Introduction

Art gallery curators often manage a host of responsibilities from exhibition planning to artwork acquisitions and educational outreach. Effective workflow automation tools can significantly enhance gallery operations by automating administrative tasks, streamlining exhibition schedules, and improving communication with artists and patrons. Here are seven tools particularly suited to the unique challenges faced by art gallery curators.

1. Bizway

• What is it? An advanced business management platform leveraging AI to deliver an integrated suite of tools specifically beneficial for solo art gallery entrepreneurs and curators.
• Key Features: AI Assistants, task automation, detailed project tracking, KPI monitoring, and business analytics.
• Pros: Offers AI-driven customization, a broad range of tools for comprehensive business management, and an intuitive user interface.
• Cons: There may be a learning curve to effectively utilize AI features, potentially best suited for small to medium-sized gallery operations.
• Pricing: Starter package begins at $49/mo, with Scale at $99/mo and Portfolio at $199/mo.
• Best For: Art gallery curators seeking an AI-powered platform to enhance their business operations and optimize art management workflows.

2. Trello

• What is it? A project management tool using cards and boards to organize tasks, scheduling, and collaboration – ideal for managing exhibitions and gallery events.
• Key Features: Customizable Kanban boards, checklists, automation with Butler, file attachments, and calendar views.
• Pros: User-friendly and flexible for various tasks, promotes visual organization of exhibitions and artwork, facilitates team collaboration.
• Cons: May require additional plugins for full functionality, expansive boards may become unwieldy.
• Pricing: Free for basic functionalities; Business Class starts at $9.99 per user/month.
• Best For: Curators needing a visually iterative way to manage gallery tasks, from artist liaisons to artwork installations.

3. Artlogic

• What is it? A comprehensive gallery management software specifically tailored for art businesses, integrating inventory, CRM, and online sales.
• Key Features: Inventory management, contacts database, integrated website management, sales processing, and reporting tools.
• Pros: Specialized for the art world, CRM is designed to manage artist and collector relations, robust database capabilities.
• Cons: Can be cost-prohibitive for smaller galleries or independent curators, feature-rich complexity may require training.
• Pricing: Custom pricing depending on the range of features and gallery size.
• Best For: Art gallery curators who require a detailed system for handling art inventory, client engagement, and online sales.

4. Asana

• What is it? A task and project management software, providing curators the ability to plan, organize, and track work across exhibitions and gallery initiatives.
• Key Features: Multiple project views, task assignments, workload balance charts, and automation features.
• Pros: Supports detailed planning and collaboration, customizable to the workflow of curators, offers a broad suite of integrations.
• Cons: Some powerful options are gated behind higher subscription levels, can take time to set up the project frameworks.
• Pricing: Basic use is free; Premium starts at $10.99 per user/month.
• Best For: Curators requiring robust organization tools for exhibition planning and artist projects.

5. HubSpot CRM

• What is it? A CRM platform that enables curators to maintain detailed records of artists, buyers, and gallery patrons to automate marketing and client outreach efforts.
• Key Features: Lead tracking, email marketing tools, sales pipelines, activity tracking, and detailed reporting.
• Pros: Comprehensive CRM functionality, free to start with scalable features, user-friendly interface.
• Cons: Grows costly with additional marketing and sales features, may include more tools than necessary for small galleries.
• Pricing: CRM is available for free; Sales Hub starts at $45/month.
• Best For: Curators and gallery managers focused on building strong relationships with collectors and art enthusiasts.

6. Slack

• What is it? A collaboration hub that allows teams to communicate in real-time, share files, and integrate with other workflow management tools.
• Key Features: Messaging channels, direct messaging, app integrations, and file sharing.
• Pros: Facilitates quick communication and collaboration, reduces email dependency, can centralize gallery communications.
• Cons: May lead to messaging overload with high activity, essential features require paid plans.
• Pricing: Offers a free version; Standard plan starts at $6.67 per user/month.
• Best For: Art gallery teams needing a centralized platform for communications about exhibits, artist liaisons, and event planning.

7. Monday.com

• What is it? A cloud-based Work OS where curators can create workflow apps to manage various aspects of gallery operations, from exhibition scheduling to sales pipelines.
• Key Features: Customizable workflow templates, automation, CRM capabilities, project tracking, and Gantt charts.
• Pros: Highly customizable and adaptable for different business processes, intuitive interface for easily monitoring gallery projects.
• Cons: Might include more features than needed for smaller galleries, costs increase for larger teams and advanced features.
• Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans starting at $8 per user/month.
• Best For: Gallery curators who want a flexible project management platform to customize their art operations workflows.