Number one – you are your own advocate! 
Making good schedule to balance time between studio and marketing yourself; it is of course necessary to make your art (or there is nothing to sell), but equally, if no one sees it, no one will buy it or show it.
Use every contact you have – friends of friends, word of mouth, creating buzz are all ways of getting future sales and attention; make a mailing list so you can invite everyone to shows and events quickly and easily; you can make a newsletter to keep people up to date with new works and any achievements
Avoid scams and galleries who just want to take your money to put on a show, but don’t be afraid of doing free art work locally; be careful who you lend your name to; take some risks
Add as much experience to your CV as possible; no one likes an artist who is a recluse; good to show you work with other artists as studio assistants, even do some charity work or do a pop up exhibition with friends in your neighbourhood
Attend one opening a week; go out of your comfort zone and not just to galleries you know; if you allot time to research, you can find where there are maybe smaller, lesser known, new galleries who really fit in with your style of work; get talking to people; you never know who may be a good connection in the future; even if the gallery doesn’t necessarily want to represent you, if they like you, they can assist you in other ways
If you are interested in approaching artists, the more achievements you have, the better; even if you did not graduate from a top art school, the fact that you have done a residency or had some press (however minor) can be enough to impress
Arrange open studio visits – if you work in a large, open space become friendly with your neighbours and arrange an open studio day on weekends so you can collectively advertise it to the public; also invite specific people who have shown interest in your artwork to come see your work in person.
If you are a good writer, it looks good to start contributing for free to art magazines, blogs, websites; it really makes you look like you are an expert, shows you are cerebral, and will also get your name out there
If you have the money, don’t be afraid of getting excellent photographs of your artwork and making a small catalogue/book printed. It is great to take along with you, as well as a business card. It is, again, all about being direct; you are an artist, people want to connect with your imagery first and foremost.
Brand yourself – make a logo; you can even make a pseudonym; be recognizable; use your strongest imagery to promote yourself.
this article was written by co owner of Jester Jacques Gallery. visit https://www.facebook.com/jesterjacquesgallery to share YOUR artwork with us!
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