promoting an art exhibit

How to Promote an Art Exhibition on Your Website

Solo exhibitions, as well as 2- or 3-person shows, deserve your full attention.

If you have an important exhibition coming up, give it the (virtual) space it deserves. Create a page on your website for your show.

You probably already have a page for all of your exhibitions, but I’m talking about a single page that features only your special show.

This will be the premier place you send people for details about the exhibition, which will be easy for people to read because it only has one focus. It doesn’t include anything else.

Why would you share this info only on Facebook or in an email when you can create a storefront for your art? You’re paying for the virtual real estate already. Might as well use it!

Everything will be in one spot rather than scattered around online or in someone’s inbox.

The URL (website address) should be one that’s easy to share and to remember rather than a string of slashes and numbers. This isn’t always as easy if you have a template site, but make it happen if possible.

Here’s what your exhibition page should include, and I suggest listing everything in this order.

How to Promote an Art Exhibition on Your Website Read

7 Ways to Wow with Your Exhibition Invitation

Every contact you have with someone is an opportunity to wow them with your art and your professionalism, so you don’t want to miss the chance to wow from the beginning.

Robert Mapplethorpe knew this. For his first solo exhibition in 1973 at New York’s Light Gallery – a show of Polaroids – Mapplethorpe’s invitation was a hand-printed image from a Polaroid original.

Mapplethorpe embossed his name on the outer edge, included the protective Polaroid cover, and inserted everything into hand-addressed, cream-colored Tiffany envelopes.

His invitation was a work of art in itself because, he believed, an exhibition doesn’t begin when you go to the opening, but when you receive the invitation.

The moment people hear about the show, they start judging. Will it be any good? Who else will show up? Is it worth my time? Is there something better I could do that night?

What experience do people have when they get an invitation from you?

Here are 7 ways to use your invitation to wow guests and set the tone for your exhibition.

Real Mail

1. Send it via post.

The simple act of putting a stamp on an envelope and dropping it into a mailbox automatically increases the prestige of your exhibition.

In these days of email reliance, almost anything you send real mail will get more attention than if it were sent via email.

7 Ways to Wow with Your Exhibition Invitation Read

Road Map and Toy Car

Make a Roadmap for Success

If you have a big event or art exhibition coming up, don’t wing it. Create a promotional plan for peace of mind. 1. Define the individual tasks – make each one as specific as possible. They should require just one step to complete. David Allen calls them next actions.

Make a Roadmap for Success Read

Start Promoting Your Exhibition Now, Part 3: Execute Your Plan

Without execution, you just have a bunch of good ideas. The trick is taking those ideas and turning them into real commitments–commitments you know will boost your visibility and reputation, which will get you closer to your goals.

Start by taking the list you came up with last week. Go through each item and set a deadline for completion of that task. You might even need to break it down into smaller baby steps and attach deadlines to each baby step.

Start Promoting Your Exhibition Now, Part 3: Execute Your Plan Read

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