The owners and curators of Kilbaha Gallery in West Clare, have put together a comprehensive guide for artists who are considering a professional career in art and are trying to navigate a path through the industry.
The aim is to be of some help to ALL artists, but particularly those at the early stages of their career, to help them understand the nuances of the industry, as well as, perhaps, to claim more autonomy over their own career paths.
“The art industry can often feel somewhat vague, and not just to people outside the industry, looking in, but to those within it too,” says Liz Greehy, co-founder of Kilbaha Gallery.
“Even though we can only write from our own experience, and from our own very specific end of the industry, we do feel that this e-book just might help bring a bit of clarity to the various directions an artist can take.”
The contemporary art landscape is changing. It is expanding its reach, gaining legions of new fans every day, and is fully embracing the vast world of digital. Kilbaha Gallery, a successful contemporary art gallery on the Loop Head Peninsula, in West Clare are, shipping original Irish art all over the world. Hailing from a family of artists, the curators felt in a good position to be able to offer insights and help to others.
“Although the digital world has helped bridge many gaps in the industry” says curator and co-founder, Ailish Connolly
“It has also made it more confusing for people. Despite being easier to get seen, it can somehow feel almost harder for artists to stand out now, and the amount of disjointed information out there can be confusing.”
These gallery owners decided to write this E-Book, as a response to the many questions they get asked regularly from artists starting out; to present their observations on the changes the contemporary art industry is undergoing, and to include some tips, from their own perspective, on how an artist might get the balance right between traditional channels and new ones, on the difference between operating as an amateur artist or a professional one, on pricing their work and so on.
They include some thoughts on the nuances of dealing with private galleries, getting ‘gallery-ready’, and why gallery representation continues to remain a very important part of an artist’s journey.
At only €15 this 80-page E-Book, titled ‘Smashing it in the Art Industry’ can be found by going to www.kilbahagallery.com with links to the E Book on the Homepage – and downloaded via your books app on iPhone or Playbooks for Android.
Andrew Hamilton
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, writer and podcaster based in the west of Ireland.