OK you still need to do some work, but there’s a perception that getting your art exhibited in galleries means traipsing round lugging round a huge portfolio of your art only to be met with derision from stern gallery owners. I might be exaggerating here, for one thing all the gallery owners I’ve met have been lovely! But I’m way too much of a coward to approach owners directly, so I thought I’d share a couple of less intimidating ways of becoming an exhibiting artist and a few tips I’ve learned along the way.
Join art societies – exhibit without fear
Many art societies have at least one exhibition a year and most of the time your work will automatically accepted, which means no fear of rejection! Look for a local art society, or if you specialise in one particular subject or medium then see if there’s a national society that fits your art. I’m a member of both the Association of Animal Artists and The Wildlife Art Society International (TWASI), and exhibit with both. There will also be additional benefits to joining a society such as demos, social media promotion and of course meeting like minded artists.
Look for open exhibitions
Many galleries hold annual open exhibitions, sometimes with a theme, but often with no restriction on subject or medium. There’s usually an entry fee, and your work will be “juried in”, which just means that they choose what’s exhibited from the entries. It might sound more intimidating being “judged” in this way, but it’s important to remember that being rejected isn’t a reflection on the quality of your work, there might not be room for all the entries, and they might favour a certain style of art – there’s no point in me entering my realistic coloured pencil drawings into a gallery well known for abstract oil paintings! I’ve often had a drawing rejected from one exhibition only for it to be selected at the next one I enter. Social media is a great way to find open exhibitions, follow any galleries within the area you’re willing to travel to, the more you follow, the more that will be suggested to you in your feed.
Tips to make your life easier as an exhibiting artist
It goes without saying, but READ THE ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS then read them again! Exhibitions may have limits on the size of art you can enter (never a problem for a coloured pencil artist who never works that big!). Make a note of the pick up and drop off dates and check they don’t clash with anything such as holidays etc. Also check for any packing instructions, not all exhibitions have room to store packaging, in this case bubble wrap (or an eco friendly alternative) is your friend!
Get your artwork properly framed. Most exhibitions require work to have D rings, a framer will do this for you, or good quality frames will be supplied with these. These are just D shaped rings that attach to the back of the frame and string is threaded through them to allow for hanging. Buying cheap frames from IKEA or the supermarket is a false economy, and may lead to your artwork being rejected at hand in. Glass clip frames are unlikely to be accepted.
Pricing – don’t forget that most galleries will charge commission, so this needs to be included in your pricing. It’s good practice and will make your life easier to keep pricing consistent and not to change it for each exhibition based to the commission they charge. It’s usually around 30-40%, so I factor in 40%, if an exhibition charges less than this then happy days!
My final tip is to be organised. I keep a spreadsheet with all the information of past and future exhibitions with any important details, such as key dates and the pieces entered along with their size and price. That way you can avoid potential clashes, you don’t have to hunt for information and saves accidentally entering the same piece into the same exhibition two years running!
Where am I exhibiting next?
I have three or my drawings on display at Open25 at Queen’s Street Gallery Neath, from the 1st to 22nd February. More details can be found on their website. Pop along if you can!
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