A Field Guide for Galleries Now

By Ivan Barnett

“Be a yardstick of quality.”  Steve Jobs.  Image by Ivan Barnett/Photo of Jobs by Doug Menuez

“When it’s no longer about the stories, but only about the numbers—and the numbers are stacked against you—then I’m out.” — Olivier Babin, founder of Clearing

I’ve been blunt about this for months: arithmetic wins. Galleries can often be beautiful engines for meaning, but they operate on margins measured in millimeters. A 10% net profit is a miracle year. In the last month, four New York galleries—Clearing, Blum, Venus Over Manhattan, Kasmin—closed or announced closures. This isn’t gossip; it’s a signal. If you love the village, the artists, the conversations, the stories, then you must embrace fully the math that keeps the doors open.

“Numbers don’t lie, people do.”– Ernie Lindsay.  Image Ivan Barnett  

Here is an unvarnished list I’m giving artists and gallerists right now:

• Fiercely thin works. Create a disciplined exit path for aging work, tiered offers to known collectors, studio proofs, and studies.
• Fewer, stronger exhibitions. Stop doing six average exhibitions when three great ones will concentrate demand and cash flow.
• Track or it didn’t happen. Track inquiry → hold → install → close. Review weekly. Fix the bottleneck.
• Right-size art fairs. If a fair doesn’t at least break even and advance your program, skip it. Invest in private viewing rooms and targeted travel instead.
• VIP care is essential. Handwritten notes, timely check-ins, conservation follow-ups. Retention beats acquisition every quarter. 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your stable.
• Story Narrative with authenticity sells the work. Tighten and embellish your artists statements; while setting yourself apart.

“Serious Play’s purpose is to mentor artists and art organizations to tell more of their untold stories.”  

I’m not cynical. Telling untold stories will improve your bottom line. But stories die when the math fails. At Serious Play, I help artists and galleries install the strategy and system under the art—so the village survives the spreadsheet.

“No margin, no mission, no profit.” — Management adage.

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