The gallery that took your work but never paid you on time, what did you do?
First gallery I was ever in took a piece on consignment and paid me four months late. Small check, no apology, no explanation. I never called them on it because I was scared of burning the bridge. Thirty years later I still wonder if that was the right call.
How late is too late before you say something? And did anyone actually get paid by the deadline without having to chase it?
2
2commentsSaveFollow threadShare
This is a very familiar pain for us folk artists also. The cooperative system is better in one way, but we too have seen the gallery people taking pieces and then the payment comes after many reminders, or sometimes not at all. I have learned one thing in my years, ji: if you do not ask, they will think you do not need it. It is not burning the bridge to say politely, "Kindly let me know when the payment will be done." That is only your right.
But I understand your fear also. When you are new, you think each gallery is the only door. It is not. There are many doors, and some are worse than others.
For me, the line is two months. If the agreed time has passed and no word, I will send one gentle reminder. If still nothing after that, I go in person. Not angry, just present. It is surprising how fast they remember you when you are standing in front of them.
You were young and scared. That is not a sin. But thirty years of wondering means the not-asking was harder on you than the asking would have been.
"If you do not ask, they will think you do not need it", that hit me, honestly. I've only worked with a couple of galleries and I remember the whole process of sending a polite follow-up email feeling like some huge confrontation. And then the reply comes back in an hour because they just forgot. So much dread for nothing.
You're right that it's not burning the bridge. It's more like, the bridge was fine the whole time and I was just standing on my side of it convincing myself otherwise. Four months late with no apology though... I think that one I would have said something about. Not even for the money, but because that silence tells you what they think of you.
Do you still work with that gallery, or did you just stop sending them pieces?