What happened to artists who relied solely on galleries or art fairs when the pandemic hit?

Artists who had been successful for 20+ years selling through galleries or the show-and-fair circuit but weren’t keeping their own customer lists faced devastating situations. When the pandemic hit, those revenue sources disappeared overnight. Many found themselves with no collector list, no ability to market directly, and no alternative revenue streams. These accomplished artists were suddenly asking what to do, having to essentially learn an entirely new skill set (digital marketing, social media, email marketing, running online sales) at the peak of their careers. It was heartbreaking because they were at the top of their craft but had built their business on a foundation they didn’t control.

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