Wild Hearts Gallery is an artist owned and operated gallery, organized as a Limited Liability Corporation under the laws of the State of New Mexico. By sharing our time, resources and talent, these artists are joining the time honored tradition of cooperative principles.

A waiting list of artists considered for future membership is maintained. When there is an opening, the gallery members interview select artists on this list, based on the needs of the gallery at that time (type of work and space needs).
 
One of the special qualities of being an artist-owned gallery is the presence of an exhibiting artist in the gallery, which enhances our interactions with patrons. Each member sits the gallery an average of a half day per week, or as required to cover daily operations and special events.

The gallery has robust PR and marketing activities which include a twice yearly gallery brochure highlighting the upcoming six months of events, postcards for each featured artist exhibit, distribution of press releases, Signpost advertising, participation in ARTScrawl's First Sunday and Meet the Artist events, posting to the various art calendars, a gallery virtual tour each month as the exhibits are changed out, a website and social media presence. This has resulted in articles in the Signpost, the Albuquerque Journal and the Alibi (now defunct) and recent social media posts by NM Nomad (100,000 followers) and NM Magazine's "Five Things to do This Weekend". The Winter 2022 New Mexico True magazine sported an exterior view of the gallery with our sign and Roger Evans' sculpture as part of a small feature on co-op galleries.

To keep our small space fresh and inviting, exhibits are changed out monthly. At the same time artists usually move to different spaces in the gallery, as assigned by the curating committee, giving everyone time in the best locations.
 
Appointed Positions and Committee Assignments:

• Each member must serve on at least one committee and may be asked to serve as a committee chair.
• All members are expected to help in some capacity beyond work assignments.
• Members are expected to attend regular meetings and participate in gallery special events as requested.

Space Designations:

• Gallery members receive an equitable portion of the wall and other space for the display of their work and members benefit from group promotion of the gallery in publicity, social media and advertising. Currently, space is approximately seven linear feet per wall artist with shelf space for pottery, wood-working, glass, etc. There are also bins for unframed art and racks for cards and books.
• Artwork must be original and created by the artist.

Expenses:

• Members share gallery expenses equally.
• A membership fee of $200 (non-refundable) is charged at the time of admission to the gallery plus the last month’s expense fee which is currently $100. This $300 is due at the time of acceptance. The monthly fee of $100 is due on the first of each month and is used for the operation of the gallery. It is subject to change only by majority vote of the membership.
• The Gallery now charges a 12% commission on sales (a reduction from 15% for the first three years), covering sales related expenses such as credit card fees and packaging materials and as needed to cover operating costs. A monthly statement is given to each member detailing their sales activity and monthly payment due to the artist for sales.
• Payments for sales by artists are made by the 15th of the following month.
• The gallery is responsible for payment of gross receipts taxes.
• Liability, theft and breakage insurance is provided by the gallery for fixtures, furniture, and office equipment. Each artist is responsible for insuring his/her own work.

Shared Memberships:

• On a limited basis, we allow artists to share a membership. The initial non-refundable $200 fee remains the same; it is your investment in the gallery. The last month's membership fee also applies. The monthly membership fee may be paid in full in the months the artist is represented in the gallery or may be prorated and paid monthly at half the monthly rate.
• Artists who are part of a shared membership are expected to continue to participate in committee assignments, meetings, and assigned event participation even during months their work is not represented in the gallery. How they share the assigned gallery space and work schedule is to be determined by the two artists who share the membership.
• The gallery is governed by one vote per membership, not one vote per member. So shared members also share a single vote.
• Artists who are part of a shared membership are eligible to be a featured artist as part of the gallery's rotation of featured artists.
• If one of the artists in a shared membership leaves the gallery, the remaining member can opt to be a full time member of the gallery or help find another artist to share with. This is necessary because the Operating Agreement makes no provision for half memberships.

How to Apply
 
If you are interested in being a member of the gallery, just email [email protected] or drop off a letter of interest at the gallery. Your communication should include brief information about yourself and what you create (images are nice or a link to your website). Because openings do not happen often, we have no regular schedule established for interviewing artists.