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Wow, 2019!

2019 at Split Gallery

Wow. 2019. We had no idea what we were getting into at the beginning of the year, and we’re so thankful for all the amazing artists, creators, makers, performers, dreamers, poets, singers, dancers, partiers, revelers, appreciators, and supporters who helped make 2019 a smashing success!

Artists showing at Split sold more than $65,000 worth of art in 2019 and 100% of those proceeds went right back to the artists and show organizers.

Thank you to everyone who chose Split Gallery as their place to have a show this year. We look forward to having you all back in the future, and for all the other artists, creatives, makers, and performers who may find Split Gallery to be just right for them.

We can’t tell you how much we appreciate the community support, the artist support, and all the encouragement for what we’re trying to do.

If you or anyone you know would like to have a show/sale/event at Split Gallery in 2020, please let us know! That’s what we’re here for – to be a place for artists to call their own.

Thanks again to everyone, and we’ll see you in 2020!

Does it Make Sense to Pay Up Front to Have an Art Show?

All My Friends at Once at Split Gallery
All My Friends at Once at Split Gallery

Most art exhibitions are either granted/awarded to artists or done in exchange for a percentage of sales, which is typically around 50% in most commercial galleries. This makes exhibiting both competitive and limiting depending on the opportunities available and your style of work. Split Gallery makes it easy: If you want to have a show, just pay for it and have a show.

So does it make sense to pay up front to have an art show?

That’s going to depend on the artist(s) and the objective.

Here’s how we think about it:

  • If you’ve exhibited work before, how have your sales been? Would you do better with having a show and keeping half your proceeds or with having a show and keeping all of the proceeds minus your direct expenses with Split?
  • Do you have an available opportunity to exhibit your work right now? Split Gallery is available for you to book according to your schedule and preferences.
  • Are there other artists who would like to split the costs and effort with you to have a show at Split Gallery? Artists can share the costs and space, draw more people, and share the time commitments of staffing the gallery during open hours. Plus, it’s fun!
  • Is there a collector who would want to finance your show at Split in exchange for art? Perhaps you can let a collector choose a favorite piece from your collection after the show has concluded in exchange for paying the gallery fees.
  • How many pieces would you need to sell in order to break even? To turn a profit?
  • Can you sell some work in advance and use those funds to have a show at Split in order to sell more work and grow your audience?
  • Is having a show and marketing / promoting it worth an investment in an event?
  • Are you interested in the DIY approach or would you rather have the gallery handle everything for you? Split can help as much as you’d like – there’s just more costs associated when Split does more. We believe that transparency in costs associated with gallery services gives the artist more control over how they spend the money from their sales.
  • If sales are not your primary objective, then Split is an excellent opportunity to exhibit and document your work in an environment where you have complete creative control over how it’s presented.

There are lots of considerations, but the only barrier to having your own show at Split Gallery besides creating work you’re proud of is the cost and the commitment. We’ve made the cost as low as possible. All we want to do is pay our expenses. If you can commit, we’d love to have you. That’s what we’re here for.

Learn more about booking a show at Split Gallery »

Sign up to exhibit at Split Gallery »

So What’s Going On with Split?

This is probably the number one question that we’ve been getting since March when everything got shut down due to COVID. Here’s an update about where things are at and our current plan for moving forward.

Quick Overview

Split Gallery works kind of like an AirBNB. Artists pay to use the gallery for hosting their own art shows, and Split helps with things like planning, marketing, promotion, and prep/cleanup. We work with artists like partners in the process. We want Split to be a gallery that any artist can call their own and use to exhibit their work in the way they want to do it. We provide the gallery environment, artists put on the shows. Since artists pay to use the space and staff the shows themselves, we take no commission on sales.

Where Things Are At

Before COVID hit, everything was humming along pretty well. We had two events to kick the year off, five more on the calendar, and a few others in the planning stages. Off to a good start! Our goal has always been to break even on our expenses and keep the cost to artists as low as possible. We’re not a non-profit, we just want to create an opportunity for any artist to have the show they want in a nice gallery setting and keep all the money they earn from sales.

We were on track to break even for our second year in a row, so we were pretty happy about everything. We were learning a lot about how to make the artist’s experience at Split be the best it could be, and we were paying the bills! Plus, we got to work with so many wonderful people who love art. Then… COVID-19. We talked to everyone we were working with and agreed we should just put it all on hold for a while. Most have now cancelled their events due to the pandemic, the many unknowns, or financial reasons.

To cover the bills while we’ve been closed and not working at the gallery, I (Brian) have ramped up my website development work. Fortunately, lots of companies have been needing website stuff done with everyone working from home and being online more. Still, we’d rather see art in the gallery than be spending more time behind a computer.

What’s Next?

It’s time to start planning shows.

We feel that with the city-wide mask mandate in place and a few tweaks to how Split works, we can safely begin having shows in the gallery again. We’re going to simplify things, make it all a little more DIY, and offer a discounted rate while the pandemic continues.

When it gets right down to it, we just want to see artists showing and selling work again. We’d also like to cover our average monthly expenses of around $2,000 for rent, utilities, insurance, and supplies. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much. If it’s attainable, we’ll continue working to make it sustainable.

Our lease is up in April. If we can get things rolling again and pay the bills, we’ll be able to extend our lease and keep going for at least two more years. If we can’t… then it was a fun experiment and we’ll chalk it up to experience.

It’ll be a lot more fun to keep going.

Know anyone who wants to have a show at Split?

If you do, please tell them about us. You can also join our email list, and visit us on all the socials like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support – we can’t wait to see you in the gallery again.

– Brian & Jill

Thank You, Bart!

Bart Vargas at Split Gallery

We’d like to express extreme gratitude and thanks to everyone who came out to Bart Vargas‘ exhibition and studio sale yesterday. It was a great success, with a steady stream of visitors all day, many fun conversations, and A LOT of artwork sold!

When you buy art from artists at Split Gallery, all the proceeds go directly to the artist. Your support helps them continue to make art, and we think that’s pretty important. If you’re interested in having your own event at Split, please contact us.

Thanks again for your support, and thanks to Bart for choosing Split Gallery!

Follow Bart: Website  /  Instagram  /  Facebook

Thank You, Omaha

Split Gallery's Grand Opening Reception & Sale

Omaha, you’re amazing. We were blown away by the attendance at our Grand Opening this weekend. Thank you for coming out to see the space, celebrate the people making art in our community, and buy some art!

We sold 32 works, with all of the proceeds going right back to the artists.

Welcome to Split Gallery

Split Gallery - Omaha Art Gallery

Split Gallery is a venue for artists. 

We’re calling it Split Gallery because it’s a split from the traditional commission-based gallery model. It’s also a space to be shared. Split is for artists who want to have a place to host studio sales, pop-up shows, exhibitions, classes, performances, lectures, readings, workshops, and other things that artists often need a venue for.

Additionally, we provide space for rent and professional services and support for artists including in-gallery sales events, pop-up art shows, and more.