What to Charge for Putting Together an Art Exhibition
Then, you've been decorated creating lots of art… now it'southward time to evidence the world!
Welcome to function 2 in our 'Exhibiting your Art' web log series. The series volition be covering various aspects of exhibiting, including getting started, working with commercial galleries, submitting to group shows, and marketing.
Putting on your own exhibition, whether physical or online, can be an extremely rewarding process, every bit you have total control over all aspects of your show. On the downside, y'all'll accept to be extremely organised to make it work, and most of the costs will be down to you. Ane way to solve this is to work with beau artists on group shows, which can reduce the bear upon of these potential problems. We'll be looking at how to find a space, the benefits of collaborating, how to approach curating your own show, getting people through the door, and the pros and cons of belongings your own show.
Solo show or group show?
When putting on your own exhibition, something to consider is whether you desire to get a group of artists together, or who want to go information technology lonely. At that place are benefits and downsides to each of these options, and it's important to work out what you really desire from the venture first.
Putting on your own solo evidence volition mean a lot more pressure, as you volition be doing all of the work yourself. The upside though is that you will have total creative control, and all the decisions will be yours.
You lot'll need to consider whether yous have enough piece of work to put on a solo show. This doesn't but mean sheer volume, but a well curated collection of work that ties together your ideas and processes. Information technology may be extremely useful to source a curator to help you with this – use your networks to find someone who understands your work and volition be able to help yous bring it altogether.
'Norden Farm Exhibition' past Joan Skelton Smith
Group shows tin can be a peachy selection if you feel you only have a pocket-size selection of work y'all're ready to exhibit. The other benefit is that y'all'll be able to manage tasks betwixt a group of people – 1 person can have control of marketing, another poster design, so on, meaning there is less stress on any i individual. Of course, artistic people working together tin can often lead to fiery debates around decision-making! But this can be a great part of the process and ofttimes makes even more rewarding when the cease consequence is a success. Being part of a group also means your network is much bigger, meaning more than people will come up to the private view and there will be more exposure to all of your work.
An important factor to consider is who you lot showroom with – don't rush into this. Research artists and contact those whose work can exist clearly curatorial linked to your own. As tempting as it is to piece of work with your close group of friends, information technology may be that their piece of work is completely irrelevant to yours, and you could end up with a disjointed, unclear exhibition. Working with like-minded people on an exhibition may even lead to other things, like starting a permanent commonage. We wrote an article last year on the benefits of working with a peer mentoring group, and here is another cracking article from the Guardian talking virtually the benefits of starting a collective, and how it can further your creative procedure.
Organising any exhibition, whether on your own or with a grouping, is going to to take a lot of hard work and a lot of fourth dimension, so you demand to be sure it'southward going to benefit your creative progression and expose your piece of work to the right people.
Costs
Start with a budget program – this is extremely useful in planning how much you lot're willing to spend, and gaining a realistic understanding of how and where you lot can exhibit. Things to consider are:
- Infinite hire
- Individual view costs (drinks, nibbles etc.)
- Advertising
- Transporting of artwork – van hire?
- Marketing materials (posters, flyers, website etc)
- Installation costs
- Press of CVs, press releases, artist statements
- Business organisation cards/postcards for visitors to take abroad
- Time gene (time not spent creating new work)
Some of these costs you lot may be able to get dorsum, for example request for donations at the bar to offset the drinks costs. Another idea which tin can work brilliantly is to try and source sponsorship for the evening from a local drinks company. It sounds a fleck over the acme, but if you can hope a busy and well advertised private view event that'south relevant to their brand, it's probable they wouldn't heed donating a few crates for their logo being on the flyers/posters. Endeavor local breweries every bit a starting point!
How to find a space
Finding a space to showroom tin can be a challenging part of the process, simply once you outset researching, you'll observe that at that place are plenty of galleries and temporary spaces out at that place looking for art to fill their walls!
It is worth looking in multi-practice venues or centres with available gallery infinite. For example, performing arts spaces or customs centres may take gallery spaces for local residents at reduced rates. Other places to wait might exist pubs, bars, restaurants, libraries and creative person-led spaces… art shows have even been known to be held in people's living rooms, and then proceed your options open!
'World'south smallest gallery' by Tessa Crawford-Docherty
Curating
Curating is an integral attribute of holding your own exhibition, and one which tin can be daunting to a visual artist with no experience. Its easy to think that equally a creative person, curating a space volition come like shooting fish in a barrel, but it's of import to remember that people specialise in the fine art of curating for a reason, and information technology's non something to be left as the last consideration. Y'all should start thinking about your curatorial ideas from the very beginning of your exhibition journey, and yous must likewise ensure that anybody in your group understands what they are working towards. As mentioned above, it may be useful to work with a curator in lodge to take an outsiders perspective on the work – attempt contacting people who may exist studying curating or museum studies, who may be looking for independent projects of their own.
- Hanging and installing the work comes under curating – brand sure you have visited the space several times and understand the limitations in terms of hanging. Do they allow holes to be drilled? Do they have a pre-installed hanging system? Do they provide paint/ poly-filler for de-installation?
- You'll besides need to consider where you'll be advertising pricing of artworks for auction. Some exhibitions volition take labels next to each artwork with the toll and number of editions, whereas some will accept a list of works canvas available for visitors. Think about the infinite itself and what would adapt your evidence more.
- Providing CVs and artist statements are too really of import in ensuring visitors come up abroad with knowledge of the piece of work, and a reminder to continue up to date with whatsoever artists they similar through websites, blogs, and mailing list details. This opens up opportunities for futurity sales post-exhibition, and will also build on your existing network. Some artists include business cards or postcards so people tin can actually take away a small-scale memento of their work – try moo.com if you're thinking near doing this.
Spreading the word
You lot've worked hard pulling together a great testify – now you need people to come up! Here are a few tried and tested ways to market your exhibition:
- Social media is your friend! Take a expect at out tips on using social media in our previous web log mail service hither. Use you blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr – basically anything that will get the word out.
- Try and become your event listed on pop art events sites, such as ArtRabbit, Fourth dimension Out, and of course ArtWeb.com!
- If you have a mailing list, transport an email out around 2 weeks before the event, then another a couple of days before as a reminder. Our commodity on marketing likewise contains communication on building a mailing list.
- Flyers and posters are a great tool in advertising the prove in local areas – ask local cafes, community centres, artist studio spaces, and anywhere relevant if they would mind y'all leaving flyers – nigh places don't listen.
- Remember, you can't talk about it enough! These days, with such a wealth of information existence taken in everyday, people need reminders…!
Case of a flyer for St. Giles Church building Summer Art Exhibition
Got any tips or feel in holding your ain exhibition? Share your advice with us and our readers by commenting!
Source: https://blog.artweb.com/how-to/exhibiting-your-work-part-2-putting-on-your-own-exhibition/
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