How Museums Decide What Art to Collect (And How You Can Help Them Choose Yours)

In this solo episode, Ceri talks about how museums decide what art to collect and how you can get your work chosen. She reveals the strategic thinking behind how museums select artwork, from collection policies to board decisions and gives advice for artists looking to get their work into prestigious collections. Ceri explains that successful museum acquisitions happen when artists help institutions understand the storytelling within their work and shares why building authentic relationships is the foundation of a sustainable creative career.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Museum curators follow collecting policies approved by the institution and board, focusing on works that connect past collections with contemporary dialogues, unlock new stories, and address current social issues like climate justice.
• Successful museum acquisitions require artworks with multiple layers of storytelling that can work across various platforms, like exhibition spaces, press materials and learning resources.
• Artists should provide ’jumping off points’ rather than interpretations for their work, giving audiences different entry levels through Q&As, videos, quotes, or other ways that reveal process and motivation.
• Museums typically request a 20-25% discount when acquiring work due to the significant long term costs of preservation, storage, insurance and potential technological updates for digital works.
• Building your network effectively means focusing on 10-15 core champions rather than spreading yourself too thin, as quality relationships matter more than quantity.
• When reaching out to curators or artists you admire, reflect their work back to them first, show genuine enthusiasm and avoid tentative language, be direct about what you're proposing.
• For networking across multiple art worlds (animation, galleries, street art, etc.), start with one area, research and chunk your approach into manageable pieces rather than trying to tackle everything at once.
• Everyone in the art world regardless of their success level, experiences doubt and appreciates genuine recognition so sharing specific observations about what you value in someone's work creates a meaningful connection.

BEST MOMENTS

"Museums are the custodians of art for future generations and for the zeitgeist, they're thinking about how to share ideas of our time with future generations and unlock stories in the existing collection."

"The works that generally get bought are works that have multiple layers of storytelling, not just within the process, but within the image itself, because that image then gets distributed across press, archives, internal communications."

"Don't be shy and distant and aloof and just hope that the work does all the magic for you because that's putting a lot of responsibility on the artwork and assuming that everybody is literate in your language."

"It only takes 10 to 15 core champions in order to have a sustainable, creative career. So when we think about less is more, it's better to go deep with a few people than to try and hit a ton of people all at the same time."

"When we hesitate, it gives people an out. Instead, say 'I know we would have a brilliant conversation because I know there are amazing people not just in my network, but I know that you would resonate with some of the things that I'm thinking about.'"

"Sometimes a curator and an artist work magic together and together they do extraordinary things. They come up with new ideas, so it doesn't look like the same curator and art partnership because they bring out the best in each other."

EPISODE RESOURCES

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PODCAST HOST BIO

With over 30 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.

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Build Relationships The Easy Way
Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network,"  offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today.

https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/

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Book a Discovery Call Today 
To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected]

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Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity 
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