In his youth, the unknown son of Armenian emigrants, Larry Gagosian did not even think about the world of art and worked part-time wherever he could - parking cars, etc., until one day he began selling posters. Later, he switched to painting, began promoting paintings by contemporary artists, and one day it was thanks to him that the world recognized Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. After which Larry Gagosian became fabulously rich and for a long time topped the ratings of the most influential figures in the field of fine art. The story of the American dream, isn't it?
Relevance of the business idea
Sometimes it seems that all major events in the field of culture or art in our country take place only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. If in your city the only places of leisure are an old museum, equipped in Soviet times, and a couple of shopping centers, then creating your own gallery will be a very expected decision for business.
Artists show
As it turns out, people are interested in watching the process of creating a painting. This is how a whole trend in fine art arose, when artists create a real performance out of drawing. There can be many options: remember airbrush artists on the street or painting with sand, light paintings that are popular at various events... You can also add painting with Ebru paints on the water, a star portrait in which the artist uses sparkles, etc. Drawing is an endless space for imagination.
Today, artist shows are a very popular trend in the event business. This service is ordered for weddings, anniversaries, and corporate events. They pay decently for it. The price tag for an art show starts at 10 thousand rubles.
Costs and profits
Business in the field of art will not bring profit immediately. However, this project is interesting because of the opportunity to be in the center of the cultural life of the city and make new acquaintances and connections. In addition, you can earn money from related activities: renting out premises for events, selling souvenirs and art objects.
Investments in organizing a contemporary art gallery are quite high and, in the best case, will amount to about 840,000 rubles. At first, the profit will be small, but over time the income will grow - from 80,000 rubles. The payback period is 10 months.
Start-up costs: approximate calculation for Saratov
| Expense item | Amount, ₽ |
| Business registration | 10’000 |
| Equipment | 300’000 |
| Main exhibition costs | 500’000 |
| other expenses | 30’000 |
| Total | 840’000 |
Monthly costs
| Communal payments | 15’000 |
| Salary to employees | 100’000 |
| 50’000 | |
| Organization of temporary exhibitions | 100’000 |
| Total | 265’000 |
Instructions for use: how to open your gallery
Budding entrepreneurs, full of enthusiasm, are attracted by the idea of their own business, especially since there are plenty of ideas. Those who have decided to change the direction of their life think, first of all, about the “classic” change of direction: opening their own store, receiving a stable income. In any case, there is an advantage, but the disadvantage is a serious obstacle to establishing a business: the highest competition and saturation of the niche.
Another way to take your entrepreneurship to a new level is to invest money in unusual, new projects that can become the basis of your business. This idea is a gallery. This area of activity is a new industry, both for Russia and the CIS countries. But, despite its apparent simplicity, it requires attention, like any idea in the field of creativity.
Project basis
So, the idea has one simple meaning: the embodiment of the sphere of art through a gallery. It will be the venue for all kinds of exhibitions of photographs, paintings and other works of art. If you are interested in this topic, then we recommend reading the article about opening an art school.
The purpose of this idea is to sell the author's product and make a profit for their organized display.
The idea can be easily implemented in a populated area whose population exceeds three hundred and fifty thousand people. It’s great if the city doesn’t have a second specialized premises like yours - then only you can hold unique exhibitions and presentations.
Such cooperation is very beneficial. On the one hand, it is assistance to artists in realizing their creativity, and on the other, income for both sides.
A person in the modern world has begun to pay more attention to the field of art, began to show interest in new works of painting, installations, art compositions - all this captures human attention, trying to break out into something more than just a method of self-expression. Through art works, a person tries to show his uniqueness - and this means that visiting a gallery for him is not just a pleasant pastime, but a search for his own object, which will be practical and beautiful.
That is, the assumption that an entrepreneur must have a keen sense of quality art concepts is logical and correct. And if you take into account that you will have to work with creative people and organize their exhibitions, you won’t be bored. In addition, you can take into account the idea of opening private exhibitions. Useful information about running a business from scratch.
But initially, before forming your activities, it is necessary to organize the direction of the cultural idea.
Questions that concern the law
At the moment, the legislation of the Russian Federation does not stipulate specialized laws and services that would monitor the activities of galleries.
Therefore, the list of documentation that needs to be collected is small:
— registering your business through one of the legal forms: either “Individual Entrepreneur” or “LLC”, choosing at the same time one taxation option;
— registration of your business activity with the tax service and pension fund.
Building selection
You need to find a special hall immediately after you have registered your business. The exhibition space is a space that will serve as a characteristic of the exhibition itself, as if complementing it. A very important criterion when searching for a room will be its location. It is advisable if this is a central area. Pay special attention to the climate and lighting of the room itself.
The hall, with an area of two hundred square meters, must be divided into zones:
– exhibition area – 50 – 85 square meters;
— area for storing exhibits – 30–55 square meters;
- area reserved for gallery inventory - 45 - 55 square meters;
- office space - 20 - 30 square meters.
Since rent is an expensive pleasure, a novice businessman must think through options for saving. This website presents business ideas without investment to your attention. Such options may include cooperation, when opening a gallery, with authorities or, for example, the implementation of a gallery in a finished premises.
Staff
In order for your business to function smoothly, in addition to technical-level personnel, your gallery will need at least five to seven specialists of certain qualifications:
- gallery administrator - the main member of the enterprise. It is he who creates the prestige and face of the gallery. He decides on the style of the exhibition, its genre and direction. He also advises which artists to collaborate with and which events it is better to avoid;
- a software specialist - he will be responsible for creating the gallery website;
- assistants - they will advise visitors, providing them with information about existing works. The purchase of a particular product will depend on them;
- press service employee - will create contact between the gallery and the public;
- project curator - will have the opportunity to create exhibition formats. He analyzes popular art movements and “builds bridges” with representatives of art who have a more suitable concept;
- organizer - he creates a holistic vision of the exhibition, deciding how best to place art objects in one room.
Attachments
The list of expenses includes:
— rent – fifty to seventy thousand rubles monthly;
- renovation of the hall with design solutions - about two million rubles (however, if there is a ready-made room, such costs are almost completely eliminated);
- wages to employees - from ten to fifteen thousand rubles for each;
— marketing – forty to eighty thousand rubles monthly.
As a result: 1,400,000 rubles.
Income
The average cost for a single piece of art is from five thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand rubles. But this is not the limit that can be earned from one work - works by popular masters cost much more than one hundred thousand rubles. Each master will receive a profit of up to 40% of the proceeds.
On average, income from the gallery and the sale of paintings will be from four hundred to seven hundred thousand rubles, taking into account the organization of one exhibition per month.
Permits and documents
Business registration
No special documents are required for official recognition of the gallery: this activity is not regulated by law in our country. It is enough to open an individual entrepreneur, register for tax purposes and pay taxes regularly and make contributions to the Pension Fund. There are also no special services for checking the activities of galleries, but you will have to obtain an opinion from the State Fire Supervision Service.
List of documents for individual entrepreneur registration
- Application for state registration of an individual as an individual entrepreneur (form No. P21001)
- Copy of Russian passport
- Receipt for payment of state duty
Painting dishes and stained glass
Handmade dishes have become very popular lately. People are willing to pay a lot of money for a bright, original, unique product. You can join forces with a pottery workshop and start hand-painting dishes. Today, thanks to the latest technologies, everyone can master stained glass technology. You can take quick courses and gain the necessary skills. You can earn 30-60 thousand rubles a month from this.
Selecting a room
The best solution would be to locate the gallery in the city center, for example, in an old pre-revolutionary house with high ceilings and large windows. Another suitable option would be an abandoned factory building, a former warehouse, a workshop or any other industrial building that can be converted for the needs of contemporary art.
There is no way around this without renovations. In the first case, you will have to preserve as much as possible the historical value and attractiveness of the object, down to the smallest details - stucco on the ceiling, stove tiles, stained glass. In the second case, decorate the room in a loft style: exposed pipes, brick or concrete walls. The interiors of the building should complement your exposition favorably.
It is clear that the costs of premises - buying or renting - will not be cheap. But in the future, you can also rent it out for various events or events to pay for yourself faster.
Select a room with an area of no more than 200 square meters based on:
- Exhibition space – 120 sq m
- Administrative premises - 20 sq m
- Exhibition works storage – 30 sq m
- Technical rooms - 30 sq m
If the space for an office, storage or technical premises in the selected building turns out to be very small, then still consider it based on other characteristics. The main factors: a large exhibition area, transport accessibility, attractive conditions.
The cost of a space depends on several factors: ownership, lease or loan, and the need for repairs. We will consider the option of premises in the property to show how much the costs of organizing a gallery can start.
Selecting artists for an art gallery
In order for the gallery to become successful, it is necessary to select artists very responsibly.
After all, the opinion about your gallery will depend on which strong or weak artists will be represented.
Initially, you need to clarify what exactly the concept of your gallery will be, and from this you can build on the areas of work.
You can choose photography, painting, installation, graphics or others. But you also shouldn’t concentrate on just one direction.
You can periodically organize thematic exhibitions in different areas.
The choice of artists should be based on your personal opinion. It is also worth inviting several experts to do this, who will advise you on what is really fashionable and in demand.
You can additionally view several Internet resources where experts evaluate this or that artist. There are a lot of reviews and even advice here.
In addition, pay attention to the exhibitions and events that the artist attended.
The more prestigious and popular they are, the more in demand a visit to your gallery will be.
How to choose partners
If your city does not shine with events in the field of culture and art, then your activities will become an outlet for residents. The permanent exhibition can be assembled based on your own collection or the works of local artists. For temporary exhibitions it is worth inviting authors from other cities of Russia, near and far abroad.
Be guided by your own taste, the opinion of art critics and trends in the field of contemporary art. An excellent (albeit labor-intensive) solution would be not just exhibitions, but performances and theatrical performances. But here you cannot do without the help of professionals.
Sources of profit
Selling paintings is not the only way you can make a profit. You can charge a small fee to enter the gallery. If a person is really interested in art, he will not regret the amount, which will not affect his daily budget in any way. And in this way the entire unwanted contingent will be immediately cut off, but this will only benefit you. You can take a small fee from beginning artists who want to have an exhibition in your gallery, and also organize various thematic competitions of works, participation in which also requires a certain monetary contribution.
Staff
Practice shows that 5-6 people are enough to operate a small but very progressive contemporary art gallery.
The gallery owner or the head of the exhibition space is responsible for preparing the exhibition and shaping the image of the cultural institution. It is not at all necessary to be a professional artist or a certified art historian for this: it is enough to be interested in art and have management experience. This person could be the gallery owner.
The curator is responsible for holding exhibitions, events, and activities. At the beginning, this function can also be taken on by the business owner.
The exhibitor is directly involved in exhibiting paintings and other art objects. Moreover, both the technical and planning side of the issue. Think about the placement of paintings, hang them, adjust the light, choose musical accompaniment... You can’t do this without dexterous hands and a bright head.
Both the gallery owner and the curator can accompany the opening of a gallery and exhibitions. But for a constant presence in the hall, caretakers will be required. Their number depends on the shape and size of the room. People with an art education or graduates of humanities faculties will cope well with this function.
The press secretary is responsible for working with the media, as well as updating the gallery’s official website and its social networks. Use the services of a photographer, webmaster, loaders, drivers, and general workers as needed: these employees are not needed on staff.
The number of gallery employees depends on its scale and ambitions. Put about 100,000 rubles monthly into the wage fund.
Recruitment for work in an art gallery
When recruiting personnel, you must take into account that all employees must be sociable and active . They should be well acquainted with the field of artistic arts.
One gallery will not require a huge staff.
But the gallery staff should include:
- supervisor,
- exhibitor,
- gallerist,
- curator,
- consultant.
The gallery owner is the person who negotiates with artists, and also creates and maintains the image of the entire establishment.
But the duties of the curator include holding thematic and original exhibitions. But it is possible to combine these two responsibilities in one employee.
The profession of an exhibitor involves the correct and convenient arrangement of exhibits for viewing.
A prerequisite for these employees must be an artistic education. After all, no matter how much a person loves art, without a certain education he will not be able to fully perform his work.
How to advertise a business
If your city is fairly stingy in terms of events in cultural life, then visitors will gravitate towards you. However, you shouldn’t forget about advertising support. Report about your events in the media, popular public pages in your city, and enlist the support of local top bloggers. Positive and even controversial reviews from your visitors will be excellent advertising. Similarly, holding a controversial exhibition “on the brink” will help to attract a full house. Extreme measures: banning an exhibition by the authorities will attract attention to your gallery not only from local residents, but also from journalists from federal publications.
Organizing a business in the field of art is a costly activity, but it has status and is interesting. You can quickly become a famous gallery owner in your city, and this will give you a pass into a certain circle of acquaintances. Good luck to you!
What kind of premises is needed to open a gallery?
In order to place even one exhibition, a lot of space is needed, not to mention several exhibitions.
Therefore, the area of the room should be from 200 square meters.
If you find even larger premises on acceptable rental terms, it will be better for your business. After all, an art gallery is not only exhibition halls, but also warehouses for storing paintings, various utility rooms and a small office.
The room should look aesthetically pleasing and have good technical performance, which means that the room should not be damp, it should be well ventilated and lit. All these small factors play an important role.
If there is such a need, then make minor repairs so as not to close the premises for a long period in the future. Another important point in finding a premises is the security and fire systems.
