The gallery that wanted my work for free "for exposure" sent me their rate sheet for artists
So a gallery I was talking to, small, not huge, but seemed legit, wanted me to ship them a bunch of pieces on consignment, cover the shipping myself, no guarantee anything would sell. I asked about the split and they sent me their "artist agreement."
70/30 their way. For a solo show. And I'd be paying for the opening night drinks out of my 30%.
I laughed and said no obviously.
But I'm still thinking about it, what IS normal these days? Like what's an actual fair split for a small gallery that's actually doing the work? I've heard 50/50, I've heard 60/40 artist-favoring, I've heard some places do 70/30 the artist's way if the artist is bringing the collectors.
What are y'all actually seeing out there? What's walking-around real vs what's them trying it?
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70/30 their way is a joke and you were right to walk. Even for a small gallery that's actually doing its job, press, opening, collector outreach, the whole thing, 50/50 is the standard and the artist shouldn't be covering opening costs on top of that. Some places will do 60/40 artist-favouring for a first show or if the artist is carrying more of the load themselves. But asking you to ship on your own dime, take 30%, and pour wine out of it? That's not a partnership, that's a landlord.
The "exposure" crowd always gets offended when you call it what it is, but you did the right thing. Let them find someone else to subsidise their overhead.
You're right about 50/50 being the standard for a gallery that actually works. But what I find telling is the wine. It's not about the money for the drinks, it's that they'd put it in the contract at all. Means they're nickel-and-diming before anything's even happened. A gallery that thinks that way will nickel-and-dime you on every other thing too, who pays for the announcement cards, who covers the transport insurance, who eats the cost if a piece gets damaged in their care.
You dodged more than a bad split.
You're so right about the nickel-and-diming pattern. I didn't even clock it that way at first, I was just stuck on the split being insulting. But yeah, if they're putting wine in the contract before we've even worked together, what else are they gonna nickel-and-dime? Shipping insurance? Framing? That's a whole personality type and I don't need it.
Honestly good to hear someone say it plainly. I keep second-guessing myself like "maybe I'm being difficult" but nah. I think I'm learning to trust that feeling when something's off.
Right?? The wine thing really got me. Like I'm supposed to pay to get my own work hung AND get people drunk on my dime so they maybe buy something? I can't even afford to go out for drinks most nights and they want me to be their bartender lmao.
Good to hear 50/50 is still the baseline though. I've been working alone in my studio so long I genuinely don't know what's normal out there anymore. Appreciate you saying it straight.