What to Message a Gallery on Artsy

Through Artsy, you can buy art and design from leading galleries worldwide. Once you find the work you want, the next step is to contact the gallery directly to learn more about the piece and make the purchase.

When you reach out, keep in mind that your inquiry might be one of many—and there might be competition over your favorite work. Galleries respond faster to personalized messages, so follow these steps to make sure your conversation doesn’t get lost in the mix.

Introduce Yourself

Galleries are passionate about the works they are selling and want to make sure they find a good home—so consider introducing yourself in your first message. You may want to tell the gallery about other artworks in your collection or whether this your first foray into the art world.

Sharing this information can pay off—some galleries will give a “first purchase discount” if they hear that you are buying art for the first time, or may lower the price if they know you are a loyal collector of the artist’s work.

For your convenience, you can place this information in your Collector Profile on Artsy. We’ve found that galleries respond more quickly to those with up-to-date accounts. If you haven’t yet, you can take 30 seconds to create your Collector Profile here.

Ask Your Questions Upfront

To move the conversation along faster, you can ask any questions you have about buying the work in your initial inquiry. You may want to ask:

• Can you provide more information about the work? If this is a print, what’s the size of the edition?
• Can you tell me more about the artist’s market? What are other works available by this artist?
• What are the estimated shipping costs?
• Might it be possible to offer a discount?

Follow Up if Necessary

If a gallery does not respond within two business days, don’t be afraid to follow up. You can add urgency to your message by saying that you are considering works by other galleries or that you would like to make a purchase before an upcoming vacation or move.

When doing so, keep the art world calendar in mind. Galleries may be slower to respond if they are attending an art fair, or if it is during the summer season or a national holiday. Also consider that there may be a delay when contacting an international gallery due to time differences and that galleries are often closed on Mondays.

If you have any questions about buying art from galleries on Artsy, contact our team of specialists at inquiries@artsy.net.