ART SALES, SOCIAL MEDIA & POP-UPS

Using social media to sell artworks is no longer a new phenomena. That said, I recently have tried an on-line auction with ArtBomb.com (http://www.artbombdaily.com). Distribution is across Canada. There is a one time $75 administration fee, and a 50% commission on all sales. The starting bid is established by the artist. Something to consider is whether the amount reflects the fair market value that your previous clients have paid for similar work. I've noticed while researching what sells on-line that artworks are often smaller and less expensive. The dimensions are clearly stated. However, all thumb print image sizes have the same visual impact when viewed on a digital screen. In addition to third-party social media marketing, several of my fellow artists are successfully selling from their Facebook page. Each time an artwork is sold, no matter the venue, it is announced with great excitement on the artist's social media pages, effectively contributing to a dynamic artist image, encouraging curiosity and interest about their work, and perhaps more sales. For some artists, social media works more effectively than the traditional bricks-and-mortar gallery approach. Speaking of which, the pop-up gallery is another alternative some artists are embracing, and there are many variations of this idea too. I'm beginning to explore these alternatives. As a long time visual/media artist having had an exhibitions career, and occasionally represented in bricks-and-mortar galleries, I've accumulated a lot of artwork in storage spanning a life-time. Its no longer practical to deal with galleries concerned with the date a work was created. In my view, if its good art it should transcend the test to time.