The art of association: joining forces with other galleries and art dealers strengthens your voice and presence in the community - strategy

Art Business News, Oct, 2002 by Kevin Lo

Another key to a successful association is solid management. "It takes a group of individuals willing to put in the time and effort to manage, develop and push forward with making sure the association is ongoing," Dow said. "That takes management of people, resources and time."

Perhaps an unexpected benefit to association is safety. "It is a benefit to be able to relay information about suspicious characters or if something gets stolen. The network is a good means to distribute that information," said Kathy Duley president of SGA. "That gives you an added security. We watch out for each other."

Regardless of the difficulties, Scott said forming an association "just makes sense. We try and work together and build consensus on all the decisions we make. It's not to say we've always agreed with everything. But we really do realize the benefit of collaboration."

SOURCES

* Arts With Aloha, www.artswithaloha.com

* Boston Art Dealers Association, www.bostonaa.com

* Gallery Walk Association of Edmonton, www.gallery-walk.com

* San Francisco Art Dealers Association, www.sf-artdealers.com

* Scottsdale Gallery Association, www.scottsdalegalleries.com

* Sisters Galleries, www.sistersgalleries.com