How To Get Your First Exhibition
You've been working on your art for years, and now you're ready to take the next big step. You want to have an exhibition of your work, but where do you start? How do you even find the right gallery for you and approach them? That's exactly what I'm going to explore in this article so that you can up your chances of successfully getting your first exhibition.
“Heat vs 2” //Photography// by 4th Edition Submitter, Beverly Gardner
Step 1: Research galleries
The best place to start is by researching galleries. You want to read up on the following things:
their team
their history
their reputation
their most recent exhibitions
notable artists that they represent
whether or not they’re accepting submission
what type of artwork do they specialize in showcasing
their commission percentage or the price range in which they sell art
Most of this information will be accessible through their website. You also should learn more about their core values because once you’re successful, your name will be aligned with them and in turn, what they stand for. Part of this preliminary process can also involve visiting the gallery to acquaint yourself with their style and be able to visualize whether or not your art will fit in seamlessly. You can find the best galleries for emerging artists that are accepting submissions here.
STEP 2: Establish a relationship with your best-suited gallery
Establishing a good relationship with your best-suited galleries means that you’re forming the foundation for a good partnership. You can do this by attending exhibitions and events that they’re hosting, signing up for their mailing list, and interacting with their social media platforms. This shows clearly that you have a genuine interest in them and what they do. Equally, when the opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to promote yourself and your work and express your interest in working with them especially when attending their events. This is a great way of explicitly letting them know that you’re interested in potentially working with them because they wouldn’t know unless you make it respectfully clear.
“Studio Reflections” //Oil on Board// by 4th Edition Finalist, Susan Paterson
STEP 3: GET IN CONTACT
Most importantly, you don’t want to assume that the gallery team is free and has time to meet with you on a work-in visit, especially as you want to capture their full attention and it can actually be frowned upon to show up unannounced with your portfolio in hand. You can make an appointment to meet one of the gallery’s curators via email or if they have an outlined submission process, it’s best to follow it.
The gallery may receive lots of emails on a regular basis, so here’s how you can make it easier for them and optimize your chances of getting noticed and getting a response. Start with a clear, concise header. You can include keywords such as “Gallery Representation” and “Artist Submission”. It’s a great idea to specifically address the gallery or curator if you know their name and you can attain this information either through their website or by calling the gallery and requesting it. The next step in your email is to provide a brief description of yourself, your artwork (medium, style, themes, prices, etc.), and your purpose i.e. that you would love the opportunity to be represented by this gallery. You should always refer them to your website and social media accounts so that they have an opportunity to view more of your work and around 4-5 well-labeled (your name, title, medium, size) images of the best and recent work (within the last 5 years preferably) from your portfolio that also represents you as an artist because they’d be visually interested in seeing what you have to offer. Another thing you should take into consideration is the size of the image file you’re attaching. The average size file attached to an email is around 75 KB. You can either put your files in a zipped folder to reduce their size or there are numerous free sites that allow you to compress a file such as https://compressor.io. Finally, you should end your email with a nice call-to-action such as “I look forward to hearing from you soon and our potential collaboration”.
Now, if your gallery of interest has a submission process (which most do), you should inquire about it either through their website, a phone call, or an email and follow it to a tea. This will show that you’re happy to follow the way that they prefer to be contacted and will set a good initial rapport with them. Please note that if they state that they’re not accepting submissions at this, respect their decision.
STEP 4: have your artist bio and portfolio at hand
Great news, they’ve contacted you saying that they’re looking forward to meeting with you to discuss further. What should you do next? Now’s the time to have your bio and portfolio ready! A typical bio includes information about yourself (where you’re from, where you currently live, your story, your art (medium, subject, themes, etc.), interests, and key relevant facts about yourself such as awards you’ve won or placed for. Really and truly don’t be afraid to showcase your awards, residencies, etc. because it will surely pique the gallerist’s interest. You can have a condensed version of your bio on hand as well that still highlights all the integral components so that the gallerist can browse through it at your appointment.
Regarding your portfolio, you should include professional and updated hard and soft copies readily available upon request. Ensure that all your images are high-quality and showcase your best work. You can also decide how you want to format your portfolio. A good option is to make it simple and clean because not only will it look professional but it will also be user-friendly and easier for the viewer to follow.
“Skymming no. 3” //Encaustic photograph, acrylic paint on cradled wood board// by 4th Edition Finalist, Helena Palazzi
STEP 5: Don’t forget that rejection does not define you or your work
In the case that you’re not the best fit for the gallery, that’s okay! Rejection is a part of the game but it doesn’t define you and your art/ It’s a natural and unavoidable aspect of professional life for all creatives but don’t let it stop your goal. Use it as a motivational springboard to explore other options because it will be the opportunity that redirects you to them.
We hope that this article has given you some ideas for getting your first exhibition. With these tips at hand, you can now start taking steps towards achieving one of the most important goals in arts marketing! Get out there and make those connections today.