Thoughts on the National...

[Exhibitman]

Nearly 20 years ago I was lucky enough to be in NY during a one-man show of an emerging artist. Really stunning stuff--Old Master caliber work. The gallery had everything from giant oils to small sketches. My wife and I spent two days marveling at the work. We weren't comfortable with a multi-thousand dollar purchase of an oil so we opted for an ink study at $1,000 instead. My point is that when you are offering artwork at a show setting or in a gallery open to the public you are essentially asking a potential customer to start a relationship with you, try out your product, so to speak. What you want is for the shopper to become a customer and that requires an entry level item. A guy like me isn't likely to plunk down several thousand dollars on a big canvas at the show--what if I do it and then my wife vetoes hanging it in the house--but might very well pick up a small, modest piece that only costs a few hundred dollars. If you turn a shopper into a customer with something modest you may find yourself selling something more expensive to the customer later. The key is to start the relationship. I think a modestly priced study or sketch offering is the way to go.