These artists aren't starving

Tips from renowned painter Nancy Thayer

A visual artist need not take a vow of poverty — not even in Detroit.

Renowned painter Nancy Thayer has advice for artists who aspire to see their work in the world’s best museums. She taught the business of being an artist for almost 30 years at the College for Creative Studies. Today she teaches two classes at the University of Michigan and another at the CCS. She has paintings in dozens of collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Muzeum Papiernictwa in Poland. She and her sculptor husband Russell Thayer live in a beautiful, modern home in Franklin, full of gorgeous art.

Set your priorities and goals. Visualize yourself five, 10, 20 years down the road. Where do you want your work to be seen? If you dream of having your artwork in the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York or the Louvre Museum in Paris, you need to build a good reputation with gallery and museum directors.

Have other income sources. Find a “day job,” but make sure it won’t drain your time and energy. It helps to have a day job related to your art. Many artists teach at colleges, universities or art centers. In the Detroit area, there are many schools within a 45-minute radius, but to teach at the college level, you need a master’s degree.

Look into working at a gallery, museum or art center, framing artwork, transporting artwork, or installing shows. This will give you the inside scoop on how the art world works. You’ll also meet others who can help you. Look into working for an interior designer or decorator. Use graphic design skills to do freelance design work.

Create a portfolio. Get high-quality digital images of your work — you’ll need these to enter juried gallery shows. Today many galleries are requiring digital images instead of slides. You’ll also need to develop an Internet presence. Set up your own Web site or find another (like this one) where you can showcase your artwork. After you’re represented by galleries, you may get your work on their Web sites.

Create a résumé. List the most important information first — degrees, grants, scholarships and awards you have earned. Include memberships in arts organizations and associations — this shows you’re active in the art community. Also list any juried exhibitions where you’ve shown your work. Later in your career, drop your education down to the bottom, and first list what’s most important: museum and corporate collections that own your work, commissions for your work, solo and group exhibitions, publications, press, teaching experience and other related experience.

Maximize visibility. After you have a strong body of work, try to get it shown as much as possible. Get together with a group of artist friends and put on a show in one of your studios. Plan an opening and send invites to friends — and ask them to invite their friends. Send press releases to local media to get listed in event calendars; network with journalists to get publicity for your show.

Enter juried group exhibitions. In the Detroit area, many art centers and galleries, such as the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, the Detroit Artists Market, the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, and the Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester all have juried group exhibitions. Visit sites, pick those you that you like and get on their e-mail lists. In the beginning, put modest prices on your artwork. As your reputation grows, you can ask for more.

Juried exhibitions build your reputation. Although most gallery owners don’t go to many art shows, they will be impressed by your list. Once you’re comfortable with your list, visit gallery directors, show them your résumé and portfolio, and set up a visit to your studio. Your goal is to be shown in commercial galleries, and ultimately, to be represented by them. Commercial galleries take a commission of 50 percent, but if you find one that is a good fit, you can sell a lot of artwork.

Avoid craft fairs and art fairs if your goal is to get into prestigious museums. Generally, the art there is not of museum quality, but there are exceptions.

Look for art consultants and agents. These people work with galleries, museums, art collectors and corporate clients to find artwork. They are harder to find, so if you see a corporation or hospital with a major art collection, find out who supplied them with the art. Or ask gallery owners or museum directors for the names of art consultants. Contact the consultants, e-mail them images of your work and invite them to visit your studio. Generally, they’ll take a 20 percent-to-40 percent commission, but will bring clients to you.

(Thayer works with four or five agents.)

Keep creating. You need to keep busy to maintain an inventory of good work.