My solo exhibition plans allocated February as time to select and frame artwork for Colchester Library’s Les Livres Gallery. When you have a solo exhibition, everything is down to you to organise, put in place and communicate. Help and advice from other people is invaluable, whether they agree to place posters, put information on web space they manage or as a good friend did, look over my press release and suggest improvements. The revised press release reminded me how you cannot only promote the artwork but must also give something about the person that made it or a least a bit more of the back story relevant to the exhibition. In marketing terms is this where you sell the sizzle not only the bacon?
I now also seriously believe the importance of getting an exhibition reviewed. Whether this is a critical review or a question and answer session the result can be part of the documentation about something that happened in a public event and not only recorded in someone’s curriculum vitae.
I intend to encourage other artists I meet with in Essex, to engage in the practice of reviewing and publishing as I think this will be mutually beneficial, raising the profile of the visual arts in Essex.
The image shows some of my low tech framing equipment, hand under pinner and clamp.
The frames are hardwood ash – more durable and resistant to dents and knocks which can happen when handled by other people.
What is your experience of art marketing?