Galleries:
	Art galleries intimidate most people. However, gallery owners and their personnel are almost always the most helpful and knowledgeable sales people you will ever find. Go to all the galleries you can. Look at everything and ask lots of questions. Most galleries specialize in certain styles or periods. Find the galleries that carry the work you like and ask about the other work that they might have. Most galleries are not able to display all of the work they carry. If you have a certain type of art that you like, ask them if they carry anything like that. They will be very glad to bring it out and show it to you.
	Galleries put on shows. Sometimes one person shows to spotlight one particular artist, group shows, and shows where there is a common theme. Galleries like to educate the art community by creating shows that inform and create new thoughts on various subjects. Go to these shows and read the literature. Collect the catalogs from the shows. A lot of work goes into the writing of these catalogs and a lot of knowledge can be gleaned from them.
	Most galleries have a "stable" of artists that they represent. Ask to see the biographical sheets on their artists and any other promotional material that they might have on the ones that you like.
	Galleries have special openings from time to time. This is usually to show off new work and to allow the public to meet the artists. Go to these. Everyone has fun (except the artist). If you like the work tell the artist and ask questions. If you are too shy to ask questions, stand close and listen to the answers to the questions of others. This sounds silly but it will give you a better understanding of the artists work and rather it is the type of thing you would like to get more involved with. There is usually a lot of extra literature at an opening, more catalogs and other explanation sheets. Pick these up, take them home, and read them to learn as much as possible about the work you like.
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