Whether you’re aiming to just have fun and see if you can do it, or looking for potential representation, take a look and these tips and guidelines in order to get some confidence and know-how in order to display your art to the world.
- Make Sure You Get Insurance
Before approaching a venue, it’s a very good idea to purchase liability insurance, in case a sculpture, print or painting injures a member of the public somehow. If you plan on doing one-off exhibitions on occasion, you can purchase it for a single event - otherwise you can get one-year coverage.
- Pick Your Venue Carefully
If you, like me, are on a limited budget, it can be a good idea to display your art in a pub, bar, restaurant or café, since they tend to be visited by many people and generally won’t charge you to exhibit.
Of course, make sure you pick a place that’s not too commercial. Try to look for a place with an ambiance and identity that fits your art - this way, the clientele will be interested in your work. I myself chose a restaurant in a small village with an atmosphere and decor which fit with my paintings and prints very well.
- Arrange To Meet With the Venue Owner
Once you’ve picked the venue, arrange with the proprietor to meet them in a period they’re not very busy. Try to seem as professional as possible - if you can, prepare images of your work with sizes and medium details in a portfolio, for instance.
Papillon Events suggest that you explain to them how your exhibition will be beneficial to both of you, and view the project as a mutual collaboration. Most proprietors are passionate about their business and will be open to new ideas - to me, all it took was a phone call and I managed to get a meeting with the owner.
- Reach an Agreement on Everything Important
It’s very important that you confirm a commission rate with the staff, and inform them of what discounts or promotions they are allowed to grant. In my case, I agreed that they would keep 20% of all pieces sold, and I allowed them to discount 10% off a piece in order to guarantee a sale.
- Plan the Positioning
The owner of the business will likely wish to help decide where the pieces will be positioned. It’s a good idea to plan this ahead on your initial meeting, using your portfolio. Otherwise, you might run into trouble since you’ll have to physically arrange the pieces and decide where they’ll go at the time. The management will likely ask that you hang your artwork on a narrow window of time in order not to trouble the clients.
While the staff might be able to help you hanging and transporting your pieces, don’t assume they will - they have their own business to run, after all. Make sure you’re prepared to do anything needed for your exhibition by yourself, and be ready to deal with any mess you might create. If you’ll drill in walls, for instance, you’ll have to clear the area of dust and debris that no costumer would like to find on their dining table.