Concierge Art

The term "concierge" evolved from the French Comte Des Cierges, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era. In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the King who was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs

What new plan have you worked out to promote your art?

You know I don’t believe in chasing trends so why am I posting about Concierge Art?

Because it isn’t a trend, you don’t have to chase it, and it builds your back stock, while keeping your hand, in and your name out.

Take another look at the definition, “tended the visiting nobles…charged with executing justice.”

Just who are the nobles of the art world being as how this here is ‘Merica and we don’t have nobles outside the entertainment and sports field, (Have you seen Capt and the Avengers and what they are doing at the Olympics? If you owned stock in Megan Rapinoe it has soared since the second game of the World Cup a year ago and is now running with the Bulls at the London Games.), so where exactly are you going to find nobles and what are you going to do with them once you find them?

Well, I think you should take a look at the gallery owners and think about just who would you want representing your art and what you have done to thank them for flacking your work and just what you are willing to do to help them promote their gallery and the works it carries.

Gallery owners have a thankless job, they have to find a space, pay for that space, light, heat and pay taxes on that space, promote the space to artists who have the attention span of a cat and then they have to comply with all of the rules, regulations and codes all of the politicians who do not like art and who don’t think much of artists and who just want to suck the money out of art can pass into law so that they can beat the gallery owner over the head with them.

And just how are the gallery owners supposed to comply with all of these city, county, state, and national rules, commissions, taxes and codes? They do it by selling your art, which they have to hunt down, beg, threaten, plead, cousin and coddle out of you who, tries as hard as possible to avoid, ignore and hide.

Yes, first and foremost gallery owners are merchants. They sell stuff to keep the electricals going and they have to sell a lot of stuff these days and that means they have to have a lot of stuff and if they don’t their kids don’t wear clothes and you just see what happens when you send your kids to school nekkid and wait for Family Services to fall on your pointy head. So let's not be so hard to get and keep those poor kids covered and the gallery lights on.

Remember they are the visiting nobles you are tending and if you don’t tend them see how fast your visit ends.

Are you bringing in the kind of art they want to display and if you aren’t have you worked out a good reason and have a plan for explaining how and why they should stock it and sell it? They have a bunch of artists to manage; the marketing plan has to come from you. If you don’t know how and why to sell your work you can bet no one else will.

Have you thanked the gallery for supporting your work when they take a piece and have you kept the message coming? Funny thing, people who feel like you appreciate them do a lot more for you than if they think you are using them for your own ends, especially if you are cause they are so it should be mutual.

That’s right keep those cards and letters coming in. if a gallery takes your work you should have a card with thanks on it headed their way before the sun sets. If they’ve sold a piece you need to thank them and do it in writing, cause words are cheap but a note goes on and on.

Have you asked if you could do a demonstration, participate in a reception, sign a book, yours if you have one cause signing some other guy's book is likely to get you noticed in a bad way, although having Pat Snyder’s book on the counter right in front of me has me practicing my forgery skills cause he has much better stuff to put in a book than I would so signing his book would be a fast track idea.

Have you asked if the gallery would like some impulse items to go along with your art? You do have small, inexpensive items which can be added to a big purchase for a coupla dollars and make the buyer feel like they are getting something for nothing? No? Then get yee over to Staples or Zazzle and make some.

And if you have a gallery owner who has done right by your for several years and you’ve done nothing to let them know how much you appreciate their efforts don’t be afraid to send flowers, bake a cake or give them some art. They are people and they can be had if only you’ll put out the effort.

Tend to the nobles.

It may sound like a humiliating job but you’d be surprised the dividends it will pay. Take the time to let folks who work for you so that you have the time to create the beautiful paintings, etchings, plaster footprints, Crayola handprints that you do so well. They deserve it and you’ll be the one who benefits.