This information is located in our software for artists. Some references within the text will be software related.

Introduction
Studio visits can be arranged with gallery dealers, art consultants, other artists, non-profits, curators and basically anyone who has the time to look at your work and talk about it with you. Studio visits can be as formal as meeting with a dealer with the hopes of being asked to participate in the gallery, or as informal as inviting a friend over to discuss your newest body of work.

Studio visits are a useful tool for making new connections with other people in the art world. When you start to develop a professional relationship with another artist or curator consider asking him or her over for a studio visit. Inviting fellow artists over for studio visits can also prove an invaluable opportunity to rehearse talking about your work and to hash out new ideas. Having a studio visit can also help you overcome the nervousness that accompanies showing new work to a public audience. The more you meet with people you know and respect, the better you will be when talking about your art with strangers.

Be Prepared:
Before you invite people over for a studio visit you might want to think about what you are going to show them. There are many different types of studio visits. You might schedule a visit simply to introduce someone to your work. For this kind of studio visit you don’t necessarily have to have new work to show. You can show them older work you still have in your inventory, or you can show them work in a portfolio, or even introduce them to your work using the Artwork Inventory section of your GYST software.

You might schedule a studio visit to talk about a new body of work. When you have this kind of studio visit you will want to have your new work ready to show in a clean, well-lit environment. Don’t clutter this kind of studio visit with older work. You might confuse your guest.

It’s always good to prepare for a studio visit by having a few questions about your work ready to ask your guest. Clearly state your intentions with the work and ask your guest if your intentions are present in the work. Ask about framing, lighting, ideal exhibition environments. Ask your guest if your work makes them think of work by other artists. This will provide you with conversation starters during awkward silences. Make sure to have a pen and paper at the ready for notes.

Always make sure you give detailed instructions on how to get to your studio, and how to get into your studio. Remember to give them your contact information so they can get in touch with you should they get lost.

Remember that studio visits can last as short as 10 minutes, or longer than an hour. Curators, critics, and dealers often go on several studio visits a day, so when you schedule your studio visit agree on the duration of the visit and take into account that your guest may be busy. Always provide something to drink, at least water, during your studio visit. Make sure there is a clean place to sit and let your guest know where they can sit. There is nothing more embarrassing than inviting someone over, and then having them end up sitting on your art.

Don’t get drunk or do drugs during your studio visit. Remember that too much caffeine can make you jittery and nervous.
Have your artist statement and resume available, even if you have sent one to your guest already. Reviews, announcements from shows or other printed materials can help them understand the work. A description of the work can also be useful, as well as providing additional descriptions of past work. This can be in addition to the artist statement, especially if your work is fairly complicated.

During the visit
Remember that you represent your work. No matter how great your work is, if you appear uninformed, arrogant, or rude you may put off your guest and miss exhibition, funding, or representation opportunities. So always have basic tact, humility and politeness. Do not brag. You will look really stupid and pretentious. Do not be dramatic or demanding. Trying to convey a sense of emergency will only distance the visitor.

Start out by giving them a tour of your work, explain what you are up to and sit back and wait for their response. This is the time to focus on your work—do not go off on tangents. The visitor may ask you many questions about your work. Be calm and try to mirror your guest’s attitude. If they talk a lot, try to keep pace. If they want to be quiet, try to slowly ease them into a new conversation.

Remember, sex is not a career advancement strategy; bed dealers for entertainment purposes only—and keep it separate from a studio visit.

Meeting With Dealers
If you are meeting with a gallery director about possible representation it’s important to be prepared with the right attitude and questions. Do not bring your prejudicial attitudes towards the art business, art dealers, art galleries, or the system of the art world into a studio visit. It is best to work through these issues in therapy, with friends, or keep them to yourself. Remember a gallery is not interested in working with new artists who bring that type of baggage to their roster of artists. They last thing they need is more drama. They are in the business of selling work. Do not give the dealer or curator a hard time. It is always easier to get along with an artist who is pleasant to work with.

Never argue a commission split. Learn why dealers deserve their percentages on your own time, not theirs. If you believe that the commission split is not fair, you should find another gallery. Beware of scamming dealers, but also respect those dealers who expect 50/50 as they usually earn their part of the commission through hard work.

It is good not to scare them with the first meeting. Never tell a dealer or the person visiting your studio that they are missing the true meaning of your artwork. The work should speak for itself, as you will not have the opportunity to be a personal docent at your exhibition. If the visitor has trouble understanding your work or how it relates to what your message, it is usually your problem, not theirs. Curators, critics, and most people in the art world rely on art for their livelihood and they spend a lot of time looking at art, and are usually pretty good at evaluating work. These people are usually good bellwethers for how others will perceive your work. Do not offer them the challenge of selling your work if they are uncertain or disinterested. Acting desperate can make you come across as naïve. It is a good idea to show work that is available to the dealer or curator, and to be clear about what work is unavailable and why.

If the dealer begins to talk about a relationship with their gallery, ask about specific details, such as exhibition schedules, what to expect, their future exhibition schedule. Find out what you can do next. You might be invited to participate in a group show, or they may wait to think about the visit. Do not be impatient, and do not hound them. The studio visit is usually an indicator of how you are as a person as well as an artist. If they do not give you something then and there, be sure to ask them if you can keep them posted about future work. This will give you a reason to add them to your mailing list or to contact them again in the future with a new or finished body of work.