PoppyRow

I said a few days ago we’d continue the studio show topic. I planned to get to it earlier, but I’ve had a horrible head cold and have been in bed for almost 3 full days! Talk about feeling completely uninspired for anything but hot tea and soft tissues. I started thinking of a project, actually, something with tea-dyed paper. I am not sure yet. It’d be fun to “assign” poppyrow projects, and post the resulting artwork, say, a month later. I am thinking on the fly here, and I realize its off-topic. Sorry!

Okay, back to the studio show. We’ll go over a basic outline, from step one up to opening night. So here goes with Part One of this series: Preliminaries.

Step 1: Pick your date. Make sure it gives you plenty of time to complete a significant body of work, and have it properly framed or displayed. Presentation is most definitely key here. If you want people to take you seriously as a professional artist, do not go halfway with this. Trust me- it makes a huge difference. Also, don’t pick major holidays or major televised events (i.e. Superbowl Sunday). And the best days tend to be Friday or Saturday nights, or possibly Sunday afternoons.

Step 2: Pick your location. We are calling this a “studio show”, but that doesn’t mean it has to take place in your studio. This could just as easily be held in a friend’s spacious living room, or in a rented hotel conference room. In order to decide what would make the most ideal location, consider the following: lighting, wall/floor space, refreshment accommodations and potential layout, parking, entrances and exits, and adequate ventilation. The last may seem unimportant, but the main thing to keep in mind is the comfort of your clients. If it is 90 degrees and they are sweating under the glow of spotlights, they will be less inclined to linger and enjoy themselves.

Step 3: Create your mailing list. This can be recorded on a spreadsheet, or on individual 3×5”cards. Make sure you include name, address, phone number, email, and website if applicable of each person on your list. It may seem initially that you have a tiny mailing list, but sit down and brainstorm, with friends and family if need be. Members at church, clubs and guilds, co-workers, doctors and dentists, neighbors, and anyone you do business with such as your mechanic or local pizza shop are all great additions. Include anyone who has ever had something to do with your art career such as teachers, classmates, photographers and printers. Ask friends and family for anyone they know that might be interested in coming to an art opening. Consider including contacts that may have some special interest in your subject matter. For example, if you paint horses, you may find local horse boarders who have bulletin boards or other methods for putting you in contact with their clients. It never hurts to ask!

To be continued…