SUBMISSION FAQ'S
Portfolio Review at the gallery :
We love looking at new art and review work from prospective artists each month.
If you are interested in submitting your work for review, we recommend you spend some time going through our FAQ’S carefully to get a sense of our gallery.
Here is some other important information to keep in mind while deciding whether to submit your work:
The Artists Alley is committed to giving a complete experience to art buyers & artists alike. We are now able to give the access & convenience of online galleries as well as the prestige & honor of a traditional gallery showing in a major art city of the world.
***How can I show at The Artists Alley ?***
There are 3 ways you can have a presence in San Francisco and be associated with our Gallery & its programs
a) A Physical show in the San Francisco Gallery.
b) Artist in residency.
c) Online Visibility on the Gallery website & its E commerce site.
***How Do I Go About Any Of The Above?***
---Physical Shows---
- Depending on demographics & availability of space, it usually takes upwards of 3 - 6 weeks from an interview to receiving and hanging art work.
- Sometimes an artist could have interviewed with us way back in the past & we did not have space or the artist could not schedule a show.
---Artist In Residency---
- Is usually sponsored by one of our corporate sponsors.
- Once we invite an artist, it takes upwards of 1 - 6 months to implement.
---Online---
- Is the most time saving way to get associated with our Gallery.
- While we continue the dialogue with artists they can be exposed to our clientèle right away, if selected.
***How do we plan the physical showing timeline?***
As a gallery in San Francisco, we are always full. However, Since we are a collective there are artists joining and leaving constantly.
Once a dialogue begins, one of the first steps at our end is to check with the the scheduling team to request for the earliest window for an artist we have been speaking with.
At your end you would want to look at your calender and see a convenient timeline for you to send out work.
***I haven’t shown in many exhibits. Will I get selected ?***
Work is assessed for its quality, originality, and potential to enhance the collection exhibited by the gallery. Our artists vary widely in terms of their age, education and experience. Our youngest accomplished "emerging" artist is 20, our oldest is 80. Some artists have MFA degrees, others are self-taught.
We not only represent artists who have exhibited in many different venues and received critical acclaim for their work but also artists that are showing in a gallery for the very first time.
***How many works can I show at the gallery?***
- The objective is to show a body of your work to our clients.
- We also have to keep a visual balance between yours & other artists works.
- Too many works tend to distract clients.
- Once they get a first hand view of your works and would like to see more, they are invited to view online.
- You can have unlimited number of your work’s images online.
It is also easier for you to FedEx us a few works in one package.
***Who does the final selections?***
Once we have agreed to work together and the initial formalities are out of the way, we assign an individual for selections & logistics.
***What if I don’t live in San Francisco ?***
Although we would love to have you over anytime during the 90 days, 90% of our artists are out of state and overseas and have never visited San Francisco.
**What happens after I submit Artwork?**
Sometimes it takes months before an artist actually sends & shows work at the gallery.
Once the gallery begins a dialogue with an artist we feel every moment matters and the objective is to maximize each others potential right away.
Being invited to submit is the1st step. While artists are establishing a relationship with us they are invited to show on our sites. Getting aboard online gives us an opportunity to build up upcoming shows & artists.
***Why online submissions & showings?***
San Francisco being a major art center, submissions year round are overwhelming ;
We find it difficult to sift through attachments, web links & websites.
Most of the artists personal websites do not do justice to the their work.
Based on our own requirements, our Curatorial board has created a technically systematized and convenient submission process, online, thereby freeing up staff to focus on outreach.
***What is the difference between showing online & the Gallery?***
Many accomplished Artists are finding their works lost in a maze of zillions of images on the "open for all" platforms. Very few online venues are actually backed by a physical gallery in a major art center of the world.
After the first few visits to our gallery most buyers prefer to monitor new artists works online.
-Backed by a 4000 sq ft physical gallery in the most prestigious Art city of the western hemisphere.
-Commendation by the State Assembly of California
-Artists given their own "Online Personal Galleries" right away.
-Unlimited upload of images on the E Commerce site.
-Visibility on The Artists Alley website (Up-to 5 images)
-24/7 visibility to gallery patrons Art Galleries, brokers, collectors and individual buyers
-Be a part of our newsletter & ----social media outreach program to corporates & foundations.
-Shopping cart for artists when activated.
-Exposure to Grants and Sponsorships.
-Automatic enrollment in the Bi annual $5000 Cash Endowments (by our sponsors)
-Automatic enrollment in the All Expenses paid Artist in residence programs in San Francisco & Dubai.
***When did the online space mature?***
Back in 2000, The Information age hardly existed. Institutions that influenced the world as we know it today - Google, Apple, Yahoo & E bay had barely been launched.
For 10 years, The Artists Alley existed successfully as a collective with artists contributing monthly fees for a physical show at the gallery.
This collaborative model was commended by the State Legislature of California.
Fast forward - in 2010 with the maturity of the internet, every accomplished artist can NOW show their work to our clients at the fraction of that cost, in an instance
Most buyers prefer to monitor and patronize new artists works online.
***What are the other benefits by bginning to show online?***
1. Artists invited to show online enjoy all the benefits of showing at The Artists Alley
2. Artists can display only a selected few pieces at the Gallery but unlimited, online.
3. Most of the artwork selection by our Corporates & Foundations is done online
An artist across the globe can be associated with our gallery at the fraction of the cost of travelling or sending work to us.
***How many months do I need online exposure before a gallery show?***
From inception to implementation, gallery’s programs with Corporations & Foundations can take upwards of 3 - 6 months.
In order to get maximum visibility, as a gallery we always suggest upwards of 3 - 6 months.
The longer the association the more the visibility
***When do I get to show at the Gallery?***
The longer you are with us online, the better the chances of showing at the Gallery.
San Francisco never fails to excite patrons & artists alike. Our staff is available 6 days a week to schedule art shows for our online member artists.
Each month the board picks artists for either a show or artist in residency.
***What is the Percentage on sales?***
Please email us specific questions.
***What are the Submission Steps?***
Please email us for the steps.
Register-create login id / password
Our Gallery staff will be notified as soon as you do the above.
Process payment of your choice.
Load images that you feel signify your work best to our board members, patrons & our affiliates
We will then select 5 images for - TheArtistsAlley.com site & upload them.
Include you as an affiliate artist of the gallery.
If you have further specific questions about portfolio review and the showing procedures, please email us at Theartistalley@gmail.com and we will be happy to assist you.