Important Keys To Building A Successful Show

photo: PIERRE OBENDRAUF
originally post 02/19/11

For the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of seeing the public react to my first solo exhibition. I have had the peace of mind for sometime that the show was completed, and there by had the chance to reflect on the process undergone in order to create this exhibition. I believe the show has been a huge success as not only am I happy with the over quality of the work, I am also happy with the direction my works and ideas have taken, and I am also happy with the audience’s reaction as. Hell, really I couldn’t ask for anything more as both major museums have been here as well as the local press. These where not just things that happened they where things that I worked towards, so while contemplating all of this I this I came to some conclusions of what it took for me to create a show better than I thought I could have. I though I might share some of these ideas with you.

One of the hardest yet most important mental barriers one has to overcome as an artist is the limiting belief that you can not make money off your art. IN reality you HAVE TO MAKE MONEY OFF your art. It is something only you can give yourself. I make a living off my art. Regardless of the reasons you create art (i.e. art for art sake, commercial art) your creative abilities will be limited by the material means you have on hand. When building a show, a career or a portfolio in order to create the highest quality work one has to immerse themselves in their work. One must eat too therefore one must find some kind of funding. Often that means going into debt with the uncertainty of how one might pay it back. Let go of it and realize we are all in debt, our resource available to us decide to whom and by how much. Utilize this knowledge to your advantage and it will keep you motivated going when the going gets tough. This acceptance will allow you to continue creating even when money may not be coming in. At times you may even find that your practice is the absolutely ONLY thing you have. That can be great space to be in as it creates the HABIT of creating work.
If you think about it, really, you have already started working on your first solo exhibition. If you are truly dedicated to your art practice you probably tend to create a lot of work a lot of the time. You have probably been doing this for years. You create out of habit without even realizing it. Once you set a goal such as building your first solo show it gives those habits direction. By giving your creative energies and thoughts direction, the momentum you can make is remakerable. The OLDEST dated work in my current showing is “Je Suis une Monstre” created in 2001.

Somewhere, if you think about it you still have access to sketchbooks you kept since you where sixteen. SOME of that work may even be considered MONUMENTAL in your development. As an artist some of it may even be referential to your current work. This is a great happy accident as it helps VALIDATE your ARTISTIC practice. Good Work dated from ten or fifteen years ago says you are no JOHNNY COME LATELY. That you are dedicated to your trade and can produce CONSISTENT works time and time again. That solidifies your commitment to your audience. Your audience will respect you for that.

I am sure that many people have told you about the importance of having a style. Yes it is true you want to be recognized for a style. For a first solo showing though I would definitely suggest adding works that showed the development of that style. This can include figure studies, portraits and landscapes color studies. What ever floats your boat and what ever you can RIGHTEOUSLY justify as having influenced your practice. While curating this show I decided it was best to allow the gallery owner to curate the work. She came to my house looked at the ALL the work I had created over the past ten years (that’s how long I have been living in one city and the work I had access to). She picked out a fine selection of works of divers works that represented me and my practice very well. She choose some recent portraits, some recent word drawings and paintings as well as a couple of referential works from around 2000. It was a great experience to allow someone else to pick out the work for the show as they created something far different than I might of.

Another important matter one must decide is a due date. I say give yourself about a year that will allow for LOTS of time to create. With in the parameters of year you should be able to very easily to create a fair amount of top quality works. It will also give you time to scope out the scene and decide where and when you want to exhibit your work as well as promote it. All things run on a cycle, your local art scene does as well. If you think about it there are Art Festivals and Events that happen EVERY YEAR in your community. Utilize that Knowledge and throw your show around the same time as one. It’s called Piggy Backing .There is a reason I picked the fall for my show opening. One is the Fall Arts preview that happens every September and October. The local art scene is booming with things to do places to see and media covering it all therefore it is very easy to be stumbled upon. Another reason I chose this date is that SCHOOL is back in session. Therefore the wonderful island of Montreal is ten times as populated as it was just three weeks BEFORE. EVERYBODY is looking for something to do, somewhere to go, some how to look cool and be seen.

Many of these people are just being introduced to Montreal. Go out and meet these people they will help you meet other people, those people will help you meet other. And soon enough your friends with Rickie’s cousin Cheryl who is best friends with Dana who’s gallery just so happens to be looking for emerging artists for it’s next show. You get the idea it’s called networking.

I was recently gallery sitting and I can not even begin to explain to you how many people stopped in to tell me about a show or with invites to an upcoming exhibition. I will save you lots of time, money and energy. The best way to find a gallery is to go to openings and meet people then go to openings and met people and then…. You guessed it go to more galleries and meet more people. Eventually you will start to draw people to you. People with common interests and people who enjoy the same aesthetics about art as you. THIS is where you will meet connections, as well as a person who MIGHT take an interest in your work, which then gives you background information with which you can then utilize when you approach their gallery at a later date. I can barely remember the name of first person who dropped off their invites this week. I do remember the name of the man whose company I enjoyed while visiting the contemporary gallery though.
Regardless of what gallery you find for your show promote it like it was an opening at the LOUVE. My postering campaign consisted of 850 posters, many HOURS riding my bike and stopping by MULTIPLUE galleries where I knew the owners or directors with personal invites. I also postered from one side of the city to the other MULTIPLE TIMES, it has now been three weeks, since I last postered and many of them are still up. I am also regularly recognized from it when approached at the gallery.

ALL IN ALL the most important thing of all when preparing to set up a Successful exhibition is to MAKE WORK. Make work as though your life depended on it. Make it morning, noon, and night. You might even have to give up certain luxuries while you prepare for your show, hell even some necessities. That is why you have to decide it is your priority to have a show. This way if the going gets tough it will keep you motivated to work while going with out. After you believe the show is finished it’s time to DOUBLE YOUR EFFORTS. Some of the most creative work I created was after I had assumed the show was finished.Having believed my goal was accomplished gave me a certain amount of creative freedom. A freedom I had not given myself while concentrating on my solo exhibition. This freedom gave me the option to push some work, keep other work as it was and start an entire new body of work. Many of these works have been started and many more are at the forefront of my brain, in turn starting the beginning of my next show. Which I believe will also be a success.

So there is a little advice to help work towards your goals of being a professional artist. Be willing to sacrifice some things, keep working even when THINGS SEEM doubtful, KNOW YOUR SCENE and choose the date and place wisely while giving yourself time to CREATE WORK. MEET THE RIGHT PEOPLE(meaning those who can help you attain your goals) and PROMOTE YOUR WORK. Most important of all things is to BOOST PRODUCTIVITY when you are sure your work is done. I believe if followed these steps will GREATLY enhance the quality of the works you display as well as the response you receive from your audience.

KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT

Richard

My Poster Campaign

~ by Richard Rossetto on February 19, 2011.