How can I help you run your art gallery business?
I started Gallery Fuel 15 years ago because I saw a gap in the art world. Gallery owners are experts at discovering artists, curating exhibitions, and building relationships, but many have never had the opportunity to learn the business side of running a gallery. After working in galleries of all kinds and spending years in corporate marketing and strategic planning, I realized I could bring those two areas of experience together to help creative organizations build stronger, more sustainable businesses.
Today, Gallery Fuel creates affordable business operating systems for small, relationship-driven organizations. I build the operating system layer (strategy, workflows, and knowledge) implemented around how my clients actually work. Each system is designed around the organization’s goals, people, and existing ways of working rather than a generic formula.
Gallery Fuel was created for independent art galleries, and they remain at the heart of my work. I also work with small museums, cultural organizations, arts nonprofits, historical sites, botanical gardens, foundations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. These organizations often share similar challenges. Small teams manage exhibitions, events, educational programs, memberships, fundraising, marketing, and client or donor relationships, with each person wearing multiple hats.
What I enjoy most is helping people feel less overwhelmed and more confident about the future of their organizations. Whether we are working on operations, marketing, planning, AI, audience development, or the everyday challenges of running a small organization, my goal is to create practical solutions people can actually use. Strong business practices give creative and mission-driven work the structure it needs to grow and thrive.
Katherine Hébert | Art Gallery Business Strategist
Katherine Hébert is the founder of Gallery Fuel, a membership-based resource she established in 2012 to help small and mid-sized art galleries attract new collectors, increase sales, and run thriving businesses. Drawing on her extensive experience in both the art world and corporate marketing, Katherine brings a unique perspective to the challenges gallery professionals face today.
Before launching Gallery Fuel, she worked in a variety of gallery settings—ranging from frame shops and limited-edition print dealers to galleries representing leading regional and national artists, as well as blue-chip works from the 19th and 20th centuries. She also served on the Art Partners board of the High Museum of Art, further deepening her insight into how institutions engage audiences. In parallel, her corporate career included roles in strategic planning, communications, sales support, digital marketing, and design—skills she now channels into tailored business solutions for gallerists.
Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2007, when she founded a consultancy for artists that focused on building long-term visibility and sales through digital and content marketing strategies. This work revealed the growing need for specialized business support in the gallery sector, particularly for those outside the high-end markets.
Through Gallery Fuel, Katherine provides members worldwide with practical strategies, curated resources, and personalized guidance. Membership benefits include in-depth articles, sales and marketing insights, planning tools, and access to a resource library designed specifically for art galleries. Members also receive quarterly one-on-one check-ins and discounted advisory services, making Gallery Fuel a true partner in their ongoing success.
An avid art collector herself, Katherine understands firsthand the challenges galleries face in connecting with buyers and nurturing artists’ careers. She recognizes that many gallery owners possess a good eye for artistic talent and passion, but sometimes lack the business resources needed to thrive. Katherine is passionate about helping galleries close the skills gap in sales and marketing while staying ahead of the rapid changes in technology and buyer behavior. Her mission is to equip gallery professionals with the clarity, tools, and confidence they need to grow their reputations, nurture their artists, and build sustainable businesses in today’s evolving art market.
Katherine lives with her husband and their spirited cat in a historic train station in Virginia. When she’s not exploring art or writing for Gallery Fuel, she’s gardening, hiking, or paddling her kayak, Luna. A certified Master Gardener since 2020, she volunteers locally to promote sustainable horticultural practices and environmental stewardship.
