Bookkeeping for art galleries
A gallery's money moves on consignment terms: work sells, the artist's share goes out, and the gallery keeps its commission, sometimes weeks after the opening. Add exhibition costs, framing, shipping, art fair fees and online sales, and the gap between a busy gallery and a profitable one gets hard to see. Mispar keeps every consignment, payout and show cost clearly tracked. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Gallery owners and directors who need consignment sales, artist payouts and exhibition economics handled precisely without building a back office.
Tracked
Consignment sales
Reconciled
Artist payouts
Visible
Show costs
Current
Commissions
Where art gallery books usually go wrong
- Consignment sales not separated from owned work.
- Artist payouts not tracked.
- Event costs mixed with overhead.
How Mispar keeps your gallery's books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Consignment sales
Record each sale against the artwork and artist agreement it belongs to, so the gallery's commission and the artist's share are never tangled.
Artist payouts
Track payouts owed and paid per artist, so statements are produced from the books and nothing owed sits unnoticed.
Exhibition costs
Keep installation, framing, shipping and opening costs tied to each show, so the real cost of an exhibition is visible beside its sales.
Art fair and event fees
Track booth fees, travel and event expenses on their own lines, so fair participation can be judged on actual numbers.
Online and secondary sales
Record online platform sales and secondary market activity separately, so each channel's contribution is clear.
Rent and operating costs
Keep space, insurance, staffing and marketing as their own categories, so the gallery's baseline cost is known before the next show is booked.
Reports an art gallery can use
- Amounts owed to artists.
- Sales by artist.
- Event income and cost.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Review your current records
We start from your consignment agreements, sales records, payout history and bank feeds.
Map the chart of accounts
Commissions, payouts, show costs and channels are mapped to an agreed chart of accounts that fits how your gallery sells.
Reconcile sales and payouts
Each month, sales are matched to consignment terms and artist statements are reconciled against payments.
Close the month
Monthly statements with an exceptions list and the per-show reporting agreed for your gallery.
Illustrative example
A gallery closes a group exhibition with strong opening-week sales. With each sale tied to its consignment terms, artist statements go out accurate and on time, and the per-show view reveals that framing and shipping ate a third of the apparent margin. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Art Galleries bookkeeping — your questions
Can you handle consignment accounting?
Yes. Each sale is recorded against the artist agreement it belongs to, so the split between the gallery's commission and the artist's share is exact and auditable.
How do artist statements work?
Payouts owed and paid are tracked per artist throughout the year, so statements come straight from the books rather than a reconstruction at payout time.
Can I see profitability per exhibition?
Yes, when sales and costs are tied to each show. We set up that view with you; accurate show-level records are what make it reliable.
We sell through an online platform too. Is that a problem?
No. Online sales are recorded as their own channel and reconciled against platform payouts, so fees and net proceeds stay visible.
How do you handle artist payouts?
Owed amounts are tracked as a liability until paid.
Does the $229 starting plan cover my gallery?
The final plan and scope depend on sales volume, artist roster and show schedule. We agree that scope before starting; catch-up work is discussed separately.
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