There are two scenarios that you might be dealing with, either exhibiting your own work or showcasing the work of other artists. In both strategies managing and executing an art exhibition is quite a surreal and enriching endeavor. Although managing an art exhibit can be a real challenge.

Since art exhibitions are an important part of an artist’s career, professionally managing them requires a comprehensive plan. One can break down the process in the following steps.

• Accumulating artworks to display
• Choosing a theme
• Onboarding a gallery
• Marketing your event
• Displaying the artwork in the gallery
• Opening ceremony
• Greeting and guiding the audience

Let’s go through each step and learn how to manage an art exhibition like a pro.

Accumulating Artworks to Display

We discussed in the prologue that you are either displaying your work or the work of other artists. If you are going to display your work, then you might already have a clear vision. You know your collection and are clear about what you want the world to see.

Personal Collection          

If you are planning to exhibit a personal collection, then it is essential to accumulate all the artworks to be displayed. Now you must shortlist the pieces according to the target audience and intent of the exhibition. If you are exhibiting to promote your work, then select pieces that are close to your heart. However, if you aim to make sales, choose the most sellable pieces after a discussion with the gallery manager and placing them at prominent positions in the gallery.

In any case, selecting the artworks that stand out is an essential step in making your exhibition a success.

Group Exhibition

The first step in planning a group exhibition is to recruit the artists or invite artists to partner with you to display their work in tandem with you and others. If you are recruiting artists to create new works, you may have more liberty to mold them to your wishes. If not, then choosing artists that resonate with your artistic concept is advisable.

You may also post a call for contributions via email and websites that are frequented by local artists. Set a date a few months out to give artisans time to finish their pieces or come up with a new idea.

Once your group is finalized, the next step is adjusting the theme and making sure that every art piece fits the theme.

Choosing a Theme

A theme is usually the first step that one decides when planning an exhibition. But we have deliberately given it a second place on our list. If you are going for a group exhibition, choose a unique theme that connects the work of all artists.  Choose a collective, flexible, and cohesive theme as different artists will find different inspirations from the same concept.

Make sure recent events or key societal issues inspire that theme to make it more impactful. You can observe other exhibitions as well to get a sense of trends in your area.

Now choose the artworks that fit your theme. It goes for both personal and group exhibitions. You can include an odd piece or two but don’t go astray more than that.

Finalize your artwork by applying the finishing touches. Clean up the edges of paintings if required, and check that the canvas hasn’t sagged at spots. In short, get your pieces exhibition ready.

Onboarding a Gallery

You should be searching for a venue from the very inception of exhibiting the work. Create a timeline for your exhibition. Before approaching a gallery, begin a draft presentation with your concept and some pieces of the artwork. Some galleries are very discerning and require good proof of concept and originality. Your pitch can help you secure the ideal gallery space for the exhibition.

In an ideal cover letter, one should address:

• The aesthetic theme of the exhibition
• Space that you need to display the art
• Timeline of the exhibition, the dates that you intend to exhibit the work
• How to display the artwork, from frames to mounts, detailing everything
• Details on speeches or lectures that will be presented alongside the exhibition

Marketing Your Event

Once you have locked the dates and the venue for your exhibition, start marketing your event. If you are getting a good response, you can implement entry tickets. Social media is the best and most popular means to engage a like-minded audience. Ask influencers or popular artists to give you shootouts and make posts in the group about your event. Create event pages and invite people to attend. This will result in getting more traffic at the exhibition.

Displaying the Artwork in the Gallery 

Be careful when you are displaying the artwork. Make sure each piece is easily visible and can be accessed from multiple hallways. Personally monitor the placement and incorporate feedback from the gallery manager. Give your most exquisite pieces the best center stage located in the gallery. Make sure that you have completed the preparation two days before the exhibition so that you can thoroughly review the settings and placement before going public.

Opening Ceremony 

Set the tone for the visitors at the opening and explain the theme to tease the incoming public about what to expect. A good opening ceremony for an art exhibition is simple, crisp, and concise.

Greeting and Guiding the Audience

Hospitality is crucial. If possible, try to meet the guests personally and talk to them about the art. Offer refreshments if the gallery allows it, and if the artworks are protected. Play thematic music to compliment the art. Make sure employees are able to  guide and assist guests if they want to find something or need help understanding the artwork.

These tips can help you manage your exhibition like a pro and make your exhibition a good experience for both you and the visitors.

Author Bio: Halian Ronaldo is a content writer at ResumeCroc who has written hundreds of articles to assist students’ career life. He is managing a growing team of writers who love to help students with their academics. As for his hobbies, he likes to read articles, newspapers, and magazines to keep himself updated.

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How galleries control the value of art

Art galleries invest a lot of their resources in the artists they have chosen to represent. They visit their studios, mentor them, and build relationships with collectors across the world to help shape their career. However, they usually represent rising artists only for a short amount of time before the artists’ progress to other high-class galleries.

Galleries promote artists by showcasing their art at regional and global exhibitions along with art fairs. Before any work is showcased, the galleries take a forward step by offering the pieces to their favorite clients, such as museums and major private and public collections to expose the artists work to industry professionals.

Gaining control of the market is very important to galleries. It is not easy to find a gallery that will sell a piece of art to collectors who will display the art in a secondary market, which is commonly represented by auction houses. When a piece of art goes to an auction, the prices are set by the public; it is observable to everyone and anyone can purchase it. In most cases, gallery owners will go to auction houses to bid their artists’ work in order to control the price.

Becoming a credible gallery

When collectors discover how manipulative your gallery is, they will avoid buying art from you, which leads to suffering for businesses and artists. Credibility is a prerequisite for success in art galleries. Here are some of the things you can do to have a reputable and credible gallery.

1.     Provide accurate information

Before collectors decide to buy from a gallery, they spend a lot of time researching and identifying the credible ones. They look at the artists represented and how the gallery performs at shows and in exhibitions. You need to provide clear, comprehensive, and reliable information for your collectors.

2.     Analyze feedback and rating

In the art market, word of mouth can easily be your greatest asset or your biggest liability. Collectors who have experience buying pieces of art from a specific gallery will recommend it to their loved ones and colleagues, or on the other hand, turn their loved ones and colleagues away from a gallery.

You can find out how collectors perceive your gallery by directly asking them or analyzing online feedback left behind on your official site or social media accounts.

3.     Provide quality work

In general, a gallery that does not provide accurate information on the condition, authenticity, and provenance of a piece of art is a red flag to most collectors. Reputable galleries provide comprehensive information when making a sale and follow up with new relevant details about upcoming fairs and the artist. As a buyer, you should not struggle to get important information about the artists and events when working with a gallery.

Importance of having a credible art gallery

1.     Attracts high-end clients

In general, credible art galleries attract numerous clients from across the world who are willing and ready to purchase quality artwork. No buyer wants to associate themselves with art galleries that are not credible or reputable. By having credibility, you will successfully grow your business and clientele.

2.     Artists will focus on creating

An art gallery that does not sell or promote pieces of art due to clients’ lack of trust is a liability to the artists they are representing. Artists who are distracted cannot create moving art.

Artists need to spend most of their time practicing and creating; not worrying about the  marketing or publicity of their works. A credible gallery will represent artists comprehensively, allowing artists to confidently focus on their craft.

3.     Increased art value

In most cases, art collectors will consider an artist’s works if he or she is represented by a reputable and trustworthy gallery. A reputable gallery increases the value of a piece of art in a very short time. You need to analyze an artists’ works before placing them on the wall.

Ensuring that the art is priced fairly will build the reputation of your gallery and increase the value of the art you display.

4.     Artists get recognized

Most galleries organize events and exhibitions, such as workshops and talks, to help the represented artists meet influential people in the industry to build relationships and gain exposure.

Galleries also control large events like art fairs to present opportunities for artists to attend these events and showcase their works. A credible art gallery will not only increase sales, but also help artists get recognized internationally.

5.     Financial boost

As we said earlier, credible galleries attract high-end clients who are willing and ready to buy the best pieces of art. Unlike low ranking galleries, reliable galleries are financially strong, so when a sale is made, artists will get their cut successfully. Since credible galleries know how to price artwork, they sell at higher prices, leading to a larger gain for artists.

6.     Attracts emerging artists

Emerging artists will be compelled to work with reputable galleries because they want to increase their net worth and get recognized. As an artist, marketing yourself and managing your time effectively can be a major challenge, which is why you should work with reliable art galleries. Gallery representation will boost your career progression and help you achieve your goals easily.

Conclusion

The art market is growing at a rapid rate. Therefore, each player need to be transparent, reliable and reputable for the industry to flourish. Art galleries play an important role in the art industry by helping collectors invest in pieces they are looking for all while promoting artists. Begin exercising honesty and transparency in your gallery, as your business and artists depend on it.

Bio

Michael Gorman is high skilled freelance writer and proofreader from UK who currently works at college paper help and custom paper writing service. Being interested in everyday development, he writes various blog posts for essay writer and discovers new aspects of human existing every day on write my thesis.

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