Are Brick & Mortar Galleries Still Relevant?

In the not so distant past, you would sift through a stack of mail, to find a flyer for an upcoming gallery opening.

The flyer would have the artists name, followed by the pertinent information about the show, which usually would list the galleries address, telephone number, and gallery hours, followed by the opening night date and so forth. On the flyer, there was usually a solitary photograph of the artists work. That photograph was as a teaser of sorts: a sample of what would follow if you made your way to the opening. One photograph was enough though, because galleries knew what sold, and more importantly, they knew who their audience was.

Fast forward to the present, and you'll see a trend where gallery openings are becoming something of an afterthought for nervous gallery owners, who are relying on internet pre-sales that kill any anticipation or excitement for local collectors. Some galleries are posting photographs of the entire show (with prices included), as well as online shopping-cart-checkouts, for those wanting to buy ahead of time, before one patron so much as walks through the front door. Talk about anti-climatic! This is creating a "Amazonesque" environment that shows little confidence in creating a healthy brick and mortar art scene for local markets.

The mutual respect between the the artist, the gallery and the buyer, is built on long lasting relationships that benefit all parties. It takes patience on the part of the gallery to develop these relationships, but with  technology creating opportunities to broaden their audience, it's understandable how galleries are tempted by the chance to create a global audience. That being said, it would admirable if galleries could  hold off with online sales, if only for a night, so cities (like Detroit) can develop self-sustainable art markets that are around for the long haul. It would create a win-win scenario for both the galleries and their audience.