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Contextualising Compensation for Medium and Large Galleries: A Follow-Up to the 2025 Art Market Talent Report
Following the release of our Art Market Talent Report 2025 in partnership with ArtTactic, we received thoughtful feedback from several clients. Some expressed surprise at the salaries presented in the report, questioning whether they might be overpaying their teams. It’s a valid concern, and one…
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The Art Market and Recruitment: Key Trends in 2025
It’s clear the hiring landscape in the art world is undergoing a recalibration. Market uncertainty and rising costs across major market hubs are influencing both the decisions employers make and how candidates navigate their next moves. Even amid some signs of optimism, most businesses are…
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SML Art Market Talent Report 2025
“To stay competitive, businesses must proactively anticipate industry challenges and opportunities.” This year, in partnership with art world data experts ArtTactic, we provide a deeper analysis of the shifting talent landscape in the commercial art market. Beyond pay transparency, this report equips employers and employees…
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Making Offers That Stick: How to Avoid Candidate Drop-Off
One of the most frustrating experiences an employer may have when hiring is extending an offer to an exciting candidate, only for them to decline. After all the time spent screening resumes, conducting interviews, and negotiating terms, you’re left wondering what went wrong. While every…
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SML x TheArtGorgeous
“Navigating the art world job market has never been more challenging—or more dynamic. As hiring trends shift and new opportunities emerge, staying informed and adaptable is key for both job seekers and employers.” – The Insider’s Guide to Art World Careers We’re delighted to announce…
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Letter from our Managing Partners
As we reflect on 2024, our team is proud of the strides we’ve made in growing SML’s global impact, forging new partnerships, and fulfilling our mission of strengthening businesses and the international art market through candidate placements and data-driven insights. Whilst challenging market conditions presented uncertainty for…
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Future-Proof Your Business: Smart Hiring, Lasting Impact
The commercial art market is at a crossroads, offering organisations a unique opportunity to reassess strategies, strengthen teams, and build resilience. By capitalising on this quieter period, businesses can position themselves for sustained success. Forward-thinking organisations are using this time to refine internal structures, enhance…
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SML X Working Arts Club: Career’s Club
Last Wednesday, we were thrilled to partner with the Working Arts Club to host an evening of networking that allowed members to connect with senior experts in the industry. The Working Arts Club is a fantastic initiative bringing together professionals in the arts who come…
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The Gift of a Great Manager
Leaders often come from specialist backgrounds without formal training, creating gaps that can affect workplace dynamics and overall business success. Recently, we attended a leadership session with Manageable, an organisation dedicated to transforming managers into confident, capable coaches for their reports. Their approach, rooted in…
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SML x Meera Somji on the Power of Data in DEI
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become critical to the success of organisations, both ethically and strategically. Clusivity is one company leading the way in using data to foster more inclusive workplaces. In this exclusive interview with SML, co-founder Meera Somji discusses Clusivity’s mission, and…
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Introduction to Development in the Private Sector
While the public sector is commonly associated with fundraising efforts, development plays an equally vital role in many commercial arts businesses. These enterprises aim to attract specific clients, audiences, and patrons, making development a critical aspect of their operations. In smaller companies, development often falls…
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SML x Anita Ragusa on the Importance of Company Culture, Part II
We’re excited to bring you part two of our interview with Anita Ragusa, Human Resources Director at Karma Gallery and HR consultant. In this segment, Anita delves deeper into the pivotal role leaders play in shaping company culture, shares strategies for aligning cultural values with…
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SML x Anita Ragusa on the Importance of Company Culture, Part I
Positive company culture is more than a buzzword. In today’s competitive hiring market, it’s a necessity for attracting and retaining top talent—especially within the art world. For this two-part interview, SML sat down with Anita Ragusa, HR Director at Karma and seasoned HR consultant, to…
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Art Business Conference Takeaways
The Art Business Conference in London this year highlighted important trends and shifts that will significantly impact talent and recruitment in the art world. For those in the commercial art sector, understanding these insights will help align hiring strategies and identify opportunities for talent acquisition…
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Introduction to Communications Agencies
Today, there exist a range of agencies working solely in the art world, whilst other businesses (galleries and auction houses, for example) continue to build out their in-house capabilities. Agencies in particular offer candidates fast-paced and varied careers, with both public and private sector clients.…
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Introduction to Private Wealth: Collections, Foundations, and Museums
Just as the most commercially successful living artists have become prominent employers within the art industry, so too have the most prolific private collectors, presenting a wealth of opportunities for professionals aiming to make their mark. Collection Managers play a pivotal role in ensuring…
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SML’s Key Takeaways from The Artlogic Gallery Report 2024
The Artlogic Gallery Report 2024 highlights several significant challenges and trends in the gallery sector, particularly concerning work-life balance, technology adoption, time management, and inclusivity. The report underscores the difficulties gallery professionals face in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Over half of the respondents…
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Introduction to Alternative Art World Businesses and Arts Technology
Over the past decade, the art world has wholeheartedly embraced technology, streamlining numerous processes that were once complex and time-consuming. Today, technology is integral to the documentation, management, and trade of artworks, empowering art world businesses to push the boundaries of what is possible.…
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Introduction to Assisting and Supporting Roles
Assisting and supporting roles are all too often unrecognised for their potential as valuable and strategic platforms from which to build a career in the art world. For some, assisting roles are a stepping-stone into a more senior or more specialised role, whilst for others,…
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CV Tips for the Art World Candidate
In the competitive art world landscape, a well-crafted CV or resume can be crucial to landing a new job and progressing your career. Whether you are a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or someone transitioning careers, your resume plays an important role in showcasing your…
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Introduction to Working with Artists
“As a recruiter I find working with artist studios particularly rewarding due to the immense fulfilment in understanding each artist’s unique creative process and being able to connect artists with candidates who can fully enhance their work. This dynamic energy and the art that results…
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SML x ArtTactic Salary Report: Preliminary Findings
Employers remain positive towards hiring this year, despite tougher art market conditions Tougher conditions likely to remain in place for another year. Global economic and geopolitical headwinds triggered weaker global art market sales in 2023, with global art market sales down 4%[1]. Public…
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Introduction to Art Advisories
Art advisories serve as indispensable guides, steering clients toward the growth, management, and preservation of their art collections. At the intersection of discretion and exclusivity, these firms are dedicated to providing bespoke, strategic art-related services tailored to the unique needs and preferences of their clientele.…
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U.S. Ban on Noncompete Agreements
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 on April 23 to ban noncompete agreements in the United States, which prevent employees from taking jobs with competitors or starting competing companies for a certain period of time. According to the FTC, an estimated 30 million workers,…
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SML Welcomes Cathy Elkies to Our Board
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Cathy Elkies to our board as a Non-Executive Director. As a long-standing leader in global art world recruitment, we are constantly looking to ensure our way of working delivers excellence through a collaborative, personal and…
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SML Art Market Salary Report 2023
“There is mounting pressure on art world businesses to not only review their pay structures in line with socio-economic developments, but also to be more up-front and open about the basic pay they are offering.” Serving as a vital contribution to wider conversations about pay transparency in the industry, the Sophie Macpherson Ltd (SML) Art Market Salary Report is the first ever report on salaries across the commercial art world.
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Introduction to Auction Houses
Auction houses serve as dynamic hubs within the art world, often dominated by major international players and organised into distinct departments, each serving as a specialised entity. Navigating this multifaceted landscape requires a keen understanding of the diverse roles and structures that define these businesses.…
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Flexing for Success: How Flexible Working Laws Benefit Employers and Employees
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, came into effect in the UK on April 6, granting employees in England, Scotland, and Wales the right to request flexible working from day one of their employment. Previously, employees were often required to work continuously for 26…
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The Art of Succession: The Importance of Strategic Senior Hires in Commercial Art World Businesses
The commercial art market is witnessing unprecedented growth and intensifying competition. It has never been more critical for businesses within this space to position themselves for sustainability and longevity. One vital aspect of enhancing prospects for long-term success is making strategic hires, particularly at the…
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How To: Navigate Job Hunting in the Commercial Art World
In today’s increasingly globalised landscape, job hunting can be an international endeavour. Whether you are looking to begin your career, need a change, or are considering your next steps, our international recruiting team share their practical insights on navigating job hunting across the key market…
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Want a Career in the Art World?
Want a career in the art world? – Glen Hardwick–Bruce, founder of Art World Advisory Group and former Director of Continuing Education at Christie’s shares his 8 top tips for success: Build your knowledge base: Acquire a solid understanding of artistic techniques and movements…
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2023/2024
This year we made significant placements across key art markets including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin and Seoul. To drive these successes, our team navigated the ever-evolving market relentlessly. With the addition of three new starts, and fluency in over 6 languages, we…
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Introduction to Shipping and Logistics
Behind the seamless transition of artworks is a complex system of moving parts – the art logistics sector – and it is an active employment market. Credit: Stephane Yaich As the sector’s primary source of employment at all levels, art world shipping and storage firms…
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Introduction to Gallery Administration and Operations
Commercial galleries, one of the art world’s core business models, vary in scale and scope. Their size largely depends on the calibre of the artists and estates they represent, with the top of the field dominated by a handful of international blue-chip galleries whose teams…
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Career Progression in the Art World
This spring we were invited by Young Professionals in the Arts NYC to speak at their event at The Malin. Allison Therrien and Alex Badeni, our Associate Directors based in New York and London, shared the following case studies and recommendations as a guide to…
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Introduction to Sales Within Galleries
Selling art is perhaps the most glamorous and illustrious career in the art world, and is for many the ultimate profession. The sale of art is, of course, the essential business of the industry and depends on a curious balance of the various values ascribed to an artwork – a luxury asset, a source of cultural capital, an artefact of historical importance, and an object of aesthetic brilliance. As a role requiring a profound understanding of these values, and of the desires of an elite international market, it is no wonder that the selling of art is considered complex and delicate, involving its own form of artistry.
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Introduction to Art Fairs
“Fairs are tentpole moments in the art world, where galleries can showcase their artists’ work to a broader audience, gain better insight into the market by seeing other gallery presentations, and, of course, meet new collectors.” – Artsy Asks: What Galleries Need to Know about…
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Starting a Career in the Art World
Beginning a career in the art world is not always easy. Competition for roles is high and standing out from other candidates often involves going above and beyond to impress potential employers. From our own extensive experience in art world recruitment, we have gathered some…
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New York Pay Transparency Law
A quick note on New York pay transparency law, and what it means for your business. From November 1, employers in New York City with 4 or more employees (including independent contractors and owners) are required to disclose the minimum and maximum annual salary or…
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SML LAUNCHES NEW PHOTOGRAPHS COMMISSIONED FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Q&A WITH PHOTOGRAPHER CHARLOTTE HART
We are delighted to unveil new photographs by Charlotte Hart, commissioned for SML’s 20th anniversary. Charlotte was the winner of the open call we launched earlier this year to commission new photographs in response to our brand and the theme of artistic creativity in the visual arts. We felt Charlotte’s work connected strongly with qualities we consider important at SML, including her focus on details and attention to nuance. Her reflective and contemplative photographs capture in-between moments – those that might otherwise be overlooked – and convey a thoughtful intentionality owing to her choice to often shoot on film, as she has in this new work.
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Insights
On this page you can find our latest news and insights on the talent landscape across arts and culture.
