Black Friday and holiday emails for art galleries and framing shops
Art is a gift people hesitate to buy for others, and a custom frame is a project with a deadline. A gallery’s holiday emails have two jobs: make a gift feel easy, and tell people the last day your framers can finish in time.
Make art feel like an easy gift
Many customers like art but are nervous about picking it for someone else. Lower the stakes. Feature prints and small works at a range of prices, and group them by use: under a set price, for a new home, for a person who loves the outdoors. Show pieces on a wall, at a real scale, so people can picture the size. State the size and the medium in every listing, and whether the piece is framed or comes unframed.
Gift certificates
A gift certificate handles the fear of choosing wrong. Offer it in fixed amounts, and consider a certificate for framing as well as for art. State whether it is a printed card or a digital one, how quickly it is delivered, and any expiration, which is regulated in many places. A line such as “a gift certificate can be used for art, prints or framing” covers the real question.
Framing deadlines
Custom framing takes time: choosing the frame and mat, ordering materials, cutting and assembly. Your holiday capacity is limited, so a clear deadline is the most useful thing you can send. Give the last day to bring in an item for framing and have it ready by Christmas, and be careful that the date is one your shop can really keep. Remind people how to start: bring the piece in, send a photo for a quote, or book an appointment. Say that late items may be finished after the holiday, and offer a wrapped gift certificate or a framing voucher as a stand-in.
Artist features
Galleries have something other shops do not: people. A short email about one artist, with a photo of the work, a few sentences about how it is made, and a link to their pieces, gives your list a reason to open. Ask the artist before you publish anything about them or their work, and use only photos you have the right to use. Do not invent quotes; use their own words, with their permission.
The five emails
- Early access and framing deadline (the week before). Your list gets first look at the holiday show, and a clear last day for framing orders.
- Black Friday: one offer. A discount on prints, a free mat upgrade with custom framing, or a bonus on gift certificates. Pick one and state the dates.
- Small Business Saturday: visit the gallery. Open hours, an artist in the room if you have one, a small refreshment, and a gentle invitation to browse. Examples.
- Artist feature and gift ideas (early December). One artist’s story and a short list of gifts at different prices.
- Last call: framing and gift certificates. The final day for framing, the last shipping day for prints, and instant gift certificates. Last-day template.
What to put in a gallery’s emails
- Large, clear images, with title, artist, size, medium and price.
- Edition information, such as whether a print is one of a numbered edition.
- Frame options and lead time, stated as a date, not as “a few weeks.”
- Shipping for artwork, including how large pieces are packed, and whether you offer local delivery.
- Hours and the address, plus any holiday closures.
A short template: framing deadline
Hi [First Name], If a print, a photograph or a family piece is going under the tree, framing takes time. Here are our dates. Framing deadline Bring in your piece by [date] and we will have it framed by [date]. After that we cannot promise it will be ready for Christmas, but we will finish it as soon as we can. How to start Visit us at [address] during [hours], or send a photo to [email] for a first quote. Appointments are available on [days]. Prints and small works Our holiday show features [artist name] and [artist name], with prints from [price] and small originals from [price]. Everything is listed with size and medium. [See the holiday show -> link] Gift certificates For art, prints or framing, in amounts of [amounts]. Available online and in the gallery. We hope to see you soon, [Your name], [Gallery Name]
For a different kind of handmade gift, see the gift shop guide and the home decor shop guide. The Black Friday email calendar has the dates.
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