Essential Strategies for Artists to Master the Art of Networking

Artist Joanna Touma in her studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Suzy Kopf is a multidisciplinary artist, college educator, and arts writer. She is a regular contributing writer for BmoreArt, as well as Baltimore Magazine, Johns Hopkins Magazine and the Baltimore Museum of Art, and specializes in profiles on creatives, art business practice, and exhibition reviews. Her work has been shown throughout the US and Canada and she has been the recipient of numerous residency fellowships including Kala, The Studios at Mass MoCA, Playa, and VCCA.

How can visual artists start networking to build a flourishing career?

Teaching professional development college classes to artists, the pre-graduation question I get over and over again at the end of the semester, more than any other specific query, is "How do I network?"

Despite inserting tips throughout the semester on how to network, new grads regularly approach me when they can’t avoid the topic any longer and declare they have no idea what they should be doing to get connected to The Art World, like, yesterday. This isn’t a new problem just for Gen Z—since the twentieth-century networking has been acknowledged as an intimidating topic for many, so much so that there are hundreds of books dedicated to tackling it from Dale Carnegie’s 1912 How To Make Friends and Influence People to Patrick King’s latest the 2022 How To Talk to Anyone.

Remember, you already have an art network.

What’s important to keep in mind is that you are not starting from zero.

You already have a network of people you know—these include friends and acquaintances as well as colleagues, bosses, mentors, and mentees. Networking is how you activate your relationships and contribute to the communities you are a part of.  Social capital is something you can build: both in person and online using tools like Artwork Archive.

While historically, being white and wealthy would give you a huge advantage, in 2023, you don't have to be either to be great at networking.

However, your family, where you grew up, and how, obviously have some impact on your network of origin. So, if you feel you are “behind” in some way in building the network you want, don't worry! Growing your connections is something you have to work at consciously and consistently.

Networking takes time—it isn’t a task you’ll do once and cross off your list. But, it does become more second nature with practice.

Embrace the primary goal of building relationships

When networking, your goal should be to make a connection with someone, not to get something specific from someone.

Try to find real commonalities and build on them. If something comes out of it, like a job or professional opportunity, great! But, your ultimate goal should be the relationships you’re building long term. Remember that it feels good to help someone and it feels less good to try to manipulate someone to give you something you want.  

Focus first on what you can offer others.

Instead of thinking, “I need someone to mentor me,” consider, “How can I be a mentor to people who are younger or less experienced than I am?” This is a little like the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” The wisdom of putting forward the energy you want to receive is real. Always strive to approach networking with grace and consideration of other people’s time and priorities.

Prepare for in-person networking just like any other event

If you have an in-person event upcoming you are anxious to network at such as an opening or party, take some of the guesswork out of the situation and prepare!

Listen to podcasts, read the news, and watch popular TV shows with the goal of versing yourself with topics to talk about with anyone.

Formulate opinions or have ideas about the content you consume.  If you are trying to strengthen a relationship with someone you know will be at the event, recall if there is anything they shared with you the last time you interacted.

Did they recommend an article or TV show? Consume it in advance of the event so you have something to say about it. People value others who are interested and engaged and this person will remember that you read the book they recommended. Also, be prepared to talk about your art when asked. If this is hard for you, write down some key points and study them. Finally, always have business cards on you and consider making unique business cards to have as a conversation starter.

Circulate the room and act as a connector by including others

While at an in-person event, circulate the room and look for someone you feel is approachable or whom you recognize from a previous event. Give genuine compliments to break the ice and ask people about themselves to get conversations going.

When other people approach or walk by, include them in the conversation—acting as a connector with multiple people makes you a more valuable asset in conversation.   If you struggle to remember people’s names, write them down in your phone so you can look quickly if you forget.   When talking about your own art, cut yourself off after a maximum of five sentences or so to allow people to ask you questions. Let a conversation flow naturally even if you think you know what they will ask next.

Keep up with your network to build connections over time

Like most things in life, consistency is the most important thing in networking. Networks are built over years, not in minutes or days. 

Most artists attend a couple of events a month but are online pretty much every day consuming content and sharing their art on social media.

In addition to what you’re already doing online to promote your work, start spending 20 minutes a day intentionally engaging with your network through email, texts, and phone calls.

Artwork Archive can be a great tool for this and you can utilize our Private Rooms feature to create curated selections of works to share with interested collectors or friends whose opinions you want on works in progress. Having a Public Profile on Artwork Archive's Discovery Platform helps new people find your work and could be the beginning of a relationship with an interior designer or curator.

Collections on Artwork Archive can also be used to share work with select groups of people, using the Contacts feature, prior to an exhibit as a means of promotion.

Engage with your network on social media and online

In addition to your own posting, you should also spend time engaging with the social media of people you’d like to connect with by liking, commenting, and sharing content by creators you want to notice you.  

Share images and news with people as a means of staying in touch or connecting with them. It can be as easy as emailing with a simple, “Hey, I read this article and it reminded me of our conversation last week." It takes only a few seconds, but everyone likes being thought of and this keeps you connected to people in other places.

When emailing people you don’t yet know but want to know, always have a specific ask and a specific "why" — and keep your message short. Try and keep cold emails to no more than five sentences.  If you stick to the 20 minutes a day of intentional networking, in a year’s time you will have spent 120 hours strengthening your relationships.

The benefits of these networking hours will yield unchartable professional results, but will also make you a happier person who feels more connected to the people you know.

Keep track of your contacts and stay on top of communication with Artwork Archive.

You have spent time and energy making connections, but the payoff comes from following through. Keeping track of your contacts in a CMS like Artwork Archive helps you stay on top of communications, easily stay in touch, and remember details about your interactions.

You can even directly send curated Private Rooms of your work, catalog pages of your work, or invoices through Artwork Archive

Once you get their business card, make sure it doesn't get lost at the bottom of your bag. Enter their information as a contact record, so you can start strengthening that relationship over time.

You can also create Contact Groups to organize your contacts into specific categories like Gallery Connections, Artist Studio Colleagues, Art Fair Interactions, or even more specific such as Previous Buyers of Portraits, so you can tailor your communications to their interests.