"What's the Deal?" aims to provide artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts with an opportunity to hear the opinions and get tips from individuals that help run the art world. We have an amazing network of prominent art dealers and gallerists ready and willing to answer your questions. For this "What's the Deal?" post, Heather Taylor, Co-Owner of Taylor De Cordoba, answers a question about best practices for an artist's approach to submit works to a gallery. As always, we encourage you to share your opinion in the comments section.

If we use your question on our blog, you will receive a free issue of New American Paintings, not to mention the opinion of an experienced art world professional. So keep those questions coming (Instructions on how to ask them at the bottom of the post).

Question: For those galleries that do accept submissions, what are your tips/guidelines for the best presentation?

The first step is to familiarize yourself with the gallery program. It is an instant red flag when an artist walks into the gallery and asks a general question like, "Does your gallery show figurative work?" I suggest following a gallery program for at least 6 months to a year to determine if your work would be a good fit. Once you have narrowed it down to a few galleries that you are interested in working with introduce yourself to the staff and ask if and how they accept submissions. Many will say no but some will say yes. A well edited presentation of selected works is key. Less is more. One final note: don't walk in with a portfolio of work and ask someone to look at it on the spot. For more on this topic, I refer artists to the great book Artwork by Heather Darcy Bhandari Jonathan Melber. - Heather Taylor, Taylor De Cordoba, Los Angeles

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Opened in Spring 2006,Taylor De Cordoba is a contemporary art gallery located in the heart of the vibrant Culver City Art District in Los Angeles, California. Representing emerging artists, Taylor De Cordoba provides a forum for artists working within a variety of media. The gallery has participated in Art LA, Scope NY, Aqua Miami and the NEXT Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art in Chicago. Taylor De Cordoba and gallery represented artists have been featured in numerous local and international publications, including: Frieze, Artforum, Artweek, Art LTD, V Magazine, Elle, Vanity Fair, W Magazine, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Beautiful Decay, C Magazine, Whitewall, The Huffington Post, LA Confidential, Angeleno and more. Los Angeles natives Heather Taylor and Alex De Cordoba co-own the gallery.

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