Gallerist

Who is a gallerist and what do they do?

A gallerist (the owner or director of a gallery) is the person who represents an artist and handles the sale of their work. It is not merely about hanging a painting on a wall and waiting for a buyer; the gallerist presents the artist at fairs, arranges exhibitions, seeks collectors and takes a commission for their work — a high one under exclusive agreements. Put simply, they are the person who opens doors an artist would reach only with difficulty alone.

How does a gallerist build an artist's career?

Gradually and patiently, step by step. They choose which fairs the artist will appear at, to whom the works will be offered and how the artist will be talked about. A strong gallerist can make a star of an artist — think of Larry Gagosian, who helped bring Jeff Koons to the fore. That is no accident but the result of a long network of relationships and a feel for whom to present, and when.

How does a gallerist affect the value of a work and the market?

A gallerist influences where a work first appears and at what price, and so helps shape its later value. When a respected gallery represents an artist, it gives the work a credibility that collectors and auction houses both register. Their decisions about whom to sell a painting to — or whom not to offer it to — thus shape an artist's trace on the market for years to come.

Why does a collector pay a gallerist a commission?

Because the gallerist carries costs and risks that otherwise remain hidden: rent for the space, exhibitions, promotion, travel to fairs and the time spent finding the right buyer. The commission is the reward for that work and for access to artists you will not find elsewhere. It is not merely a mark-up on the price, then, but payment for the whole world the gallerist builds around an artist.

What is the difference between a gallerist and an art dealer?

A gallerist is generally tied to particular artists whom they represent over the long term and whose careers they cultivate. An art dealer, by contrast, more often buys and resells works without standing behind an artist's name in the same personal way. In practice the line between the two roles is permeable, and one person not infrequently does both.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club