What is a Studio Visit?

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Written by John Sillings
Nov 8th, 2019 • 3 minute read

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What is a Studio Visit?

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Visiting an artist’s studio is a long held tradition shared between artists, curators, gallery owners, and collectors. For the artist, it’s an opportunity to show new or in-progress work, explain themes and ideas central to their work, and present their practice and abilities in a private and intimate setting. For visitors, it’s a chance to participate in a one-on-one dialogue with artists to gain insight into how the artist makes their work, what inspires the artist’s work, and to get an exclusive opportunity to witness where the artist is headed next. The experience of participating in a studio visit might be intimidating for those who have never done one before, although you’ll soon find that the process is simple, natural, and often very intriguing. Here’s a few tips on setting up, participating in, and following up with an artist during the studio visit process.

Introductions

Many art collectors develop relationships with the artists whose careers they follow and support - the primary way these relationships develop is through studio visits. Whether you’re emailing an artist you haven’t yet met in person, or you’ve been introduced to an artist by a mutual friend, artists are generally excited to engage the process. Artists regularly schedule studio visits to see how audiences perceive their work, expose their work to interested parties, and potentially arrange sales. Most artists have done dozens of studio visits by the time they’ve left art school, so setting up a studio visit should be simple as long as the visitor has a displayed interest in the artist’s work.

What to talk about

For artists, no two studio visits are the same. Artists are generally ready to cover a wide range of topics during a studio visit, as well as answer most questions asked about their work. The best rule of thumb is to ask simple and direct questions about the artist’s work and allow the resulting conversation develop organically. Once the artist’s work has been addressed and explained, consider asking the artist things like "Do you have any exhibitions or events coming up that you’re excited about?" or "Do you have any suggestions for other artists I might want to look into?" Pro tip: If you're interested in buying a work from the artist, approach the topic cautiously, since this is a sensitive topic for some artists. Business arrangements between artists and art dealers can sometimes stipulate that the artist can't sell directly, without the gallery being involved. A good approach is to start by asking what works are available (before inquiring directly about pricing) and then seeing where the artist leads the conversation. Follow their cues to see if it's appropriate to inquire about buying from them or whether you should buy works through their gallery.

Length

Typically studio visits with artists last between 30 to 60 minutes. It’s fairly rare that the length of a studio visit would exceed an hour, so keep that in mind while you’re in the planning phase.

Following up

If you’ve left the studio visit with the artist and want to stay in touch, send them an email thanking them for their time and ask them to notify you regarding future exhibitions and if they’d like to arrange another studio visit in the future when a new body of work is complete. Again, most artists view meeting new people and participating in studio visits as part of their role as an artist, so they’ll usually be enthusiastic about maintaining a dialogue for years to come.

Conculsion

We hope this helps you navigate through your first studio visit experience. Studio visits with artists are generally rewarding and gratifying for both parties so we highly encourage you to venture out there and find out for yourself. If you’re looking for nearby galleries in which to find artists to meet with, try heading here ( http://www.contemporaryartvenues.com/ ) and entering your city to see a list of exceptional exhibitors.

What is a Studio Visit?

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