Building a Community of Photography Collectors

Facilitating Connections with Artists

Fostering Enduring Relationships

Welcome to GALLERY5X7 !

These simple phrases capture the essence of GALLERY5X7 and what sets us apart from other online and traditional galleries.  GALLERY5X7 is based on these simple, foundational concepts – that artists creating handcrafted prints using alternative photographic processes want to make  connections and establish trusted, long-term relationships with collectors interested in this specialized art form.

We are building this community.

In a traditional gallery-focused marketing model, artists sought representation by a brick-and-mortar gallery to promote and sell their art. This historic approach, though occasionally successful for selected artists, was/is undoubtedly biased towards the business interests of the gallery – rarely does this relationship truly focus on the interests of the artist.  In fact, many galleries negotiate 40-50% commissions on sales, requiring artists to deliver art (most often framed and shipped at the artist’s expense) to the gallery in exchange for very limited physical space, presented without consideration of the photographer’s artistic interests or techniques and too often offering vague promises of some limited promotional efforts.

Though the traditional gallery system is certainly an established channel, it is a system perhaps best suited to well-known, established artists with a developed following.  Many new and less-well-known photographers have difficulty initiating and maintaining a relationship with a gallery where the artist’s interests are truly understood and supported.  Many photographers become frustrated by their inability to penetrate this complex and often opaque system. 

GALLERY5X7 is founded on a different value set – we are establishing a trusted online channel to market handcrafted photography to a focused collecting community, while simultaneously building a collecting philosophy in the minds of the artists represented.  GALLERY5X7 does not simply connect artists with a known set of alternative process photography collectors – we are OURSELVES supporters and collectors of this special photographic art form. We value the craft of photography, the creation of one-of-a kind prints.  We desire not only to promote our individual art, but to promote the interests of the community of artists with similar interests.

GALLERY5X7 invites artists working in handcrafted alternative process photography to submit work for consideration for online exhibition (much of what will be showcased on this site will reflect an aesthetic that echoes the traditions of the Pictorialist movement). GALLERY5X7 will not ask you to agree to crippling commissions in exchange for inclusion in this community. In fact, we only ask that if you value what GALLERY5X7 is building, that you:

• offer your original prints for sale to the community at three price points based on the size of the artwork
• alert GALLERY5X7 of any sales facilitated by our site
• consider purchasing prints from the artists we represent (remember, we are a “Community of Collectors!”) 
• support GALLERY5X7 financially with an annual contribution commensurate with the value of the services you receive (you determine the amount of contribution)

WJ Eastman, MD
Founder GALLERY5X7
WJEASTMAN@GALLERY5X7.COM

Welcome to our community of creators and collectors!

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