How to Name Your Solo Art Exhibition
Prepare well., Price the works., Look on line for Call for Entry., A contract needs to be signed between the artist and gallery., Come up with a name., Ask trusted friends for name suggestions, keywords and the feeling one gets when viewing your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prepare well.
Preparation for your solo exhibition is essential.
Keep in mind that the work meets the following criteria:
Is it all made using safe, solid materials secured so nothing can come un-glued, smear, or fall off? Is the work ready to hang? Do certain works need support rods or Plexiglas to cover it, or a pedestal to display it? You will need to address all of this.
Each level of artistic quality should show a sign of sophistication, a website, write-ups, online articles and publications about your art.
Name recognition is highly desirable. -
Step 2: Price the works.
Original art needs to be priced based on the artist’s status of being a new, emerging or master artist. A new artist is one with basic art skills, but has never really exhibited their art work before.
Keeping a portfolio of work, showing your growth is essential for all new artists.
New artists will probably do best in a group show at first. , You will need to pay about $20-35 dollars to participate, but you will see how your art work stands up in competition.
An emerging artist has some exhibition experience, publicity and a following.
Master Artists are well-known, get top dollar for art, and work with galleries to sell their work or get commissions. , The contract will state the artist’s responsibilities, delivery date, photos for press, a list of works and prices and an artist biography.
The gallery will state their duty to provide space, advertise, and support for the artist.
Some galleries do charge up to 50% commission to provide for publicity and staff. , Naming the exhibition is usually the duty of the artist and this can be daunting.
For many art spaces, calendars are set up to a year in advance. An artist typically shows examples of current work, but may want to focus on a new direction for the solo show. You may have no idea how the new work will turn out, and therefore it will be difficult to describe it. , Is one word often reoccurring, such as bright, comforting, symbolic, intriguing, youthful, realistic? , What makes your artwork stand out from all other artists? , If you are still stuck, there are title generators out there. An example of this is Rebecca Uchill’s curator’s helper.
Museums often debate titles themselves. “The title is your initial marketing hook,” says David Rubin, curator of contemporary art at the San Antonio Museum of Art. “I’ve worked outside New York most of my career, in areas where art is not necessarily part of the daily diet, so if it’s too esoteric people won’t have a clue what the show is about.” Rubin tends to follow the formula of the two-part title: “a cliché everybody knows or a sexy hook,” followed by a colon and a fuller explication.”, A title such as “New Works”, may mean you need to produce everything new in a year. A better descriptive title should entice viewers, with the type of work, (painting, mixed media, drawings) and the style (landscapes, contemporary, figurative, historical) and a bit of you, the artist, so they will get your personality. -
Step 3: Look on line for Call for Entry.
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Step 4: A contract needs to be signed between the artist and gallery.
-
Step 5: Come up with a name.
-
Step 6: Ask trusted friends for name suggestions
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Step 7: keywords and the feeling one gets when viewing your art.
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Step 8: Identify your own technique and style
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Step 9: range of subjects and theme to fully enhance the title of the show.
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Step 10: Get some help with titles.
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Step 11: Be as descriptive as possible.
Detailed Guide
Preparation for your solo exhibition is essential.
Keep in mind that the work meets the following criteria:
Is it all made using safe, solid materials secured so nothing can come un-glued, smear, or fall off? Is the work ready to hang? Do certain works need support rods or Plexiglas to cover it, or a pedestal to display it? You will need to address all of this.
Each level of artistic quality should show a sign of sophistication, a website, write-ups, online articles and publications about your art.
Name recognition is highly desirable.
Original art needs to be priced based on the artist’s status of being a new, emerging or master artist. A new artist is one with basic art skills, but has never really exhibited their art work before.
Keeping a portfolio of work, showing your growth is essential for all new artists.
New artists will probably do best in a group show at first. , You will need to pay about $20-35 dollars to participate, but you will see how your art work stands up in competition.
An emerging artist has some exhibition experience, publicity and a following.
Master Artists are well-known, get top dollar for art, and work with galleries to sell their work or get commissions. , The contract will state the artist’s responsibilities, delivery date, photos for press, a list of works and prices and an artist biography.
The gallery will state their duty to provide space, advertise, and support for the artist.
Some galleries do charge up to 50% commission to provide for publicity and staff. , Naming the exhibition is usually the duty of the artist and this can be daunting.
For many art spaces, calendars are set up to a year in advance. An artist typically shows examples of current work, but may want to focus on a new direction for the solo show. You may have no idea how the new work will turn out, and therefore it will be difficult to describe it. , Is one word often reoccurring, such as bright, comforting, symbolic, intriguing, youthful, realistic? , What makes your artwork stand out from all other artists? , If you are still stuck, there are title generators out there. An example of this is Rebecca Uchill’s curator’s helper.
Museums often debate titles themselves. “The title is your initial marketing hook,” says David Rubin, curator of contemporary art at the San Antonio Museum of Art. “I’ve worked outside New York most of my career, in areas where art is not necessarily part of the daily diet, so if it’s too esoteric people won’t have a clue what the show is about.” Rubin tends to follow the formula of the two-part title: “a cliché everybody knows or a sexy hook,” followed by a colon and a fuller explication.”, A title such as “New Works”, may mean you need to produce everything new in a year. A better descriptive title should entice viewers, with the type of work, (painting, mixed media, drawings) and the style (landscapes, contemporary, figurative, historical) and a bit of you, the artist, so they will get your personality.
About the Author
Ann Sullivan
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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