Could you tell me the best way for a newcomer to select an appropriate art consultant in the first place? It appears to be almost impossible in this economy to get into a gallery without the proper help. I have just completed a series that would probably be better suited to an institutional setting, i.e. a winery or a business. How do I find someone to help me place this series?

Okay, so you have two issues: you want to “get into” a gallery (i.e., become a represented artist), and you want to find a permanent home for a series of works. The problem here is that you’re assuming these two goals have one solution: an art consultant; and I’m sorry to tell you that this is not how things work.

Paulina Olowska. Cake, 2010; Oil on canvas; 69 x 49 inches.

In all likelihood, an art consultant cannot help you become represented by a gallery. A consultant’s job is to place artwork with clients. Most consultants work with galleries, but the flow is almost always uni-directional: that is to say, the consultant gets work from a gallery, and not the other way around. But just to make sure my hunch was correct, I asked Maria Brito—author and art advisor, and an “authority on why, where, when and how to display and mix contemporary art…in any environment” (that’s from her bio)—and this is what she said:

“As an art advisor, my company is set up to provide support to our clients (the collectors) in selecting the right pieces for their own collections. I try to understand my client’s goals as much as possible and to work closely with them to reach their objectives. I work mostly with galleries that I trust and like and whose artists’ works I’m really interested in introducing to my clients. I’m also always meeting new galleries in art fairs or through invitations that they send. I’m always open to seeing new art and meeting new people, but I rarely place the work of an unrepresented artist directly from his/her studio; it has happened maybe a couple of times in the past four years. It is not a matter of talent or the quality of the works, it is mostly that my clients feel more comfortable dealing with a gallery and having that kind of back-up when spending money on art.”

Paulina Olowska. Chess player 1, 2010; Oil on canvas; 69 x 49 inches.

“I understand that the contemporary art world has gotten very competitive for artists and that there are only so many galleries that can take them and seriously invest in their careers. Some galleries are open to submissions, others have directors who are always going on studio visits, and some others get artists right out of school. It all depends on the economic circumstances and the evolution of the market but typically (because there are always exceptions) top galleries pay attention to graduates from top schools, artists who are already represented in other cities or by other galleries in the same city, or who, as self-taught artists, have developed something extraordinary.”

Lest this all seem like bad news and not at all a solution to your dilemma, let’s look on the bright side: you no longer have to track down a consultant to try to place your works. Instead, you can take another tack: if you think that your work is made for wineries, why not contact a few and ask who buys their art? Larger wineries might work with an art consultant, but chances are good that smaller and newer wineries do all their own buying. If you can find a winery or other business with a temporary exhibition space, pitch a show of your own work and perhaps you’ll end up having this series acquired by the institution.

In terms of finding a gallery, it’s true that the present economy sucks. But if you’re starting from scratch it’s going to be a while before you find representation anyway— we can all hope that the economy will pick up in the time that it will take you to do the necessary research and some serious legwork. If you’re new to the gallery game, I recommend that you start the process with my advice here. Also, pick up a copy of the book Art/Work, which will explain many of the important details of negotiating the commercial gallery world. And remember the words of Alexis Mackenzie, assistant director at Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art: “…the work itself should always come first. Make strong work that you believe in, and the rest should follow.” Good luck!

This week’s column features the artwork of David Byrd, whose solo exhibition Introduction: A Life of Observation is currently on view at Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle. Mr. Byrd is 87 years old and this is his first gallery show. As Kucera puts it in the press release, “There have been a number of ‘discoveries’ in the art world lately.  This one is the real deal.”

I am an artist and art teacher of 15 years. I am ready to get out of teaching mode and into something new and becoming an art consultant is highly appealing to me. I have a BA in Art History and an MA in Transformative Arts. I simply do not know the first steps I should take to start this new career. I don’t want to own my own business–obviously I am not yet qualified for that. I would like to work in an established art consulting firm. I’ve searched the web and can’t find any. Can you give me some pointers?

If you’ve been reading this column for a little while you already know that I champion pencil-and-paper brainstorming, so get your writing hand warmed up. Make a list of everything you think an art consultant does, and then for each of those tasks, I want you to list the sub-tasks and skills that are necessary to accomplish each item. For example, if one of the duties of an art consultant is to stay abreast of developments in contemporary art, one of the subtasks might be subscribe to gallery mailing lists, the skill for which is research. Take twenty minutes and a couple of pieces of paper, and work out all of the different things that you think you are going to have to do to be successful.

David Byrd, Suicide, 1996. Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

Done? Good job. Now that you have that list, compare it to your current resume or CV. What have you been doing for the last fifteen years that has given you a skill set for becoming an art consultant? No fair being sarcastic and saying, “I’ve been managing petulant students, which has given me the patience and poise necessary for dealing with capricious wealthy collectors.” (Actually, okay, that works—but in general try to be serious). Concentrate on defining the organizational and interpersonal skills that you’ve developed that will help you get started as a consultant. By reframing your abilities, you’ll have a head start on writing a coverletter/introductory email and you’ll also boost your confidence. Check in with some trusted friends, too, or a significant other; these people have critical distance and can tell you what they think about your talents and competencies.

Next, get ready to talk to a whole lot of people. The Art Partnership’s founder Leslie Watkins offers this advice: “Like any new venture, tell everyone you know what you are doing, reach out to your social network to see who can connect you if you don’t want to start out on your own. Network like crazy.” So start talking to your fellow art teachers and administrators, other artists, and art community friends. Ms. Watkins continues: “If you are looking for a job within a firm, contact some of the larger firms (art consulting firms tend to be small by nature – there are a couple of larger ones in CA). Call art consultants in other parts of the country and see how they work and what organizations they attend. Develop relationships with galleries.” Try contacting some consultants in your immediate area and see if you can arrange a brief face-to-face meeting. Tell the consultant that you’d like to talk to her about how she got her start, and offer to buy her a drink or a cup of coffee. Bring your list of skills and ask if there’s any job that an art consultant does that you’ve overlooked. Don’t forget to follow up with a thank you letter.

David Byrd, Bartender, 1954. Oil on canvas, 24 x 28 inches

Ms. Watkins also points you in the general direction of some organizations that you’re likely to work with if you become an art advisor for corporate clients. She notes, “A lot of our work comes through commercial interior designers and architects – what organizations in your area do they attend? Here [in Philadelphia] it is Corenet, International Interior Design Association, International Facility Management Association.” Take some time to familiarize yourself with these and similar organizations.

Speaking of associations, another art consultant told me, “The Association of Professional Art Advisors is a great resource for someone looking into becoming an art advisor or corporate art curator. Coming from an artist/teacher background I would say gaining experience working in galleries and auction houses would be most relevant, as well as working for an established art consulting firm. There are so many kinds of art consultants/advisors, many of whom are just one person, not a company. Some only work with private clients, some work with big corporations, and there are public art consultants too.” I asked this person how she got her start, and she told me, “I came from working at [a museum]; before that, I worked and interned in a number of non-profit artist organizations. I had no experience with art consulting, but my relationships with art professionals and knowledge of the emerging art scene in my city led me to join my current firm.” So you see? You’ve got some serious work ahead of you but it can be done.

David Byrd, Man Downing His Medicine, 1990. Oil on canvas, 20 x 14 inches

As a final note, I am concerned that you “searched the web and can’t find any” art consultants. Just as a test, I tried the search terms “art consultant San Francisco” in Google and got seven consultants in my area on the first page. One of the main jobs that you will have is researching artists, galleries, and clients in order to stay informed and build a contact list. If research is not your strong suit, you’ll have to brush up on this basic skill before proceeding with everything else. Good luck!

I want to know more about standards for art consultant/artist relationships that develop without a gallery being involved. I tried to look it up online and everything, of course, was all over the place and contradictory. I don’t want to be named in a post, but I am interested in knowing more. Specifically I was just approached by an art consultant who asked me ‘how I normally work with art consultants.’ I think what they wanted to know is how I like to divide sales, like a percentage ratio, and I just don’t know what is normal.

For readers who aren’t acquainted with this particular niche of the art market, let’s start with what an art consultant does: she selects, acquires, and helps present artworks for clients. She might collaborate with architects and designers to create spaces congenial to the display and conservation of artworks. If she is working for a client with an extensive art collection, she may additionally curate and design exhibitions.

Just as there are differences in the ways in which various gallerists might work with an artist, art consultants also vary in their methods—that’s why you have come across contradictory information online. For example, most consultants that I know select from the already-completed works made available by artists and galleries; however, in this interview on Artsy Shark, San Diego consultant Barbara Markoff says, “For me the perfect artist partner is an artist that does not mind taking art direction for my projects. Often the art decisions are based on color and size. Knowing that my artist partner will happily create work for me based on my recommendations makes my job much easier.”

R. H. Quaytman, Passing Through The Opposite of What It Approaches, Chapter 25, 2012. Tempera, silver leaf, silkscreen ink, gesso on wood

I contacted a few consultants to find out if there is an industry standard that you could use as a general guide as you move forward. One San Francisco-based consultant said, “Assuming this is an emerging artist, I should say that I never take a percentage of sales from artists who are not represented by a gallery, unless our relationship is such that I’m involved in their PR (more like a gallery would be; but this is typically not done, since art consultants are supposed to be unbiased towards any one artist). That being said, I know other advisors who do take 10-15% of sales from the artist; if working with artists directly this is normally the average rate.”

If you are represented by a gallery, then the percentage is a little different. The consultant continued: “If this artist is working with a gallery then the discount that the gallery gives off retail (10-20%) is passed on to my client, but would not affect the 50% of the sales that the artist would receive from the gallery.” So if the consultant was acquiring a $1000 work of yours from the gallery, then you would still receive $500 and the gallery would get $400 (assuming a 10% discount and a 50-50 division of the retail price). However, it’s important to note that the gallery might want to split the discount with you; this is something you will want to negotiate with your gallerist before you start working with a consultant.

R. H. Quaytman, Passing Through The Opposite of What It Approaches, Chapter 25, 2012. Tempera and silkscreen inks, gesso on wood, 32 3/8 x 32 3/8 inches

Another art consultant that I contacted had a similar idea of standard practice. “When purchasing from a gallery we normally receive a 20% discount off of retail that we split with our clients. When purchasing directly from an artist who does not have gallery representation, we receive a discount in the range of 20% – 40%. We never mark up retail prices knowing the importance of a consistent sales record for the artist.”

As you consider percentages and discounts, you will also want to think about the nature of the collection your work might be going into. Our SF consultant said, “An artist can offer a bit of commission ‘leg room,’ but it’s up to the advisor to take it or just proceed without taking any money from the artist. The good thing is, an artist can offer as high or low as they want, given the relationship they have with an advisor. It may be wise to first know what kind of collection the work may be going to and then negotiate from there.”

R. H. Quaytman, Passing Through the Opposite of What It Approaches, Chapter 25 (Portrait of Anne Rorimer), 2012 oil, tempera, gesso on wood 20 x 20 inches

This is a budding relationship and just like working with a gallery, you have to determine if the fit is right. As you proceed, you should consider your goals and decide if this person is a good collaborator—trust your gut! An in-person meeting or studio visit should tell you a lot about how this person operates, and if it feels like this consultant is on the level you could put your cards on the table, admit that you haven’t worked with an advisor before, and see what she recommends. Sometimes by being completely honest you can quickly separate those who are equivalently forthright from those who are cagey.

As a side note—since you voiced your concern—let me assure you that this column is always confidential. I never append a name or location to the question, and in some cases I have even removed potentially revealing information from the original query. A long time ago I had a teacher who said, “If you have a question, probably five other people in this room have the same question, so please ask—if not for yourself than for the others who are also in the dark.” In the end, it’s not the questioner who is important, it’s the issue that we all struggle with together.

Good luck!