Running a gallery can be a lot of things- it’s an art business, a creative outlet, and sometimes a platform for your artistic expression. All of these require different levels of management, leadership, and communication, depending on what you want to achieve from it.

Running a gallery is also a way to connect with others around the world who share similar passions as you. When you open up your doors to show people examples of great work, you create an audience that follows you online and comes to see you at your space. This interaction helps promote your brand and gives you exposure!

There are many ways to run a successful exhibition venue, but one of the most important parts is exhibiting good quality material. You don’t need much money to start hosting events, so there are plenty of opportunities available to get some practice before opening your own space.

In this article, we will discuss how to exhibit artwork. We will go through several styles of exhibitions and how to use them to showcase your creativity. These include solo exhibits, group shows, artist talks, and studio visits. Each of these requires a unique set of rules and protocols, which we will talk about here.

We will also look into some basic tips and tricks for running low-cost or no-budget exhibitions to allow anyone to enjoy the experience.

Plan your exhibition

After deciding what kind of art you want to show, next comes planning your exhibition. This can be done very early on or even before you start creating!

Decide how many pieces you will have and how many days your exhibition is going to run for. Make sure these two things are consistent and dependable!

Plan out where your space is allowed to hang each piece so it does not overhang or hit the wall. Decorate the area properly!

Make sure your electricity is set up correctly and that there are adequate numbers of sockets for all your equipment.

Your computer, phone charger, and other small devices needed for the gallery should be in close proximity to help people stay connected while they are viewing your work.

If possible, find out if your landlord or building staff can do some basic picture hanging for you during the exhibition! This way you do not need special training or expertise to pull off your show.

You may also want to consider using plastic sheeting to cover furniture or walls to keep them protected from dust and dirt left behind by visitors’ feet. These materials can easily be found at most stores dedicated to home improvement.

Prepare your artwork

After you decide what type of art you want to exhibit, you will need to prepare it for that show. This includes cleaning it and ensuring all materials are properly organized and identified.

You do not have to describe your work as an artist or anything close to that, but if you use different mediums and style features, then add some description to give your audience more information.

For example, if your painting is about nature, then you can talk about how color was used to convey the message. For instance, red paints paint water and blue paint sky so this painting looks very much like water with a skyline in it!

If you use textures such as wood or cloth, then you can describe the process to achieve that effect. People who know you as an artist may ask questions regarding your creative process which is good!

After your preparation, you can now proceed to stage 2.

Create a promotional video

After you have designed your artwork, it is time to get into marketing mode! While some artists create their work first and then promote it, most people start by promoting their work.

This is usually done by creating a promotional video or article about your art piece or the artist themselves. You can make your promotional material using Photoshop, PowerPoint, or any other tool you are familiar with.

These materials should include enough detail about your artwork as well as the process of making it for others to refer to if they want more information. They may also contain links to the website where you sell your art so that users can find out more about you and what products you offer.

Inter-relatedly, this online content needs to be catchy and interesting to draw readers’ attention. Your potential audience will weigh the merits of reading vs. watching before deciding which option to use to learn more about you!

At the very least, your promotional video/article must include your full name, contact info, and link to your site. Make sure to update these every once in a while as people move around or things change like email addresses and websites.

Write your exhibition contract

Before you even begin getting ready for your show, you will need to write an exhibition contract! This document is very important as it outlines many things such as what media or materials you are allowed to use in the process of exhibiting your work, how much money you are allocated for the show, and who gets credit for the art.

The exhibition contract should be written using formal business language and grammar. Make sure to include enough detail so that no one is left out or confused. Many artists have trouble finding this information so feel free to check out some pre-made contracts online or from friends who have done similar shows.

General terms ize not only yourself but also other people involved with your exhibit. If someone helps you create or transport your artwork, these individuals may want compensation for their services.

Make sure to always refer to those doing work for you as ‘artists’ instead of just including their first name or initials because later on, they could claim copyright infringement if you don’t.

There is really nothing wrong with asking for help paying bills or giving each other gift cards as rewards, but make sure to discuss exact costs before adding anyone into the mix.

Register your exhibition with the gallery

After you have chosen an artist's style, medium, and area of the art that you want to exhibit, you will need to register your show with the gallery or exhibitor. This includes informing them of all materials used and any collateral items such as brochures or books.

It is very important to know how much artwork the gallery has organized before agreeing to display for them. If there are too many pieces, it may not be a good fit for yours! The galleries’ marketing manager or owner may also have suggestions on how best to organize your work.

In both cases, they should be aware of your artistic vision so that you can maintain quality control. Make sure their influence does not interfere with what you intend to convey.

Pay any required fees

Before you even consider exhibiting your work, you have to make sure that you are allowed to! All artists must check if they can exhibit before they actually do so.

There is no general rule as to what constitutes an exhibition. It could be going into a museum or art gallery with several of your pieces for display, it could be hosting an event at your home, or it could be displaying your works online. The only thing that matters is that you are given permission to show them!

Most major museums and art galleries require that you pay a small application fee and/or membership dues. Check whether these things are free or not by speaking with people in the department that handles exhibitions.

Museums will also tell you how many visitors are allowed during an opening night, which can help determine how many people should attend.

Connect with the gallery

After you determine if it’s possible to exhibit your work at this particular venue, the next step is to connect with the exhibition space or team there. This can be done through direct contact, via their website or social media sites, or by talking with people who know them already.

It’s very important that you are straightforward about your intentions and what kind of exposure you want for your art. You don’t need to go into too much detail, but make sure they understand exactly what you are looking to achieve and whether or not they can help you achieve that.

If you’re still feeling nervous after having made these calls, then try and organize a visit so you can see how the other artists’ exhibits fit within the space and feel more confident going into a meeting.

Tell the gallery about your exhibition

Before you even pick up a paintbrush, knowing what kind of space your artwork will be displayed in is important! The first thing to do when deciding where to show your work is to tell the museum or gallery about it.

They can either put it in their own gallery or somewhere at another location within their site. This way people who want to see your art can find it easily!

Their staff may ask you if there are any catalogs or brochures for your work so they can spread information about it. This helps promote your art and yourself as an artist!

Some galleries offer free mounting materials and/or a place to display the finished piece to give you some time to enjoy it before it gets hung.