Thoughts on Gallery submission fees

[brainwood]

Hi

I just heard from a gallery who are looking for work for an exhibition in the new year. They have not had much experience of photography shows as they are mainly a fine art (painting) gallery.

They are thinking of running much like they do for Paintings by asking for submissions, say up to 4 prints and charging a fee of £15. They would then curate a show around a theme they have chosen which would run for 4 weeks. They take 12% of sales ,which sounds very reasonable to me and allow up to 4 pieces to be sold as browser work ( ie loose but mounted) or cards

My experience of exhibiting is somewhat limited so I'm not sure if this a good deal or more importantly for them if it will attract submissions from photographers.

So would you Submit to an exhibition that charges a fee, Or would this put you off ?

Chris

 

[brainwood]

Would you ?

Is it usual to ask for a submission fee or does this fell like the gallery being 'cheeky' ?

 

[brainwood]

I looking more to gauge opinion for the gallery than for my own benefit. I personally think its a very reasonable deal but worry it put others off straight away

What do you think

 

[Jamie123]

It's usual for competitions to charge a submission fee. Not so much for galleries. However, galleries usually charge much more than 12% of sales.

My thoughts on this? From the sound of it I wouldn't count on breaking into the fine art market by showing in this gallery. However, if all you want to do is sell some prints I think the submission fee is very modest so there's not much you have to lose. If you're interested, go for it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's usual for competitions to charge a submission fee. Not so much for galleries. However, galleries usually charge much more than 12% of sales.

My thoughts on this? From the sound of it I wouldn't count on breaking into the fine art market by showing in this gallery. However, if all you want to do is sell some prints I think the submission fee is very modest so there's not much you have to lose. If you're interested, go for it.

Quite. Though I'm not even all that happy about competitions charging submission fees. What's to stop me doing it? As long as I can bet on getting more in submission fees than I pay in prize money, I'm well ahead.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Jamie123]

Quite. Though I'm not even all that happy about competitions charging submission fees. What's to stop me doing it? As long as I can bet on getting more in submission fees than I pay in prize money, I'm well ahead.

Cheers,

R.

Yeah, competitions are definitely a business. Still, I see a few valid reasons for submission fees. For one, they make people think a bit harder whether their work is up to par before they submit. Also, I guess they do cover some of the costs they incur.

I think with competitions one has to be very selective and only enter the ones that are actually worth winning. Personally, I can only think of a few competitions I'd ever consider entering. Wouldn't mind winning a National Gallery Portrait photography prize for example. Of course, I also would accept the Prix Pictet or Deutsche Börse Prize 😉

 

[brainwood]

Thanks Jamie I was trying To come at this from the gallery's point of view . The fee is really to make the applicant think a bit harder about whether the work is of a high enough standard but they fear this not normally done in photo exhibitions and worry no one will submit

From you and Rogers comments it does sound unusual as does the small amount of prints they could a cut actually take from any one photographer

 

[Roger Hicks]

Yeah, competitions are definitely a business. Still, I see a few valid reasons for submission fees. For one, they make people think a bit harder whether their work is up to par before they submit. Also, I guess they do cover some of the costs they incur.

I think with competitions one has to be very selective and only enter the ones that are actually worth winning. Personally, I can only think of a few competitions I'd ever consider entering. Wouldn't mind winning a National Gallery Portrait photography prize for example. Of course, I also would accept the Prix Pictet or Deutsche Börse Prize 😉

Sure, it's a balance. There are arguments for and against submission fees, which is why I said "I'm not even all that happy about competitions charging submission fees". Like you, there are damn' few competitions I'd regard as worth entering, or as much more than a lottery (and not as MUCH more, even then). Maybe we should compete for the Deutsche Boerse...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Jamie123]

Sure, it's a balance. There are arguments for and against submission fees, which is why I said "I'm not even all that happy about competitions charging submission fees". Like you, there are damn' few competitions I'd regard as worth entering, or as much more than a lottery (and not as MUCH more, even then). Maybe we should compete for the Deutsche Boerse...

Cheers,

R.

My preference would of course be the Prix Pictet because of the $100'000 but I'll settle for the Deutsche Börse or the Turner prize for that matter 😉

 

[Roger Hicks]

My preference would of course be the Prix Pictet because of the $100'000 but I'll settle for the Deutsche Börse or the Turner prize for that matter 😉

Ah -- no ambition, eh? Why not BOTH? Or ALL THREE?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Jamie123]

Ah -- no ambition, eh? Why not BOTH? Or ALL THREE?

Cheers,

R.

Wouldn't want to be greedy. 🙂

 

[lenicolas]

Hi,

I'm not that surprised by the small entry fee...
In theory, when you're having an exhibition, you're suposed to pay to rent the gallery out.
In real situations, 99% of the galleries won't charge for that but will take a % of your sales.

However, the 12% charge on sales seems definitively low.
I'm guessing this means they won't pay for your prints...
A good gallery would pay for your prints and charge around 50% of your sales.

I guess this gallery doesn't have much expactations about selling anything...
Be careful, nice mounted prints are expensive, and if they don't sell, they'll be a pain to stock...

 

[emraphoto]

Hi,

I'm not that surprised by the small entry fee...
In theory, when you're having an exhibition, you're suposed to pay to rent the gallery out.
In real situations, 99% of the galleries won't charge for that but will take a % of your sales.

However, the 12% charge on sales seems definitively low.
I'm guessing this means they won't pay for your prints...
A good gallery would pay for your prints and charge around 50% of your sales.

I guess this gallery doesn't have much expactations about selling anything...
Be careful, nice mounted prints are expensive, and if they don't sell, they'll be a pain to stock...

don't invest much of your time, effort and money into relationships with galleries that want you to pay a big fee upfront. they have little incentive to actually do the things you need to sell photographs.

i am not saying don't show in them when you are up for it, just be aware that the selling part involves more of the gallery than you are likely to get.

 

[Teuthida]

Gallery fees? find a gallery to represent you.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Its common, but I refuse to pay them. If a gallery asks me for my photos, I tell them I do not pay fees, ever. Takes a lot of nerve to ask you for your work, then demand money. Exhibiting is generally a waste of money anyway, unless you live in a major art market city. Even with no fees, you have to frame, mat, etc. the image. and that costs a lot of money if you exhibit a lot. I wasted way too much money on that when I was young and dumb.

 

[emraphoto]

Its common, but I refuse to pay them. If a gallery asks me for my photos, I tell them I do not pay fees, ever. Takes a lot of nerve to ask you for your work, then demand money. Exhibiting is generally a waste of money anyway, unless you live in a major art market city. Even with no fees, you have to frame, mat, etc. the image. and that costs a lot of money if you exhibit a lot. I wasted way too much money on that when I was young and dumb.

not to challenge your experience Chris but an exhibition history will become very important when applying for grants.

in all though, i agree with most of your sentiments on galleries... a lot of folks out there that will take your 'fees' and then do nothing to sell/represent/promote you. far more than the the opposite