Ideas for a gallery

Earlier in the week I said I'd be sharing some thoughts about where my head is at : What sort of gallery do I think I'd like to start?

If you've been reading my blog (god bless ya cotton socks!), there's probably no real surprises forthcoming. Here's what I'm thinking:

Initially online - I have decided that I'll be starting this as an online venture. Why? A few reasons:

1. I just don't have the cash to set up a gallery. The reality is, I need to go back to work to save some money before I'll be able to even consider setting up a shop.
   
2. I'm starting a new job this week, and I think an online gallery could be better managed in my spare time - At least while it's up and running.
   
3. I am an online junkie, with a background in online marketing. so I think I'd have a better chance of making an online gallery work in the near term.
   

Having said that, I think it would be really difficult to maintain a gallery that is just on the internet. So my goal is to expand this into a bricks and mortar gallery at some stage. When is dependent on how well the online project goes, and how I go about rustling up some money to afford the rent.

Open to all (almost) - I like the idea of opening a gallery that anyone can submit art to. So my gallery won't just be limited to particular artists.

I also like the idea of an online community of voters, like jpg magazine, where the people determine what goes on display.

That said, I will probably only stock art that appeals to me and is within a particular style, so I see myself filtering through submissions.

Original art, limited edition and open ended prints - I don't think there's any reason why I could sell original or reproduced work. So at this stage, I'll keep this open-ended.

Local or International - Ahh, this is a tough one. Initially I was thinking that I'd concentrate on Australian-only (or even Melbourne-only) artists. But I've changed my mind since I've began. Why?

• I think sourcing artists to get involved could be tricky, so I think it might be better, at least initially, to widen the net.
• I've seen so much great art from all over the world. It seems such a shame to exclude any of it.

On the wall art - I won't rule anything out completely, but I'm thinking that I'll be concentrating on paintings, prints and photography - the type of art that you hang on a wall - rather than anything sculpture or video based.

Art for all - As you've probably guessed, I'm thinking of an art shop more than an art gallery. And I'm thinking that it would be down the affordable end of the art market. It probably won't be the sort of gallery for the high end collector initially.

And of course, any of this could change along the way. But this is where I'm leaning right now.