You Can Sell More Art By Choosing The Right Channel

Where you sell your art can matter as much as what you make. If you’ve ever stared at a blank “list your work” page and wondered why buyers aren’t showing up, we get it and we’re breaking down the real-world options that artists actually use to move paintings and prints. 

We walk through popular online art marketplaces and print platforms like Etsy, Artfinder, Artsy, Fine Art America, and Society6, along with the honest downside: you’re often competing with millions of listings, and getting discovered can be tough if you’re not already established. We share how to think about visibility, buyer trust, and what it really takes to attract new collectors online. 

Then we shift to local art galleries, art fairs, art festivals, and community events. Galleries can be fantastic partners and a credibility boost, but the commission structure is real, often 40–50% and sometimes more. That single detail changes your pricing model, your margins, and the way you plan your inventory. We also talk about art studios and open studios as a way to create a physical showroom if you can handle the monthly cost and keep enough work on the walls. 

Finally, we touch on Instagram and Meta Marketplace and why social selling can work, but only when you treat it like consistent, ongoing effort rather than a one-time post. If you want a clear map for where to sell art and how to choose the best channel for your goals, hit play, subscribe, and share this with an artist friend, then leave a review with the one place you want to try next.

After 18 Years as a local Cleveland Artist my latest adventure is sharing my Artwork, Paintings and providing a voice to the millions of people looking for help and advice all related to the Art Business, Shows, Events, Marketing, Selling Art and all other hot topics that help people find their path and way in the Art World.

Transcript

Where Should You Sell Art?

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What places should you look for in selling your art? What places should you really look for? So I'm going to give you some key answers here today. I'm going to give you some key insights as to what I've used in the past, what I look for, and how I go about doing that. And so I'm the local Cleveland artist. I spent a lifetime in uh executive sales and business, and I've spent over 18 years perfecting my art and selling paintings. So I have some ideas. Now, a lot of people have asked me, and I've got a list in front of me now because I had to actually put this out because they've given me so many different places. So a lot of people, so this is what you're you're gonna get something out of this uh video. And a lot of people have asked me, you know, what what are the places? So online systems, you know, you've got this artsy, you've got the artfinder, you've got the Etsy shops, you've got the Fine Art Americas, you've got the Society Six. I mean, there's so many different online systems to try. The problem with that is if you're not a hundred percent established artist, and the problem with it is you have a hard time getting or attracting new buyers. And what I mean by that is you're up against millions of people using the same platforms in order to broadcast their work and get buyers. So that's a little tricky and hard to do. Okay, now let's move on. Now, what about local art galleries, art fairs, art festivals, art studios, and open studios? All right, so local art galleries, galleries are fantastic. I love working with gallery owners, but the problem is if you really get connected to some really good art galleries, they want 40-50% up front, and sometimes they want a 3% override. So uh, you know, be aware that you can sell your art if it's that good, but be aware that you know your profits are going to be a little bit lower and you'll have to adjust your pricing models. Okay, so you know I love art shows, art events, art, art, community events, um uh big art facilities, things like that. You know I love that because that's live shows and you're selling to actual live audiences. Okay, and then art studios and open studios, you know, there's there's a bunch of buildings that have these art studios available. And if you can afford the cost, let's say it's a thousand bucks a month or whatever, whatever it may be, if you can afford the cost and put all your artwork up, and let's say you have 20, 30, 40 pieces, you'd have a good chance of maybe selling some of those pieces. And then finally, you know, like the meta marketplaces of the world or Instagrams or something like that. That takes a little more work.