When it comes to the business of art, we in the media are usually lightning quick to cover new ventures. We tend to devote far fewer words to how those new ventures are working out along the way—at least, until they lead to a big win or a shocking ending.
But periodic check-ins can sometimes reveal important lessons, too. This spring, a trio of brick-and-mortar galleries launched campaigns on Patreon, a leading facilitator of monthly crowdfunding for artists and creatives of all stripes, in order to supplement their revenue from traditional art sales at a time when gallery operating costs are skyrocketing. Granted, each gallerist stressed in their comments to artnet News that their respective campaigns—such as Postmasters’s tiered subscription offering, from $3 per month for a patron’s name on the wall to $500 for in-depth biannual consultations—were works in progress. And, as always, it’s hard to derive clear-cut assessments from small sample sizes. Still, roughly three months in, a few valuable insights are already emerging from their experiences. Read more