My business model is similar to other shop owners: I need to sell my inventory.
When I mount an exhibition, I need to consider its commercial potential, translating into income which in turn, supports the gallery in its mission.
It’s a cycle of choosing the work, writing the press release, opening the exhibition, running the exhibition and closing the exhibition.
Repeat.
Some shows do better than others, of course. It’s often difficult to predict. Some shows don’t sell. Intentionally. Because nothing’s for sale!
It’s not the most outstanding business model. Nowhere near sustainable, but I sometimes do it anyway.
When Henry Leutwyler approached me with such a proposal, I had no interest in refusing. He had photographed a collection of objects recovered from the site of 9/11 that were to be published in National Geographic to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
The one caveat of the exhibition would be that nothing is for sale. All works in the exhibition (33) were to be donated to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Henry wanted me to paint the entire gallery “Thunder Gray,” which was the seamless color he would go to when he photographed in his studio. All work (except one) would be pinned to the wall. The show would be up for just two weeks during the September high season of the art world.
Henry had also enlisted the renowned concert pianist Elaine Kwon to perform during the opening, who subsequently played two more times during the exhibition's run. She was able to work with Steinway & Sons to secure a donation of one of their pianos, placed center stage in the gallery.
We were joined by ABC NEWS, members of the Swiss Consulate (Henry is Swiss), and dozens of people that wanted to take a closer look at what was so difficult to look at twenty years ago.
There were a lot of reasons and considerations that moved me to host this exhibition.
The first was my commitment to Henry as an artist. We have been working together since 2011: four shows and counting.
The second was my connection to the events of 9/11. I can’t think any living adult doesn’t remember where they were on that day. We were all affected by what happened, and some have registered the hurt deeper than others.
After the shock of it all, the one thing I remember thinking was, how can I help?
Twenty years later, I found the way.
And after it all came down, prints rolled up and delivered to the museum, Henry took me for a very edible victory lap at Blue Ribbon Sushi to celebrate.
We didn’t sell anything. It cost us both money to produce. But the experience and the thought that maybe, somehow, we contributed to continual healing that this day on the calendar can evoke for many of us.
And that was compensation enough.
As artists, we like to make, show, and sell our work. Sometimes, it might be nice to do a good turn for our soulful selves and focus on the making and showing…with no chance of selling. One way to do this is to support or start a benefit art auction for a cause you love.
I recently attended a workshop given by an artist who listed 29 things an artist should NOT do if they want to make a living selling their artwork. There were several that I agreed with, in fact, most. But one of those twenty-nine was NOT to donate work to a benefit auction.
I could not disagree more. You might make a percentage from the sale (some auctions give a portion back to the artist), gain a new collector, or give to something you believe in. The presenter completely neglected the feeling of community formed when artists come together to support one another while changing other people’s lives.
As a working artist, achieving sustainable revenue can be challenging, but don’t let the thought of “what’s in it for me?” get in your way of contributing to something far more important than the sale.
Classes & Notes
Enrollment is open for Choose Yourself as an Artist at Maine Media Workshops.
Applications for the Exhibition Lab 2022 are now open!
Enrollment is open for Difficult Viewing at ICP.
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Michael Foley opened his gallery in the fall of 2004 after fourteen years of working with notable photography galleries, including Fraenkel Gallery, Howard Greenberg Gallery, and Yancey Richardson Gallery.
In 2002, Foley continued his interest in educating and working with artists by serving on the School of Visual Arts and International Center of Photography faculty. He currently teaches and lectures on contemporary photography issues at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
In 2020, he founded The Photo Community, which offers classes and commentary on contemporary photography.
Foley lives and works on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with his wife, Maya.