Whether you are going to put on display your own works or demonstrate somebody’s else imagination, the process of organizing an art exhibition is a hugely enjoyable experience. Along with that, it may pose a tough challenge to arrange so many various elements in a cohesive and meaningful way. Of course, there is no use in just waiting and expecting everything will work itself out. If you want to organize a successful art exhibition and do it in a timely manner, consider the following step-by-step guide.
Tips on how to organize a successful art exhibition
- Location
Certain locations will expose your work to certain audiences. Thereby, it is extremely important to think about what type of people the venue will attract. Art collectors or dealers? Other artists? Students? Decide whom you would like to engage and research artists who have exhibited their works at the same location.
- Choose a prominent theme
You need to choose a theme that will not limit artists in expressing their feelings and thoughts, but at the same time will be structured enough to create a cohesive vision about the exhibition in general. Seriously consider the message you want your exhibition to pass on. It can be an image or phenomenon, a feeling or a certain visual technique.
- Contact local artists
Do some research into artists in your local community and see whether they would like to take part in your show. You can put out a call for submissions on mailing lists and websites followed by artists in your area. Try to pick artworks that will complement each other in terms of color, style, or medium to combine certain groups of pieces together.
- Organize safe transportation
Transporting artworks to the venue safely and securely is something you definitely do not want to skimp on. Even if you have some experience in items transportation, to relocate such expensive and delicate items as art objects is always risky. For this reason, whether it comes to moving framed artworks, fragile china sets, or bulky statues, it is always a wise choice to hire a reputable art moving company to ensure everything arrives at the destination in the best condition possible.
- Install the artwork
One of the most fascinating parts of arranging an exhibition is watching it all come together. Once the artworks arrive at the gallery, you will have to oversee their placement. In case the process of art installation seems to be a challenging one for you, both from the security and the artistic prospectives, you should ask people who know how to handle fragile art for professional help.
- Promote your exhibition
You should advertise your exhibition as much as possible. For example, you can make posters, flyers, pamphlets, or one-page informational ads that briefly explain the theme of the exhibition, the kind of artworks on display, the reception date, venue, dress code, and entrance cost (if needed).
- Hold an opening
An opening event is a great chance to gather a lot of art lovers under one roof. Get all the artists or collectors involved to bring their peers, invite some press and prominent people in the art world, turn on light music, and have a lot of fun celebrating art and culture.
It goes without saying that organizing your first exhibition can be daunting because there is always the lingering worry of negative feedback. However, it is a risk worth taking! You will gain valuable experience, meet interesting people, and simply enjoy the art! Good luck!