When it comes to work-life balance in the art world, there’s a significant disparity between gallery workers in North America and Europe: 61% of North American gallerists report having a poor work-life balance, while 57% of their European counterparts report having the exact opposite.
This is according to 24/7 Art: The Artlogic Gallery Report 2024, our survey of gallery professionals from 50 countries about everything from workplace wellbeing to sales dynamics and the near future of the art market.
What’s the reason for this disparity? It could be that Europeans are simply better at taking time off than Americans. In Europe, 62% of gallerists take between 16 and 30 days off per year. This is in stark contrast to their American equivalents, 27% of whom take less than 10 days off.
Regardless of their location and perception of their work-life balance, 53% of all gallerists say they could do with more staff to boost their efficiency and productivity. What to do? Technology provides one possible solution. Investing in dedicated gallery software is an affordable way to improve your operations without the need to make expensive hires.
There’s also a significant divide in work-life balance between job roles both ides of the Atlantic. In Europe, Directors (69%), Marketing/PR (70%), and Gallery Assistants (71%) report the best work-life balance. Across the pond, Gallery Assistants and Marketing/PR, as well as Sales Reps, were the most satisfied. The least satisfied role In North America is Gallery Managers, with 75% unhappy about their work-life balance. In Europe, Registrars (67%) were the least happy respondents.
Want more valuable insights on gallery working dynamics?
Download The Artlogic Gallery Report 2024
About the author
Natasha Whiffin is Head of Brand Marketing & Partnerships at Artlogic, where she leads brand strategy and industry partnerships. She previously worked in partnerships and development roles at Art Basel, Paddle8 and Asia Art Archive, and regularly shares perspective on art market trends, mergers and technology. She has co-hosted Artlogic webinars on scaling small galleries.
