What’s it worth to you to get a gallery exhibition of your artwork? Sure, galleries are in business to sell art, earning a commission of between 40 and 60 percent for every sale of work consigned to them contemporary artists, so their profit margin should cover the costs of promoting and advertising exhibits, requiring artists to just pay for the materials they need to make their work. That would make plenty of sense if most or all of the artwork the galleries display actually sold – that doesn’t happen too often, especially in those galleries showing contemporary art by artists who aren’t famous. Those gallery owners also need to pay rent, which ranges from thousands of dollars to tens or thousands of dollars per month, depending on the city and what neighborhood in the city in which they are located. Continue reading →