Blog Post

Watson Joins Artsy

Kate Downes • 17 January 2022

Watson Gallery is pleased to announce that we are now a gallery partner with the international online art selling platform Artsy.

Over the past two years, many businesses have learned to adapt to new ways of interacting with clients and customers, and Watson is no exception; during the UK’s various lockdowns, we were forced to rethink the experiences our art collectors would have when looking for their next painting or sculpture.

We did find some interesting ways to increase our local accessibility, such as offering pavement-viewings of artworks through our windows – you can read more about that in a previous blog post.

However, we also wanted to make sure our artworks were available for online purchase, and adding a “ready to buy” option on our website was key for us during the time we spent with the gallery door closed. We added additional information about each artwork, including an "in-situ" viewing room for each piece so a buyer could imagine the artwork in their home...

An virtual viewing room for Gordon Mitchell's "Mother Egg"

Although many of our collectors were glad to have an option to view artworks remotely, we have heard from almost every one of our visitors since reopening how wonderful it is to be back in a real gallery, able to walk around and see the artworks up close.

 

That being said, through our online efforts, we have now gained a wider audience of buyers beyond Edinburgh and the surrounding towns, and we wanted to make sure they still had access to our collection, so we have maintained our online gallery since.

 

Of course, this online-gallery effort was made by independent galleries around the world, and as a result the world of art buying moved firmly into an online market. While in-person viewings remain popular, many new buyers are now seeking their artworks entirely online, using new technology and e-commerce improvements to evaluate new artworks remotely.


One of the most popular ways for collectors to find new artworks is through the international gallery partner Artsy – which was around long before 2020’s lockdowns, but whose operating platform allows for an excellent online gallery experience that can be shared with any collector in the world.

An in-situ view of two new originals by Ernesto Vaz, in our recent online exclusive exhibition "Ernesto Vaz: the Language of Colour"

Watson will be sharing the artworks of a select group of our artists through our Artsy gallery profile, helping new collectors to find their works and learn about their art practices.

 

Throughout 2022, we will be holding a number of exclusive online exhibitions through Artsy, enabling buyers from across the globe to find and enjoy our artists’ work, but also to share with our existing collectors and clients.

 

If you haven’t already, make sure you are subscribed to our weekly newsletter (enter your details at the bottom of this page) to get access to these limited-time only exhibitions, which will feature interviews with the artists, a behind-the-scenes look at their processes and studios, and new releases available to buy.


Get in touch with the gallery here.

by Kate Downes 8 November 2024
Each work has its own narrative, in which Jane highlights the details and themes of the piece. In 'Masters of Skullduggery,' Jane reimagines the infamous Burke and Hare as two hares surrounded by skulls and corpse lights as evidence of their misdeeds… “Oh, these two are really bad boys… William Hare and William Burke, show committed a series of murders in 1828. They sold the corpses to Dr. Robert Knox for dissection in his lectures in anatomy. To make things more nefarious, when captured Hare turned King’s evidence against Burke and Burke was hanged. His body was donated to the anatomy class; it can still be seen today. Hare disappeared. A fitting story for dark Scottish nights…”
by Kate Downes 6 April 2024
A look back at some of our favourite artwork installations from Watson clients' homes, and our take on what made the artworks work so well in each space...
by Kate Downes 10 January 2024
When the time comes to say goodbye to a precious artwork, whether to bring something new into your collection or to free up some cash, it’s important to find the right sales option. With so many art collectors now looking for their next piece online, EzelDotz’s web-based sales platform allows artworks to be discovered by collectors seeking works by their favourite collectable artists. EzelDotz also has a database of over 15,000 collectors to whom they will market new works, or help in their search for a particular artist’s work. They have recently been working on a brand new sales platform and will be relaunching soon! Watson has been working with EzelDotz for a number of years as a resale partner (previously under the name 'Sell My Artworks'.) We have even had the opportunity to display artworks owned by local Edinburgh clients at the gallery, by request of our own collectors. If you are looking to move on any works in your own art collection, visit EzelDotz to see how they can assist you as their new sales platform gets underway.
by Kate Downes 30 October 2023
Kirsten Mirrey's first solo show had some incredible results...!
by Kate Downes 30 August 2023
Enjoy a video tour of the gallery with art director Bob Corsie
by Kate Downes 10 July 2023
Local street artist Sleek’s Edinburgh workspace is located in the Queen Street Art Studio below Watson Gallery, and we enjoyed co-hosting his live painting demonstration… in keeping with his street art roots, he decided to work outside!
by Kate Downes 1 May 2023
All of our guests had a fantastic time listening to David’s stories, behind-the-scenes adventures, and insights into his craft. We also had the opportunity to present a number of exclusive editions, which had been curated around the theme of David’s ‘Homecoming’ to Scotland. The series included three of David's rare and remarkable Scottish pieces, in a special smaller-scaled AP format. While these are not available for general release, if you would like to learn more about them you can contact the Watson Gallery team directly .
by Kate Downes 18 October 2022
New artists and new collections for the changing season...
by Kate Downes 7 March 2022
David's fluid, spontaneous style, used to capture the energy and spaces of the cities that inspire him, has been described as “sketching in paint”
by Kate Downes 28 June 2021
Peter Goodfellow is one of the best-known and most widely collected artists featured at the Watson Gallery. And, with a selection of his new releases on display, we have seen an ever-growing interest in his expressive, vibrant takes on the Scottish landscape.
More posts
Share by: