A lot of artists have great stories about how they were influenced by art and how it helped them in their career or personal life. They may share these experiences via blogs, talk shows, or even books.
Many of those artists also have an online gallery where people can view their work and/or buy pieces. By having such a site, you’re helping spread your artist name, which is a good thing!
Some people start their own galleries as a way to get more exposure for themselves or their favorite artist. It can be hard to find time to create artwork, so using technology to do this for you can help you grow as an artist!
There are several ways to begin hosting an artistic showcase Online. This article will go over some tips on how to set up your own art gallery website!
Heckler Media creates digital media marketing strategies for small businesses looking to increase their web presence. Visit their site to read her articles and learn something new.
Write down your values
A little bit about me is that I love art, period! I’ve been creating things since childhood and now as an adult I have my own studio space where I create and develop new projects. My favorite styles are representational, nature themes, and narrative-focused pieces with strong lines and shapes.
I started sharing my work more frequently in 2013 when I opened up Anima Studio. Since then I’ve held several exhibition events including at our home, and from-the-ground-up collaborations with other artists and creative businesses. This article will talk mostly about setting up an exhibit for your gallery using social media, flyers, and word of mouth to promote it.
What kind of artwork should you include in an event like this? Anything and everything goes! You can do still lifes, landscapes, figure studies, or anything else really. It doesn’t even need to be artistic; we always recommend offering something inspiring and motivational so people can take away some ideas or lessons.
Make a list of your themes
As with any type of art, starting off with a well-defined theme is the best way to begin. What kind of art you want to show in this gallery are clearly defined!
You can use your own ideas, or you can pick up inspiration from other artists’ work. By having a clear concept, it will be much easier to get started.
Some good tips for getting your start as an artist is looking at how others have done things before and experimenting with different styles and techniques.
But first, make a list of all the possible themes you might want to include in this exhibition.
It’s not enough to say ‘art’ and ‘reflection’ – those are definitely possibilities, but they don’t quite describe what you really want to do with these next steps. You may also wish to consider creating a term for your project (like “my artwork and me” or “self portrait”), which helps connect the pieces together.
Brainstorm your audience
The first thing you will need is very important! You will want to know who your audience is before you start planning for the exhibit. This can be tricky, as some people do not like art so it may be hard to find people that enjoy looking at pictures.
That being said, there are many ways to determine this information. Who all of you are online, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, magazines, newspapers, and blogs- any article or review about the artist or their style can give away info about your audience.
By creating an interactive show, you increase the chances that someone in your target market will visit! Many museums offer free entry because they want to expose more people to their exhibits. By offering free entry into your show, more people will try out your exhibition, which could lead to them buying something later!
If you’re already have an established fan base, then you don’t even need our help supporting your business! But if you’re still trying to build up momentum, these tips will prove helpful.
Pick a location
Finding a space for your art gallery is one of the most important things you will do as a exhibiting artist. Choosing a room or area that is appropriate and comfortable for you will influence how well you are able to interact with visitors, as well as help you get inspired.
You can choose to display and promote your work anywhere — even if it’s in your own home! But picking a place outside your house requires some more consideration.
First, make sure there is enough light for adequate photography and proper viewing of the pieces. Also, be aware of any power outages or disruptions in electricity (like when a thunderstorm rolls through).
Second, consider the flow of traffic at that location. If people seem to be coming and going frequently, avoid making changes or having conversations while people are around. People may become distracted or annoyed by this so plan accordingly.
Third, think about what kind of impression you want to give. Will you look professional and put effort into your artwork? Or would you rather show off what you know and love instead?
Fourth, determine whether this will be a short-term or long-term exhibition site. A short term exhibit might only last a few days, whereas a long term one could span weeks or months.
Finally, check whether the owner of the property allows artists to use their space for exhibits. This is very common at museums, but not always elsewhere.
Apply for a license
After you have determined what kind of art gallery you want to open, your next step will be to apply for a business license. This is not only limited to having a place to store your belongings while you are away, but also ensuring that you comply with local laws.
You must prove that you are at least 18 years old, and make sure to include this information when applying for the license. You should also confirm that you are legally allowed to run a business in your state or country as well!
Most states require you to be able to pay bills on your own and keep track of money so that you do not overspend. Because most of these businesses take credit cards, it is helpful to know how to use them. If you feel more comfortable doing it under duress, then go ahead and learn how.
Some people start their artistic careers by creating pictures and decorations for other people’s rooms or houses. These individuals may not have had their own art studio, so they do not have any formal training aside from learning how to put colors together and understand proportions.
However, they still manage to produce beautiful work and gain followers due to their talent. It is very possible to begin painting, drawing, or sculpting if you give yourself a chance to experiment and find out what styles you like.
Fund the exhibit
Now that you have your space, your wall, and your supplies, it is time to start gathering funds to put this exhibition together! While having a show does not require a large amount of money, there are always costs involved in putting together an exhibition.
The first cost is usually investing in materials to display and hang up pictures or sculptures prominently. This could be done through buying them at garage sales or thrift stores, collecting them from home sellers or donating them to a museum or art gallery where they can use them for exposure.
Next comes researching how to hang each picture or sculpture properly so it does not look crooked or funny. There are many ways to do this, but most artistic people agree that using clear plastic sleeves or mat boards as hanging frames is the best way to go. These can be picked up cheaply or paid for via donations or income.
After these two, the next expense will be taking photographs of the artwork to include in the exhibition. This is very important because without good quality photos, the public won’t know what pieces belong to you! Many artists hire professional photographers to take their own photoshoots, but you don’t need to be too expensive if you aren’t quite budgeted yet.
Once all of these things are finished, the last step is exhibiting! Most museums and galleries hold open events once a month which anyone may attend.
Plan the layout
After deciding where you will display your art, you will need to determine how to organize it. Will you hang it all in one place or spread it across several places?
You can use color theory to help decide which areas of the room are appropriate for each piece. For example, if your artwork is made up mostly of nature scenes, then shades of blue, green, and gray are perfect colors for such a setting.
The opposite would be pieces that have very bright, bold colors. These would look good in rooms with strong decor themes – reds, oranges, and purples being some examples.
Color schemes like these can influence what kind of organization you choose for your exhibit. If there are few natural landscapes, for instance, you could group them together and play off their similarities (both may feature large areas of water). Or you could put one row only plants or just mountains!
If you want to mix it up more, you could space out different types of pictures so people can explore different styles.
Create the display boards
The next step in setting up your show is creating the display board or panels for each piece. These will be used to showcase and organize the pieces of the exhibition.
You do not have to use glass or plastic covers, but they are ideal as this allows you to see all of the details of the artwork. You can also easily move them if needed!
To make these coverings, firstly you need two materials. One is cardboard which you can get at any home improvement store or online shop. This can be cut into various sizes and shapes depending on how many items there are and what size their display area is.
The second material is canvas cloth, which you can buy from most art stores or shopping websites. These come in different colors and styles, so look around to find one that fits your style and budget!
Once both those parts are bought, simply layer them together and design the shape and size that match your wanted results.
