There are thousands of artists practising in the UK, all vying for opportunities to show in the same exhibition spaces and applying to the same funding sources. This article makes some suggestions as to how to differentiate you from the rest and approach galleries with greater success.
Most galleries and independent curators have a definite style or interest in specific types of artwork they are interested in, and it is a good idea to research this carefully to save time and money and avoid cutting off avenues of future opportunity. Call them up or visit them and ask a member of their staff how they prefer to receive information and images.
Sending slides is an expensive process - not only for their production but also for postage. It is a sad fact that most unsolicited applications for exhibition sent to galleries, particularly commercial galleries, will end up in the bin. Even directors of well-known spaces will probably open their own mail, gallery computers tend to be clogged already with images and staff numbers are usually very small. The majority of commercial gallery owners do not have the time or resources to look closely at all submissions they receive and do not have the resources to return work sent. It is the job of commercial gallery directors and curators to find artists to bring into their galleries, and they will visit exhibitions, studios and events on the look-out for new talent. It is generally considered a better strategy to befriend and cultivate a longer term relationship with a gallery owner so as to get them interested in your work.
Publicly funded galleries usually have a policy on their website or available from a staff member as to how they want to be approached by artists - if at all. Smaller scale galleries might accept unsolicited proposals, or may have open submission selections at certain times of the year. Larger, major gallery spaces will probably not accept unsolicited applications at all, preferring instead to invite artists to exhibit with them. Artist-run spaces may have a policy in between these two extremes.
Many artists forget that it is part of a curator's job to find artists to exhibit, and that it is much better to put yourself in a position where your work can be seen or where you can be introduced to them. Although this may seem to be a 'Catch-22' situation, there are a number of tips to bear in mind.
Curators are incredibly busy people, and an average curator at a commercial gallery might receive between 30 and 60 unsolicited applications per week, (which could be up to 3000 per year) and spend at most 2 minutes looking at each. Applications without self-addressed, stamped envelopes are very unlikely to be returned. Furthermore, the average staff of a contemporary art gallery is around 3-5, so it's likely no one will have time to give your application much thought.
If you really want to apply direct to a gallery or curator, bear the following in mind:
The most important thing when approaching galleries is to presents your work professionally. Galleries have come to expect a high standard of submissions: don't expect results by simply sending out an envelope full of images. It's easy to forget that you aren't talking to another artist when you go to a gallery; you are talking to a business.
Do not waste time taking endless photographs of your work, hoping that some will be presentable. In the long term, poor presentation material will lose you opportunities and money. A body of work takes a huge amount of time and effort - invest in having a professional photographer take high quality digital recordings that can be turned into slide transparencies or colour photographs of the work if necessary (if you are on a budget, a photography student may be prepared to do this as a course project, charging only for materials, or another artist friend may help). In order to attract dealers, gain exhibitions and develop good quality promotional material it is essential that you have the best quality images possible in all formats.
For more information about creating your own portfolio, see the Art Support website. Artquest also lists useful contacts for making portfolios in the Presentation and documentation section.
Artquest's Russell Martin has also written an online guide about setting up an artist-led space. To read about the different organisational structures available for artist-led spaces, see the Useful Studios links page in Artlaw.
Some artists find it beneficial to use a visitors' signing-in book to build up a mailing list, and also to get their email addresses for a far cheaper way of mass mailing. Remember, that under the Data Protection Act, businesses have to let people know what they intend to use contact details for.
It is possible to get funding or sponsorship for private views and other events where catering or entertaining might otherwise be expensive. Local businesses (e.g. wine merchants or suppliers, cafes, restaurants etc) might supply wine or food in return for a mention on your invites, posters and press releases. Be sure to always tell the gallery what you are planning to do in terms of marketing, carefully checking your contract. You may also be interested in the Applying to companies article in the Money section of this site for tips on approaching companies for sponsorship.
One of the most effective ways to let people know about an exhibition can be to send out press releases to local and national press (mainstream and arts specific) with images. Many national and local arts magazines include listings for free and you might get a larger piece written about the work if you approach them professionally and really sell yourself. Email is a cheap and easy way to get images and text about your work to a mass audience, but post still commands a certain respect from people who receive it.
When presenting work in hire galleries the costs of marketing and promoting an exhibition can outweigh the income from sales. Avoid taking loans out to hire expensive venues in the early days of your career. Artists often have to take risks when establishing themselves, but it is often better in the first stages of artists' careers to work in groups when hiring out spaces as the costs are shared.
In general, hire galleries are well known on the art scene and curators and collectors are wary of them. While many artists organise shows of their own work in a group with other artists, putting on your own solo show in a gallery space that can be hired can suggest that no art world professional is willing to select your work for exhibition and thus tarnish your reputation.
You might find it useful to join a studio group so as to build your network and put on a group show. Most studio groups have a notice board with opportunities, and members can pool their resources and put on group shows, taking advantage of each other's contacts and networks. When starting out, you can apply for just about everything going - certainly everything you are eligible for. Consider every opportunity that is given to you and keep on applying even if you are persistently turned down. Once you begin to gain a reputation, be discerning about the opportunities you apply for - your public reputation is shaped by the experiences you have had, but your CV need not mention everything you have done.
cannot be 'deleted' like an email message. Postcards and flyers can be printed relatively cheaply and press releases should only be one page at the most.
There can be some good opportunities for artists to sell or rent their work to corporations. Although the security concerns of many companies mean the audience will be limited in size, work in a corporate collection gives an artist exposure to a potentially wealthy sector of society, including potential collectors with the means to buy. This exposure and awareness may be enhanced where there are opportunities for artists to go in and talk about their work to staff, and may even result in some sales.
As a first step, contact the corporate affairs and human resources departments of companies as well as the facilities managers. Architects and designers often influence the choice of art, and for many companies art consultants play a key role in the selection of art and development of an art programme. Artists should therefore ensure that their work is represented to art consultants, as well as in the national Axis art register or on their own website. Works should always be well photographed and made available in digital format for email, CD and website usage. There is a strong move towards the integration of art into the design of new buildings, and this can often lead to opportunities for site-specific commissions, even if the company concerned is not going to build up a more extensive art collection.
Setting up websites and buying domain names can now be done very easily online. Web pages are useful shop windows for showcasing work to a potentially large audience. Often, it pays in the long-term to undertake short courses in web design. Alternatively, collaborate with a professional (freelance) web designer or web design student (who may work for free as part of their course) to design and set up the site.
Registering with artists' indexes or galleries can be relatively inexpensive. Axis, for example, is an online database and showcase for work. For a small fee an artist can have three photographs of work permanently 'exhibited' on their website.