Download "Your Art Show!" Now (PDF) - Amazon S3 · upon viewing your images their mouths would salivate and drop open in ... inventory of spectacularly suitable artworks which would

YOUR ART SHOW! By Stuart Wider

30 Awesome Venue Ideas For Your Art Exhibition

2

For Cindy, Isha and Sumaya

This Book was first published in the United Kingdom in February 2015

Copyright © Wider Family Ltd 2015

3

About the Author and This Book

Author Stuart Wider (right) with Cindy Wider, Daughter Isha and world famous Australian artist Ken Done (left)

Stuart Wider is an artist with a unique and colourful style. He’s also a co-Founder of DrawPj.com along with his wife and fellow artist Cindy Wider.

Together they have (so far) staged more than twenty art exhibitions in a diverse range of locations. It is their combined in-depth knowledge and experience that is distilled by Stuart into the pages that follow.

4

About DrawPj.com

In 2003 Stuart and Cindy Wider founded the StuartCindy Art Studio where they operated the largest private art school on the Queensland Sunshine Coast in Australia.

The live art tuition program they developed and refined in the studio classroom then evolved over a number of years to become the Complete Drawing Certificate Course that is presented today on DrawPj.com by Cindy Wider and the DrawPj.com Instructor Team.

For more information visit http://drawpj.com

5

Introduction ............................................................................... 7

Chapter 1: The Million Dollar Listing and Beyond...................... 14

Chapter 2: Retail Art Therapy ................................................... 21

Chapter 3: Water Holes ............................................................ 28

Chapter 4: Where the Rich Play and the Tourists Stay ............... 37

Chapter 5: The Public Domain................................................... 41

Chapter 6: The Professionals .................................................... 52

Chapter 7: Pay-to-Play .............................................................. 59

Chapter 8: Give and You Shall Receive ...................................... 63

Summary: The Final Countdown ............................................... 66

6

Introduction

“If it’s good for Damien Hirst then it’s good for you”

During the summer of 1988 an empty London Port Authority building at Surrey Docks became the site of one of the most influential art exhibitions ever to take place. Its title was “Freeze” and the main organiser was one of the most famous (and notorious) artists of our time, Damien Hirst.

In 2004 a slightly less famous exhibition opened at the ‘House of Bottles’ in Tewantin Australia.

Yes, it’s a house made out of real actual bottles.

My Wife Cindy and I rented this crazy old (due for demolition) Queensland Tourist attraction to house an art exhibition. After we left it was bulldozed, but only after its last hurrah with our colourful art.

7

Art exhibition inside the House of Bottles. Probably one of the strangest places to stage an art show in all of Australia.

Congratulations! You have just discovered that in order to make your first marks on the art world as an artist you do not need to be represented by a traditional white walled gallery (at least not in the beginning). With a bit of imagination and some good old get-up-and-go just about any space (even a derelict old house made of bottles) can be turned into a place worthy of an art star in its ascendancy (that’s you).

You have just made a momentously brave and potentially life changing decision. The small act of handing over your hard earned pennies or cents to purchase this book tells me that you have decided to take action, doing whatever is required to unveil your artwork to the world, live and in person at your art exhibition.

“For those about to Rock, We salute you!” - Rock band AC-DC

8

You know it’s time. There is no avoiding it. This is your destiny! It’s time to take action, now, if not sooner!

Okay, enough with all the motivational pep-talk speak. Reading a whole bunch of over-hyped words will not get you and your art where you want it to be.

“Hey Stuart!” I hear you say “just tell me where I can hold my exhibition”.

Okay, no problem, I promise you we will get to that bit soon. In fact fully 95% of this book is filled with words dedicated to helping your imagination go wild in the search to find just the right ‘alternative’ spot for your art to make its debut and shine, opening you up to art exhibition venue possibilities with some out-of-the-box thinking.

Before we delve into these uncharted waters just indulge me for a few moments while I paint a mental picture of your exhibition fantasy, injecting a healthy dose of reality before I let you in on a few secrets.

The Scene: Your Exhibition Opening Night

Yes, it’s a wonderful daydream. Your art sparkles like expensive jewels of pure genius on the walls. Pickled onions with cheese and tiny sausages on a stick are nibbled by the crème de la crème of celebrity and high society. The sparkling wine flows. There’s the congratulatory chink of glasses coming together as your adoring (and possibly very famous) fans purchase your paintings to take home and treasure forever. Ahhh! Cue ‘contented sigh’... but back to reality

The horrible truth and realisation for most early career artists is that a traditional showing in a reputable high class gallery is not an option (at least in the first instance).

9

You may have already made tentative enquiries and been graciously shown out of the gallery door by a feigned but oh-so-polite gallery director. Maybe you weren’t even brave enough to talk to a gallery director. Maybe you just sent a few hi-res jpegs of your paintings to the email address of a gallery you liked the look of in the vain hope that upon viewing your images their mouths would salivate and drop open in stunned-mullet wonderment. They never replied. Cyber-snubbed.

Slowly, quietly and super-sneakily, the little self-doubt gremlins creep into your consciousness to bust up the dip and biscuits party and drink all the red-wine-in-a-box. Reality comes around to play and then sticks around just to annoy you. You give up hope. Useless.

Real Artists Have Art Exhibitions

In just the same way as some people think that pop music stars who never tour are possibly not ‘real’ musicians because they don’t prove themselves in a live setting, you might begin to doubt whether you are a real artist because you have never had an exhibition in the real world and the opportunities to do so just don’t seem to be available to you.

Here’s the secret. As so admirably proven by Damien Hirst your first exhibition does not have to be in an Art Gallery at all. And here’s another secret, as proven by the master of sharks in a tank, an exhibition in a ‘non-traditional’ space can be every bit as successful as a traditional gallery show if you want it to be. I know this from direct experience!

My first ever solo art show was a fantastic success (at least by my standards at the time). A huge crowd showed up, they loved my art and they even bought it for good amounts of money! In fact it completely changed my life. I even met my wonderful wife because of it (a purely unexpected bonus!)

10

“So Stuart”, I hear you ask “where did this amazing show take place?”

In a hairdressing salon.

Yes. You read it correctly. My first ever art show took place in a hairdressing salon and it worked. It worked well enough to sell my art. It worked well enough to get press coverage. It worked well enough for everyone to have a good time. It worked well enough to convince my wonderful wife (who at the time I had only just met) that I was indeed an up-and-coming serious artist worth spending some time with.

The point I am making is that there are exhibition opportunities all around us. Your first exhibition does not have to be in a pristinely serious white cube style gallery for it to be successful. Sometimes it just takes a bit of imagination, a bit of lateral thinking and a good dose of ‘why-the-heck-not’ to make the magic happen.

Relaxing after my first ever art show at Hare’s Hair in Brisbane. I managed to rope my friends into helping on the night.

Note the matching T-shirts printed with my signature logo!

11

Mini-Exhibition or Art Show with all the Bells and Whistles?

When you think of the words ‘Art Exhibition’ what image comes to mind?

Maybe you imagine a spacious echoing gallery inside an art museum around which just a few artworks are tastefully arranged with visitors quietly admiring the art in hushed reverence.

Alternatively, maybe the noisy bustle of an opening night springs to mind, with people drinking wine, eating food, chatting and admiring the art in equal measure.

The truth is that an art exhibition can be as large or as small as you want it to be, and in any location that you decide to turn to the purpose of displaying your art. It could be as simple as a mini exhibition on one wall of a shop or a doctor’s waiting room; it could be massive staged event with music and entertainment.

So to get your ‘mind-buds’ salivating, here, contained within this book are some awesome ideas for alternative places that you can use to stage your very own art exhibition, along with hints and tips for each, sometimes illustrated with anecdotes from the many exhibitions I have held myself or have been witness to.

Let this book be a starting point on your quest to find a great exhibition venue for you and your art. Go beyond the traditional white cube.

Not only that, also go beyond what you traditionally think of as an art exhibition. Not every show has to have cheese and pickled onions on sticks. Not every show has to have an opening night where everyone eats and drinks you out of next month’s rent money. There are alternative ways to present your exhibition to people who might be interested other than having a great big party at your expense.

12

My Challenge to You

“If an art work is created and nobody but the artist sees it, is it really art?”

You are an artist? It’s time for you to show your art to the world. If there is no ideal space available right now then work with something that is readily available.

Don’t just read this book and say to yourself “Hey, those are great ideas, I must try them when I get the time (at some unspecified time in the future).”

Take the ideas which follow and run with them. Commit. Book a venue. Make your exhibition happen.

And so, without further ado, here are thirty awesome venue ideas for your show…

13

Chapter 1: The Million Dollar Listing and Beyond

Real Estate Open Houses

Have you seen reality TV shows such as “Million Dollar Listing” where a real estate broker ‘stages’ open houses for the benefit of their uber-rich (but often very bossy) clients?

Sometimes these brokers are faced with trying to sell a huge empty property. Rather than walking buyers around a cavernous echoing space listening to the sound of their click clacking Jimmy Choos, in order to get the best possible price they have the empty property ‘staged’ with furniture, decorations and (this is your cue) artworks. The buyer then gets the impression of a place that is well loved and thus the broker can attempt extract a better deal for their client.

This is where you come in. You as the aspiring superstar artist have an inventory of spectacularly suitable artworks which would look absolutely fabulous on the crisp white walls of a million dollar home (you do, don’t you?).

If brokers like your art they may allow you to display it on the walls as part of the open house staging, as if it has always been there. If you are really lucky the uber-rich home buyers will take a shine to it, and ask to buy it as part of the deal. At the very least your artworks will be viewed by the kind of people who can afford and buy expensive art.

The advantage of working in with a real estate open house is that it gets your art in front of the kind of people who have the money to buy it. Another potential benefit is that people who visit the open house will get the impression that other people with lots of money collect your art. This could lift your profile.

14

The potential disadvantage of this approach is that the realtor’s focus will be on selling the house, not your art. The sale of your art is just a bonus. Also, unless you are dealing with a professional staging company you may have to hang the work yourself, very carefully. These are million dollar properties we are talking about here. The real estate broker will not want any mess or breakages. That would be bad for business.

To secure a showing in an exclusive million dollar house opening strike up relationship with your local real estate broker, preferably one who deals in high end properties (this exhibition tactic is probably not going to work for everyday-run-of-the-mill properties).

Also contact professional staging companies (these are the guys who are hired by real estate brokers to do all the staging) to see if they would consider adding your art to their staging inventory.

15

Warehouses, Factories and Industrial Units

As indicated at the beginning of this book one of the most famous art exhibitions of all time took place in a warehouse. Damien Hirst (specialist in pickling sharks and other animals in tanks) curated the famous Freeze exhibition in London’s Docklands and it has since become the stuff of legend. So if it's good enough for one of the most famous artists in the world then maybe a warehouse (or clean factory) would be good enough for you.

Empty Warehouse before I transformed it into an art venue.

I hosted my entire studio in a warehouse space I rented for three years. The 6 metre high white painted walls enabled me to display art on an epic scale which stunned visitors as soon as they walked into the studio. It was a real pain though at the end of the warehouse tenancy as I had to paint every 6 metre high wall in the entire place a fresh coat of white paint (probably the biggest ‘painting’ project I have undertaken).

16

If you have enough work to fill a massive space or you can get together with a bunch of artist friends to combine your efforts then maybe a warehouse exhibition is for you.

Warehouse Studio Exhibition at StuartCindy Art Studio. Huge 6 metre walls. I spent a lot of time on tall ladders in those days!

Warehouses are not generally to be found in the swanky or easily accessible parts of town. They are more likely to be located out of town in industrial estates or factory areas, so don't expect passing visitors to just pop in to view your show (as there may not be many). You will have to create some kind of special event promotion to ensure that your adoring public turns up at the warehouse doors to view the spectacle.

Check with local commercial real estate agents to see if there is space available for short term lease in your area, or just take a drive around to see if there are any empty places to let.

17

Your Home is Where the Art is

Do you have one of those homes which looks like it came straight out of Cool Abode Magazine? No? How about if you tidied up a bit, evicted the kid’s toys from the living room, kicked the dog out into the back yard, actually used that vacuum cleaner and arranged a few fresh flowers in a vase? Is it starting to appear more inviting, as if someone creative and successful lives here? If so then maybe you need to look no further than your own place as a venue for your art exhibition.

I’ve known many artists who as owners of beautiful homes have held successful art exhibitions. The more gallery-like your home the better. An investment in gallery spotlighting (which makes just about any art look like it’s worth a million dollars) would be a wise move in this case.

I’ve even known artists that open their house up on a permanent basis as an art gallery. It’s important though to make sure that you can (as far as possible) separate private living space from the parts of your home which are being used as public gallery space. I remember one time when I was visiting a tourist town and saw a sign pointing off the road to an ‘art exhibition’. I followed the sign, into a house which indeed contained many artworks. The trouble was that it also contained the gallery owner’s wife and kids sitting around in the living room, munching on salty snacks, trying to enjoy some Saturday afternoon telly. It was not the most welcoming feeling, eyes boring into me as I attempted in vain not to block their telly view while I was admiring that art. I left quickly.

18

Cindy and I converted the garage into a Gallery. The washing machine was hidden behind the big paintings at the back.

If you are intending to a host a one night only show and opening night is going to cause a bit of a traffic jam on your street you had better warn the neighbours first. If you forget to do this you may embarrassingly find yourself negotiating with angry locals, police and council officials rather than potential art collectors. There’s nothing that kills an exhibition quicker than the artist being led away in handcuffs for getting into a ruckus with the crazy guy next door who can’t get his car out of the driveway.

Catering? Well of course you have the convenience of your own kitchen readily available, and you may be able to enlist the services of your family to pour the drinks and distribute the spicy samosas with dipping sauce.

Borrow a Designer Home for the Night

As an alternative to trashing your own place, you might be able to persuade your very trendy designer home owning friends to host your art exhibition and party at their place.

19

This can work really well if the hosts are huge fans and owners of your work. In this case they are more likely to swan around the assembled gathering extolling the virtues of your art to all those assembled, thus selling more art, and raising the perceived value of their own art collection.

Make sure that your generous acquaintances know exactly what they are getting into. You don’t want to ruin a beautiful friendship by making big holes in their walls when hanging paintings or having the party shut shown because it’s caused neighbourhood gridlock.

20

Chapter 2: Retail Art Therapy

Interior Design Stores

If you make the kind of art which would not look out of place in a trendy home interior design magazine then have a look around your local area for the kinds of stores which sell designer furniture and accessories as a potential venue for your exhibition. I’m not talking about your discount furniture superstores here. I am talking about stores which stock exclusive designer brands for exclusive designer people living in their exclusive designer homes. These kinds of homes would not be complete without an artistic statement on the walls and that’s where you come in.

It's only natural that when supplying interior furniture and design services that these trendy stores are in a position to recommend art to their clients to complete the look. Be aware though that some trendy interior design, furniture and home accessory stores already operate like galleries and have a stable of artists whose work they sell along with their other wares.

I have seen some artists become quite successful and selling a lot of artwork in these kinds of stores. The most successful ones seemed to be producing artwork which was similar to the artworks of other trendy but much more expensive artists lifted straight out of the latest art magazines. I remember that one particular artist was doing a roaring trade in Rothko like artworks (basically copying the whole Rothko idea). I even went to his opening night where he presented these kinda-sorta-like Rothko works as his own original thing. He was making good money though.

21

The lesson here is that when approaching these types of outlets be aware that they are there to cater to the needs of their clients who often want the latest designer look for their home.

Exhibitions in these stores can be a real win-win for both the store owner and the artist. You get a spacious venue to sell your art for the evening and the store owner gets lots of potential customers through the door to look at your art and their furniture. If you are successful you might also secure yourself a great ongoing outlet for your artworks.

A bonus of holding an exhibition in a store is that they will be well set up for taking money from potential buyers, leaving you free to schmooze with the guests.

If you can reconcile creating artworks to suit the trends and tastes of the moment with the kinds of art you are willing to produce then an interior design store could be the right place for your show.

Art and Craft Markets

If you want to get almost instant access to passing customers face-to-face then a craft market is hard to beat. I have in the past held weekly mini art exhibitions right there in a pop-up-tent at an open air market, getting direct feedback from potential customers, generating interest in my artwork and even selling pieces and taking commissions. Of course you can’t really have a traditional exhibition opening at these places but there is nothing stopping you making every weekly market into a bit of a celebration (at least until it starts raining!)

Generally renting a stall or space is relatively low cost and of course there is no need to provide cheese, wine and nibbles (your potential customers will probably just buy an exotic German hotdog, curry or felafel with extra tahini sauce from a nearby stall).

22

For the most popular art and craft markets you may find that you have to apply for a stall well in advance, and there may be a vetting process to allow your artworks to be sold there. Don't just expect to turn up and rent a stall at the really popular markets. I’ve also found that they may try to limit the quota of artists in the market, to ensure a good variety of products around the place.

My Surf Art Mini Exhibition at Noosa Harbour where the Sunday Markets take place

(plus a local surfer legend.)

23

There's also often a pecking order, with the most regular stall holders getting the most prime spots where customer traffic is best, and or where the best stalls are.

Of course there are plenty of logistics involved in setting up a market stall so that your artwork is attractive to potential purchasers. You will probably have to take everything you need and be prepared for anything (including inclement weather if it’s an open air market).

When I was 'doing the markets' I carried a whole setup of portable easels and display stands in addition to the artworks I was selling that day in the back of my small hatchback car. It's amazing how much you can cram into a car when you get a bit of a system going. Doctor Who’s Tardis could learn a few lessons from my amazing space-defying artwork packing and loading.

I did quite well in these kinds of places for a while, making sure that I had something on my art stall exhibition for everyone, ranging from framed mini prints which could be bought for a few dollars right up to a large show stopping painting to attract the eyes of passers-by.

It was a great experience for learning how to sell because there are so many opportunities for customer interaction. The framed mini art prints worked particularly well as people had to get up close to see what they are, and once up close I would get chatting with them and put the framed mini print they were interested in into their hands so they could get an even closer look. Once it was in their hands it was hard for them to say no to buying it!

In a regular gallery setting people seem to walk around in hushed reverence and the opportunities for the actual ‘hand-to-hand selling combat’ are few, but, in the hurly burly of a busy market potential customers are constantly passing by. Best success comes by directly engaging with stall visitors rather than sitting back and waiting for them

24

to recognise your genius. Dive in. Don’t be shy. No room for shrinking violets here!

Empty Shops

Is there any empty shop or unit in your high street? The shop is probably making no money for the owner of the property, so why not bring your ‘art scene’ to town, seek the shop owner out and make an offer to cut them in on the profits of your proposed empty shop exhibition.

You may have to do a bit of tidying up to make the place suitable, but if you can do it cheaply then you could secure a prime location for a reasonable amount of time (at least long enough for you to reveal your creative genius to the high street visitors anyway).

Sure, you and your paintings could be evicted at short notice if someone decides to lease the property, but you have to balance that with the fact that on the high street you will probably get lots of passing trade even after your initial opening night.

Try and find an empty shop in the swankier parts of town if you can (unless you are going for a subversive urban decay vibe). A street or shopping centre where every shop apart from the pawnbroker is having a closing down sale is not likely to bring you the kind of passing trade you desire. (Actually this isn’t strictly true. Famous Britpop Artists Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas opened a gallery shop in 1993 in London’s East End on a street where nearly every other shop was boarded up and it did their careers no harm at all, but that kind of suits the nature of their art.)

25

Tourist Shops

If you have access to a popular tourist area then maybe consider approaching local tourist shops for a mini exhibition, or at least a small display of your work.

Often holidaymakers are looking for a piece of something to remember their trip by and if your style of artwork relates well to your local area it might be the very thing that they are looking for. In that instance some shop owners may be open to hanging a few pieces on their walls.

Remember that in any shop, space is at a premium and every square inch has to earn its keep. Don’t expect your mini exhibition to be welcome at the shop on a long term basis unless it’s actually selling well, for good prices and with a good margin for the shop owner.

Some tourist shops, especially those who specialise in high end arts and crafts will already have a small stable of artists whose works they hang on the walls on an on-going basis. In this case expect to approach the shop in a similar way to approaching a traditional gallery, with your portfolio in hand.

Shopping Centres / Malls

If good parking and plenty of potential customer foot traffic are important to you then maybe consider a shopping mall for your art show. It could be potentially expensive to secure a spot though. You are competing with regular shops with the regular shop unit rents.

A cheap way to get access to a mall space might be to look out for a shop unit that is temporarily empty (similar to the empty high street shop idea previously). You might also consider the isles of the mall itself, where temporary sales stands for various products can often be found.

26

For some reason in particular I’ve seen photographers with spectacular prints taking advantage of malls, especially in tourist areas. This would seem to make sense as of course tourists like to take home something special to remind them of their trip. If the mall is in an affluent tourist area then shoppers may be more likely to purchase luxury items such as art.

Remember that malls often have strict opening hours so if you want to have an evening opening night you might have to time it to coincide with late night opening hours. In addition to your invited guests arriving, your crowd might be swelled by shoppers wondering what all the fuss is about (make sure you put extra cheese and pickled onions on sticks just in case).

There are some disadvantages to showing your art in a shopping center though. You will have to bring your own (and potentially expensive) display equipment in order to adhere to the standards of the mall. The mall managers will probably expect your display to look completely professional, like all the other shops. Also, an isle in a shopping mall is probably not the most glamorous appropriate place for an ‘opening night’. A shop unit may be a better bet to present your art in the best possible way.

If you can secure an opening night for your shopping mall exhibition just be aware of liquor licensing regulations; consumption of chardonnay may be frowned upon by centre management and the law! In this case be inventive and serve some imaginatively named mocktails instead.

27

Chapter 3: Water Holes

Public Houses and Bars

A drinking establishment is a time honoured place for relaxation, refreshment and good times and maybe, just maybe, it could also be a possible venue for your art debut to your adoring public.

In the UK its known as the ‘public house’; in the USA it’s a ‘bar’ and in Australia (rather confusingly) it’s often known as a ‘hotel’ or ‘pub’. For the purposes of this book (and because I’m sitting in England as I write) I’ll refer to it using the local colloquial term ‘pub’ to refer to quaint English style establishments and ‘bar’ to refer to swankier modern establishments.

Take a look at the pubs and bars that are in your area, not from the sozzled and staggering perspective of an inebriated customer and drinker, but, from the wide awake perspective of prospective art superstar in the making, looking for a convenient place to display your genius to the world.

Of course pubs and bars can vary widely in size, nature and facilities not to mention the type of clientele that frequent them. Sometimes a pub and bar will have a number of different rooms, some may even have a function room of some kind. Some are super swanky, shiny and new, others might have a more rustic and down at heel ambience. The kind of pub or bar which is suitable for your art ambitions may depend on what kind art you make, the vibe you want surrounding it and the kind of clientele you want to entertain. For example, if the kind of work you make is super trendy and modern then you might prefer to think about uber trendy bars where the young and hip crowd hang out. If you are going for a more ‘underground’ feel then a pub with a murkier more subversive feel might be the go.

28

Of course, unless the pub your are considering is a specialist ‘art pub’ then imagination may be required in order for you to display your artworks in a pleasing manner, without destroying the existing décor or getting in the way of regular patrons who may not take kindly to your display easel sitting in their spot at the bar. Ideally a pub or bar with a special function room would enable you to set up all your gear without getting under the feet of the day-to-day customers and staff.

Pubs and bars also often have signage outside indicating the events that are taking place inside. It might be worth negotiating some promotion there.

Something that everyone knows about art exhibitions but nobody really talks about is that alcoholic drinks are there as much to loosen wallets as they are to welcome your guests. That warm fuzzy feeling that we get from a nice glass of red is just the kind of state that makes people fall in love with a piece of artwork so that they want to take it home right there and then to hang it on their wall.

In that respect a pub or bar is ideal. Alcohol is in plentiful supply and of course because it’s a pub people are expected to drink something. Pubs are also generally designed to allow people to sit around for extended periods. This may just work in your favour by extending the party for longer and giving you plenty of time to chat to all your assembled guests, rather than having them all wander off after the pickled onions, cheese and sausages on sticks have been nibbled; leaving only the last unloved and unwanted lonely chunk of cheese on the plate.

Another bonus is that a pub or bar will usually have good payment processing facilities so (if you are on very good terms with the landlord) you might be able to negotiate a percentage deal to use their credit and debit card processing facilities if you don’t already have your own. Make sure you have your own helpers on hand though to lead and close the sale (if you are not doing this yourself); you don’t want your first $1000

29

sale to fail because the bar keep was distracted by serving a round of tequila slammers.

When you find a possible location to book your pub or bar exhibition have a quiet word with the friendly landlord to see if they would consider letting you use it as an exhibition venue.

Of course the primary aim of most pubs and bars is to sell alcohol and often food in as large a quantity as possible during their opening hours. If you can align your exhibition ambitions with the landlord’s goal then your chances of securing a cheap, low cost or no cost deal with the landlord may be greatly increased.

If you and your art can bring a crowd of drink buying guests to the venue for a night then the landlord might be extremely receptive to your proposition, especially if you pay for catering too. It’s worth remembering that most places will have busy days and quiet days so if you can fill the bar or pub with your fans on a day that is normally quiet for the landlord then all the better.

Another inducement for the landlord to agree to your proposition might also be ‘the community aspect’. If you can get local visitors through the door who would not normally visit the pub or bar, then it can be a win for the landlord; he/she gets a chance to increase awareness of the pub establishment; and a win for you as you secure a warm, dry and comfortable place to display your wares).

Wineries

If you live in a sunny and sozzled part of the world where wine grapes are grown then your local winery may be well worth considering. Good art and good wine have always tended to be complimentary bedfellows (maybe accompanied with a chunk of gourmet designer cheese too). Often lovers of one are also lovers of the other, with the amount of love

30

shown towards art being directly proportional to the amount of wine consumed (in some instances but not always guaranteed!)

A winery is often considered an ‘upmarket’ exhibition venue and it has a certain caché when written on an artist’s CV, especially at the start of an artist’s career when traditional art exhibitions in established galleries are hard to come by (extra bonus points if the winery has a sophisticated sounding French name!)

Good wineries have a classy upmarket moneyed clientele. If your work appeals to the upwardly mobile professional sectors of society then an exhibition at a winery might be great for you.

Wineries are a destination in themselves, some including an on-site cafe, bar and/or gift shop, especially the ones that are set up to cater specifically for tourists. Often they will already be displaying the work of local artists on the walls to give that authentic community flavour to the place for the benefit of tourists looking for a ‘real experience’ of the winery locality.

If artwork is already being displayed then this is good news as it could mean that the owners would also be amenable for your art to be hung on the walls for an extended period of time after your opening night. As a bonus this could also transpire into an ongoing outlet for your work if it sells regularly for good money.

Of course, wineries being what they are, alcoholic beverages for the opening night should be absolutely no problem. You might even be able to combine your exhibition opening with a wine tasting. You sell your art. The winery sells more wine. It’s a win-win situation. Done right the winery owner should love you for it, and you will love the moneyed professional types that this kind of establishment attracts.

31

Proudly displaying the winery logo on any exhibition advertising leaflets and promotions might even help to sweeten the deal.

Wineries are used to accepting relatively large payments for their goods with credit and debit cards so it should be relatively easy to negotiate with the owner to process the sales and take a cut of the proceeds.

It might be a nice touch if you also throw in a few bottles of the winery plonk with every artwork purchased to add to the sense of occasion and increase the feel good factor for your buyers.

To book a winery exhibition make direct enquiries to the Winery owner or manager. The price you pay will depend on your negotiating skills and what you are bringing to the deal. Well set up wineries will be used to charging good money for the hire of their spaces for weddings and the like, but you might be able to wangle a cheaper deal if you are able to bring a large crowd of adoring art fans and well-paying wine guzzling punters along for an evening, especially during ‘out of season’ times.

If you can demonstrate to the owners at your show that your art sells, then you might have some leverage to ask the winery owner if you could sell your art in their gift shop on an ongoing basis.

Coffee Shops

What could be nicer than sipping on a frothy latte at a comfortable and trendy café admiring wonderful artworks? It would be even better if the artworks were yours!

Coffee shops come in all shapes and sizes, from the massive multinationals that span the globe with same-ee same-ness, through to boutique independent beany froth shops with all manner of different feels and vibes.

32

As with any venue, matching your art to the ambience and style of the location is crucial. Get your art to the right coffee shop and it could be a marriage made in coffee bean heaven. For example, if your target desired coffee shop attracts a moneyed, trendy clientele and your art appeals to that demographic then your chances of success here are greater.

The best example of a coffee shop exhibition I’ve seen was in a trendy Australian beach town. The coffee shop was right on the seafront, and had a jazzy trendy surfing vibe. The art exhibition on the wall matched the coffee shop vibe exactly, and it was being admired by the young, hip and moneyed-up holiday makers and surfers.

You can potentially get a real win-win situation if you can pick an evening for your art show opening which is normally quiet for the coffee shop. The coffee shop gets extra customers (or a contract for the catering) and you get a cool and trendy venue. Remember though that in most coffee shops that I’ve ever seen every inch of space is used, and so the shop owner might not take kindly to you banging around setting up your artworks while customers are trying to enjoy a quiet skinny latte. Arrange a time for exhibition set up while the shop is very quiet or closed.

One advantage of holding an exhibition in coffee shops is that they are set up for catering. Finger foods and snacks should be no problem at your art show opening.

A disadvantage is that coffee shops really like to sell coffee, and while a nice cup of coffee makes your potential buyers feel all warm and cosy, and possibly a little more alert, it’s not quite the same feeling as a nice drop of Shiraz or Chardonnay. Still, in some parts of the world coffee shops can also be licensed to sell alcohol so there’s a possibility you could work around this if serving wine to guests is a priority for you.

33

There is also the disadvantage of the room layout. Tables and chairs filling every available space do not make it easy for your adoring art fans to view your wondrous creations, at least not without clambering over sofas, tables, chairs or benches, which probably would not go down well with the coffee shop owner.

Trendy coffee shops generally do have the facilities to accept credit cards and debit cards, so you may be able to negotiate with the owner take the sales in return for a cut of the action if you do not have your own card processing facilities.

To arrange your show at the coffee shop get to know the staff and chat with the Coffee shop manager to see if they would be open to hosting your event. You’ll probably get a better deal if you are paying for catering and will be bringing in a large crowd.

Restaurants

A restaurant can be a great location for an art exhibition, but of course, just like any other food and beverage establishment the key to holding a successful exhibition there could be to make sure that the vibe of the restaurant matches the vibe of your art. It’s no good trying to show your niche paintings of olde worlde english cottages in a groovy hipster restaurant that jumps to the sound of pumping techno. You’d be better off in a more traditional style place with a cosier feel in that case.

Again, try to work out a night for your exhibition opening which is usually quiet. The restaurant owner probably won’t want to entertain holding your exhibition on a busy night unless you are booking out the entire restaurant and paying for meals for everyone (just the same as if someone was booking a wedding reception or other function that takes up the entire space). In this case you might make it a V.I.P event and ask for an R.S.V.P so that you have a good indication of the number of

34

people to cater for. Negotiate an exclusive booking for your show if possible so as not to annoy other paying diners.

Similar to coffee shops, the layout of the chairs and tables in the restaurant could pose an obstacle for art fans trying to view your work. If you have managed to secure the entire place though for your show you should be able to negotiate a reorganisation of the tables and seating for the night so visitors can get up close and personal with your important and beautiful art work.

The restaurant is likely to have the facilities to process credit and debit cards, which you may be able to negotiate to use if the restaurant is taking sales on your behalf in return for a portion of the profits.

To start the ball rolling for your show get to know the restaurant staff and chat with the Restaurant owner directly.

Specialist Gallery Restaurants

Gallery restaurants may be few and far between but it’s worth checking to see if there is one in your area.

Early on in my career I discovered a local high class restaurant that specialised in displaying different artworks every month along with their usual restaurant fayre. It all added to the dining experience, keeping things interesting for regular customers, giving them something new each time they returned. Because the restaurant was well known for this they also sold works directly from the wall in a similar way to a proper gallery.

To show my art there though it certainly wasn’t just a case of turning up and hanging it on the wall. I had to make an appointment to see the restaurant owner in order to have my work considered for their wonderfully whitewashed walls and make my way through a process similar to being considered for a traditional gallery. Their clients were

35

very picky with the kinds of art they liked and every piece was to be vetted, but if you can get your work in these kinds of establishments, not only will you have a venue for your art it will also add weight to your CV.

36

Chapter 4: Where the Rich Play and the Tourists Stay

Luxury Hotels, Resorts and Conference Venues

Art is a luxury item, so in order to sell a lot of it you need to be showing it in the places where people who have plenty of disposable income gather. These can be lucrative hot spots for up and coming superstar artists looking to discover potential investors.

Exhibition at the Sheraton Noosa Resort. The walls were cloth lined so there was no place to hang art. Note the

ingenious solution. Poles were used instead.

A luxury hotel, resort or conference venue can be a fantastic place to hold an art exhibition, especially the five star ones where well-heeled

37

people hang out, the kind of people who like to look at and buy art. The more stars the place has the better! Just the very fact that your art hangs on the walls of these places actually infers some kind of value on it, after all, resort management would not subject their high flying client’s eyes to anything less than the best would they?

An exhibition at a hotel or resort with a classy or well respected name also looks good on an artist’s CV.

There are certain challenges with these places though. A five star hotel charges a five star price for hire of their rooms as they are generally geared to dealing with big businesses who pay big money to hold glitzy conferences in an elegant location. Lighting may also be an issue as its generally geared more towards a cosy, relaxing and reassuringly expensive atmosphere suitable for listening to a high profile keynote speaker than highlighting your artworks on their walls. They do however have that certain sense of style, class and all round poshness that art buyers love.

How would you ever get your art in here at a price that you can afford? Here’s a secret tip…

These places sometimes have quiet times of year when no one actually wants to book a conference or event but conversely they have a resort full of guests. Think about it; would you want to hold a conference at Christmas? No, you’ll be too busy racing around buying Christmas gifts, wrapping presents and planning the parties you’ll be having. Therein lays the opportunity. A vast, empty conference room makes no money for the resort. “Hey, Mr Resort Manager! How about you let me hold an art exhibition all through the holidays? It will look great, provide entertainment for your Christmas and New Year holidaying guests, and I’ll even cut you in on the profits!” It’s a win-win for you and the resort. This works well in Australia (where I lived for many years) and where people go on holidays during Christmas, but if you do a bit of digging I’m

38

sure you’ll find that there is an equivalent quiet time for conferences in your area which leaves these vast but luxurious spaces open for your keen negotiations with resort management!

The basic principle here is that you are looking for a win-win, matching how you can win as an artist (get your paintings in there and sell them) with a win for the resort (get a cut of the profits at an otherwise quiet time of the year, provide entertainment for guests, do some social good etc).

Catering at these places for your opening night shouldn’t be a problem as there will be a kitchen on site ready to create some delectable morsels for you and your adoring art fans.

You should probably arrange your own credit and debit card processing facilities. The conference or meeting rooms where your show is likely to take place will probably not be anywhere near a card terminal even if resort management did agree that they would take the sale for you.

To book an exhibition in these kinds of places get to know the hotel staff to discover when the quiet times of year are that might be suitable for your exhibition. Find out who is in charge of event booking and try to cut a deal. If the hotel supports a local charity, offer to donate a percentage of sales to it. If the hotel manager is more mercenary offer a cut of the profits to the hotel itself.

Tourist Hotels, Motels & Accommodation

Tourist Hotels (i.e. budget hotels in popular travel locations) motels and other types of tourist accommodation generally have a steady stream of out of town guests, some of which may wish to take a little bit of something of the area back home with them.

If you can persuade your local hotel owner to hang your work in the reception and make leaflets available on the reception desk and in the

39

rooms then you could potentially generate some interest as a notable local artist.

It might be possible to also book a function room at a larger hotel for an opening night to celebrate after which your works can then be enjoyed on the walls around the place.

40

Chapter 5: The Public Domain

Local Museums

Local museums of all kinds can be a great location for an art exhibition. Famous museums often specialise in presenting the work of artists who are long dead and gone, but since you are reading this and most definitely not dead then you may have to approach other kinds of museums. Consider the smaller ones with more of a local focus, as opposed to those with a big city metropolitan or state-wide focus.

Certainly at the beginning of your art career these small local museums (not necessarily art museums) may present possible art show opportunities.

One of the best in local museum art shows that I've seen was by a children's book author featuring the artwork from his range of pirate books. Original artworks, sketches, drawings and full size paintings were wonderfully arranged to detail the process by which the artist and author created his delightfully spooky tales and illustrations.

Even though the museum itself was mostly dedicated to historical wars the pirate book exhibition did not look at all out of place. In fact it appeared to be a clever win-win for both the museum and the children's book author.

In these times when budgets are being cut, museums and other public spaces often need to make money to justify their existence. This particular museum was attracting a whole new audience of children into the space who initially came to see the pirates. The author was able to sell lots of pirate books which of course the museum would also make money from too. Because the exhibition was also taking place in the rooms around the gift shop all these extra visitors would naturally

41

purchase other items. All these things help to ring the cash register and keep the historical wheels of the museum turning.

If you find a suitable art show space in your local museum try and think about how your exhibition proposal might align with the goals of the museum. Museum management are probably not going to approve your submission if you simply want to hang your art in the museum and sell it, but if your work is related to the history and culture of your local area or has some of angle that can work in with the goals of the museum then you might have a chance.

It's worth noting that the same museum in which I saw the Pirates exhibition was also hosting another exhibition at the same time featuring mixed media art depicting the local area. Obviously this particular museum has a program of trying to bring something fresh into the place on a regular basis. Maybe your museum has something similar. So give your local museum a try. You never know you might make some history yourself.

Your Local Library

Libraries these days are often more than just places where printed books are stored. They are community meeting places and may include a foyer, meeting space or clear wall space suitable for hanging an art. I’ve often seen local art groups using these spaces to host small exhibitions and promote the work of their group at the same time.

Some libraries such as major metropolitan city libraries are quite prestigious and having your art hanging in there is quite an honour and great credit for your CV.

Because libraries are generally large spaces there should be no problem hosting an exhibition opening there, though of course you might have to arrange it at a time when the library is open into the evening, or

42

persuade the library staff to keep the library open for your special event.

Check with the library staff for booking of the spaces within the library and the current schedule of library events.

My wife Cindy at her book launch (plus a ‘Paint In Your Pyjamas!’ Fan). Note the art exhibition by other local artist on the back wall.

Community Art Groups

If the whole process and stress of organising your own solo exhibition sounds like more trouble than it's worth then maybe being part of a community art group exhibition is for you.

43

The biggest stress in this case may be whether your artwork is accepted for the group show in the first place and hoping that your art doesn’t get hung in the dimly lit spot at the bottom of a wall next to the toilet on opening night

You’ll be relieved of the worry of making sure that enough people turn up, as all the group members will bring their friends and family and the responsibility of arranging the show and opening night is shared by all the members (and that includes you).

Art group exhibitions are also a fantastic option if you don't have enough artworks available to fill a show all by yourself.

Most community art groups have a major exhibition at least once a year in a large community space or gallery. Some more enterprising groups are even organised enough to also have their own permanent exhibition space and gallery where members can display a few pieces of their work for sale on an ongoing basis. If you are a little shy of going all out on your own for your first exhibition then this may be a good way to dip your toe in the water to sell your art, or to put on a show shared with a few of your fellow art group members.

Of course the key to success within an art group is participation. They are run by volunteers. It's not enough just to turn up to the meetings a few times and then expect to have your work placed in prime position in the annual art show or gallery shop. You need to get involved in group events, and volunteer your time in order to move up the pecking order. Participation brings opportunities. Non participation will result in your artwork being ignored. If you want to make sure that your art does not end up being displayed at the back of the hall where nobody but the caretaker ventures then it's wise to be on the exhibition hanging team.

I remember being part of a large group exhibition once, and spent six weeks full time creating three huge canvases that needed to be hung

44

side by side in order for them to make any sense. Unfortunately (and much to my regret) I could not assist when the actual exhibition hanging took place, leaving others to hang my concept artworks at the agreed spot on the wall. I returned on exhibition opening day only to find my grand vision compromised, with a mammoth piece of spikey black wrought iron artwork occupying the very spot where my artwork was supposed to be hung. My canvases were spread around the room in a most displeasing manner. Lesson learned. Don’t ever leave the hanging to someone else at a group exhibition if you can at all avoid it, because someone else will decide that their thing is more important than your thing, even if the hanging location was agreed well in advance!

It’s highly probable that there is a pecking order already established in the group. You will find it worthwhile to figure out who really is in charge by attending the meetings, helping out at events and staffing the community gallery. It’s a good idea to do this before making your grand proposal; to hold a solo exhibition of your work in the groups permanent retail gallery (if they have one).

Status within these groups can also be gained by 'selling'. If your work sells well at group exhibitions then you will soon become the stuff of legends (because ‘everyone’ knows that real artists sell!) however, it's a double edged sword because there is an element of competition involved here. Even though many other members may outwardly say they do it for the love of it and selling is not important, really they do want to sell because to some in our ‘money equals success’ driven society a selling artist can be considered a ‘real’ artist. Everyone else is just a Sunday painter. So just be aware that your selling success may lead to petty jealousies as well in equal measure to adoration.

To discover your local art group check with local art supplies shops, community spaces, (such as church halls), museums or just search online.

45

Community Arts Spaces

Student Art Exhibition Night at the Cooroy Butter Factory. Big Night. Big Crowd.

Does your local area have a central community arts space where all manner of creative goings-on ‘go on’? If so then investigate whether there is a suitable space there for staging your art show.

When I lived in Noosa Australia there were two fabulous arts centres called “The J” and the “Butter Factory.” “The J” is a purpose built creative hub for the entire district combining an auditorium, events space, university teaching facilities and a community radio station. The Butter Factory was a big old factory (as the name suggests) with large rooms which could be put to a wide range of purposes. My wife and I staged a number of exhibitions there.

If you are lucky you may find that there is something similar available in your area.

46

My Wife’s Papua New Guinea Series at Port Lincoln Civic Centre

The great things about these kinds of spaces are that they are generally easy to access, set up to cater for large numbers of people attending events and have plenty of parking available. They may also be relatively affordable to hire if the space is being subsidised by the community.

On the other hand these are generally multipurpose spaces not necessarily designed to hang art. You may have to bring in external display equipment. Also, if you intend that your art is going to be hung beyond opening night you will have to do it in a way that does not interfere with the regular running of the centre.

To book a show in a community art space contact a representative of the committee that runs the centre to see if your event is likely to be accepted. There will probably be an application process to have your exhibition proposal considered.

Community Halls, Church Halls and School Halls

Church or community halls are often the haunt of local art groups holding their annual exhibitions. They are generally cheap, easy to book, able to accommodate lots and lots of people and often have a big hole in the wall which gives access to the kitchen for the serving of cups of tea, slices of homemade cake and a nice sit down.

For price and convenience these kinds of places are hard to beat.

47

Community Halls, however, not generally associated with the kind of glitz, glamour and poshness that encourages the actual extracting of credit cards from wallets in return for fabulous, expensive and rare artworks from up and coming artists. Don’t let that discourage you though. It is possible to run quite successful exhibitions in these places.

Cindy at our ‘pop-up’ art show in the hall of Broadbeach State School

The main drawback with these places is that they are generally furnished in a basic utilitarian way, have poor lighting of the most unflattering fluorescent kind and are not particularly well designed for hanging art. This should not prevent you (creative wunderkind that you are) from transforming a dull space into something magical, using whatever is available in the space.

My wife Cindy and I faced exactly this challenge just before we left Australia for the UK. An opportunity arose to get access to the local school hall for the weekend so we jumped at the chance to have a

48

‘leaving the country art sale’. There was no hanging equipment available so we set to work using chairs, tables, whiteboards and even table tennis tables as makeshift gallery equipment. We even managed to sell a good amount of art, despite the decidedly unconventional approach. It just goes to show that with a bit of inventiveness it’s perfectly possible to stage a show and make it a success using whatever you can get your hands on at the time.

As a side note, if serving alcoholic drinks will be an important part of your event then make sure you check the local liquor licensing rules. In some countries these places must be licensed by the local authorities before drinks can be served.

Council Run Galleries

Do you have public non-commercial, council run or a regional gallery in your area which shows local artists work? If so it’s highly worthwhile investigating further here. Getting the name of a good public gallery on your CV is a great feather in the cap of any artist and very important for career development. Be aware though that these places tend to be frequented by artists and art fans rather than art buyers. If your aim is to raise your profile as a serious artist as opposed to raising serious cash a public non-commercial gallery might be the go for you.

Yes, there may be a long waiting list to actually get a show, and yes, there will be an exhibition proposal to be proposed even before you get on the waiting list but because these galleries are often the entry point to the public art world it’s well worth the wait. Think of them as the minor league circuit, with the major leagues being the larger state and national galleries. Be successful here and you might be able to use it as a stepping stone to a touring exhibition around other council run regional galleries. Bear in mind though, council run galleries are more about exposure and career development rather than actual art sales.

49

My installation artwork at the Noosa Regional Gallery

They are often well equipped with great lighting and hanging equipment, not to mention fully set up to accommodate large numbers of visitors for opening nights.

Public galleries are often overseen by a committee to which exhibition proposals are submitted. Their calendar of events may be booked several years in advance. Be prepared to join in with the gallery’s other activities to boost your profile and increase your chances of getting an exhibition accepted.

When I lived in Noosa Australia my local council gallery was the ‘Noosa Regional’. In addition to the main room which played host to touring exhibitions and artworks reflecting the local culture, there was also a small side gallery which regularly housed smaller exhibitions from local artists and art groups. The waiting list to have a show there was two years long!

I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a group exhibition in the main room of the gallery with two other artists, with one long wall dedicated to my major installation artwork. I was so glad when I was

50

told that I would have assistance from gallery volunteers as the artwork was made up of 43 separate canvases. The help available in the gallery itself was invaluable.

When it comes to promotion another benefit of a public gallery is that the press is often interested in covering community stories related to it. A public gallery may also often have its own mailing list of people interested in art exhibitions and they may be willing publicise your event. When you combine your list of invitees with the gallery list it could turn into a very big opening night. It might be wise to make allowances for additional dip and biscuits. Don’t skimp on the wine-in-a-box and tetrapak orange juice either.

51

Chapter 6: The Professionals

Professional Practice Offices

Accountants, Lawyers, Financial Advisors, professionals of all kinds... If you know a local business professional who has a spacious office premise with nice clear walls then it might be worth gently enquiring if they would be willing to lend you their space for an evening to hold your exhibition. At the very least you might persuade them to let you hold a mini exhibition in their client waiting room so that customers can enjoy your artwork while they are waiting for an appointment.

My art hanging in a ‘mini-exhibition’ in an Optometrists Shop

52

Teaming up with local business people in this way can be a fantastic strategy. If you can convince a few high profile and influential people in your town to hang your artwork in their offices (and preferably buy it) then it will boost your profile to be able to say that your art is 'in the collection of (insert name of Mr/Mrs big wig here)'.

My wife and I have often found that local business owners who are fans of our work are happy to help in this way, after all, they get to show off the artworks that they have bought and potentially increase the value of their investment by introducing others to our artworks to make them just that little bit more famous.

The Bank

Artwork costs money. Sometimes plenty of money. So why not consider showing your art right where the money is. At your local bank!

If you are lucky enough to have a local bank that has clear wall hanging space and some measure of community spirit then you might be able to persuade your local bank manager to hang your art as a mini-exhibition.

Of course, you probably won’t be able to have an opening night event there for obvious reasons (you wouldn’t want the bank safe to be raided under the cover of your opening night!) but there is the bonus of a captive audience who wait in queues while waiting to be served with nothing to do but look at your mini exhibition. Most banks are furnished in a reassuringly utilitarian way so chances are that your artwork will be the most exciting thing there and therefore easy to notice and admire.

I wouldn’t hold out any hopes of actually selling the artwork with the help of the bank staff though. They are quite rightly looking after everyone else’s money. The best you can probably hope for is that someone will note down your name and telephone number from the card which you will presumably place on the wall next to your artwork,

53

and that they will call you to make an enquiry. That’s exactly what happened for famous angel Artist Andy Lakey who told in interviews how his art was discovered in a Community Bank by a famous art critic at the very beginning his career. Was it divine intervention or a good business strategy? Who knows, but it may be a spot worth considering for your art.

Hospital Foyers and Medical Waiting Rooms

Does your art bring joy and lighten the soul? Then maybe your art would be a suitable candidate for a mini exhibition in a hospital foyer or medical waiting room. I suggest avoiding this idea though if your art is dark, deep or brooding in any way. People want to be cheered up in these places and your colourful joyous art might be the very thing to do it.

Locations such as waiting rooms or foyers are an opportunity to get your name out there in a public space and because many people will see your artworks everyday it can raise your profile as a successful local artist (especially if you have a strategy to place your artworks around town in other public spaces too).

While medical facilities probably won’t be suitable for an exhibition opening night or selling work off the walls, you might get lucky and get your art noticed by some of the highly paid specialist medical staff who work in the building (especially if it’s a private hospital or medical centre).

It’s probably not appropriate to have prices displayed on your artworks here but a very discrete card with your name, artwork title and email address near to the artwork might be permissible. Otherwise make sure your signature is very readable so that people can note it and seek you out in other ways.

54

To arrange an exhibition here get to know the staff and try and find out who has control over the foyer or waiting room. Gently make your art exhibition proposal to them.

In some very large hospitals there may be a staff member who looks after the hospital art collection who you can approach with an exhibition proposal.

Hairdressing Salons

This one is close to my heart as a hairdressing salon was the location of my very first art exhibition.

Cindy and myself in Hare’s Hair Salon.

55

You might be wondering how I could possibly hold an art exhibition in a hairdressing salon. Surely all the mirrors and sinks would get in the way wouldn't they, not to mention that hairdressers are cutting, blowing and styling their customers hair in the place.

Well, in the case of my exhibition it took place in a spacious, trendy and expensive inner city salon which had plenty of wall space for hanging art. Of course the clientele were of the moneyed variety and 'absolutely fabulous darling'. I am definitely not talking about your local barbers shop here. I am talking swanky and expensive. The table around which all the customers sat while their hair colours processed was the place to network at the time!

Opening night took place in the evening after all the regular customers had gone home. At the end of the hairdressing work day all the hairdressing chairs were wheeled into the storeroom leaving an expansive space for me to hang my art (of course there were mirrors and sinks to be navigated but I was able to work around them quite easily).

So how did I manage to persuade the salon owner to let me to take over their establishment for an evening? Well, first of all I was a regular customer. Second, the salon owner was very community minded and held a regular charity event every year. Of course being an entrepreneurial artist at the time I would show my art to just about anyone I met, including my hairdressers. One thing led to another and pretty soon the hairdresser’s charity event became my art exhibition.

There are a few lessons to be learned from the above:

• It pays to network in places where people with money gather (e.g. expensive hair salons etc.)

• Successful business owners are often community minded and like to get involved with charities and events

56

• Your art exhibition can get access to the business’s clientele ifyou can team up with the business owner

• The unlikeliest of spaces can sometimes be turned into fabulousart galleries with a bit of imagination.

The Hairdressers hired a margarita mixing machine instead of serving the usual white and red wine, and named the cocktails it produced “Fruit bat and Mango Sunsets” after one of my paintings. The drinks were extremely popular and went down at treat, all adding to the festive occasion. It just goes to show that you don’t have to serve boringly predictable wine at a show. You can use your creative imagination there too.

Hi-Rise Office Block Foyers

Wander round any major city and through the revolving doors of a huge office skyscraper. What do you see? Nothing. Wide open space. Then the lifts.

Opportunity knocks. Those expansive acres of open foyer space are ripe to be filled with art. Not only that, people with money and influence walk through this area at least twice a day with nothing to look at other than your art (if it was on display there).

I’ve seen art gallery businesses that regularly put on shows in theses spaces, which would indicate that there are sales to be had here.

Also consider seeking out vacant rooms in brand new skyscrapers. They may have empty unsold or unrented space which could make for a fabulous exhibition venue with expansive views across the city.

You are going to have to do some research to get on the inside track and figure out who can say yes to your exhibition proposal. If there's a reception desk in the foyer maybe start your investigations by asking there. If the space is indeed hirable there may be a person whose

57

specific charge is to look after the bookings. Your task is to seek them out and secure an appointment. Your oh-so-creative artist’s rainbow pantaloons might not go down so well here. Be sure to wear suitable business attire when making your enquiries. This a serious professional office building filled with professional office building type people.

There may be a sizable cost outlay involved to rent the space, but, as always if you are good negotiator, you never know, it might be possible to offer a percentage of sales instead of paying a high upfront rental.

You will have to be on top of your exhibition presentation game though as the resident CEO in the building is unlikely to approve of a messy bunch of artworks hanging around in the lobby offending the eyes of his or her business colleagues who usually prefer to spend their huge executive bonuses on a Picasso or Monet.

You may need to hire a professional display stand company to stage the show. Proper display stands with proper super bright halogen lighting always makes even the most mediocre artwork look like a million dollars, which is exactly what the high powered executive types who might buy your artwork would expect.

58

Chapter 7: Pay-to-Play

Vanity Galleries

If you yearn to have your art show in a fabulous purpose built space with the classy feel of a traditional gallery then a ‘vanity’ gallery is always an option.

The catch-all term ‘vanity gallery’ does not necessarily mean that you must be narcissistic and self-obsessed in order to use them (though of course this may be a character trait of some very famous artists!)

They are called vanity galleries because if you have the cash to pay then chances are that you can have a show here, although you might still have to submit an exhibition proposal before you can lay down your wad of cash and start organising your opening night. Even pay-to-play galleries have standards.

These purpose built and equipped spaces should have all the hanging equipment you need, the lighting should be excellent, and the gallery would have all the right connections to ensure your show is catered to a professional standard. This could save you a serious amount of time when compared with putting on a show in a non-gallery setting.

One of the big advantages of a traditional gallery (i.e. one with a gallery director and a stable of artists) is that they generally have a database of buyers, but if you've already got an extensive fan base for your art who are just hanging out to see your work then a vanity gallery might really work for you. Maybe you’ve got an extensive Facebook following; maybe you have a mailing list of fans just hanging out for your next show. However if you are bringing in the customers, and you have your own thing going (as opposed to relying on a traditional gallery representation arrangement) then a vanity gallery could give you all the

59

glitz and glamour, in a dedicated space you need. As a bonus, it would also come without a gallery director deducting a big slice of the proceeds before the cash hits your bank account.

Do check if there are any payment processing facilities on-site. Chances are you will have to take the sales using your own merchant facility. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have your own facility for taking credit card sales. If you do not take cards then you will definitely lose out on impulse buys. If people have to think too much about how they will give you money then they will tend not to (or at least they will say they will buy, but then change their mind once the chardonnay induced pleasure haze has lifted the next day).

Just google ‘gallery hire’ or ‘venue hire’ to uncover possible locations.

Art Fairs

How would you like thousands of potential art collectors with wallets open and at ready to spend to see your exhibition? How about if all the hanging space, lighting and power was already organised? All you have to do is turn up and hang your artworks in a pleasing way? Does that sound tempting?

Art Fairs are large events where (for a price) you can hire a booth or wall on which to hang your exhibition. The great thing about an art fair is that if the event is well organised is that you will have direct contact with masses of people actually interested in buying art. On the other hand you will be directly competing with other artists and paying handsomely for the privilege. Your exhibition booth will be one amongst many.

On the plus side again you don’t have to organise an opening night. Its one big opening day!

60

If your art is worth good money though and you sell well, you might recoup those costs quickly, but if you sell nothing it could turn into an expensive day out.

Generally these types of art fairs take place in big cities so try searching for terms like [big city name] art expo or [big city name] art fair, and keep an eye out in national art magazines. There may be an application process so that the organisers can vet the quality of exhibitors.

Hobby / Niche Interest Related Expos and Shows

Do you have a strange obsession for making paintings of American muscle cars? Maybe cute cats and dogs in pastel are your speciality. Whatever your thing is, if your art covers a very specific niche with a good number of enthusiasts around it then maybe consider booking a space for your art exhibit at the type of event which specialises in the subject matter you love.

Your niche art will probably get plenty of interest from the like-minded souls who are visiting the show and it should be relatively easy for you make a connection with your potential customers. Your obsession is their obsession. You have something instantly in common, so it should be a relatively relaxed, natural and enjoyable experience to strike up a conversation.

Unlike visitors to specialist art fairs, niche show attendees might not be art buyers per se, but because you have so much in common you should at least be able to get people onto your mailing list, so you can sell something to them at a later date once they get to know of you better even if they don’t buy something right away.

At an indoor show in a convention centre it may be quite expensive to hire a stand and you may also have to bring everything you need to stage your art exhibit nicely. If it’s an outdoor show then you’ll have the

61

weather to deal with and be prepared for just about any eventuality even if a market tent or marquee is available. You would also be wise to bring your own card processing facilities too.

Keep a lookout in specialist magazines, websites and publications for niche show opportunities. Make enquiries directly to the event organisers. Be professional and organised about your approach.

My Wife Cindy and I at the Noosa Tourism Expo

62

Chapter 8: Give and You Shall Receive

Major Charity Art Events

Major charities and prominent local businesses often have a calendar of fundraising events. When done right an art show in aid of charity can be an excellent way to go.

Artist Designed Cubby House created by my wife Cindy for a Charity Exhibition

My first exhibition was actually a charity event and because it was a success I was also able to make a sizeable donation to the charity that organised it. I would have had to ‘donate’ around 50% of the proceeds to the director in a traditional gallery anyway so why not put that amount into the pockets of your chosen charity instead.

63

A charity art show is an opportunity to gain some great exposure for your art, make some sales and get to add some great contacts to your mailing list. The wonderful thing about charity fundraisers is that you don’t have to limit yourself to the usual art buying market. This is a great opportunity to introduce your art to beautiful souls who genuinely wish to support their favourite charity.

One of the potential benefits of working closely with a major charity is that they may have permanent staff or volunteers who may be able to help you organise the show. Business people who are associated with the charity might also be persuaded to contribute by sponsoring aspects of the event, such as food, drink and prizes to add a bit of excitement to proceedings.

Charity events often attract high profile individuals who are great for photo opportunities. Make the most of this by ensuring that you arrange the press to come along and snap a few pictures (don’t forget to have a friend take some pictures for your use too!)

You may be asked to auction or give away some of your artworks as a lucky door prize, raffle or auction item. Be wary of this and arrange it carefully. If guests get a whiff that there is a chance of a ‘freebie’ or cheap artwork they may be less inclined to buy and it might affect the perceived value of your creations.

The charity may already have card payment facilities in which case you could negotiate to use theirs if you don't already have your own. Similarly if the event is being run by a local business they too may have facilities. I would recommend though that you take your own, and make sure you have some trusted volunteers on hand to process payments.

To secure a show with a charity make efforts to connect with local charity representatives or business people associated with them. Check

64

their fundraising calendars to see if there is a way you can fit in and add value to their existing events.

Local business people sometime like to run an annual event to raise money for a specific charity, and may actually be finding it hard to come up with new ideas for an event year after year. Your art exhibition may be exactly the solution they are looking for.

65

Summary: The Final Countdown

By now I hope that your brain cells are buzzing thinking about a great location for your art exhibition, knowing that you don’t have to wait until you are signed up by a traditional art gallery for your art world debut.

It feels good to be in control of your own artistic destiny and not just waiting around and hoping that a kindly gallery director will give you a two week slot on his walls every two years.

Your senses should now be tingling and alert everywhere you go as you sniff out great places to show your art. Talk to everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask. This book is intended to get you thinking and it’s now time to put those thoughts into action.

There’s nothing like setting a fixed date and venue for your show to get you motivated to create some great artworks and display your genius to the adoring public.

Remember, your art show does not have to be perfect. Getting your art seen is the important thing. Heck, I even once created an impromptu pop-up exhibition in a school hall on a rainy day, with hardly any hanging equipment available, the paintings propped up against chairs and still sold art.

What is important is that your art escapes from under your spare-room bed, over-stuffed cupboard, garage or studio and makes it out into the world where it belongs. It needs to be shared and seen by as many people as possible.

Doing this also gives your art an exhibition and sales record which you can include in your CV in preparation for the day when you confidently approach that hallowed traditional white cube gallery.

66

You will be ready to ascend into the heights of art superstardom, knowing that your art has a real world following, that it is appreciated and even sells in the most unlikely of places.

Good Luck with your art show!

Stuart Wider

67