Galleries

Question 1

Public Gallery Characteristics

Answer 1

• Owned and established by the Government; or, managed on behalf of the public.
• Public galleries are not-for-profit organisations.
• In order to exhibit the artist needs to be well established with an excellent
  reputation

Question 2

Intentions of public galleries

Answer 2

Educate
Present
Promote
Collect
Conserve
- Devoted to: Collecting, Conserving, Presenting

Question 3

Educate (Public Gallery)

Answer 3

• Public gallery is an educational resource
• Teach the public about our cultural / artistic heritage
• School groups, free public tours, professional development for
  teachers
• “Behind the scenes” tours
• Education Officers employed
• BFAG – One ed officer appointed with funding from DEET
• One ed officer appointed with funding from Catholic Education Office

Question 4

Present (Public Gallery)

Answer 4

• Must decide on exhibition program which will present best exhibitions to the public to ensure attendance
• Exhibitions sourced from own collections + travelling exhibitions
• Exhibition space + design = vital part of effective exhibition presentation
• Conditions (e.g. temp + humidity) in display + storage must be maintained

Question 5

Promote (Public Gallery)

Answer 5

• ensure an interesting venue for public to view collections and exhibitions must engage the public
• Must consider what and how they promote to increase attendance (e.g. print and electronic media, mailing lists/ NGV = large promotions through sponsorships)
• target audiences - publications for students, staff and specific groups

Question 6

Collect (Public Gallery)

Answer 6

• A Public gallery is a custodian of art on behalf of the public.
• Must develop, maintain and conserve their collection for future generations.
• Collection in a public gallery is viewed not sold.
• Collection – works are donated – bequest or by acquisition - funding through government

Question 7

Conserve (Public Gallery)

Answer 7

• Public galleries employ conservators to care for the works in its collection, whilst in storage and on display.
• Conservators first role is to prevent work from being damaged.
• Conservation in a large, public gallery is complex and costly, often involving a range of technical procedures to restore work that has been damaged.
• Gallery staff need to understand conservation issues for display and safe handling of works.

Question 8

Public Gallery - ACCA

Answer 8

• ACCA has no permanent collection and only showcases contemporary exhibitions – often created for the space.
• Their main role is to provide exhibition space and create discourse around contemporary art.
• Focus on presenting contemporary cutting edge art not maintaining a collection.
• ## Kunsthalle = “exhibition hall” –> large shell with four gallery spaces of varying sizes, allows myriad of media to be exhibited.

Question 9

Commercial Gallery characteristics

Answer 9

• Makes money through selling and/or lending contemporary and historical artworks to collectors or the public
• No government funding (privately owned + operated) –> funding from selling works
• Dramatic change for commercial galleries: Smaller art related products have flooded the market e.g. prints at low cost, Internet/online purchasing

Question 10

Intentions of Commercial Galleries

Answer 10

• Represent
• Sell
• Promote
• Collect
• Main objective is to make profit through sale of artworks

Question 11

Represent (Commercial Galleries)

Answer 11

• select ‘stable’ of mid to late career established artists
• responsible for marketing, promoting and exhibiting their artists
• hold solo and group exhibitions for their artists + ensure they have successful product to sell
• create unique style
• some offer exhibition spaces for less established artists to rent out in the hope of attracting sales + representation.

Question 12

Sell (Commercial Galleries)

Answer 12

• revenue must exceed expenditure
• commissions charged on sales of works - gallery takes % of sale of works (anything from 30% - 55%)
• simple sales - ‘off the wall’
• complex sales - work with buyer/ investor

Question 13

Artist Run Initiative characteristics

Answer 13

• ARIs are flexible, topical and responsive to the needs of emerging artists, and provide a valuable stepping stone for artists establishing themselves as professionals.
• These spaces act as radical incubators for the art of the future.
• offering alternatives to the existing commercial models rather than mimicking such models.
• They can take many forms they can be broadly described as non-profit organisations operated and run by a collective of practicing artists and as ‘those facilities (such as exhibition venues, studios, workshops, information and resource centres, which have been established and are maintained on a cooperative basis by groups)
• managed by artists
  continuing program of activities
• accepts proposals for exhibitions on an application basis

Question 14

Artist Run Initiative intentions

Answer 14

• Help artists to form a style through regular exhibitions
• Experimental spaces
• Learn about exhibiting
• Provide for those with a lack of a ‘body’ of work to seek representation

Question 15

Artist Run Initiative - Blindside

Answer 15

• diverse program of experimental creative practice that supports artist, writers, curators at any stage of dev. and connects them with community
• receives financial and in-kind support from a variety of partnerships inc. City of Melbourne + Creative Victoria
• Encourages sponsorship opp.s:
  
  • Collaboration
  • Educational seminars, public forums, guided talks, tours