Roundtable: the ins and outs of selling art: experienced gallery owners discuss what they've learned over the years about the art business

Art Business News, Jan, 2005 by Joe Jancsurak

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series, in which five gallery owners from New York, North Carolina, Florida, Missouri and California, share what they consider to be important factors to consider before entering the art gallery business, including reasons why for entering the art market; important character traits to have; the best legal structure for an art gallery; and the pros and cons of the business. Part 2 will discuss business plans, market research and means for securing capital. Roundtable participants are Betty Cuningham, Betty Cuningham Gallery, New York (Chelsea); Jonathan Kodner, Kodner Gallery, St. Louis; Richard Roberts, R. Roberts Gallery, Jacksonville, FL; Melanie Smith, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC; and Mike Woolsey, Marina Fine Arts, Marina del Rey, CA.

What does it take to be a successful gallery owner in terms of art knowledge, business background and personality traits?

Smith: This is the information age, and it is important to have as much knowledge about art and business as possible. Learning is an ongoing process; there is no end to it. A draw back about the information gathering process is that you soon learn how many things can go wrong, but you still have to find the courage to take the risk in order to accomplish anything. A gallery owner needs to love art and have an outgoing personality, good communication skills, optimism, energy and the ability to understand business principles.

Kodner: Gallery owners should be well-rounded in the arts. In addition to education in specific areas of interest, one should also have a strong innate passion and interest for the profession. Specialists in our field tend to be well-read in most aspects of art, and should have some prior hands-on experience in the field. Gallery owners also must have good business sense and marketing skills--they need to be go-getters.

Cuningham: It takes a great deal of knowledge of art. Some is instinctive, and may come from being an artist yourself, or having looked at a lot of art. Some of the knowledge is learned at the university level by attaining a degree in art history or fine arts. Personality is important, especially when it comes to having patience and a sense of humor. The dealer also needs to have a strong sense of order and responsibility to the artists, as well as clients. It pays off to simply be direct and accommodating.

Roberts: A passion for art is, obviously, essential to run a successful gallery. But that's just the beginning. A basic business background is critical, just as with any business. It's important to develop and work a realistic business plan that puts you on a profitable path. You should have sufficient capital to survive at least two to five years, and knowledge of accounting, insurance, marketing and finance is necessary to make it all work. And you must be a people person, and even a little bit of a psychologist because customers connect with different pieces and artists for different reasons. It's important to be able to "read" people in order to be effective for them and profitable for you.

Woolsey: You have to be a people person who enjoys constant contact with customers. If you're not an outgoing person, you're not going to succeed. You can learn the mechanics of operating a business and you can develop knowledge of the art market, but it's difficult to learn how to be a people person.

What made you want to enter the art business?

Kodner: I grew up in the art business. My father was an avid collector and started our family gallery in the early 1970s. His knowledge and passion for the field was inspiring. As an artist and history buff, I knew from an early age that I was destined to work in art. After graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute, I spent several years working with the Missouri Historical Society. Entering the family business seemed to be the natural progression for my career.

Smith: I also was fortunate enough to grow up in the family business and have a passion for art. My parents opened Seaside more than 40 years ago. So I grew up working in the gallery during the summer and on weekends--doing everything from dusting, changing light bulbs and framing, to eventually working with customers and artists.

Woolsey: I didn't grow up in the business and I don't have an art background. But when I was in college during the late 1970s, I purchased some [Salvador] Dali and Leroy Neiman pieces at the Bowles Hopkins Gallery in San Francisco. Jerry Harpin was the sales associate and his knowledge and enthusiasm, coupled with my love for the works I had purchased, helped to fuel my interest in the business. Then, when I graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a degree in European history, I took a job at the D'Genero Gallery in Marina Del Rey, where I worked from 1981-84, before taking a job at Cuningham, which I've owned and managed for the last 15 years.

Roberts: After 25 years in the petroleum industry, it was time for me to explore new opportunities. I was looking for a business venture that I could enjoy on a daily basis. And with the gallery, I had the opportunity to merge a personal interest with a business.