Contents of Art Business News - MAR-APR 2012

As the most requested magazine in the industry, Art Business News stays true to its mission of reporting the latest industry news and emerging trends driving the fine art market. ABN: The art industry's news leader since 1977.

Page 51 of 67

ABN
THE ART OF SELF-PROMOTION
THE ABILITY TO MARKET ONE'S WORK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOBBY AND A CAREER BY BARNEY DAVEY
F 50
or many artists, the idea of self-promotion is something to dread, comparable to public speaking on the list of tasks they'd rather avoid. Many artists fear that
too much self-promotion could cause them to lose cred- ibility as a serious artist. T ose artists couldn't be more wrong. An artist's success
is directly related to actively getting his
or her work to the market via direct sell- ing, advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing, Websites, blogs and public- ity. T ere are no rules about using all of these options, but failing to use enough of them is reason to fail. Here are a few facts about the all-important task of selling yourself.
FACT: WITHOUT MARKETING AND PROMOTION, AN ARTIST HAS A PLEASANT HOBBY
While fi ne art can be most compel-
ling, with undeniable natural beauty and mystique, it does not sell itself. Without eff ective marketing eff orts to shine a
"WE MAY ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG, BUT WE BUY FROM THE WINNERS."
MARCH/APRIL 2012