Agallery should promote an artist’s work, create and hold exhibitions, stock an artist’s work year-round, give advice to both their customers and artists, pay them promptly, relay customer feedback (both positive and challenging) and be their ‘store-front’… oh and did I mention pay them promptly?
That said, because of the interconnectedness of the internet and especially social media, many of these things can be done by an artist themselves from the comfort of their studio, so the question is: to gallery, or not to gallery?