Q: I've made my living selling art out of my studio and outside of the traditional gallery business for over twenty years. I've had a handful of shows during that time, but only at small galleries and exhibit spaces run by friends. As a result, people in the established art community know little or nothing about me. What's the best way to approach traditional established galleries for shows? Or should I even bother? I have plenty of completed pieces available to show.

A: Whether or not to get involved with traditional galleries is a decision that only you can make. On the one hand, you're in great shape because you make your living on your own terms and don't have to rely on galleries for income. On the other hand, no matter how successful you get, you'll always lack that "seal of approval" that established gallery representations and shows provide.

Additional problems with going it alone are that you have no third parties pitching your art to museums, major collectors, corporations, and other groups or individuals that you can't easily access on your own. Establishing a resale or secondary market for your art is also difficult because public sales venues like resale galleries and auction houses don't know who you are. Keep in mind, however, that many artists make good incomes outside of the mainstream and are quite happy living with none of the above perks.

If you decide to go with the galleries, you have to make one major sacrifice-- share your profits. Dealers get paid for services rendered, normally 40-60% of retail gallery prices, which means that you're either going to have to substantially raise your selling prices or, more likely, keep them about where they are now and subtract a gallery commission whenever something sells. Even your collectors may have to buy through whatever galleries represent you, depending on your contractual arrangements. You'll be trading a percentage of your current gross income for potential future fame, fortune, and a robust secondary market for your art.

Also be prepared to lose a certain amount of your autonomy because you'll be entering into a world structured not so much by you, but rather by whomever you contract with to sell your art. If you try to lay down the law or insist on continuing to operate entirely on your own terms, you'll stand little or no chance of getting gallery representation. For the first time in your career, someone else will be telling you what you may or may not do. If you can live with the above compromises, then gallery representation may work for you.

Getting shows at established galleries won't be easy at this stage in your career. You have to start out pretty much as a beginner and make a good case for yourself and your art. You'll also have some explaining to do when dealers ask why you've avoided doing business with them for so long. The last thing dealers want is to enter into relationships with artists, only to have them fall apart a short time later. They'll want to feel relatively confident that if initial shows do well, good, solid, long-term working arrangements will evolve.

Your big advantage over less successful artists or artists who are just starting out is that you come to dealers with a pre-established collector base. Art dealers like knowing that when they have shows, they're going to sell art and make money. Make sure to present them with a list of people and institutions, both public and private, who own your art. The more high-profile names you've sold to, the greater your chances of getting shows. An impressive client list is a great ally.