The Dos And Don’ts Of Visiting An Art Gallery

See Saw's Gallery Guide is a monthly column that covers all things in the art world and exhibits to see, powered by the leading gallery guide app, See Saw.

---

Picture this: you’ve stepped into a gallery and can hear a pin drop. A gallery assistant looks over at you, with a look on their face you don’t understand. What do you do?

Art gallery etiquette may not be as intuitive as you think. After a quick Google search on the subject, I was directed to an article about whether or not one should wear jeans to a gallery, which concluded that “casual formal” is the appropriate attire and “skinny jeans will look great.” Neither helpful nor correct.

It made me realize that there is still an intimidating element of walking into an art gallery, persisted by the lore of the gallerinas at the front desk. You may wonder - Do I say hi when I walk in? Are they watching me? How long is too long to take in a painting? Should I be embarrassed about taking too many photos? Am I supposed to take all of these brochures?

For this unofficial guide, I went straight to the source - the gallery assistants. Seated at the front desk, they have a front-row view of the good, the bad and the bizarre. “We are the eyes and ears of the gallery, quite literally.” says Alexa Davis who works in a Chelsea gallery.

While this particular guide turns more gossip than Emily Post-sanctioned advice, I hope we can make gallery trips a little less cringe for everybody involved.

The Do’s and Don’ts of visiting an art gallery: #

DO:

Say hello

“Just a nod is cool. I don't necessarily need to connect with every visitor, but being completely ignored can make you feel like a part of the furniture. Bad vibes.” - Melika Sebihi, Gallery Associate in San Francisco

Ask questions about the work

“It's what we're here for. But maybe keep it to a minimum. Don't be that person who is leaning over the desk, sharing every single musing you have about it.” - MS

“For the most part, I don’t find most questions or people who come in too annoying, and if a person seems to be truly interested in what we are doing at the gallery. Just be courteous and nice. However, don’t ask how much things cost. I know we are all curious about the big price tags, but as the front desk gallery assistant, I can’t always share these numbers or hand over the full price list.” - Molly Weinberg, Gallery Assistant at Friedman Benda Gallery

Ask about the Private Viewing Rooms

“…there is always something unique to the gallery show in there.” - Alexa Davis

Pee before you go

“Galleries are not museums where we offer amenities like a bathroom or a water fountain. It is easier to compare a gallery to a retail store.” - AD

DO NOT:

Diss the art

“Besides the obvious don'ts (like using a loud voice or like, trashing the place), I'd say loudly proclaiming your dislike of the work on view is in super bad taste.” - MS

Touch the art

“Treat the space with respect! Don’t touch.” - MW

Use the gallery like a backdrop

“One time an influencer-type came in with a full photography and glam team and started a photo shoot, lights and all. That’s not what this is for. We shut it down.” - ANON at a Tribeca Gallery

Sneak in after hours

“One day someone snuck into the private offices of the gallery. The intruder wore tight checkered leggings with a hot pink thong hanging out. Someone from the registrar team called me asking if they were the new intern.” - AD

Be an asshole

“Don’t assume the person(s) sitting at the front desk isn’t/aren’t directors and can’t answer your questions.” - ANON gallerist

“Do not treat gallery assistants disrespectfully, we may be young, but we are the next generation of gallerists, and we will remember.” - AD

Convert the staff

“Recently, this guy came up to my desk and started preaching about my soul being saved, the importance of the ten commandments, etc., which ended with him saying a sincere prayer for my soul and blessing me with his hands outstretched over my head. I prefer a secular vibe at work, and it was pretty rude to do that unprompted. But who knows, maybe I needed it?...” - MS

And finally… Take Crystal Meth

“A guy came into the gallery who seemed… off… He walked through the show we had up at the time, which was an abstraction group show, and when he came out he said, “This is so psychedelic, and I should know I’m on crystal meth.” He told me he had a new website launching and that I should check it out, and proceeded to write this in our guest book:”

In summary, be cool and enjoy the art. Plan your next gallery hop with See Saw here.