Agora Gallery

[JustBen]

H i all,

I was contacted last week by Agora Gallery in New York City and they asked me if they could send me some information about their gallery and the promotional services they offer.
Since I had never heard of them before I did some research and found a lot of negative comments about how they contact artists to offer their services.

Since the email itself was no reason for concern and this is legitimate gallery I told them to send me their information. The reply I received talked about a "fee" that they charge in order to represent and promote their galleries. The email also contained a link that led me to their website.
There I found that they offer 5 different promotional packages, but no information about the "fee".

As I continued to search their website I found that the basic package seems to start in the $5000 region. For me this is a lot of money and so I wanted to know what kind of gallery they are and what their business model is. I found that this kind of gallery seems to be called "vanity gallery" and that they are "considered frowned upon in the art world" because of their business model. They never use that term on their website though...

I contacted them again because I wanted to see if they could provide me more information:
Why do you want my photos in your gallery? What do you like about my photos? Why can't I find a lot of Photographers that are represented in your gallery? What is the price of the different packages?

I am still waiting for an answer but I am curious to see if I will receive a straight answer to my questions.

Do you have experience with that kind of gallery, maybe even with Agora? I would be happy to hear your thoughts about this.

Sorry for the long text

Ben

 

[bundleofjoy]

I think,you don't write "sorry" for this post.it's truth .

 

[jcdeboever]

H i all,

I was contacted last week by Agora Gallery in New York City and they asked me if they could send me some information about their gallery and the promotional services they offer.
Since I had never heard of them before I did some research and found a lot of negative comments about how they contact artists to offer their services.

Since the email itself was no reason for concern and this is legitimate gallery I told them to send me their information. The reply I received talked about a "fee" that they charge in order to represent and promote their galleries. The email also contained a link that led me to their website.
There I found that they offer 5 different promotional packages, but no information about the "fee".

As I continued to search their website I found that the basic package seems to start in the $5000 region. For me this is a lot of money and so I wanted to know what kind of gallery they are and what their business model is. I found that this kind of gallery seems to be called "vanity gallery" and that they are "considered frowned upon in the art world" because of their business model. They never use that term on their website though...

I contacted them again because I wanted to see if they could provide me more information:
Why do you want my photos in your gallery? What do you like about my photos? Why can't I find a lot of Photographers that are represented in your gallery? What is the price of the different packages?

I am still waiting for an answer but I am curious to see if I will receive a straight answer to my questions.

Do you have experience with that kind of gallery, maybe even with Agora? I would be happy to hear your thoughts about this.

Sorry for the long text

Ben

Don't even get me started on art gallery's in NY. Other gallery's and the local art scene look down on them but the others suck the life out of you too. They are all dirt bags in my opinion. You are going about it the right way by asking questions. Trust me, they will respond with straight answers. Everyone has to start somewhere but you do need to be represented in way that bears fruit. Reality, they are simply getting their 50% - 60% in a different way and that way has the other snobs up in arms. Factor that into your pricing and hopefully it doesn't make you soar out of the marketplace. I trust you have done your homework on what fine art photography prints go for.

 

[dennybeall]

They are called a vanity gallery because anybody that wants to pay the huge amount of money they want up front can have their work displayed. There are also publishers that will do the same for a book and those that put together books of poetry in which anybody that pays is included.
If they think your stuff is good they will use their space and display it for a commission with no money up front.