Prepping for an Art Gallery Exhibition
Did you know? Displaying your work for public review in any setting has serious benefits as an artist.
Displaying your art in an exhibition allows the public to see your work out in the community. This can also benefit your confidence as an artist. When you are deciding what to display you can create something new or you can tailor it to the exhibition you are participating in. If you are on a deadline this might not work. If there is a specific theme you will need to find pieces which match the theme being displayed.
Things to keep in Mind:
- Have at least one finished piece (better to have more)
- Make sure you have a good representation of all techniques and mediums
- Bring a few pieces (if you are not the one picking the pieces)
- Photograph your art (if they sell you might not see them again)
- Frame your artwork if you need too
- Wrap your pieces up ready for transportation
- Create labels for every piece (containing: title, price, medium, and size)
When you are looking to find a place look for local coffee shops, doctor’s offices, public libraries, retail shops, community centers, schools, and universities. Feature these businesses when displaying on social media so they will likely promote your artwork in the future.
In my town the university offers every month for artists to contribute to their walls. They have specific themes and you can put your artwork on display. There is no fee and a great way to get your art recognized.
Exhibitions usually stay up for 7 to 10 days. Make sure you have one day to set up the exhibition and one day to take down.
You will also need to decide if you want to find a flock of other artists to display your art work against or just simply fly solo.
Try different avenues to get the word out:
- Social Media Sites: Pinterest, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
- Friends and Family
- Online Communities
- Art Message Boards
- Personal Website or blog
- Local Newspaper (might be a fee)
- Some posters at different places (Walmart, Target, Shopko, Grocery Stores)
- Invite a classroom, program, or club to co-sponsor your exhibit (theme relates to their program etc.)
Don’t be disappointed if you don’t make any money. If you go in the mindset you are going to make so much money. You will be disappointed! I would have some extra smaller pieces similar to your bigger pieces. People will buy if they don’t have to pay as much and doesn’t kill their wallet. Don’t price things based on what you think is best or worst. Try to get a guestbook for your exhibition so you can collect, names, email addresses, and comments of the people who came to see your work. If you cannot have a guestbook and make sure you leave your business cards.
Don’t get depressed if people are not buying your artwork on the night of the exhibition. Sometimes it takes time for people to make a purchase and they want to think about it. Make sure to follow up with any leads after the exhibition or people who left comments on your guestbook.
Good Luck on your Art Exhibition! I hope this helps.
Creating an Art Portfolio
Your professional showcase awaits or should I say your artist’s resume? As an artist you must have a vision, learn art principles and understand the business of art. When you present your art portfolio you are trying to impress your viewers and also show how you have mastered art techniques. Think of your art portfolio has your professional work and should only display finished artwork. Your vision should match what is in your portfolio. Choose your works which show off your best talent and is aligned with your vision as an artist. First impressions are the lasting ones. Make sure you follow all requirements or guidelines if you are building a portfolio specially for a certain gallery.
As an artist you are the editor and usually you are the hardest critic. I would also suggest having a few people critique your work or offer up their opinions. This is your job audition and you need to make it count. Planning ahead and working on your portfolio now is never too early. In fact, it is the most perfect time to start! Don’t focus on pieces of your portfolio, but more of just creating amazing works, so you have many options to choose from in your portfolio. Don’t think too much about your portfolio and ways you can perfect every piece when it is finished because it has the opposite effect you will end up wrecking something which was already great.
Ask and allow people to help you. Don’t reject advice, suggestions, or assistance this will only hold you back. Other peoples eyes and views can help you, especially, in case you might have left something you needed in your portfolio out. Make sure to put your ego in the back pocket and take in as much advice as you can. Someday you might be the artist students come ask you if you can help them. You should learn as much about the gallery as you can and try to connect with people who have shown there or already have pieces in the gallery. Network yourself so you can succeed with an amazing portfolio. Make sure you thank the people who have helped you with offering up their time and opinions.
Grammar and spelling is important. Don’t misspell the gallery you are applying for. I know it sounds easy, but when you are worrying about your pieces you can easily forget the simpler things. Make sure you space out your portfolio and don’t put too much information about design or colors. Make your portfolio simple but effective. Creating a portfolio is exhausting and a lot of work. When you are picking out your portfolio book find a book which works with you and who you are as an artist. Your portfolio should have at least 10 good pieces of work. Take 3 of your favorite pieces and put them in order: 1 in the beginning, 1 in the middle, and 1 at the end. Make sure there is no glue or tape showing at all. Bigger is better try to display larger pieces of your work in your portfolio. If you have articles or press releases put them at the end of your portfolio so you are able to showcase your experience.
My Biggest Struggle
My biggest struggle as an artist is getting up and talking about my work. This has been a constant struggle for me over the years. A part of me worries about what they are thinking about my work? Another part of me is worried about just standing up there and making no sense. Do I even know what I’m talking about? I swear I can rehearse my speech or what I want to say a dozen times over and over. Then I get up there in front of a group of people and struggle to get my words out. I struggle over every thought in my brain and going through various topics like a person on a bunch of caffeine. How am I’m supposed to be professional when my thoughts are scattered like teddy bears in a grab machine? Sometimes it is such a nightmare I prefer to just keep quiet and reserved.
But then the thought comes to me? This is who I am. This is exactly what I want to be. I did not come this far to let public speaking get in the way of my true dreams of becoming a great artist. I yell at myself in my mind to wake up and focus. I take deep breathes. I try to control my breathing because it is the only thing I can control in this moment. After every time I stand up and talk to the group they always say how good I do and how relaxed I look up there. Ha! If they only knew what was going on inside. Taming my inner demons. I really try to connect with my audience and have direct eye contact with many people in the crowd. I know nervousness is absolutely normal and little bit of anxiety can be healthy for you. And remember always smile! This is huge because a simple smile can comfort people and they make them feel relaxed. Well unless you are doing the grin from Joker on Batman. I highly suggest you don’t because it might actually creep people out.
Another thing I mentioned earlier is I practice in front of my mirror before going up in front of the crowd. Sometimes I have my family or friends help me as well. This helps me so much more to practice with my friends or family. As Eleanor Roosevelt once quoted, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” I love this quote because when I look at public speaking it is my fear which holds me back from my own self. I play with different scenarios in case I get asked any questions. If I don’t know a question I would say something like, “That is a very interesting question and would you mind if I thought about it and got back to you?” I feel like if I have a purpose and know what my goals are I can overcome any of my obstacles. Yes, even my fear of public speaking.
In my free time I take communication classes. This helps me learn different techniques to communicate. When I’m in class I raise my hand more and try to speak up more to gain confidence in myself. If you are having a group day I would pick to be the group leader because then you are usually the person chosen to talk about your group’s project. Sometimes I just pretend I am talking to my best friends within a smaller group of people. I smile and make the best out of the situation. Overall I would say the more I talk in front of groups the easier it truly gets for me. I can keep the inner demons at bay.
What is the Role of Art in Society?
Art plays an important role in society as an illuminator. How does art illuminate? Art illuminates through social activation, global reach to individuals for curiosity, or civil impact. Art has a power to explain complex subjects or a feeling brought about by the image. Art can be spread to communities to form different opinions or ideas encouraged through analytical thinking. Throughout history art has continually changed and brought about its own movements. Art has also brought about threats to certain people in power because art sparks ideas, brings about controversy, and challenges opinions. Art can illustrate what words can’t. Art can convey ideas across the schools and cultures. It also a very powerful tool of communication and understanding.
How is art powerful in communication and understanding? In Derry, Ireland there is a mural on a housing estate on Rossville street that depicts what happened on Bloody Sunday of January 1972. The art is for the people and done by the people to remember what happened on this day. A reminder to what happens when ambition and greed falls into a society. Not only does this have spiritual significance; culturally it does too. The Bloody Sunday mural is a credit to the victims and very passive anti-heroes. Art is a way to remember the past. The Louvre in Paris, France which is a museum has been explored by many from all over from different countries. In a way the Louvre brings people together to remember the past. The Louvre holds many antiquities whether it is sculptures, paintings, wood, metalware, ivory, carpets, and miniatures. Every piece has a story and history. Even the Louvre itself. Art can bring joy to vast amount of people. Art brings people together to share history or to have amazing discussions.
When I think of art I know it has had many movements throughout history. For example, some art movements you might be familiar with: abstract, Pop Art, Pixel Art, Graffiti, Impressionism, and Realism to name a few. There is over 100 movements. A lot of movements happened because of major changes in society. As art progressed it came from the artist within and how the artist was feeling. Vincent van Gogh would be a popular expressionist in his work with strong colors which showed anxiety and spirituality. I think of Starry Night as one of his major works in the Post Impressionism era. Van Gogh painted from his soul and I believe he reflected a lot of his work with his emotions. Back in different eras there was a more realistic approach to what was happening and it was definitely more graphic. In the late 19th Century a psychological impact was moving away from realism and more towards emotional rendering of how the world affected the artists. Another example I think of is The Scream by Edvard Munch. He used bright and exaggerated colors like Van Gogh. Both of these artists struggled through depression in their lifetimes. He painted The Scream when he was going through a personal crisis where everything is normal but in the inside he is screaming. He could possibly be screaming because his sister was being hospitalized nearby in an insane asylum; but it can also represent the slaughterhouse was nearby with the blood red tones in his painting. In a way this painting depicts a sort of autobiographical meaning to his work. Munch’s scream could mean many different things.
The Art of Animation 
Recent Comments