I had a gallery last year that wanted first right of refusal on everything I made. Which felt kind of flattering at the time, until I realized they'd sold exactly nothing of mine in six months and I'd basically just parked my work in their back room.

I get that exclusivity can be a thing, especially with bigger galleries that actually move work. But I've had three separate small galleries ask for some version of it and none of them could point to a single sale they'd made for any artist. Am I wrong for thinking you gotta earn that? Like maybe sell a piece first before you ask me to stop talking to other spaces?

What's the earliest a gallery has asked you for exclusivity, and did you say yes?