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Management of Art Galleries
The latest edition of the bestselling guide to running a successful gallery, told from the expert perspective of art-world insiders
What makes an art gallery successful? How do galleries ensure their marketing is right? How should galleries best approach new markets and customers, while still serving their loyal clientele? Based on the results of an anonymous survey sent to more than 8,000 galleries, Magnus Resch's insightful examination of the business of selling art, newly updated and revised, is a compelling read, with an approach that is both aspirational and practical.
What makes an art gallery successful? How do galleries ensure their marketing is right? How should galleries best approach new markets and customers, while still serving their loyal clientele? Based on the results of an anonymous survey sent to more than 8,000 galleries, Magnus Resch's insightful examination of the business of selling art, newly updated and revised, is a compelling read, with an approach that is both aspirational and practical.
- GenresArtBusinessNonfiction
152 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2015
24 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Magnus Resch
19 books28 followersMagnus Resch is an art-market economist, serial entrepreneur, and bestselling author. Magnus is a Professor for art economics, lecturing at Yale University. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and studied at Harvard, the LSE, and University of St. Gallen. His career has been portrayed in a Harvard Business School case study and in various articles, in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and the Financial Times. Magnus lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 22, 2023
Something every aspiring (or current) gallerist/art dealer/artist/art historian should read. I found great value in Resch's Artist/Gallery Portfolio Matrix and the extremely practical tips at the end of the case studies he provided.
You can tell the book was written based on thorough, first-hand research and experience.
You can tell the book was written based on thorough, first-hand research and experience.
December 28, 2017
Let's be clear - this is not an academic overview of different approaches towards managing an art gallery but rather a pretty much one-sided, straight-forward, pro-business advice from an art entrepreneur to gallerists and art dealers trying to survive in a passion-driven and highly competitive market. This doesn't mean the book denies social mission of a gallery, it's ethics, pro-art approach, a power of gallerist's charisma, or basic passion for the subject, but it clearly states that this is not enough to sustain a business.
One can agree or disagree with author's opinions, but it's worth reading, as the book is research-based, includes eye-opening data, and parallels from other industries. The main thesis [in my opinion, rightly] states that while other industries rethought their core structures (transportation was transformed by Uber, music industry - revolutionised by the iTunes, etc) in order to grow, art galleries just kept doing what they did for decades - often unsuccessfully - expecting a different result in already oversaturated market where everyone is doing pretty much the same thing: opening galleries in the same central areas, approaching same audiences, organising cliche-events, sending pretty-much same looking invitations to the same people, etc. There are things to learn from other industries, so why not apply models already invented elsewhere in communication, financial structuring, expansion, building and targeting the right audience, thinking outside the box, merging and collaborating, networking and nurturing relationships with both - artists and potential buyers. The book offers different directions to experiment on, though clearly states there is no "one right model" for everyone.
Next to simply explained and compared business models, research-based data, and personal opinions by the author himself, the book includes a number of case studies based on the interviews with the biggest names in the field. One could draw a conclusion, that most of those galleries did something differently in order to survive and stand out. For me personally this was the best part of the book, because these successful examples, though very different in their business model, showed the balance between pro-business and pro-art approaches.
I consider myself a dummy in the field, and I felt this book was both - easy to read and enlightening with a lot of research-based information. I would not dare to open an art gallery without reading this book first.
P.S. the book is beautifully designed and well-structured which only helps to grasp the reality behind clearly-presented data and focus on key-concepts presented.
One can agree or disagree with author's opinions, but it's worth reading, as the book is research-based, includes eye-opening data, and parallels from other industries. The main thesis [in my opinion, rightly] states that while other industries rethought their core structures (transportation was transformed by Uber, music industry - revolutionised by the iTunes, etc) in order to grow, art galleries just kept doing what they did for decades - often unsuccessfully - expecting a different result in already oversaturated market where everyone is doing pretty much the same thing: opening galleries in the same central areas, approaching same audiences, organising cliche-events, sending pretty-much same looking invitations to the same people, etc. There are things to learn from other industries, so why not apply models already invented elsewhere in communication, financial structuring, expansion, building and targeting the right audience, thinking outside the box, merging and collaborating, networking and nurturing relationships with both - artists and potential buyers. The book offers different directions to experiment on, though clearly states there is no "one right model" for everyone.
Next to simply explained and compared business models, research-based data, and personal opinions by the author himself, the book includes a number of case studies based on the interviews with the biggest names in the field. One could draw a conclusion, that most of those galleries did something differently in order to survive and stand out. For me personally this was the best part of the book, because these successful examples, though very different in their business model, showed the balance between pro-business and pro-art approaches.
I consider myself a dummy in the field, and I felt this book was both - easy to read and enlightening with a lot of research-based information. I would not dare to open an art gallery without reading this book first.
P.S. the book is beautifully designed and well-structured which only helps to grasp the reality behind clearly-presented data and focus on key-concepts presented.
November 26, 2019
The research data shared throughout the book is the most valuable part of it (yet, it's limited to three key markets: US, UK, and Germany). For that alone, the book is worth reading in its most recent edition.
The central point of the book is that the art industry needs better marketing and business management skills. Having led the corporate sponsorship of a world-class art institute, I definitely agree on the need for better marketing for art galleries and museums. I'm not sure about the business management, tho. I'm also an art collector and none of the artists I know would ever feel comfortable with performance reviews and magic quadrants (one of the many practical recommendations in the book) to assess their career trajectory.
Some of the things suggested seem very impractical if galleries want to keep working with uncompromisingly talented artists. The recommended business model works well, in my opinion, only if the goal is selling artists that opportunistically produce whatever the market seems to buy at any given time.
The central point of the book is that the art industry needs better marketing and business management skills. Having led the corporate sponsorship of a world-class art institute, I definitely agree on the need for better marketing for art galleries and museums. I'm not sure about the business management, tho. I'm also an art collector and none of the artists I know would ever feel comfortable with performance reviews and magic quadrants (one of the many practical recommendations in the book) to assess their career trajectory.
Some of the things suggested seem very impractical if galleries want to keep working with uncompromisingly talented artists. The recommended business model works well, in my opinion, only if the goal is selling artists that opportunistically produce whatever the market seems to buy at any given time.
May 27, 2021
A pragmatic field map to the art world, yes, reality bites in some instances, however the author has given some encouraging options to alternative routes and creative pathways to have a sustainable career as an artist.
The book demystifies many of the complexities and nuances of the global art market with solid data, interesting case studies and a practical breakdown of key players and their modus operandi.
Complete with an address book of who’s who in the art world on Instagram, I’ve really enjoyed this book and look forward to giving it to my accountant for his end of financial year present as it’s the first art book that speaks both our languages.
The book demystifies many of the complexities and nuances of the global art market with solid data, interesting case studies and a practical breakdown of key players and their modus operandi.
Complete with an address book of who’s who in the art world on Instagram, I’ve really enjoyed this book and look forward to giving it to my accountant for his end of financial year present as it’s the first art book that speaks both our languages.
March 10, 2024
A highly accessible and engaging read. I appreciate the fact that Magnus Resch had used graphics to break down concepts which helps for visually-minded arty types who aren't entrepreneurial. I would have liked to see more about galleries in Australia, but it's understandable that one can't cover every gallery in the world. There were many useful case studies that provided advice to assist gallerists; partnerships with other galleries and keeping operational costs low were particularly vital. The latter was interesting as I always thought the art world was completely competitive, but it's a perspective that could be really helpful to various galleries.
August 12, 2019
A very comprehensive book full of practical cases from the successful galleries!
This is not your typical non-fiction on the subject of art management, which usually talk about art business as some mysterious unicorn to which standard rules are non applicable. Magnus Resch openly and directly de-mystifies this notion and explains why art galleries should be managed as any other business enterprise if they want to succeed. Very to the point, hands on approach of the books arms art managers with tools you can start using right now. No bullshit, no abstract theories and demagogy.
This is not your typical non-fiction on the subject of art management, which usually talk about art business as some mysterious unicorn to which standard rules are non applicable. Magnus Resch openly and directly de-mystifies this notion and explains why art galleries should be managed as any other business enterprise if they want to succeed. Very to the point, hands on approach of the books arms art managers with tools you can start using right now. No bullshit, no abstract theories and demagogy.
August 5, 2018
Magnus Resch's book is - in his own words - pro art and pro business, suggesting a revision of galleries structures and models, hopefully leading to a more successful combination of culture and commerce. Resch makes some good remarks, clearly has some insight into how gallery management works, done his research and opens up the discussion about future gallery models without giving a definite blueprint on how to successfully run a gallery...
April 28, 2022
As for a person who doesn’t know much about art industry and how galleries make money, this book is a perfect starter – mix of data, research and modern case studies makes it incredibly easy & interesting to read. Great work!
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April 25, 2021Good case studies
December 6, 2023
Good read perspective wise as an artist
February 13, 2025
Well designed and clearly written book suggesting new models and strategies for financially viable art galleries. A useful book for anyone interested in this space.
November 25, 2019
Magnus is valuably challenging the blindly accepted norms through case studies and 1st hand research. It's shocking that such an approach is unique.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews