Choose a niche for your online art gallery. For instance, you can choose to sell Western, contemporary, digital or mixed-media art in your gallery.
Obtain the required business licenses in your area to run a retail business, which is what an art gallery is. Depending on where you live, you may need a sales tax and use license, assumed name certificate (DBA) or employer identification number (EIN).
Pick a platform to use for your art gallery business, such as Pro Stores, Core Commerce or Big Commerce, that will allow you to set up an inventory system for the art you sell, process payments and provide potential customers with information about each piece. It is best to choose a platform that allows for fixed pricing rather than auctions to avoid lowering the value of the artists' work.
Determine the commission split between you and the artists that show their work in your online gallery, any fees you plan to charge such as shipping or insurance and whether you will house the art or allow the artists to ship it themselves when it sells. Develop a simple contract containing this information for each artist and yourself to sign--keep the original on file, and give a copy to each artist.
Make a marketing and public relations plan for your online gallery--you will need to gain a steady flow of Web traffic to not only sell the art, but to encourage artists to sell through you in the first place. Consider sending press releases to local art publications, organizations and college departments, holding local, offline events where your artists can meet with potential buyers, starting a promotional blog and joining a network such as the Art Dealers Association of America.
Put out a call for artists by posting on popular websites and Internet forums such as Wet Canvas or GFX Artist, posting fliers and sending emails to department heads of local colleges and universities with fine arts programs and posting on online classified-ads sites.
Maintain a consistent theme with your online gallery by carefully selecting pieces to include. For example, if your gallery is one that showcases self-taught artists, do not accept work from someone who is formally trained, no matter how well their pieces fit in with the rest of the art you sell and regardless of how talented they are.