Universal Tips and Tricks for a Successful Exhibit
Planning a Show
Do not plan a show unless you already have your work completed.
Be flexible with booking if you need a show sooner than later. Most galleries book exhibits 6 to 24 months in advance.
If you desire a specific month call the gallery ASAP.
Decide what you want the exhibit to be about before you apply to the gallery.
--in example-- pick a theme and develop a coherent statement that summarizes the essence of the exhibit. This will help you self-edit and solicit the neccessary services/people to help the exhibit succeed.
If this is a group exhibit, then create a prospectus that outlines what is expected of each participant and/or group member.
Create a rough budget. No matter where you are having an exhibit, some amount of money is going to leave your pocket. Figure out how much money you need to finish and hang your show. Then decide how much money is left for reception and marketing costs (if those are not provided by the gallery).
Framing costs can add up quickly. If you are a printmaker, photographer or painter do your homework before you settle on art-work sizes. Non standard frame sizes may look interesting but they can also break the bank. Check out the Framing Do’s and Don’ts list for more details.
Ask for the gallery commission rates, exhibition fees, terms and limitations. This way everyone is on the same page and there are no surprises.
Preparing for a Show
Communicate with the curator often and well in advance.
Curators want to help you (or at least they should). If you have special needs like projection screens, electricity in certain places, odd lighting etc. let the curator know in the early planning stages.
If you need to get images printed, do so several weeks before the show and make sure you have what it takes to hang the images properly on the wall.
NEVER deliver wall-mounted art works which lack hanging mechanisms. This is a curatorial time-leech, which could easily cost you a opening as scheduled. (see Framing Do's and Don'ts for more information)
Find out how the gallery mounts art work and what the wall surface is composed of.
Huge well funded galleries tend to mount art into fresh drywall with nails, drywall screws and elaborate custom built mounting mechanisms. The rest of us either use finishing nails or have a hanging rail system with reusable parts. Also some galleries have painted drywall, others have plaster, cement, brick, carpet on cork, painted fabric on cellulose fiber board etc. Each one of these surface types has unique hanging needs that the curator can help you with mounting.
Bulldog clips, T-Pins and straight pins are not suitable for plaster walls or any extremely hard surface.
If the curator tells you to avoid certain printing services and framing centers, heed their warnings. (see horror stories for examples of those who thought they knew better)
Do not show up at the gallery unannounced to deliver or hang your work. This may seem like a no-brainer but it happens more often than you think. If you show up at the wrong-time no will be around to help and you will quietly aggravate both staff and curator.
Do not deliver your work or try to pick it up at times when the gallery is not open or not-scheduled. This aggravates the staff, is dangerous for the safety of your work, could cost you money in the form various fees and is generally in poor taste.
Communicate directly with the curator via phone, email and in person. Do not use a liaison to relay messages and directives such as your partner, loved one, roommate, neighbor's cousin etc. If you can not get a hold of the curator on the phone leave a voice mail, send a text message or send a detailed email.
Make sure the reception details are covered. Some galleries cover the reception; most require you to foot the bill. Ask the curator for tips and what they gallery is capable of providing. Let them know if you need a small table or two large tables and a bar.
If your reception includes a performance (music, dance, DJ, theatre group or stripper) make sure the performers talk to the curator well in advance and the gallery knows when and what to prepare for the performers. Also if you are paying the performers, pay half in advance and half at the end of the event to assure they show up and perform as desired. You can argue it out later if something terrible happens. Plus, if they go AWOL you are not out twice as much money.
Deliver a list of your works for exhibit to the curator no later than when you deliver the art work for hanging. MAC prefers the list be in digital form such as a DOC, DOCX, RTF or TXT file. Include artist name, work title, material, dimension, price, if applicable.
Here is a good article about exhibit lighting, published in Art Calendar magazine. http://www.artcalendar.com/article.asp?ID=46
Press releases can seem daunting, fear not. This is good article on the step by step process for a press release
(http://www.artcalendar.com/article.asp?ID=158).
Do not plan a show unless you already have your work completed.
Be flexible with booking if you need a show sooner than later. Most galleries book exhibits 6 to 24 months in advance.
If you desire a specific month call the gallery ASAP.
Decide what you want the exhibit to be about before you apply to the gallery.
--in example-- pick a theme and develop a coherent statement that summarizes the essence of the exhibit. This will help you self-edit and solicit the neccessary services/people to help the exhibit succeed.
If this is a group exhibit, then create a prospectus that outlines what is expected of each participant and/or group member.
Create a rough budget. No matter where you are having an exhibit, some amount of money is going to leave your pocket. Figure out how much money you need to finish and hang your show. Then decide how much money is left for reception and marketing costs (if those are not provided by the gallery).
Framing costs can add up quickly. If you are a printmaker, photographer or painter do your homework before you settle on art-work sizes. Non standard frame sizes may look interesting but they can also break the bank. Check out the Framing Do’s and Don’ts list for more details.
Ask for the gallery commission rates, exhibition fees, terms and limitations. This way everyone is on the same page and there are no surprises.
Preparing for a Show
Communicate with the curator often and well in advance.
Curators want to help you (or at least they should). If you have special needs like projection screens, electricity in certain places, odd lighting etc. let the curator know in the early planning stages.
If you need to get images printed, do so several weeks before the show and make sure you have what it takes to hang the images properly on the wall.
NEVER deliver wall-mounted art works which lack hanging mechanisms. This is a curatorial time-leech, which could easily cost you a opening as scheduled. (see Framing Do's and Don'ts for more information)
Find out how the gallery mounts art work and what the wall surface is composed of.
Huge well funded galleries tend to mount art into fresh drywall with nails, drywall screws and elaborate custom built mounting mechanisms. The rest of us either use finishing nails or have a hanging rail system with reusable parts. Also some galleries have painted drywall, others have plaster, cement, brick, carpet on cork, painted fabric on cellulose fiber board etc. Each one of these surface types has unique hanging needs that the curator can help you with mounting.
Bulldog clips, T-Pins and straight pins are not suitable for plaster walls or any extremely hard surface.
If the curator tells you to avoid certain printing services and framing centers, heed their warnings. (see horror stories for examples of those who thought they knew better)
Do not show up at the gallery unannounced to deliver or hang your work. This may seem like a no-brainer but it happens more often than you think. If you show up at the wrong-time no will be around to help and you will quietly aggravate both staff and curator.
Do not deliver your work or try to pick it up at times when the gallery is not open or not-scheduled. This aggravates the staff, is dangerous for the safety of your work, could cost you money in the form various fees and is generally in poor taste.
Communicate directly with the curator via phone, email and in person. Do not use a liaison to relay messages and directives such as your partner, loved one, roommate, neighbor's cousin etc. If you can not get a hold of the curator on the phone leave a voice mail, send a text message or send a detailed email.
Make sure the reception details are covered. Some galleries cover the reception; most require you to foot the bill. Ask the curator for tips and what they gallery is capable of providing. Let them know if you need a small table or two large tables and a bar.
If your reception includes a performance (music, dance, DJ, theatre group or stripper) make sure the performers talk to the curator well in advance and the gallery knows when and what to prepare for the performers. Also if you are paying the performers, pay half in advance and half at the end of the event to assure they show up and perform as desired. You can argue it out later if something terrible happens. Plus, if they go AWOL you are not out twice as much money.
Deliver a list of your works for exhibit to the curator no later than when you deliver the art work for hanging. MAC prefers the list be in digital form such as a DOC, DOCX, RTF or TXT file. Include artist name, work title, material, dimension, price, if applicable.
Here is a good article about exhibit lighting, published in Art Calendar magazine. http://www.artcalendar.com/article.asp?ID=46
Press releases can seem daunting, fear not. This is good article on the step by step process for a press release
(http://www.artcalendar.com/article.asp?ID=158).
DO TEST HOW YOUR FRAME HANGS BEFORE YOU GIVE IT TO THE GALLERY. (A simple test is to hold the frame by the wire on the back away from the wall without supporting the bottom. If the frame leans forward at an angle, then the mounts for the framing wire need moved closer to the top of the frame.)
DO PLACE the hanging wire or gummed fabric tabs with metal eyelets no lower than 1/3 the distance from the top.
DO USE CONSISTENT FRAME STYLES AND SIZES. Pick a frame style you like and run with it. Clean uniformity of frames allows the audience/participant to focus on the work.
DO TRY TO USE AN EXHIBIT FRAMING SERVICE. We all know custom framing is expensive. When you are framing multiple works in quantity find a framer who serves artists directly. They have special frames and rates that are 33% to 50% the cost of normal custom framing. A good curator or prolific photographer/printmaker can usually recommend several exhibit framing services. Exhibit frames, are simple, stack well and ship well.
DO USE METAL OR WOOD FRAMES.
USE FRAMING WIRE THICK ENOUGH FOR YOUR FRAME WEIGHT.
DO PLACE the hanging wire or gummed fabric tabs with metal eyelets no lower than 1/3 the distance from the top.
DO USE CONSISTENT FRAME STYLES AND SIZES. Pick a frame style you like and run with it. Clean uniformity of frames allows the audience/participant to focus on the work.
DO TRY TO USE AN EXHIBIT FRAMING SERVICE. We all know custom framing is expensive. When you are framing multiple works in quantity find a framer who serves artists directly. They have special frames and rates that are 33% to 50% the cost of normal custom framing. A good curator or prolific photographer/printmaker can usually recommend several exhibit framing services. Exhibit frames, are simple, stack well and ship well.
DO USE METAL OR WOOD FRAMES.
USE FRAMING WIRE THICK ENOUGH FOR YOUR FRAME WEIGHT.
DO NOT deliver unframed art work with NO hanging wire or tabs or both.
DO NOT use bull dog clips to hang anything (unless you are exhibiting grade school art on a bulletin board, your professor is working against you if they recommend this method). This is especially true when your show is mounted using a hanging system.
DO NOT use adhesive plastic hanging tabs to hang work.
DO NOT have multiple frame styles and colors for a single show. This is both embarrassing for you and the gallery.
DO NOT use poster frames from the dollar store, or any frame from a discount store unless it is integral to the theme of the show.
DO NOT USE CLIP FRAMES EVER. I cannot over emphasize this point enough. They may be cheap but almost never hang level, they fall apart under their own wait and shatter randomly, look bad on all hanging rail systems and they degrade the merit of your work.
AVOID FLOATING FRAMES. Yes, floating frames go with everything, but also tend to show the hanger in the wall behind them and hang poorly when using a hanging rail system.
DO NOT give a gallery art works that have no means for hanging on the wall. AKA- make sure there is a hanging wire or something substantial on the back to keep the work on the wall. Galleries do not like getting images mounted on poster board with blank backs and being told to sort it out. This is a recipe for disaster, this is why I repeat the point.
DO NOT make the hanging wire so long that you can see the hanger and the wire peeking out above the frame edges. This shows you have no clue what you are doing.
AVOID LAVISH FRAMES AND GARISH MATS- they are expensive and detract from the work. This is only acceptable if you are showing classical works pre-19th century art or it is a component of Installation Art (don't claim your work is Installation when it is clearly not to justify overly elaborate frames).
DO NOT USE PLASTIC FRAMES.
DO NOT USE POLYURETHANE FOAM MOLD INJECTED FRAMES. These frames are usually large and surprisingly light. The weight always gives them away. If a frame seems too light for its size then don't buy it. Not to mention some of these frames are very expensive. They are essentially finely lacquered styrofoam. Styrofoam is for packing not for framing.
DO NOT MOUNT HANGERS ON CARDBOARD BACKING. Many poster frames come with hangers mounted in cardboard. This is like nailing a paper grocery bag to the wall and expecting it to hold food. It's a dumb idea.
DO NOT USE FISHING LINE, TWINE, KITE STRING, COPPER WIRE, OR FLORAL WIRE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR FRAME-HANGING WIRE.
DO NOT use bull dog clips to hang anything (unless you are exhibiting grade school art on a bulletin board, your professor is working against you if they recommend this method). This is especially true when your show is mounted using a hanging system.
DO NOT use adhesive plastic hanging tabs to hang work.
DO NOT have multiple frame styles and colors for a single show. This is both embarrassing for you and the gallery.
DO NOT use poster frames from the dollar store, or any frame from a discount store unless it is integral to the theme of the show.
DO NOT USE CLIP FRAMES EVER. I cannot over emphasize this point enough. They may be cheap but almost never hang level, they fall apart under their own wait and shatter randomly, look bad on all hanging rail systems and they degrade the merit of your work.
AVOID FLOATING FRAMES. Yes, floating frames go with everything, but also tend to show the hanger in the wall behind them and hang poorly when using a hanging rail system.
DO NOT give a gallery art works that have no means for hanging on the wall. AKA- make sure there is a hanging wire or something substantial on the back to keep the work on the wall. Galleries do not like getting images mounted on poster board with blank backs and being told to sort it out. This is a recipe for disaster, this is why I repeat the point.
DO NOT make the hanging wire so long that you can see the hanger and the wire peeking out above the frame edges. This shows you have no clue what you are doing.
AVOID LAVISH FRAMES AND GARISH MATS- they are expensive and detract from the work. This is only acceptable if you are showing classical works pre-19th century art or it is a component of Installation Art (don't claim your work is Installation when it is clearly not to justify overly elaborate frames).
DO NOT USE PLASTIC FRAMES.
DO NOT USE POLYURETHANE FOAM MOLD INJECTED FRAMES. These frames are usually large and surprisingly light. The weight always gives them away. If a frame seems too light for its size then don't buy it. Not to mention some of these frames are very expensive. They are essentially finely lacquered styrofoam. Styrofoam is for packing not for framing.
DO NOT MOUNT HANGERS ON CARDBOARD BACKING. Many poster frames come with hangers mounted in cardboard. This is like nailing a paper grocery bag to the wall and expecting it to hold food. It's a dumb idea.
DO NOT USE FISHING LINE, TWINE, KITE STRING, COPPER WIRE, OR FLORAL WIRE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR FRAME-HANGING WIRE.
About MAC’s curator, John Javins
“I have installed several hundred exhibits in MAC, designed and built six galleries, and regularly convert non-traditional spaces into usable exhibition space for both short and long term shows. Not only do I curate for MAC, but I also curate independently at various galleries around the U.S. Beyond curating, I exhibit my own work on a regular basis and collaborate with many types of artists. I have BFA in sculpture and a strong background in Arts & Business Administration. As a curator and artist, I’m here to help you succeed as an exhibitor and advance the positive reputation of the gallery.” -John Javins
“I have installed several hundred exhibits in MAC, designed and built six galleries, and regularly convert non-traditional spaces into usable exhibition space for both short and long term shows. Not only do I curate for MAC, but I also curate independently at various galleries around the U.S. Beyond curating, I exhibit my own work on a regular basis and collaborate with many types of artists. I have BFA in sculpture and a strong background in Arts & Business Administration. As a curator and artist, I’m here to help you succeed as an exhibitor and advance the positive reputation of the gallery.” -John Javins
You can contact John Javins via MAC’s contact form or his email JohnJavins(at)gmail.com.
Check back for more tips and tricks.
I'm also working page of exhibit horror stories of people who thought they knew better than everyone else, those who tried to outsmart the system and fell flat, and people who have trouble computing simple things.
I'm also working page of exhibit horror stories of people who thought they knew better than everyone else, those who tried to outsmart the system and fell flat, and people who have trouble computing simple things.
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability using complete sentences. Your responses coupled with a some quotes will make a generate decent article, make sure it is written in 3rd person, and all your tenses are present if possible. Also read the Art Calendar link directly above, for more hints.
(Who) What are your arts credentials? BFA? MFA? locally known? major shows?
Where are you from and living now?
(What) What influences your choice of medium and subject matter?
(Why) What do you want the audience to consider when viewing/interacting
with your works?
What are your future plans for new works? Where do you want to further
explore as a result of your current body of work?
Interesting fact about your artistry-technique and/or personal history.
(Who) What are your arts credentials? BFA? MFA? locally known? major shows?
Where are you from and living now?
(What) What influences your choice of medium and subject matter?
(Why) What do you want the audience to consider when viewing/interacting
with your works?
What are your future plans for new works? Where do you want to further
explore as a result of your current body of work?
Interesting fact about your artistry-technique and/or personal history.
Press Release Writing Tip