An art gallery is not a church although to many people it appears to be so. This is because people tend to move around quietly and speaking is usually done in whispers. This is part of art gallery etiquette. The point is that to truly appreciate art it must be more experienced than viewed. A true art lover will allow the work of art to impact them on many levels including emotional and visual. It is a bit difficult to experience art in a noisy and rowdy environment. People are quiet in an art gallery to minimize the distractions and allow others to concentrate on the art.

Some people act as if the buying and selling of art in a commercial gallery is something that is sacred and taboo. It is not bad etiquette to talk about the price of a work of art in an art show. The artist has exhibited them in the anticipation of selling them. Asking about price or carrying a printed price list with you during an art show is fine. On the other hand, one should not haggle over a work of art with a gallery employee or the artist in front of the other patrons. The work of art is not an old lamp at a garage sale. If there are questions about price or if you wish to make an offer, this should be done quietly and privately to respect the viewing experience of other patrons.

To get the most out of your visits to the local museum or art gallery, learn to understand the language of art to find out what the artist is trying to communicate. Art appreciation allows you to have an informed opinion about works of art. It doesn’t mean you have to like all of them, but hopefully see them in a new light.

It may seem obvious, but the title of the work can tell you what the artist wanted to describe by creating the art work. Sometimes the title will be obvious, but sometimes it may seem to bear little resemblance to the finished object. In this case, look for some similarity or connection that the artist found important enough to stress or exaggerate, and think about why the artist chose to isolate that particular feature of the subject or scene. Perhaps it sums up something important, distilling the subject down to what the artist feels to be its essence.