Why Turning To Facebook in Times of Economic Crisis Could Be a Great Idea
By the time you decide to take a second (or rather third) look at Facebook, your income will surely have been down for a while. If you are in the art business (be it as a dealer, gallery owner or even an artist) the market at this time is immobile at best and your prospects are shrinking while you are trying to decide what to do next. It is true that in this line of work ups and downs are a common occurrence, but the market crash has turned the usual changing winds into a hurricane that has blown away the familiar landscape of art collecting.
In a matter of months we are finding ourselves adrift in the stillness of an empty sea with no land in sight. Collectors have been decimated by the economy and the ability to purchase art (or perhaps, even the willingness) seems to have drowned, weighed down by fears of an impending recession. Many Americans who made their living in one way or another through art, are barely making their mortgage payments or covering their most basic expenses.
It is at this desperate time that you need to find an outlet for your work or the work of those you represent. Desperate times always call for desperate measures and even though you might have a natural aversion to all things technological, plunging into the virtual world of online networking may be your only chance for survival.
Let yourself be propelled by the notion that someone out there is searching for this exceptional artwork and the extraordinary talent that you are bringing forward. You just needed to reach them. You need to find them.
You are not guaranteed a smooth transition and you will probably be riddled by doubt: How can I make the time for such things? Who’s going to care about it? The answers will not present themselves right away, but you should resolve to set a few goals to help yourself stay on task.
Facebook will be your window to communicate ideas about your art and the artists you represent. You will be promoting your work by creating an outlet for your vision. Post images and comment on them. Talk about your sources of inspiration. Strive to introduce others to new artistic trends. It will be a challenge, but one you will be happy you undertook.
After a few short weeks of regularly posting on Facebook you will be encouraged by fans (I bet you did not know you could have any), comments and good reviews. The artists you meet will be happy with the additional exposure you offer them through your site and folks that otherwise would have never found you will get to know your art and will become interested in purchasing some of your featured artwork.
For now this computer-generated lifesaver will keep you afloat in the treacherous undercurrents of today’s art world. In the meantime, try keeping your gaze fixed on the horizon because the waters are bound to recede sometime soon.
Cristina Clarimon Alinder is the owner and curator of ArtHaus66 Contemporary Gallery, an online art gallery specializing in the promotion of mid-career and established contemporary Spanish artists.
She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to view and collect beautiful, high quality yet reasonably priced artwork. Visit her online art gallery to learn more.
