5 Practical Tips to Get Your First Gallery Show
Feb 2, 2011 Art General
Does this sound like you?
- You’ve been working on your art for a couple of years.
- You have accumulated a body of work, or about 12 pieces based on a related theme.
- You have a fairly good understanding of where you’re coming from and what you’re wanting to accomplish with your work.
If so, you may be ready for your own art show, but what’s the next step?
Don’t be too intimidated by a lack of experience or education to put yourself out there and apply for shows. Galleries look for good art; your CV isn’t the be all and end all. Spring is when many galleries have their submission deadlines, so don’t miss out! Here are some tips to help you take that next big step.
1. Research
Find out what galleries there are in your area, but don’t limit yourself to one location. Expand your search and see what is available elsewhere. Galleries often focus on bringing in talent from out of town, making it easier to get your first show in a city you don’t live in.
Stay away from the more established galleries and look for not-for-profit galleries and artist-run centres. These are generally more open-minded in regards to what they show. Read the gallery’s mandate to find out if they are more interested in showing emerging artists (like yourself) or mid-career and established artists. Also, check out this 411 on Non-Profit Galleries.
2. Work in Bulk
Honestly, it takes just as much effort to submit 10 applications as it does to submit one. The hardest part is drafting your artist statement, your CV and your cover letter. Once that’s done, you might as well submit it to as many galleries as you can find.
I take an assembly line approach to my proposals. I take my time putting together all of my information and collecting everything I need. When that is done, I print them all, assemble them all, package them all and take them all down to the post office. If you’re going to do the work, you might as well get the most bang for your buck!
3. Quantity
On a related note, send out lots of submissions. Getting an art show is often a numbers game. The more proposals you send out, the more chances you have. As long as you make sure each gallery is a potential good match for your work, you can’t go wrong. Which brings us to…
4. Rejection
Don’t take it personally. Rejection letters should be a badge of pride, not shame. Rejection means you’re putting yourself out there, you’re taking risks and you’re putting yourself in the position to benefit from those risks. People who aren’t getting rejection letters aren’t applying for shows!
Your first rejection letter will likely be the hardest. The more you get, the easier it is to take. That’s another benefit of sending out lots of proposals. If you only send out one, all your hopes are riding on a single possibility. If it doesn’t pan out, it’s that much more disappointing.
Don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back!
5. Keep Your Head on Straight
When you start applying for shows, it’s going to be important to stay organized. This is when you need to engage your business brain instead of your art brain.
I recomend keeping clear records of all the galleries you’ve applied to, when you applied, the body of work you submitted, and what the response was. This will help you when you put together proposals in the following years. You’ll know which galleries to submit to again, and which to avoid. As you come across new galleries, add them to your list for next time.
Keep your computer files organized as well. Once you’ve been doing proposals for a couple of years, you are going to need to keep your artist statements, image lists and everything else from getting mixed up.
So….
If you have a well-executed body of work that you can back up with a good artist statement, there’s really no reason you couldn’t get a show in a gallery. You just need to pick the right venue for your work and put yourself out there. It won’t happen if you don’t try!
If you’re ready to take the plunge, check out my checklist for getting your art in a gallery.
Tags: exhibitions, galleries
7 Tips to Make the Most of Art Gallery Openings
Sep 26, 2010 Promotion and Exhibition
You’ve lande
d an exhibition and the opening date is fast approaching. You begin to wonder what it’s going to be like, how you should prepare and what you should expect. Here are a few things to keep in mind for gallery openings, whether for a solo or group exhibition.
1. When to Arrive
It’s always a good idea, in my opinion, to arrive at the gallery a little bit early if you can. This lets you get acquainted with the gallery director or curator, get a feel for the space and help set up, if you’re so inclined. Some people like to arrive fashionably late, but that’s not my style. I like to know the lay of the land and have a few minutes to relax before jumping into networking.
3. Speaking of Networking…
Be prepared to “work the room.” You’re there to meet and greet, not only for your benefit but for the galleries. It’s a draw for visitors to know that the artist will be in attendance. Some tips for successful networking are:
- have a statement prepared to talk about your art when asked for more information
- keep business cards on hand throughout the evening, and give them out!
- have a website to direct people to if they want to see more of your work
- show genuine interest in your potential clients; ask questions (it’s not all about you!)
- mingle, but stay close to your work when in a group show
- be willing to approach viewers and introduce yourself; don’t wait for people to come to you
- don’t stick with friends or family during the opening, this makes you unapproachable
Basically, try to adopt an open and friendly attitude. Be there to answer questions and share information about your work, but also socialize and meet new people. You want to make your visitors feel welcome and valued for showing up. Remember that each person you talk to is a potential client.
4. Dress Appropriately
Don’t roll in looking like you’ve just left the studio. Yes, you’re an artist, but you also want to make a good first impression. The people you meet could be your future clients and collectors. It’s important to present yourself in a clean, professional way.
5. Saying a Few Words
Be aware that you may be asked to “say a few words” at the opening, sometimes with very little notice. At my exhibition opening last week, I knew I was going to be asked to speak. In fact, it was a mini artist talk and I was expected to talk for five to ten minutes. I made sure I had a small speech prepared so that I wouldn’t forget any important information. I’ve also been at openings where the curator has pulled me aside and said that he would introduce me in five minutes, when I’d be asked to “say a few words.” If you don’t have anything prepared, you run the risk of rambling on and on without direction or getting stuck and not knowing what to say.
6. Drinking
Wine may or may not be offered at gallery openings. If it is, I see nothing wrong with having a glass to relax and be sociable. Sometimes it’s good to just have something in your hand! Just be careful that you don’t over-indulge. Nothing screams unprofessional like a stumbling, slurring artist. This should go without saying, but it’s easy to do, especially if you’re nervous.
7. Most Importantly?
Have fun! This is the moment when you get to be in the spotlight and people can appreciate your all the hard work that often goes on behind the scenes. A gallery opening is an event, for artists and viewers alike. It’s a chance to get out, dress up and enjoy good art and good conversation. Enjoy every minute of it!
Exhibition Installation Emergency Kit
Sep 12, 2010 Promotion and Exhibition
When it comes time for an art exhibition, you may be asked to install your own work. Some galleries will do it for you, but others will expect you to do it, or at least to help.
It’s always a good idea to come prepared to an installation. The exhibition space may or may not have what you need, so ask or bring your own materials! This is especially true if your work requires any special installation. Also keep in mind that you may need to make minor repairs on art that’s been damaged during transportation.
I installed my exhibition this morning and brought a little emergency kit with me full of everything I would need. Here is a list of my suggested items:
- Screws, plastic reinforcing plugs and nails.
- Hammer and screwdriver.
- White paint and a brush for any touch-ups that might be needed.
- Glue and masking tape for repairs.
- Level.
- Tape measure.
- Extra d-rings and wire.
- Pencil.
- Sticky tack (just in case).
- Artist statement to post on the wall.
- Other promotional material to display.
I was particularly glad I brought the glue. My work can be delicate and one of my paintings got a bit damaged somewhere between the house and the gallery. A bit of glue and some tape to hold the piece in place while the glue dried and it was good as new!
Always be sure to arrive at your exhibition installation with anything you think you might need to hang your work. Try to plan for any possibility and be prepared just in case. You may not need any or all of what you bring, but wouldn’t you rather be prepared?
Tags: exhibitions, galleries, gallery installation
The “Get Your Art Into a Gallery” Checklist
Aug 23, 2010 Promotion and Exhibition
A couple of weeks ago I talked about the importance of informally acknowledging your goals. This practice can help you begin the process of breaking an overwhelming aspiration into manageable steps, an essential part of attaining your goals.
Probably the most common and overwhelming of an artist’s goals is that of getting a gallery exhibition. What do you need to do? Where do you start?
Here is a checklist of the steps I believe are necessary to prepare you for applying for a gallery exhibition. Where you are in your art career will determine where you are on the checklist. Obviously many of these steps will require time and dedication. This isn’t something you can do in an afternoon! If you are early in your career, it may take a year or more before you’re ready to apply for an exhibition.
For a more detailed explanation of any of the steps, click on the links provided.
The “Get Your Art Into a Gallery” Checklist
Create a cohesive body of work.
From your body of work, select the art for your proposal.
Get good quality documentation of your selected works.
Research galleries to find the right venue for your art and find out their submission guidelines.
Write an artist statement.
Write a proposal outlining the details of your exhibition.
Create your artist resume or CV detailing your education and accomplishments as an artist.
Write a short cover letter to each gallery introducing yourself and your art.
Assemble your exhibition proposal.
Ensure that your entire package is presented in a professional way.
Once your exhibition package is complete, you are ready to ship it out to your intended galleries! Don’t forget to check their submission deadlines.
Also remember that you probably will not hear back for several months. It takes time for the curators to go through every submission.
Extra Advice: Keep track of the galleries you’ve applied to and their responses. Don’t get discouraged by a “thanks but no thanks” letter. You can always try again the following exhibition year!
Tags: exhibitions, galleries, getting started
Creating a “Body of Work”
Jul 1, 2010 Art General, Creativity
The art world is full of frustratingly vague terms. Let’s dispel a little of this ambiguity!
What the heck is a “body of work” anyways??
Simply put, it is a collection of art that (and here’s the clincher!) has a common theme throughout.
It’s not enough to collect every drawing/sketch/collage you’ve done in the past ten years and declare that you have a body of work! A true body of work needs to have a thread of commonality running through it, whether that thread is a colour, a process, or a subject matter.
Think of Picasso’s Blue Period. That is a body of work! A series of paintings with a common theme and colour palette.
Why is this important?
Art galleries want to see a body of work. This gives them a deeper understanding of your art practice, the confidence that you can see a project through, and a theme to build an exhibition around. If you submit a collection of random works to a curator, he/she will think (probably rightly so!) that you have no idea who you are as an artist.
If you want to exhibit your art, therefore, it is extremely important to develop a body of work.
But how?
You need to create a series of work that has a common theme, which can be harder than it sounds!
When you hit upon an idea that is particularly exciting to you, tell yourself to stick with it for another ten or so pieces. This doesn’t mean that you do the same thing over and over ten times. It means that you work with the same ideas, developing and refining them as you go. As well as giving you a body of work, this will allow you to explore your ideas in great depth.
Here are a few (of many) possible themes:
1. Similar Subject Matter
Choose a subject that you feel passionate about, that you’d really like to explore in depth. Just off the top of my head, this could be something like “the castles of Wales,” or “the beaches of Australia.” It could also be something like “lines” or “squares.” If you love beaches, challenge yourself to paint as many beaches as possible. Expand your focus within the beach theme, paintinng beaches at different times of the day or in different seasons. Try a close-up view. Try a panoramic shot.
2. A Single Subject
Picking a single subject allows you a lot of freedom when it comes to materials and techniques. Love the look of that tea pot? Now render it in as many different ways as you can. You can even start to abstract the image, as Cezanne did with his still life paintings.
3. A Colour
Sticking to a colour palette or a single colour also allows you the freedom of subject matter and materials. Whatever you’re interested in, challenge yourself to use only a certain colour(s), but let yourself explore that colour in different ways.
The trick to developing a body of work is that you need to provide yourself with interesting challenges. You need to keep each piece fresh and new, all the while working within your selected theme. Some themes develop naturally as you grow as an artist, but other themes are limitations deliberately employed by the artist to stretch themselves creatively.
When to Lay the Body to Rest
Whether you’ve been working with the same theme for weeks or years, there will come a time when it stops being meaningful to you. As an artist, you need to be sensitive to and aware of this. When you sense yourself becoming bored with a series, it’s time to either discard it and start something new, or introduce a new element to bring the excitement and uncertainty back.
Tags: Creativity, galleries
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