Art gallery

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A museum gallery at the Asia Society in Manhattan Asia-Society-Gallery.jpg
A museum gallery at the Asia Society in Manhattan
A commercial gallery (Foster/White) in Seattle, Washington Foster-White 02.jpg
A commercial gallery (Foster/White) in Seattle, Washington

An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. [1] The long gallery in Elizabethan and Jacobean houses served many purposes including the display of art. Historically, art is displayed as evidence of status and wealth, and for religious art as objects of ritual or the depiction of narratives. The first galleries were in the palaces of the aristocracy, or in churches. As art collections grew, buildings became dedicated to art, becoming the first art museums.

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Among the modern reasons art may be displayed are aesthetic enjoyment, education, historic preservation, or for marketing purposes. The term is used to refer to establishments with distinct social and economic functions, both public and private. Institutions that preserve a permanent collection may be called either "gallery of art" or "museum of art". If the latter, the rooms where art is displayed within the museum building are called galleries. Art galleries that do not maintain a collection are either commercial enterprises for the sale of artworks, or similar spaces operated by art cooperatives or non-profit organizations. As part of the art world, art galleries play an important role in maintaining the network of connections between artists, collectors, and art experts that define fine art.

Art museums versus galleries

The terms 'art museum' and 'art gallery' may be used interchangeably as reflected in the names of institutions around the world, some of which are called galleries (e.g. the National Gallery and Neue Nationalgalerie), and some of which are called museums (e.g. the Museum of Modern Art and National Museum of Western Art). However, establishments that display art for other purposes, but serve no museum functions, are only called art galleries.

The distinctive function of a museum is the preservation of artifacts with cultural, historical, and aesthetic value by maintaining a collection of valued objects. Art museums also function as galleries that display works from the museum's own collection or on loan from the collections of other museums. Museums might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions on access. Although primarily concerned with visual art, art museums are often used as a venue for other cultural exchanges and artistic activities where the art object is replaced by practices such as performance art, dance, music concerts, or poetry readings.

Galleries and the art world

The art world comprises everyone involved in the production and distribution of fine art. [2] : xxiv  The market for fine art depends upon maintaining its distinction as high culture, although during recent decades the boundary between high and popular culture has been eroded by postmodernism. [3]

In the case of historical works, or Old Masters this distinction is maintained by the work's provenance; proof of its origin and history. [4]

For more recent work, status is based upon the reputation of the artist. Reputation includes both aesthetic factors; art schools attended, membership in a stylistic or historical movement, the opinions of art historians and critics; and economic factors; inclusion in group and solo exhibitions and past success in the art market. Art dealers, through their galleries, have occupied a central role in the art world by bringing many of these factors together; such as "discovering" new artists, promoting their associations in group shows, and managing market valuation. [5]

Gallery Opening, July 2015 Peter Triantos Second Gallery Opening Art Show 'CURRENCY'.jpg
Gallery Opening, July 2015

Commercial galleries

Exhibitions of art operating similar to current galleries for marketing art first appeared in the early modern period, approximately 1500 to 1800 CE. In the Middle Ages that preceded, painters and sculptors were members of guilds, seeking commissions to produce artworks for aristocratic patrons or churches. The establishment of academies of art in the 16th century represented efforts by painters and sculptors to raise their status from mere artisans who worked with their hands to that of the classical arts such as poetry and music, which are purely intellectual pursuits. However, the public exhibition of art had to overcome the bias against commercial activity, which was deemed beneath the dignity of artists in many European societies. [6]

Commercial art galleries were well-established by the Victorian era, made possible by the increasing number of people seeking to own objects of cultural and aesthetic value. [7] At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century there were also the first indications of modern values regarding art; art as an investment versus pure aesthetics, and the increased attention to living artists as an opportunity for such investment. [8]

Commercial galleries owned or operated by an art dealer or "gallerist" [9] occupy the middle tier of the art market, accounting for most transactions, although not those with the highest monetary values. Once limited to major urban art worlds such as New York, Paris and London, art galleries have become global. Another trend in globalization is that while maintaining their urban establishments, galleries also participate in art fairs such as Art Basel and Frieze Art Fair. [3]

Art galleries are the primary connection between artists and collectors. At the high end of the market, a handful of elite auction houses and dealers sell the work of celebrity artists; at the low end artists sell their work from their studio, or in informal venues such as restaurants. Point-of-sale galleries connect artists with buyers by hosting exhibitions and openings. The artworks are on consignment, with the artist and the gallery splitting the proceeds from each sale. Depending upon the expertise of the gallery owner and staff, and the particular market, the artwork shown may be more innovative or more traditional in style and media. [10]

Types of galleries

Galleries may deal in the primary market of new works by living artists, or the secondary markets for works from prior periods owned by collectors, estates, or museums. The periods represented include Old Masters, Modern (1900–1950), and contemporary (1950–present). Modern and contemporary may be combined in the category of Post-war art; while contemporary may be limited to the 21st century or "emerging artists". [11]

Contemporary galleries

An enduring model for contemporary galleries was set by Leo Castelli. Rather than simply being the broker for sales, Castelli became actively involved in the discovery and development of new artists, while expecting to remain an exclusive agent for their work. However he also focused exclusively on new works, not participating in the resale of older work by the same artists. [12]

Secondary market

All art sales after the first are part of the secondary market, in which the artist and the original dealer are not involved. Many of these sales occur privately between collectors, or works are sold at auctions. However some galleries participate in the secondary market depending upon the market conditions. As with any market, the major conditions are supply and demand. Because art is a unique commodity, the artist has a monopoly on production, which ceases when the artist either dies or stops working. [13]

Outside the art world

Some businesses operate as vanity galleries, charging artists a fee to exhibit their work. Lacking a selection process to assure the quality of the artworks, and having little incentive to promote sales, vanity galleries are avoided as unprofessional. [14]

Non-profit galleries

Some non-profit organizations or local governments host art galleries for cultural enrichment and to support local artists. Non-profit organizations may start as exhibit spaces for artist collectives, and expand into full-fledged arts programs. Other non-profits include the arts as part of other missions, such as providing services to low-income neighborhoods. [15]

Arts districts

Historically, art world activities have benefited from clustering together either in cities [3] or in remote areas offering natural beauty.

The proximity of art galleries facilitated an informal tradition of art show openings on the same night, which have become officially coordinated as "first Friday events" in a number of locations.

Galleries selling the work of recognized artists may occupy space in established commercial areas of a city. New styles in art have historically been attracted to the low rent of marginal neighborhoods. An artist colony existed in Greenwich Village as early as 1850, and the tenements built around Washington Square Park to house immigrants after the Civil War also attracted young artists and avant-garde art galleries. [16] The resulting gentrification prompted artists and galleries to move to the adjacent neighborhood "south of Houston" (SoHo) which became gentrified in turn. [17]

Attempting to recreate this natural process, arts districts have been created intentionally by local governments in partnership with private developers as a strategy for revitalizing neighborhoods. Such developments often include spaces for artists to live and work as well as galleries. [18]

Temporary galleries

A contemporary practice has been the use of vacant commercial space for art exhibitions that run for periods from a single day to a month. Now called "popup galleries", [19] a precursor was Artomatic which had its first event in 1999 and has occurred periodically to the present, mainly in the Washington metro area.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contemporary art</span> Art of the present time

Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects that continue the challenging of boundaries that was already well underway in the 20th century. Diverse and eclectic, contemporary art as a whole is distinguished by the very lack of a uniform, organising principle, ideology, or "-ism". Contemporary art is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger contextual frameworks such as personal and cultural identity, family, community, and nationality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art museum</span> Building or space for the exhibition of art

An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership, be accessible to all, or have restrictions in place. Although primarily concerned with visual art, art museums are often used as a venue for other cultural exchanges and artistic activities, such as lectures, jewelry, performance arts, music concerts, or poetry readings. Art museums also frequently host themed temporary exhibitions, which often include items on loan from other collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum</span> Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was founded by Isabella Stewart Gardner, whose will called for her art collection to be permanently exhibited "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art world</span> Those involved in the business and lifestyle of fine art

The art world comprises everyone involved in producing, commissioning, presenting, preserving, promoting, chronicling, criticizing, buying and selling fine art. It is recognized that there are many art worlds, defined either by location or alternative definitions of fine art. Some may use the singular art world to refer only to the elite level of globalized fine art. The art world(s) are continually changing in response both to the creativity of those that create art and in response to social change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art exhibition</span> Organized presentation and display of works of art

An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is occasionally true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or "show". In UK English, they are always called "exhibitions" or "shows", and an individual item in the show is an "exhibit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Lawler</span> American artist and photographer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Castelli</span> Italian-American founder of contemporary art gallery system (1907–1999)

Leo Castelli was an Italian-American art dealer who originated the contemporary art gallery system. His gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the movements which Castelli showed were Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dada, Pop Art, Op Art, Color field painting, Hard-edge painting, Lyrical Abstraction, Minimal Art, Conceptual Art, and Neo-expressionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Art Association</span> American nonprofit organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art dealer</span> Person that buys and sells works of art

An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art, or acts as the intermediary between the buyers and sellers of art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Gallery</span> Contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles, California

ACE Gallery is an internationally recognized art gallery specializing in contemporary art. ACE Gallery Los Angeles is located in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles a few blocks east of Museum Row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland</span> Art Museum in Cleveland, Ohio

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is a contemporary art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the only contemporary art venue of its kind in Metropolitan Cleveland. The organisation was founded by Marjorie Talalay, Agnes Gund, and Nina Castelli Sundell in 1968 and has undergone several name and venue changes in the years following its 1968 founding. Originally known as The New Gallery, the museum was rebranded as the Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art in 1984. The gallery has operated under its current branding as the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa) since 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contemporary art gallery</span>

A contemporary art gallery is normally a commercial art gallery operated by an art dealer which specializes in displaying for sale contemporary art, usually new works of art by living artists. This approach has been called the "Castelli Method" after Leo Castelli, whose success was attributed to his active involvement in discovering and promoting emerging artists beginning in the late 1950s with Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art valuation</span>

Art valuation, an art-specific subset of financial valuation, is the process of estimating the market value of works of art. As such, it is more of a financial rather than an aesthetic concern, however, subjective views of cultural value play a part as well. Art valuation involves comparing data from multiple sources such as art auction houses, private and corporate collectors, curators, art dealer activities, gallerists, experienced consultants, and specialized market analysts to arrive at a value. Art valuation is accomplished not only for collection, investment, divestment, and financing purposes, but as part of estate valuations, for charitable contributions, for tax planning, insurance, and loan collateral purposes. This article deals with the valuation of works of fine art, especially contemporary art, at the top end of the international market, but similar principles apply to the valuation of less expensive art and antiques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archives of American Art</span> Collection of visual arts resources in the US

The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washington, D.C., and New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibition</span> Organized presentation and display of a selection of items or pictures

An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition hall, or World's fairs. Exhibitions can include many things such as art in both major museums and smaller galleries, interpretive exhibitions, natural history museums and history museums, and also varieties such as more commercially focused exhibitions and trade fairs. They can also foster community engagement, dialogue, and education, providing visitors with opportunities to explore diverse perspectives, historical contexts, and contemporary issues. Additionally, exhibitions frequently contribute to the promotion of artists, innovators, and industries, acting as a conduit for the exchange of ideas and the celebration of human creativity and achievement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merton Simpson</span> American painter

Merton Daniel Simpson was an American abstract expressionist painter and African and tribal art collector and dealer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African art in Western collections</span> History of African art in Western collections

Some African objects had been collected by Europeans for centuries, and there had been industries producing some types, especially carvings in ivory, for European markets in some coastal regions. Between 1890 and 1918 the volume of objects greatly increased as Western colonial expansion in Africa led to the removal of many pieces of sub-Saharan African art that were subsequently brought to Europe and displayed. These objects entered the collections of natural history museums, art museums and private collections in Europe and the United States. About 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is believed to be located in Europe, according to French art historians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Rowland</span> American artist

Cameron Rowland is an American conceptual artist whose work has been exhibited internationally and acclaimed for its structural analytic approach to addressing issues of American slavery, mass incarceration, and reparations. Rowland graduated from Wesleyan University in 2011 and they were awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2019 after several solo and group exhibitions at venues including the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Kunsthal Aarhus, and La Biennale de Montreal. Rowland is noted for their distinct method of loaning some works to collectors and institutions rather than selling them outright, an approach meant to mirror the experience of low-income people shopping at rent-to-own stores like Rent-A-Center and disrupt the traditional value structure in the contemporary art market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art</span> Art museum in Iloilo City, Philippines

The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) is an art museum in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is the first museum in the Visayas and Mindanao dedicated to modern art.

Miguel Jorge (1928–1984), also known as “Micky” Jorge, was a Cuban artist who was influential in the establishment of South Florida's early Latin American art market in the Greater Miami area from the 1960s through the 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ "Origin and Meaning of Gallery". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  2. ↑ Becker, Howard Saul (2008). Art Worlds (2nd. ed.). University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-25636-1.
  3. 1 2 3 Crane, Diana (2009). "Reflections on the Global Art Market: Implications for the Sociology of Culture". Sociedade e Estado. 24 (2): 331–62. doi: 10.1590/S0102-69922009000200002 .
  4. ↑ Oosterlinck, Kim; Radermecker, Anne-Sophie (2019). "'The Master of …': Creating Names for Art History and the Art Market". Journal of Cultural Economics. 43 (1). New York: 57–95. doi:10.1007/s10824-018-9329-1. S2CID   158075163.
  5. ↑ Braden, L.E.A.; Teekens, Thomas (2019). "Reputation, Status Networks, and the Art Market". Arts. 8 (3): 81. doi: 10.3390/arts8030081 . hdl: 1765/119341 .
  6. ↑ Mainardi, Patricia (2018). "Show and Tell: Exhibition Practice in the Nineteenth Century". In Facos, Michelle (ed.). A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Art. Newark, US: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. pp. 69–82.
  7. ↑ Helmreich, Anne (2017). "The Art Market and the Spaces of Sociability in Victorian London". Victorian Studies. 59 (3): 436–49. doi:10.2979/victorianstudies.59.3.07. S2CID   149058582.
  8. ↑ Scragg, Rebecca (2014). "The Rise of the Modern Art Market in London, 1850–1939/The Development of the Art Market in England: Money as Muse, 1730–1900". Victorian Studies. 56 (2): 334–37. doi:10.2979/victorianstudies.56.2.334. S2CID   144813124.
  9. ↑ Kagan, Julia. "Gallerist". Investopedia. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ Moureau, Nathalie; Sagot-Duvauroux, Dominique (2012). "Four Business Models in Contemporary Art". International Journal of Arts Management. 14 (3): 44–56.
  11. ↑ Winkleman, Edward; Hindle, Patton (2018). "Business Models and Customary Practices". How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery (2nd ed.). Simon and Schuster.
  12. ↑ "The Castelli Method". 10 October 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  13. ↑ Anna Louie Sussman (January 2, 2018). "The "Death Effect" on Artists' Prices Actually Occurs When They're Alive". Artsy.
  14. ↑ "Beware the Vanity Gallery - and why they should be avoided". Art Business Info. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ Henri Neuendorf (September 1, 2016). "Art Demystified: What Is the Role of Non-Profits in the Art World?". ArtNet.
  16. ↑ "Greenwich Village and the Arts". Grey Art Gallery. 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  17. ↑ Shkuda, Aaron (2013). "The Art Market, Arts Funding, and Sweat Equity: The Origins of Gentrified Retail". Journal of Urban History. 39 (4): 601–19. doi:10.1177/0096144212443134. S2CID   143606427.
  18. ↑ Goldberg-Miller, Shoshanah B. D.; Heimlich, Joe E. (2017). "Creatives' Expectations: The Role of Supercreatives in Cultural District Development". Cities. 62 (February): 120–30. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2016.12.011.
  19. ↑ "Everything You Need to Know about Pop-Up Galleries". Artsy. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
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