Thoughts about donating artwork to a corporation.

Anthony Emmolo · 08-19-2002, 12:58 AM

Hello, all.

I wonder if anyone has experience donating artwork to a corporation. At the moment I'm making my living sell artwork through two commercial galleries. I'd like to approach a higher level gallery within the next couple of months, and I thought it would be helpful to write that I have artwork in the collection of a corporation. Does anyone have thoughts on how effective it is? Also if there are any thoughts on how to do it in order to get the most out of the donation please tell me. Thank you in advance.

Anthony

Karin Wells · 08-19-2002, 08:56 AM

I think that "saying" (n a resume) that you have work in a well-known coropration is not particularly impressive.

"Showing" that you produce good work (via portfolio) is much more impressive.

Long ago, I had a chat with somebody who worked at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. He told me that on a daily basis the museum received unsolicited paintings. This work ended up in the trash. He laughingly told me that people just sent a painting in so that they could say that their work was in the collection of a famous museum.

I am NOT impressed with artists who produce long lists of famous people and institutions who bought their work. I suspect (and know) that some of those lists are padded with bogus names.

But maybe some folks are indeed impressed by big names. The art world can be verrrry silly and pretentious. If you can benefit from playing that game, go for it!

And for pete's sake, let us know if this kind of thing works.

Michael Georges · 08-19-2002, 10:05 AM

Anthony,

Sounds to me like a good way to waste paintings and time, my opinion. I think that if an art dealer likes your work and thinks they can sell it, then they will take it into their gallery, regardless of your "qualifications" or who has your art.

Let me postscript that statement by saying I do portraiture exclusively right now. I haven't had anything in galleries for several years, so get others' opinions on it, please.

If you are going to donate, I believe that we should do it for something worthwhile that we love, AND, get something out of it like advertising. For example, I love the symphony. I donate a head and shoulders portrait to a symphony fund raising event every year. They agree to let me display a painting, portfolio, and business cards at the event. They get the benefit of my gift, I get the benefit of marketing my services to their patrons.

Chris Saper · 08-19-2002, 10:11 AM

Anthony,

I agree with the foregoing. I also recall that the only charitable deduction YOU can make is for the cost of your materials, not the value of the work.

Cynthia Daniel · 08-19-2002, 10:52 AM

Anthony,

Regarding fundraisers, take a look at this topic: http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=640

Michael Fournier · 08-19-2002, 11:51 AM

Well, Anthony, I can tell you what has much more pull with a big gallery than who has your artwork in their collection. That is how much they paid for it.

The gallery does not hang work so people can walk around and look at great art, or to impress people with names of collectors. They hang art that sells. The higher the price it can sell for, and the more of it they can sell, the more they will hang it.

So if your goal is to get your work hung, or to get the Holy Grail of the gallery artist, the one-man show, then you need to either have work that the gallery owner recognizes as saleable, (and this has a lot to do with that gallery owner's experience as to what they have sold before and what sells in the area the gallery is in), or show the gallery owner that your art is selling well, and at a high enough price to make him a sizable commission.

But one note: if you do want to get a one-man show, it is possible to use name-dropping for benefit if you have supporters that are well-known collectors and very influential in the city in which the gallery is located. You could get a gallery to open its doors for you if you present your work as saleable and show that you have either sold art to one of these influential people, or have pre-show sales lined up. Also, I recommend having very high quality brochures printed, that the gallery owner could then put their name on (usually a space left blank in the back cover for show dates and locations). How much should you spend on this? As much as you can afford. As a guide expect to pay about $2000-3000 for 5000 brochures. Why so much? Well, high-quality printing on top grade paper is expensive, but nothing can beat a great brochure for looking professional. And in the end, galleries only want artists that are professional, and you must show them you are just that.

Galleries that hang artists who don't sell or sell at low prices don't stay open long, or become frame and poster shops. If you are hung in one of those galleries, your art ends up hanging next to a cheap reproduction posters and discount frames. Not the light you want your art work in, if you intend to get higher prices for your work.

In the end, money talks. So show the gallery your work is demanding high sales prices, and I can assure you that you will get in the door, if not be able to get a one-man show.

A donation to a corporation won't help much. My advice is if you do have a contact inside a corporation, and you feel your art is good, put on your salesmen's hat. If you don't think you are good at selling, then get someone else, a family member (wives can be very good at this) or good friend to be your representative. And go call on this person with the intention of not donating, but selling your work for their collection. Again, key to the success of this sale is to represent yourself and your artwork very professionally. You must relate to the businessmen that your art has value. Corporations have art collections partially as an investment just as they might invest in real estate, and partially because they need something on the walls. Now if they can get your art for free, why would they want it? It has no value as an investment now and shows no reason why it will have any value in the future. In contrast, if you show them it has value now (by setting a sale price), and that the selling price of your artwork is steadily increasing (showing past sales vs. current sales), then you also show that it is likely to increase in value in the future - as well as look good on their walls. If you succeed in this sale then you have something. Yes, you can say you have art in Xname's collection but more importantly that you received Xnumber of dollars for it from this important person. Get it now? The names means little if they don't show support of your art work with their wallet.

Cynthia Daniel · 08-19-2002, 12:05 PM

I'll express my opinion from a PR angle. Easiest is to give you an example. In my area, Raymond James, an investment company, is a highly respected and well-known corporation. The owner is a big art collector and his collection is hung in all the hallways of the corporate building. He's a patron of the Tampa Museum and very well known in the art community and the community in general. So, to have on your resume that you're hanging in his collection has some meaning in this area...to some people.

So, you can see in this example, some of the factors that might make an action such as this worthwhile. Without some PR potential, then you could be wasting your time.

Another angle on this is to find a corporation whose CEO is well-known, perhaps reaching retirement age. Try to get your portfolio submitted as a contender to paint his portrait for retirement. If you're chosen, of course, you want to work it so you get to be present at the presentation and have plenty of business cards handy, but give them out only when asked.

Michael Fournier · 08-19-2002, 12:45 PM

Yes, Cynthia, I agree.

But in the end, by saying your art is in the collection, you are implying that they bought it and unless they did, you're not being completely honest.

Also, I have to add that I don't mean to imply that you should just go around quoting how much you received for your art. My post was just on dealing with galleries when they ask about the sale of your art.