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The Role of Galleries, Dealers and Artists’ Estates in Growing Artists’ Brands

An artist’s road to prominence is a complicated one. It usually starts with placing art into galleries, followed by steady price appreciation, sales at art fairs and major auctions, and ultimately inclusion in museum shows and reputable collections. Sometimes it seems like artists get instant recognition for their work. But more often than not the success of an artist is the result of a carefully thought-through strategy constructed by other art professionals. Galleries, dealers and artists’ estates each have important roles in building powerful artists’ brands.

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Galleries

Galleries invest plenty of effort into building artists’ brands in all stages of their career — from discovering new artists, helping them develop, to promoting their art and selling their works. Gallerists get actively involved in the development of the artists’ style by visiting artists’ studios and giving advice. They inspire artists, by pushing them to think about their work and how they want to progress.

When the artwork is finished, galleries will often contact their recurrent clients and try to get the artwork into…