About us

The team

The community

The community offers an environment that supports artists at various commitment levels, ranging from open-access resources to exclusive programs. Guests can access a range of free resources, including videos, a dedicated discussion forum, printable guides, and in-depth articles. Active members can participate in structured community programs, including regular “Get-together talks” that alternate between Topic discussions and Pitch presentations, as well as opportunities to collaborate on in-depth articles, including the newly introduced Anthology articles:

Open access (Guests)

Everyone can access free resources on the business of art and visual expression:

• Videos available on YouTube.
• A dedicated forum for discussion among community members.
• Printable community guides published on Patreon.
• In-depth articles available on the Very Private Gallery blog.

Active members (Paid)

Eligibility

Only Tier I members and above on Patreon are eligible to actively participate in community programs.

1. Get-together talks

The Get-Together Talks are regular community meetings designed to exchange ideas, share projects, and strengthen collaboration. Format:

• All talks are recorded and published on a dedicated YouTube channel. Notes are also shared on the community forum for reference.
• Meetings take place on the last Friday of every month at 7 PM CET (Madrid Time).
• The talk is limited to eight active participants, selected in the order they join. Participants who join after the limit is reached can still attend as observers. They will not have access to audio or video, but can follow the session live and take part through written messages.
• They are of two kinds and switch every month: (month 1: Topic; month 2: Pitch)

The talks alternate each month between two formats: Topic and Pitch. If no one volunteers to present a Pitch, a Topic discussion takes its place:

a. Topic

A Topic session centers on a subject proposed by the community. Each session lasts 90 minutes, with 60 minutes dedicated to the chosen Topic, followed by 30 minutes of open discussion. Topics may fall into three categories:

• • Community topics – focus on the Very Private Art community itself, including its structure, benefits, and potential areas for improvement.
  • Art topics – discussions about art in general, based on published material (articles, videos) or ongoing debates.
  • Helpful topics – practical guidance to support members’ artistic or professional development.

b. Pitch

A Pitch session allows members to present their projects and receive constructive feedback from the community. The goal is to exchange ideas, identify opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen mutual understanding.

• • Personal Presentations – Members can introduce themselves through a combination of a short artist statement or portfolio review:
  • Pecha Kucha format: 8 to 10 slides, each shown for 30 seconds (approx. 5 minutes in total), followed by a 10-minute group discussion. This structure accommodates up to four Pecha Kucha presentations within a single session (approximately one hour), allowing for an open group discussion afterward. New members are encouraged to give a Pecha Kucha presentation during their first or second meeting, while existing members may share shorter mini-presentations (around 3 minutes).

Pecha Kuchas will be gathered and published so newcomers can know about each member of the community.

Submission Guidelines

Upload your video to our Google Drive (a link will be provided by then) and share it with us via email or direct message.

We will include your video in the invitation for the next Get-Together Talk. With your consent, we will archive and reupload these videos to our dedicated YouTube channel to document the community’s ongoing dialogue.

• Collective projects – Members may also present collective or collaborative projects. These can originate from within the community or be external initiatives that may interest the group.

Each presentation includes:

• a 15-minute project overview,
• a 20-minute Q&A,
• and from a 25-minute brainstorming or collaboration discussion focused on how members can contribute or develop shared outcomes.

How to submit

1. Call for participation
   About two weeks before each Get-Together Talk, members receive an email inviting them to choose from three proposed topics or to express interest in giving a presentation. Every two months, members have the option to present either a personal or collective project.
2. Confirm participation
   To take part, reply to the announcement email and specify whether you wish to present a personal presentation or a collective project. Please include a brief description of your proposal so it can be reviewed and scheduled accordingly.

Validation and announcement

Once reviewed and approved, selected proposals are included in the next community meeting agenda. A confirmation email will be sent to participants, and all upcoming presentations will be shared with the wider community through the meeting announcement.

2. Collaborating on articles

We do not rely on social media as our main outreach strategy. Social platforms offer limited control over content and short visibility. Instead, we focus on publishing in-depth articles designed to build long-term visibility through search engines and to create a lasting knowledge base.

Articles and guides

Any community member can take part in the writing process. All published and in-progress articles are listed on the blog. Members who contribute are credited as collaborators. To join an article project, contact us by email. We will share access to the Google Docs version of the article in progress, where you can comment, edit, or contribute ideas.

Anthology articles

This section is more detailed since it has been newly introduced. The structure of these articles is still being developed and may evolve as the project progresses. Anthology articles differ from others in that they focus on artists within a shared category. It can be a movement, a niche, or anything that can list artists together. Members whose art falls within this category are invited to contribute by writing about their peers. And, where relevant, by including themselves, while maintaining a reflective approach.

Talent

The word talent comes from the Greek talanton, a unit used to weigh gold or silver, a measure of value and wealth. Over time, its meaning shifted to describe a person’s innate ability, particularly in art.

Yet the original sense still matters. Artistic talent doesn’t exist in isolation. It depends on access to time, education, tools, and networks—all of which require resources. When we call an artist “talented,” we often overlook the structural and material support that made their development possible. Talent, then, is not just innate ability but also the result of opportunity and investment.

Demystifying

Why tell that? Because one of the purposes is to question accepted ideas and examine how stories about artists are constructed and circulated. Collectors and galleries often use storytelling to build value around artworks, which makes sense within the market. For artists, however, these same narratives can distort their perspective. When artists model their careers on idealized examples—thinking, “This artist did that, so I should do the same,” they risk misunderstanding the conditions that made those paths possible.

Rethinking Success

Each anthology article examines how notions of authenticity and provenance are often constructed in the art world. Rather than repeating predictable success stories, the articles introduce alternative ways of describing an artist’s context—such as background or personal narrative—without turning them into myths.

The anthology also examines how privilege, access, and structural support often play decisive roles in artistic recognition. These factors are rarely discussed in public narratives but are essential for understanding what “success” actually means.

Visibility and Reach

Publishing in the anthology also provides artists with greater online visibility. Individual artist websites rarely compete with large platforms such as Artsy, Artnet, Fine Art America, or Saatchi Art. By appearing collectively within a well-researched article, members can enhance their chances of being discovered through search engine results (SERPs) and reach new audiences.

Anthology article structure

• One section per artist
• Three main criteria: Background, Distinctive Style, and Artistic Message.
• At least eight artists per analysis.
• Artists may propose their own inclusion.
• Hyperlinks are used when the information could be open to interpretation or needs context.

3. Residency program contribution

Members who attend our Madrid residency program receive financial support through their Patreon contribution. Half of the amount they contribute as members is deducted from the total residency cost.

This calculation is based on the net amount we actually receive from Patreon after taxes and fees. The figures are visible in our Patreon administration records, and we can share them on request for transparency.

4. Tools and apps we invest in

We reinvest community support into technical tools that are available exclusively to members. These tools are intended to help members develop their projects with greater independence and professional quality.

WordPress Plug-ins

When members pay for the community, they help us invest in the tools below. They can also benefit from this investment.

Members who build their websites on WordPress gain access to a selection of licensed plug-ins. These include a main website builder and essential add-ons for design and functionality. Access remains active for as long as members are part of the community. It means members do not need to purchase or renew these plug-ins individually.

• Divi builder for designing websites on WordPress (89$/year),
• RankMath Pro to improve your website’s SEO (7.99$/month),
• Imagify (to convert and compress your images (9.99$/month),
• WP Rocket for your website speed (49$/year).

SEO apps

Those are available for the coaching and follow-up group. Some have limited seats.

• Keyword Everywhere to do semantic research (price per search, around 10$ per year).
• Robinize: AI-assisted SEO (119$ lifetime license), 2 seats available.
• ContextMinds: AI mind mapping for SEO (69$ per seat), 5 seats available.

Forum theme

• The WordPress community theme for the Forum (BuddyBoss and BuddyPress 171$/year)

Partnership

We seek collaborators who demonstrate critical thinking and professional standing in any area related to art. A partnership with Very Private Gallery may be the solution if you are a business seeking more opportunities, visibility, and engagement within an artist community.

Expectations

• Integrity: We do not require partners to echo VPG’s opinions. However, we demand logic. If a partner disagrees, they must support their position with sound reasoning. We value constructive debate over blind agreement.
• Representation: A partner must represent a broader entity within the art ecosystem, such as a gallery, museum, or collective.

Benefits 

• Authority: We feature partners as named subject matter experts on pages where their knowledge adds value. This validates credibility and generates media interest. The organization appears as a business partner on the VPG homepage.
• Traffic: Publications and specific content receive links on the VPG website and social media channels when there is alignment with the editorial focus.

Partnership Application Process

Very Private Gallery (VPG) maintains a strict policy of one partner representative per region. This approach ensures exclusivity and focuses resources on healthy collaborations. 

To qualify for the program, the organization must focus on art and represent artists or maintain active professional connections with them.

Partnership requirement: fulfilment of one of the following commitments is mandatory:

1. Website Link: Placement of a clear reference to VPG on the partner website with a DoFollow link. Logos are provided at the bottom of this page.
2. Program Promotion: Promotion of the residency program on the partner website. This option entitles represented artists to a 10% discount on the residency.
3. Community Support: Membership in the Patreon community at the “Follow-Up Tier.”

To get started, simply fill out the form below, and we will contact you via email for a quick confirmation to ensure it’s a good fit. Partnerships are automatically renewed each year, provided everything runs smoothly.

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Partnership application form