, but I need to know in advance that there is something worth seeing.
