Why do galleries insist artists shouldn't sell directly or have work on their website?

The gallery’s most valuable asset is their collector list—that’s essentially what you’re buying if you purchase a gallery as a business, not the physical space or fixtures. Galleries know they need to keep those collectors at all costs. They tell artists not to sell direct or put work on websites because the moment a collector buys directly from the artist instead of through the gallery, the gallery loses control of that relationship. They’re protecting their primary business asset: access to collectors.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-04-13