The Gray Market
is a twice-weekly newsletter that maps the forces shaping the business of contemporary art, from inside and out. It explores how surrounding elements—from adjacent markets like film, music, and fashion to larger industries like finance, technology, and law—impact the art ecosystem as powerfully as what its traditional players do.
The Gray Market was founded by Tim Schneider, a writer and private consultant for artists and businesses in the cultural field. After starting as an entry-level assistant in 2005, Tim worked in several commercial gallery roles over nearly a decade, culminating with his tenure as the director of research at Kayne Griffin Corcoran (now Pace Gallery in Los Angeles) in 2016-17.
He launched the Gray Market as an independent editorial project in 2013. It later became a conversation-starting weekly column for Artnet News, where Tim worked as the art business editor from 2018-23, and at The Art Newspaper, where he served as the acting art market editor from 2023-24. (You can read the full pre-Substack archive of The Gray Market for free here.)
What does a subscription to The Gray Market get me?
Free subscribers receive:
One weekly deep dive into a major theme impacting the art business
Paid subscribers receive:
One weekly deep dive into a major theme impacting the art business
One weekly roundup recommending articles, exhibitions, books, podcast episodes, interviews, and other media, with Tim’s commentary on why it’s relevant to the art ecosystem
Occasional subscriber-only bonus posts
Access to the full Substack archive (public posts are paywalled after two months)
Commenting capability on all posts
Access to the subscriber-only chat with Tim
Good karma from supporting independent analysis amid an increasingly dystopian media economy
Schedule
Posts usually go out on Thursday and Saturdays (though the exact timing can shift a little week to week).
Contact
If you have thoughts, questions, or want to work together, email tim@thegraymarket.xyz.
