Marketing Mondays: Reciprocity

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Stephen Haller: Remembering Morandi

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Recently for Marketing Mondays, I wrote about The Art Network. Reciprocity is the connective tissue of the art network, a give and take that cements friendships and solidifies working relationships. Many of the opportunities I’ve gotten over the course of my career have come because someone I know referred or recommended me. The other half of that equation is what I have done in return. Reciprocity. In the old days, the expression would have been “one hand washes the other.”

My friend Susan is a great example of how reciprocity works. A midcareer artist with a long resume, she understands how to network and she has the contacts to do it well. Because she’s secure in her career, she knows that sharing information or recommending someone will not diminish her achievements. On more than one occasion she has given my name and website to one of her dealers. I have done the same for her. Result: I’m with a gallery on her referral, and she on mine. We’ve each expanded our careers that much more by the simple act of mutual support.

It doesn’t always have to be quid pro quo. Eight years ago I wrote a book on encaustic painting, the first contemporary treatment of the topic. I showed the work of 50 artists. A number of them invited me to exhibit with them in subsequent shows. I loved that! And many of the artists who teach invited me to their institutions to speak. I’ve been a “visiting lecturer,” a “visiting artist,” a “distinguished visiting lecturer” (my favorite title), and an “artist in residence.” The jobs lasted from an afternoon to a week. As a working artist I really appreciated these opportunities when they came. (Image from metanexus.net)

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Reciprocating at the Same Level
As I write “same level” I’m thinking of an off-the-wall exception: the man who traded a paper clip for a house. But typically reciprocity works best when the parties are at the same level of achievement—and have an equal degree of willingness to share—even if the quid is not the same as the quo, as I described in the previous paragraph. Here’s another example: I recommended my friend Jackie for a good exhibition in the Midwest; sometime thereafter she recommended me for a teaching gig in the Northeast. How cool is that?
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If an emerging artist were to invite me to show at a tiny academic gallery in Podunk, I’d appreciate the gesture but have no reason to accept. But I'll bet an emerging artist in Podunk would jump at the chance. That’s one reason I always encourage emerging artists to establish their networks early on and to be generous with situations and opportunities. As they all grow in their careers, the reciprocal opportunities get better.

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Teaching, Mentoring, Consulting

Sometimes you end up helping or referring someone who has not reached your level of achievement. Typically that happens when you teach, mentor or consult. That’s OK; it’s part of the job. Besides, the art world consists of down the road as well as here and now. Students may go on to all kinds of successes, like the one who became a dealer and invited her former teacher to be part of the gallery roster.
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What If You’re Not in a Position to Reciprocate?
It happens. Life is not a giant tit for tat. But just because you don't reciprocate in kind doesn't mean you don't respond.
. Were you curated into a show? Acknowledge the curator in your promotional efforts. That promotion could be as valuable for the curator as for you. And by all means note the curator on your resume
. Did someone in your field write you a letter of recommendation or reference? Thank them, of course, and keep them in the loop, even if it’s to say, “Despite your generous words, I was not successful in getting the grant.” And if you do get the grant, let them know first. If it's a hefty chunk of change, treat them to lunch at a nice restaurant. (Lunch: when the same good food you get for dinner is half the price.)
. Did you get a great review? I’m not from the school of good-review-merits-a-small-painting (and neither are reputable journalists), but a thank you is never inappropriate. Down the road maybe you’ll find an opportunity to invite that critic to speak or do an end-of-semester crit, with honorarium—or recommend that critic to someone who’s in a position to do so. This is not only a good thank you, its good networking for the both of you
. A note about speaking invitations: Don't assume critics and curators (or even dealers) are rolling in dough. Most are freelance and/or poorly paid, so a visiting artist gig that pays a decent fee is a lovely reciprocal gesture
. Did a more career-advanced artist help you with a statement and resume? Thank her or him. But don’t then use your newly polished resume to pursue all the same galleries that the mentoring artist is in, the same teaching opportunities, or any other venue that that artist spent years cultivating
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As the previous example suggests, it would be grossly unreciprocal to abuse a generosity. How far to go with what you’ve been given? To be honest, it's a gray area. Ambitious people do appreciate ambition in others. But if you feel uncomfortable telling a mentor or adviser what you are doing/have done, you’ve probably abused their generosity. And if you as an adviser feel have been taken advantage of, you probably have.
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Reciprocity is a valuable career tool. In its ideal incarnation it's like the t'ai chi symbol at left, which unites the giver and the taker in reciprocity.
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Just be wary of the pathologically ambitious; they’ll suck you dry and never offer a drop in return. You'll hear about them through the art network: "Oh, the one who sat next to me at lunch and asked too many questions," or "He came for a studio visit and now I'm seeing 'my' paintings in his show"--that kind of thing. Best to let them find their own way.
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What are your comments and stories of reciprocity?

Update 4.8.09: A spirited discussion over at eageageag
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