Many people begin exploring art by looking at something simple, like pictures or sculptures of large animals that capture your attention. These are often referred to as animal portraits or studies. As you can probably guess, artists use this technique in their work frequently!
Intermediate artists learn how to create such paintings or drawings through repeated practice. The process is quite systematic, and there are many theories about what colors and shapes influence human emotions.
If you’d like to explore more advanced ways to look at artistic depictions of animals, then it is very important to understand the basics. Fortunately, you don’t need any formal training to start!
Given that most people love animals, there are always lots of sources of inspiration. By observing, studying, and drawing from these examples, you will quickly pick up the skill set needed to become a successful artist.
This article will go into detail about some easy ways to propose an exhibition to a gallery. It will also talk about why professional artists choose specific strategies when they launch new projects.
Make it personal
If you are thinking about proposing an exhibition, then make it personal. What will your proposed show mean to them as individuals or professionals? Will they feel appreciated and respected?
It’s great to admire their work, but if there isn’t any motivation behind the admiration, then what is the point?
Show off your talent, sure, but why should they care? Why should they keep working hard if you don’t seem to appreciate what they have done?
If you really want to see all of the colors in their palette, then go color-bleed some paintings! They probably already do that sometimes, so why not just add one more to their collection?
Alternatively, ask how their day was or tell them something interesting you learned. Even better, both relate to each other’s field and talk about something passionate you have been studying lately.
Your potential collaborator may be too busy to give you their time at this moment, but hopefully you get the message that these things matter to them and they would like to invest in them more.
Make it clear what you want
As with any other conversation, your proposal will be much more successful if you are very clear about what you want. If you do not know where to begin, just start by asking yourself some tough questions: What do I love about this artist? Why should they have my support?
Your answers to these questions can then help you come up with a way to promote their exhibition. You could make a short phone call or send them an email introducing yourself and mentioning how passionate you are about their work.
By being concrete and logical, your message will also be more likely to be listened to.
Be proactive
A proposal is any way you want to describe your intention to showcase your work at a gallery. It can be as simple as saying “I would like to have my work displayed at this gallery”, but it should include some details about what kind of exhibition you hope to gain for your art and who may see your artwork.
It is very important to make sure that you are aware of the policies and procedures of the gallery before proposing so that you do not offend anyone or hurt your chances.
Some examples of proposals includes telling someone that you will bring in new artists to show off, asking if they are looking to expand their collection, telling them how beautiful their space is, etc.
Provide a website and images
Now that you have your proposal all lined up, it is time to prepare for the big day! When proposing an exhibition to a gallery, making sure they know what you are representing and who you are as an artist is the first step.
Having a strong understanding of your artistic style is important to ensuring their respect of your work. It also helps them get familiar with you as an individual!
Knowing how to propose to a gallery is very similar to asking someone if they would like to hang out or meetup with you somewhere. If you don’t, then why should they?
If you aren’t clear about what you want to do, then why should they help you achieve that goal? You need to be totally confident in yourself and aware of your strengths before trying to connect with others.
Also remember that not every body is going to agree with you, nor will everyone love your work, but that isn’t a reason to give up.
Create a mood board
Creating a proposal for an exhibition is like putting together a room tour or house painting project. You will need to do some research, create a mood board, and pick your colors and materials before you can put it all together.
The first step in proposing an exhibition is creating a mood board. A mood board is a collection of pictures and items that help convey your message as clearly and effectively as possible.
It helps show off the qualities of the artist and their work, and gives potential supporters a sense of what to expect.
Take your time to really look into the artists’ styles and determine if they are someone you would want to be influenced by. If so, collect examples of their works, and compare them with how you could apply those concepts in your own art.
Pick a good time
This is one of the most important things about proposing an exhibition. You want to make sure your proposal is not too early or too late. If you propose in the spring, when people are thinking about fall exhibitions, then you will probably get turned down!
Likewise, if you propose in the winter, when many artists have already finished their work for the year, you may get rejected as well.
When planning your proposal, consider what the gallery needs at that moment. Are they looking for new art? Is there a special event coming up? What types of artwork do they show? They may need help promoting the exhibition, so offering these services can be helpful.
Also, check with the curator or leader of the department to see how much staff coverage they have during the proposed time frame. Some departments only have one person who has full-time employment, so you would need to plan around them being away.
Dress the part
If you are ever asked to propose an exhibition to a gallery, then you should know what kind of dress is appropriate. This includes whether or not there is a party planned before the announcement of the new show.
Dressing for success means paying attention to detail. You don’t want to look like someone who doesn’t care about fashion. But at the same time you don’t want to be too flashy either.
You have been given their card so they will assume you put some thought into it. Make sure to wear something that fits well and that expresses your creativity and style.
If possible, bring along some examples of your work to help promote yours! And remember, if you are having trouble coming up with ideas, you can always ask other artists for theirs.
Know your audience
As with any form of marketing, proposing an exhibition comes down to knowing who your potential audience is and what they like. If you don’t know who your audience is, it can be difficult to market yourself or your work!
As artists, we are always seeking opportunities to show our work so that people may admire it and us as individuals. This is very important for our artistic growth and self-confidence. So why not use this opportunity to do some networking?
By connecting with other art professionals in your area, you will gain knowledge and tips from them which could help you get back into the creative swing of things. They may even have recommendations for galleries where you should exhibit next!
If you’re struggling to think of anyone whom you’d like to approach about exhibiting at a gallery, there are many ways to find out more information. You could try talking to colleagues, looking online for their profiles and portfolios, reading reviews of past shows they’ve curated, and so on.
