I do this in a spreadsheet and Access database: index number, medium, year created, gallery & website prices, exhibition info, theme tags, size, social media posts, photo & notes. Photos of the work & any other ephemera like marketing go into a digital file with the database index number & name of the piece.
Amazing. Wow. Great. We never kept track of my husband’s sales. Sadly. A lifetime of exhibitions. I’ve hired a young man to document work going into what will probably be his final exhibit. It’s a joint father/son exhibit opening June 12. My husband has been a professional artist for years but neither of us were good at organizing. I’m glad you’re doing it.
FWIW, and respectfully acknowledging that nobody asked, I started using Obsidian (obsidian.md) for asset, studio notes and tracking other items in my limited practice.
I believe that the gallery I used to show at depended on artists not cataloging their work regarding inventory, price, etc so that the gallery owner could then keep works unbeknownst to the artists and later sell them and keep the entire commission. Your organization is extremely rare yet beautifully perfect for how you need to keep track of the work. Some artists forget that the career of being an artist is a business and not all fun and romantic. There's yukky aspects of it that needs to be taken care of. When your welfare and lifestyle depends only on your art-making, it definitely needs the best organizational skills so you don't get lost in the muck of it all as well as unscrupulous gallery owners/dealers.
I do this in a spreadsheet and Access database: index number, medium, year created, gallery & website prices, exhibition info, theme tags, size, social media posts, photo & notes. Photos of the work & any other ephemera like marketing go into a digital file with the database index number & name of the piece.
Great job Kelly! Like an idiot, I have never taken the effort to figure out database software but I am sure that is best!
Databases were part of my consulting practice evaluating the impact of arts on health. I do love a spreadsheet that I can filter and query.
Amazing. Wow. Great. We never kept track of my husband’s sales. Sadly. A lifetime of exhibitions. I’ve hired a young man to document work going into what will probably be his final exhibit. It’s a joint father/son exhibit opening June 12. My husband has been a professional artist for years but neither of us were good at organizing. I’m glad you’re doing it.
Great advice!
FWIW, and respectfully acknowledging that nobody asked, I started using Obsidian (obsidian.md) for asset, studio notes and tracking other items in my limited practice.
I believe that the gallery I used to show at depended on artists not cataloging their work regarding inventory, price, etc so that the gallery owner could then keep works unbeknownst to the artists and later sell them and keep the entire commission. Your organization is extremely rare yet beautifully perfect for how you need to keep track of the work. Some artists forget that the career of being an artist is a business and not all fun and romantic. There's yukky aspects of it that needs to be taken care of. When your welfare and lifestyle depends only on your art-making, it definitely needs the best organizational skills so you don't get lost in the muck of it all as well as unscrupulous gallery owners/dealers.