Art Gallery Business Plan Template

A funder wants the sales mechanism explicit: works shown per exhibition, expected sell-through, average price by tier, and the commission retained. Beside it they expect exhibition costs budgeted show by show, a clear statement on consigned versus owned stock, revenue that does not all depend on a sale closing, and a reserve sized to a full exhibition cycle. Since art spending is highly discretionary, the downside case should model a quarter with minimal sales rather than a uniformly softer year. PrometAI’s template gives every one of those a place and flexes to your programme, roster, and commission terms.

Build the exhibition calendar first, then work outward from it. For each show, estimate works displayed, a conservative sell-through rate, and average price by tier, then apply the commission split to reach gallery revenue rather than gross sales value. Add advisory, corporate placement, and event income as separate lines with their own timing, since they behave nothing like exhibition sales. Ramp sell-through slowly for a new gallery, since collectors buy on trust that takes seasons to build, and PrometAI recalculates the statements and the valuation together as those assumptions shift.

The space dominates the budget. Lease deposit and fit-out, lighting and hanging systems, security and insurance, the first show’s install and opening, plus branding and an online presence all land before a work sells. Consignment keeps inventory cost low, which makes galleries less capital-intensive than their footprint suggests, though buying work outright changes that immediately. The second requirement is a reserve covering rent and staff through the early shows while the collector base forms. In the Canvas & Light sample plan the total requirement is $162k, with $88k of Year 1 capital expenditure and $20k of working capital. Adjust space, location, and whether you consign or purchase, and the template recalculates.