Structure, Strategy, and Sustainability: Professionalisation in the Art World

For many in the art world, careers have been shaped by proximity, passion, and adaptability rather than by clearly articulated structures or career ladders. Many professionals entered roles organically, learned by doing, and progressed through trust and reputation, rather than through formal frameworks.

Today, both professionals and organisations are operating in a more complex and scrutinised environment. Mid-career and senior talent are thinking more deliberately about longevity and direction, while organisations are facing real challenges around retention, capacity, and leadership continuity.

Professionalisation is not about “corporatising” the sector, but rather about creating clarity so that roles, careers, and organisations can function and grow sustainably.

When a Role Stops Being Enough

A common inflection point often emerges for mid-career professionals. Candidates may still enjoy their work but begin to feel that progression is unclear or informal, responsibility has expanded without structure, or expectations have grown without corresponding support.

This is especially acute in smaller organisations, where individuals are often expected to have a hand in everything. While flexibility and collaboration are part of the art world’s culture, problems can arise when:

• Job descriptions no longer reflect reality
• Reporting lines are unclear or inconsistent
• Management responsibility exists without mentorship or authority
• Growth depends on personal endurance rather than intentional development

At this stage, many professionals are not looking to leave the sector, but they are looking for signs that their career is being taken seriously.

Professionalisation Inside Organisations: Where Structure Actually Helps

Professionalisation is often misunderstood as rigidity. In practice, it tends to relieve pressure for both staff and leadership.

Some of the most impactful and achievable changes organisations can make include:

• Clear and realistic role design: Creating fleshed-out job descriptions that reflect how a role actually operates. If a position is expected to evolve, absorb additional responsibilities, or operate cross-functionally, that should be made explicit, especially at smaller galleries or organisations where scope creep is common.
• Defined reporting lines and decision-making authority: Annual (or biannual) reviews, rather than informal check-ins, should be set with a clear framework. Reviews help employees and employers align on expectations, surface development needs, and build trust. Without this, feedback can be sporadic, and progress difficult to measure.
• Clarity around meetings, management, and mentorship: Being clear about which standing meetings a role is part of, whether management responsibility exists, or may develop, and where mentorship is expected can dramatically reduce confusion and burnout.

These structures are not bureaucracy. They are signals that an organisation is thinking beyond the immediate and investing in long-term stability.

External Support as a Form of Professionalism

Many organisations are not in a position to make full-time hires for every function, particularly in a more cautious market. External support therefore plays an increasingly important role, whether in HR, finance, advisory, or recruitment.

However, the quality of that support matters.

Professionalisation here means choosing partners who genuinely understand the art world: its pace, its sensitivities, and its nuances. Generic external solutions can fall short if they fail to grasp how decisions are made, how reputations function, or how work culture operates within this sector.

This is especially true when it comes to people strategy and organisational structure. Thoughtful HR support can help organisations formalise reporting lines, performance review processes, and management frameworks, without imposing generic corporate models.

The right external support should extend internal capability, not create friction or misunderstanding.

How Larger Organisations Signal Strategic Leadership

At scale, professionalisation becomes visible not just internally, but externally as well.

Clear indicators of strategic leadership include:

• Consistent brand identity and a unified way of presenting to the external world
• Alignment between leadership vision and day-to-day operations

These signals build confidence, among staff, candidates, clients, and partners alike. They communicate that the organisation is intentional, coherent, and prepared for long-term growth.

Put simply: the right people in the right seats, supported by the right systems.

Professionalisation From the Candidate Side

While organisations carry significant responsibility, individuals also play an active role in shaping their careers.

Professionalisation for candidates does not mean staying rigidly within a job description. In fact, flexibility remains a strength when it is intentional rather than assumed.

Key ways professionals can take ownership include:

• Being open to pitching in beyond formal responsibilities, while also understanding where boundaries should sit.
• Building strong peer networks to gain perspective beyond a single organisation.
• Paying attention to the quality and diversity of the networks they operate within.
• Making use of professional development funds where available or proactively seeking training opportunities.
• Considering advanced degrees or targeted education where they genuinely add value.
• Consciously developing relationships with senior colleagues who can offer mentorship and access to wider networks.

The most resilient careers are rarely accidental. They are shaped through initiative, reflection, and long-term thinking.

Retention, Revisited

When experienced professionals leave, the issue is often framed as a “retention problem.” More accurately, it is usually a structure problem.

People tend to stay when they can see a future: when expectations are clear, development is supported, and leadership feels credible. Without those foundations, even deeply committed individuals will eventually question whether staying is sustainable.

Professionalisation, in this sense, is not about control, but rather confidence.

Looking Ahead

As the art world evolves, roles are no longer enough on their own. Professionals are increasingly assessing whether organisations can support long-term development, not just immediate responsibilities. Organisations that invest in clarity, structure, and thoughtful support, whether internally or externally, will be better positioned to retain talent and build continuity.

Likewise, professionals who engage actively with their own development, make efforts to expand and grow their networks, and who have a focused long-term strategy will find greater resilience in a changing market.

At SML, we work with organisations and professionals across the art world to support clearer structures, stronger leadership, and more sustainable long-term decisions.

Explore our services here.