Having an exhibition is a fun way to showcase your artistic talent and/or sprout new ones. It’s also a great way to make some money by selling or giving away your work! However, hosting an art show can be tricky.
There are many different ways to have an exhibition, so it is important to know what works for you before diving into the process. By being familiar with the types of exhibitions, you will know how to structure yours.
This article will discuss all of the crucial parts of having an exhibition, from picking a genre and size of gallery to finding venues and promoting it.
Write down your exhibition title
Now that you have decided what you will be exhibiting, it is time to write down your exhibition title! This should be two or three main points and are not longer than five words.
I suggest using neutral vocabulary so that people can relate to the exhibition easily. For example, if your exhibition was titled ‘Summer Routines’ then could be read as ‘SUMMER ROUTINES FOR SUMMERS’ or even just ‘BEACH DAY STRATEGIES THIS YEAR’.
The word ‘summer’ gives the general theme of the show, while the rest of the sentence allows for more specific ideas such as ‘water sports’, ‘beach trips’ and etc.
Registration with the gallery
Before you begin exhibiting, you will need to register your exhibition with the gallery! This is very important as it allows them to update their website about your show, updates for the space, and how many people can come watch/participate.
They will also ask if there are any materials or decorations you would like to use during the event. You should always reply “no” to this question so that you do not run into issues later!
You may want to consider donating some items to increase attendance and exposure. We recommend using online sites such as Amazon A+ to find something appropriate and cost effective.
Prepare your artwork
After you have completed all of your projects, it is time to organize them! Once again, organization is very important when doing art exhibitions, so make sure to keep track of everything.
You will want to separate your materials into two groups: finished works and work in progress. The first group should be organized by material and collection, while the second can be separated into different categories, such as sketching, painting, or digital design.
Make note of what medium each piece is using (watercolor, oil paint, acrylics, etc.) and which collections they belong to (landscape, nature, figure, etc.). All of these things help determine how to display the pieces for exhibition.
Plan your exhibition
After deciding where you will display your work, the next step is to plan your exhibition. This includes determining if you want to invite members or not, how many people you want to have visit, and what kind of engagement with the art you’d like to foster.
You can also choose whether you would like to provide drinks or snacks for visitors, or even offer tour services. All these things depend on whether you are donating or selling your artwork at the show!
If you are offering your work as donation, then there is no cost attached to having the show. If you are planning to sell pieces, then it is best to know that most galleries reserve one week (usually Sunday through Thursday) for the exhibit.
This way, people have time to look through the works and find ones they want to purchase before the show closes.
Publicity for your exhibition
The second most important factor in having people come to your show is publicity! This can be done two ways- through media or word of mouth.
By and large, most museums use both strategies together. They put up fliers about their exhibitions and hold press conferences to promote them. These are great ways to get more attention for your work!
People also talk about what artists do, so why not start that conversation? You could mention something related to your own art and how you got into it, but also tell someone else’s story– let them know who you are and what you love and then add “so and so inspired me to try my hand at _________.” Boom, free marketing!
Your friends and family will probably spread the word as well.
The opening of the exhibition
After you have picked your location and negotiated with the gallery for space, the next step is to plan how to organize the exhibit. This includes deciding if it will be open for visitors or not, as well as determining what kind of display structure you want to use.
If you are choosing to close off some part of the exhibition for visiting viewers, then this also means finding appropriate timing to hold the event. You do not want to hold it at night when people might come looking for answers!
On the other hand, if you choose to make all or most of the show available, then there must be a way to get attention for the exhibition. A good way to do this is by holding an opening party or launch event.
This can be done during daytime hours, or even before the official start of the exhibition.
The exhibition schedule
During your gallery visit, you will probably see some announcements about your artist or artists having an exhibition. This is a very important part of their career that they are sharing with the world!
It is great exposure for them, and you get to enjoy their work more by visiting the exhibition. They may even talk about how many people attended their show which can boost their self-confidence.
If you would like to have your own art exhibit, do not worry! There are ways to do this too! Hire a professional studio space where you can display and/or sell your artwork.
But before you start buying all those expensive equipment and materials, there are things first you need to know as a beginner artist. In this article, we will go over some basic tips on how to have your own exhibition.
Handling visitors to the exhibition
When your gallery is closed for renovations, that’s when things get tricky! Before you know it, people will start coming to see your work.
Most notably, people will come to look at all of the new pieces you have since your last show. This can be difficult as they may not know what to expect or how much material you’ve got going up.
It’s important to be prepared for this by talking about the different stages of the exhibition process with potential viewers.
Some individuals might feel intimidated by your artistic style so trying to find common ground is a good way to win them over.
People are also likely to ask questions such as why there isn’t more artwork like yours around, which could give you the chance to talk about your creative process.
