Gallery fees

[chrisofwlp]

I recently landed my first gallery opening. And it took nearly all of my self restraint to not agree to a gallery fee right then and there.

I know that their is usually some sort of reciprocity between hanging fees and commission on sales. The gallery is a sole proprietorship and gets very little foot traffic. The pieces (their are ten of them) will be hanging for about a month.

My question is what is a typical hanging fee? And what would be a reasonable commission? Maybe something like $125 plus about 40%. Reasonable?

Thank you;

 

[ann]

galleries vary, but some start at taking 35percent of the purchase cost moving up to over 50 percent.

i am surprised they didn't discuss this with you right up front

 

[Pinholemaster]

It should all be spelled out in writing before the show.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Most galleries I know of do not charge a hanging fee. It is a straight-line commission. Normally 50%. Unless you're a SOMEBODY, then it can be negotiated. But as Walt already said, this is something you should have arranged before you signed any kind of agreement with the gallery. And you SHOULD have a written agreement with the gallery.

 

[Sparky]

Yes - this 'hanging fee' sounds rather odd. I've NEVER heard of that. It sounds suspiciously like the 'key money' that landlords would charge you just to get a copy of the key, after paying multiple deposits and first month's rent. It sounds like they're just trying to pad the costs - so that their percentage won't be too much. Not so bad I guess if the percent is much lower and you sell a lot.

I think many people are very critical of percentages approaching 50% or so (pretty normal) but you really have to consider how much money the gallery spends on PR - i.e. a few thousand for offset printing for booklets, mailings, all the times spent doing that - If you have a show of 20 pieces, each priced at $500 and the comm. is 50%, you sell half (very optimistic in most cases!), then the gallery only gets about $2500 which isn't alot to pay on rent, gallery staff, hard and soft costs, etc etc... you gotta look at it from their perspective also.

 

[chrisofwlp]

The only reason their is room for negotiation is because the gallery owner is green, and this is my first opening as well. the gallery does very little PR, some flyer's and an add in the paper.

I know that if you are associated with an "Artist Co-op" you have to pay membership dues, hanging fees ($10-15 per piece), and you must volunteer your time.

I'm trying to feel this out, and keep myself from getting burned.

 

[origin]

I've actually never heard of a "hanging fee" before. Every gallery I have ever worked with has been a straight percentage deal.

Aside from that, the best way to get your money's worth out of the gallery thats taking 50% is to make sure that they do at least 50% of the work. Don't let them short change you when it comes to promotion and collateral material, etc. If they want 50%, make them earn it.

 

[George Papantoniou]

Where I live, gallery owners are artists pimps (aren't they everywhere?). They will charge for anything they can, if they could they would charge you for using their restroom. So, there are "hanging fees". I guess (I never bothered to ask) they ask for more than 125$... They also (usually) ask you to pay for all the other expenses (invitations printing, drinks and food at the opening etc). They also demand that you sell a minimum number of works during the exhibition, a thing that leads many artists who crave for seeing their work on a gallery wall to make deals with people who ask them for a piece work to buy it through the gallery and not directly (for examlpe, if a friend asks me to sell him/her a photograph, I have to answer "please wait until next month and come to buy it at my exhibition in Gallery X, so some commercial interest will be shown for my work...").

 

[eddym]

I've been a member of an art guild for 8 years, and president for 4. We've done exhibitions in restaurants, art galleries, hospitals, museums, sidewalks, and hotels. The arrangements have varied from "we have to do and provide everything except the space" to having everything, including catalogs and refreshments for openings, provided by the host. Percentages charged on sales have varied from zero to 50%, usually but not always depending on the services provided by the venue. But never, ever, has anyone tried to charge us a "hanging fee." Please don't tell them about it!

 

[davetravis]

The gallery is a sole proprietorship and gets very little foot traffic.

Chances are your up-front money will be helping them pay their rent!
Shop around for a commission only place in the 35-45 percent range that does get some good traffic, and limit your commitment to a trial period.
Good luck.

 

[Sparky]

Chances are your up-front money will be helping them pay their rent!

I don't agree with this 'upfront money' thing... but certainly art sales DO help galleries pay their rent! How else WOULD you expect a gallery to pay it's rent, I ask you?

 

[jstraw]

If I paid a fee to exhibit, I'd expect to pay a lower commission on the back end. If a gallery invites you to exhibit, it should be because they know their market and they believe they can sell you. Otherwise, it's an exhibition equivalent of a vanity press. The more up front the artist covers for promotion and expenses, the lower the commission should be, in my opinion.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I think the perception is that any gallery that charges up-front money is not as serious, and as mentioned before, is a "Vanity gallery". Vanity galleries are fine if you know your market and can sell enough work to make money after paying the gallery costs, and you're not concerned about "reputation". When you are starting out, however, I would recommend against vanity gallery showings, because more serious galleries may well turn you away later, when you want to work with them.

 

[chrisofwlp]

Wow, it seems as though the general consensus is that, 1) being asked for a "hanging fee" is be a red flag, 2) 35-40% should pay for more then wall space.

Apparently I need to promote myself, such as design and print my own flyer's.

I really appreciate all the information.

Thank you again.

 

[davetravis]

I don't agree with this 'upfront money' thing... but certainly art sales DO help galleries pay their rent! How else WOULD you expect a gallery to pay it's rent, I ask you?

Hey Spark, stop picking everything I say to death!
You answered your own question.

 

[Sparky]

Hey Spark, stop picking everything I say to death!
You answered your own question.

Sorry, man! I'm honestly not singling you out...!!
I was just intrigued by your statement - wondering what was behind it. I was wondering if you and maybe others thought that to be dependent on sales was a sign of weakness for a gallery - that they should be somehow independently omnipotent somehow. That's all... just a li'l wild speculation.

Alas - I have no LIFE!