Should I be discouraged that traditional art venues like galleries and shows aren't working well right now?

No — if anything, this makes digital marketing even more critical. Many galleries are closed or renegotiating commission splits unfavorably (pushing from 50/50 to 60/40 in their favor). Art show attendance is down significantly, but booth fees haven’t decreased proportionally, making the economics difficult. For the foreseeable future, digital marketing is essentially the only reliable channel you have to get your name out there and reach collectors. Rather than being discouraged, recognize this as validation that you must embrace online promotion and digital marketing. There’s nothing else you can do right now to effectively build your business.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-04-27