Artwork Display at Overlake Senior Center

Changing out artwork as they sell
Love how Overlake Senior Center grouped my paintings... Hate to break them up

Pears

 

For years, I taught art to 150 students at a local elementary school. Each year, we spent a number of classes drawing, painting, collaging... Pears and Apples. The perfect objects to study color, shape, lighting and value, and 3D rendering.

This weekend I was tinking of all of those wonderful kids and the fun we had together, so I picked up my paints and dove back into Pears

Getting Ready for a Show

No matter your medium, showing artwork in a gallery is scary, exciting, fun, and quite frankly... a lot of work!

The nitty gritty:

• Take good photos that accurately represent the colors in your work to create a portfolio
• Coordinate contract with gallery - how do they handle sales and taxes, what percentages do they take?
• Make sure your insurance policy covers loss or damage to your pieces
• Coordinate with the gallery on how they will handle your pieces:
• Delivery location and timing
• Storage (will your pieces be sitting on the floor or in the back waiting to be hung? How will they be protected?)
• Hanging - do you need special hangers, will they provide?
• Display - do you have a say in how your artwork is displayed?
• Picking up your art after the show
• Plan which pieces to bring:
• What sizes will fit the space
• Choose colors that work well together
• What mix of pieces will demonstrate the breadth of your work 
• Make sure website, Etsy shop, etc are up to date and attractive
• Create business cards that direct folks to your website
• Create pricing sheet so gallery can create info cards for each piece (or create your own cards)
• Create inventory sheet with thumb prints, description, price in case of mix-up, loss or theft
• Plan transportation - can everything fit in one car, one trip? How protect your art in transit?
• Coordinate with gallery - Can you preview the display to make sure pieces that go together are displayed together (I once had a necklace, bracelet, earring set dispersed in a gallery because they were focused on like pieces being displayed together, rather than sets)
• Get the word out there - use social media to let everyone know when and where to see your work!
• Is there a 'Show Opening'? If not, create one by sending out the word when you will be there!

I find it uncomfortable to ask folks to come look at my art - like I am exposing my baby to censure. However, I'm blessed with some good friends who told me that their job is to form a circle around me at the Show Opening and to filter in only the good vibes!

Have you shown your artwork in a gallery, or are you preparing to?
What challenges have you faced?

Mouse Pad from Artwork

My new favorite mouse pad!
(can't keep it though - shipping out with a collection of cards).

'New Bulbs' from BeverlyAshGilbert.com