First Art Show, What things to watch out for?
February 15, 2018 4:39 AM   Subscribe

I'm going to be having my first show the first friday of March, and while I've gotten my work and framing situation going, I've entered Rumsfeld's Abyss (tm); I don't know what I don't know. Help?

-What should I be aware of when it comes to greeting and seeing show visitors that I don't know? Is this like a big dinner party that I'm hosting at a gallery?
-How much talking and explaining of my work should I do, vs "hmmm, that's interesting"?
-Should I invited curators from other galleries that I am interested in showing at, or is that too presumptious?
-Music vs not

Is there a plate of beans i forgot to count somewhere?
posted by tedious to Media & Arts (3 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I'm an artist's daughter, so here are some answers based on my experiences at my dad's art openings and those of his friends:

It's not quite like a dinner party. It's more like a cocktail party, except you don't have to personally welcome everyone who comes in. I mean, it would be rude to go to a dinner party and never talk to the host, but that's perfectly ok at an art opening. Also, unlike a dinner party, it's okay to invite people you don't know, like curators you're interested in. Make sure you know what they look like though, so if they do show up, you can go over and welcome them.

If you make yourself available, i.e. are not always surrounded by family and friends, then people will probably come up to you and ask about your art. I would start with a short answer and gauge their interest before launching into a long answer. So I would make sure to occasionally circulate through the room; try not to get locked into one corner all evening talking to your best friend who's just come from out of town, etc.

I've never been to an art opening with music unless it was a part of the piece. There's usually some kind of hors d'oeuvres though. They don't have to be complicated. Something like cheese and crackers and olives and some sparkling water would be fine.
posted by colfax at 5:24 AM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]


Artist here. No music - the event is about your work. You should circulate. Artists often will speak briefly about their work at an opening - maybe 5-10 minutes. It's not uncommon to have another event where you give a longer more formal talk about your work but not required. You can invite gallerists - they may or may not show up. In fact it's a good idea to add them to your mailing list and send them cards whenever you have a show so that you might be on their radar. Does the venue do any publicity or is it all on you? And will the gallery director be helping host the event? People associated with the gallery (and the artist) sometimes wear nametags at these events which can help make it obvious who you are. Make yourself available to people but don't sweat it - just circulate and don't just hang with your family/close friends because this is a work event for you. And congrats - a first show is a big deal!
posted by leslies at 5:49 AM on February 15, 2018 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks for those comments!

Concerning the fliers that I sometimes see at shows, how useful/necessary are those? In my mind, they are like business cards, things that people present and take out of obligation, but not necessarily useful in 2018.

Should I make mine a certain way to make them more useful?
posted by tedious at 8:34 AM on February 19, 2018


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