Submissions
Are you an artist interested in having your work represented by Lux?
Firstly, please note: As of Summer 2025, Lux Gallery no longer have a permanent gallery space. We trade mostly online, with occasional pop-ups, and also utilise wall space in partner spaces, like wine bars and restaurants. This means artists keep hold of their art, and we only require the artwork if/when they sell, or if there is a solid enquiry. This gives artists the opportunities to continue to sell the same works privately, maximising opportunities.
We love working with artists, and are also keen to support local creatives wherever possible. However, as we receive multiple enquiries every day by artists who want to work with us, we simply cannot support them all.
Our curator has spent the last 6 years visiting art fairs, meeting artists, visiting galleries across the UK and researching artists online. He also runs Birmingham Open Studios, so has hundreds of local Birmingham artists already on his books. To date we have viewed 1000s of Uk-based artists, trying to find the very best creatives for our client base to maximise our chances of survival. In general, we like originality, humour, and quality works that represent Birmingham and the UK.
In the years since we have opened we have learned more about what our customers want, and we have adapted. Our customers are often Birmingham or London-based, and seek original, collectable artists with a large social media following, who are on the right journey, have a great story, or who are already established in UK or international galleries. Essentially, they want the best chance of investing and making money on their art if they choose to resell it in the future. Of course, it also needs to look fantastic.
This means that we now chose our artists based upon them meeting a strict criteria. We ask that before you approach Lux about the possibility of representing you, that you read the following criteria to see if you could be eligible.
1) Does your work suit Lux? There are countless art galleries in the UK, each with their own USP and style. A successful artist in one gallery might look out of place in a competing gallery. Have a look at our current artists and ask if Lux is actually the right fit for your work? We represent colourful, striking works with tonal depth that are often humorous, or depict landmarks. We like works that either ties a room together, or is a focal point. They ideally need to look at home in a £million property.
2) We want to be exclusive. When customers shop through us, we want them to have never seen the works, or our artists before in the Birmingham area. If you already have work in another gallery within 15 miles of Lux you won’t be eligible, unless you are offering a completely new style or range exclusively to us. This also includes artists who have had their work in competitor’s gallery within the last 12 months.
3) We prefer artists that already have a large following and fan base. These artists will help promote us effectively to their existing audiences, and help us grow. We can then benefit from artists bringing with them new art collectors and customers from across the UK. We’d also prefer you to be established in other galleries across the UK. Ideally artists should have over 10,000 followers on social media and be active in promoting themselves successfully, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.
4) Art needs to be of a certain calibre. We are seeking artists with a proven record of selling paintings for over £1000, or ceramics and prints for £100’s. It’s risky running a business, so we are minimising the risk by working with successful artists, as this helps our chances of survival. Since we opened, 6 art galleries in Birmingham gone into liquidation. We are determined not to follow their path.
5) We need to like it. Art is subjective, and one gallery curator may have a very different taste to the next. It’s vital that we actually love and believe in the artworks that we sell. If an artist isn’t our cup of tea, that doesn’t mean we think the artist is bad. It’s simply a matter of taste.
6) We cannot reply to all enquiries. We often get literally 5-10 artists per day approaching us about representing their work. Due to the sheer numbers of artists that contact us, we can only reply to artists we are potentially looking to work with.
For all artists who apply to join Lux Gallery, we may ask for proof that your art does sell regularly for the values stated above elsewhere.
Happy to proceed? Please email us at [email protected]
We will want to see samples of your work (with prices), previous/current exhibitions at other galleries, any awards you may have, and links to your website and social media. Please note that due to the high amount of enquiries by artists, we will only contact artists who we are interested in potentially working with
If you are just starting out and are based in Birmingham, why not join Birmingham Open Studios. It is a fully inclusive event that allows artists of all experience and calibre to exhibit equally from their own homes and studios. More info here on their website.