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How do I go about exhibiting my work in an Art Gallery? |
I have been painting for 2 years using mixed medium, mainly landscapes and seascapes. I will be attending college in September to gain a certificate OCN 1 as I feel this may open up opportunites to display my work. Do you think it will help? Also do you know of any good sites where others can view my paintings? I have been involved with the art world for a few years locally (canada) and I have found very few outlets for someone without a major degree/accreditations in fine art. The OCN 1 can't hurt, and it will give you a basis for qualifying yourself to prospective gallery owners. check out Deviantart which is a good site (link below) for showing off your work. Making your own site would be the only other great suggestion I would have for you on that front. As for showing your work locally, there are a few things you can do. 1) approach local coffee shops, artsy places and ask them if you can hang a few originals on their walls. Most places will love the free decorations and you may even sell a piece or two (don't forget to put up tags saying your name, contact info etc). 2) Approach a local dealer. If they like your work, they may put it on display for sale. They will also ask for a percentage if they sell a piece. 3) approach local galleries. Sometimes they put on local shows, but this is rare. They may be able to steer you in the right direction however. Ask them about local artist co-ops and such. Co-op studios usually have a gallery attached and gives you a great place to work / learn more from other artists. (small fee usually required) Source(s): http://www.deviantart.com/ Start submitting your work to contests and juried exhibitions. And build your own website and list it on search engines. You can also have your work put on mugs and such at cafepress.com. Take good photos of at least twelve of your favorite pieces. Make a nice looking portfolio. Make some business cards. Homemade is fine just make sure they reflect your professionalism. Make one or two of your pieces completely presentable. If you need to mount them on boards or frame them, do so. Dress nicely and approach galleries where your art would be appropriate. You could say, "I'm looking for representation, would you have a moment to view my work? Any comments or just a point in the right direction would be great!" Show them your portfolio. Say "I have a few pieces with me in the car if you would like to see them." If they're interested they'll probably ask for a card. It also helps if your card has an image of your work on it. And by all means, join a local art club. They often have group shows and almost always welcome newcomers. Networking with other artists is an important part of getting out there, and we constantly learn from our peers. Nothing simpler! See that funny looking thing in your house that makes a ringing sound? pick it up and dial up the number of a local art gallery(you'll find the number in the yellow pages) and ask them if they'd be interested in exhibiting your work. They'll probably say no, but no worrys, try the next hundred (if you have to!) and eventually someone will wearily agree to exhibit your smallest painting in the darkest corner of his gallery, and you're on your way to fame and fortune! It's that easy! First let me tell you that while college may help in getting contacts it does not assure that you are going to get your work shown. My work was not shown cause I went to college it was shown cause I made it available. If you want to show your work you have to be willing to do the leg work. 1. Artist statements are very important. They tell the gallery owner what your work is about. The statement could make or break you. 2. Since you are just starting out there are some galleries that will hang your work if you pay them (they still have to like your work). They take care of invitations, press releases and advertisement. Cost is usally about 3,000.00. 3. You can set up a simple web site yourself to promote your work. It is something you can put on your list to the galleries and usually looks good to have a place they can view updates. While you can place your work on another web site. Nothing says professional like a site named for you. Also each time you have a show you can add a link on your site. That promotes your work more. 4. As for submitting your work. While most people are in the digital age, but many galleries still want slides. Some will take on-line submissions, but then you have to make sure you follow their guidelines. Be sure to ask a gallery what they prefer before submitting. (it is best to submit to at least 10 galleries). 5. There are some small local newspapers that will place a story about your work if you pay them. While this is not a gallery, people will not know you paid them, and it gets your work out there. |
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