What does it mean to 'keep the gallery doors open' as an artist?

Keeping the gallery doors open means maintaining regular, consistent marketing so you’re always open for business. You would never put a sign on a retail gallery door saying ‘Closed for 3 months—I’m burned out, life happened.’ You have to keep the doors open. That means consistent marketing, even during seasons when life gets busy or difficult. Over the years, you’ll have good years and bad years—some with more time for marketing, some with less due to injuries, sickness, travel, weddings, whatever. That’s fine, like wine vintages. But you can’t close the gallery for a year at a time. Regular, consistent marketing keeps you open for serendipity—the random customer who stops by on a Wednesday. Consistency and compounding results are what matter. You don’t need to work 30 hours a week every week, but you can’t disappear for long stretches.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-05-27