The Essentials to Booking a Gallery Show

By Ava Chaney
As a young artist still in the training the thought of trying to apply, booking, and actually having a show is both intriguing and absolutely terrifying. The thought of being young and inexperienced crosses the mind when applying to these shows. We dont want to be pushed aside because we are younger and dont know the trade as well. In this guide I want to explore the genres that are involved in all the steps in applying to galleries. In making this guide, Im also learning the ways in which to make myself the most appealing and professional as possible. I want to be taken seriously instead of being viewed as an amateur. I think as a young artist establishing yourself early can lead to greater opportunities, so I want myself and my readers to have a strong presence that can complement their artwork.

Introduction
If planning on having a career in art making its vital to understanding the world of art presentation. In this guide I want to explore the importance of what genres are most useful when interacting with a gallery. One needs to know how to appeal to a certain gallery and understand the different writing genres of editorial, research, and promotional writing. Other factors that Im going to investigate are community/gallery values, knowing what authority figures and their roles within the gallery, and what kind of communication happens in the gallery setting. These are all important because if wanting to be an artist, you need to know how to promote yourself and your art as well as grabbing the attention of others. Through out this guide I will be using information by professionals in my field. I will use the insight from John Sabraw, a working artist and painting professor at Ohio University. He has had success in major cities like New York, Chicago, and Columbus and is very much a mentor to myself. Another person I will be using is Rosemarie Basile, she is the assistant dean of students in The Fine Art school at Ohio University. Shes had experience with curating shows as well of years of training others.

Goals and Values: How to appeal to a specific gallery

When applying to a certain gallery it is very important to research ahead of time to know what kind of gallery space it is. Its important to know the space for your own work as well as the kind of gallery. Some galleries only do solo shows while others like to have a mixture of artists. Among other thing pay attention to when shows change the duration of one show. All galleries are different in how long they hold a show. Some even only take one kind of art or subject matter. Always check to see what the gallery is looking for during said season.

Identification: What roles are apparent in the gallery setting

Theyre many different roles within the gallery with different responsibilities. The owner: this individual isnt there all the time, but has a specific way he wants things to be done or wants a specific feel for the space. The director: This person is responsible of most projects, discounts on sales, who they are selling to, promotional items. The director has the job of making sure everything moves smoothly between the artists, the buyers, and the way the gallery is functioning. The assistant director: Assistant director understands the client list and pushes through sales. The gallery assistant: They are person behind the desk who hands out the catalogue and artist information. Prep orator: they basically go get stuff, clean the walls, and wrap things up. When it comes to who will be judging the artwork of a show the owner and director are the most prominent influential people. The other gallery workers in gallery are essential to helping with the putting up, taking down, and talking with the public about the artwork. All members in a gallery setting are crucial to the galleries efficiency.

Language in the Gallery

There are many terms used in the gallery. Many of them have to do with mediums of art but here are some examples of the kind of language you may hear when being in the gallery setting: Archival - Used to describe any process or material meant to slow as well as prevent the process of deterioration of an art piece. Acid free - Over time, acids in paper and mat board can discolor art or make piece extremely brittle. Conservation - The difficult and continuing process of preserving a piece of art from decay and vandalism. Hanging - What a gallery does to art. With paid attention to detail that includes spacing, grouping, height, eye line and lighting. Doing it well takes a long time to master. Plinth - The pedestal on which sculpture is displayed. Frame - A container of wood or metal containing a work of art to set it off from the wall. Mat - The extra border added to some artworks when framed, meant to provide some visually neutral space around an image and to add a texture/layer between the artwork and the glass of its frame, preventing it from sticking to the glass. Double mat Adding a larger second mat to a smaller first, giving the appearance of stacked layers. Some framers add cutout portions, multiple colors and even triple or quadruple layers of mat board. Group show - An art exhibition catering not to the individual artist, but to a group of artists. Retrospective - A show looking at the work of a single artist over his or her lifetime and demonstrating the development of a body of work.

Salon hanging - A style of hanging multiple artworks on a wall, where a painting covers every available space floor to ceiling. this type of display is seen through out European Royal Academies in the 18th and 19th centuries. Studio gallery - A gallery where the artist also maintains a work area where he may create art as well as display it. Co-op - A type of art gallery where a group of artists unrepresented by galleries join together to pay rent on a space where they represent themselves.
Vanity gallery - A form of art gallery where the artist rents space to show his work.

These terms reflect what types of galleries there are available, terms about conserving art, and details about the finishing process.

Understanding Writing Genres in the Gallery Setting

Specifically to types of writing in art there are a key few that need to be known for overall success. Editorial, promotional, critical, and knowing how to properly research are the most used genres for being in a gallery setting and being a working artist. Editorial: Is one of the most important genres of writing in the arts. If wanting to have a career as a functioning artist knowing how to tell the story of your art is crucial. To be an artist people need to either want to buy or exhibit your art and an important part of doing that is making people want to love the story enough to buy the pieces. Promotional: Promoting yourself and your artwork is extremely important so people come to your show. When people come to your show, then there is a better chance on selling your artwork. From the working artists I have talked to promotional writing may be crucial to show success Research: Knowing what kind of gallery your applying to also is very important. To look professional and invested in the gallery make sure that youre an artist they would be looking for. For example there are galleries who only take portraits. There are also some galleries that are medium specific like performance only, textiles only, etc. Artist statements: All through school Ive learned about what the artist statement is about what goal the statement achieves. Artist statements are more logical when displaying multiple pieces of your work. Dealers and clients like the artist statement but, most galleries wont necessary want or need an artist statement I youre only submitting one or two pieces. Yet, having an artist statement in general for your body of work is very useful.

Knowing these types of writing as an artist will help you so much from the transitioning from student to working artist.

Pricing Artwork
Being a young artist its important to not over price your artwork. Even if you price your own work its likely that the gallery will work out what they think the price should be. Factors that are involved in pricing art include the actual size of the piece, complexity, weight, detail, cost of materials, and the time that was put into the artwork. Details and characteristics can change the price between who is looking at it and where its being displayed. I cant stress enough how important it is to not over price artwork. If youre not famous do not price your piece at 20,000 dollars.

Putting up a show
One extremely important thing about displaying art is allowing enough time to put up work. Many people dont take into consideration the allotted time in which to set up artwork in the way you want it to look. Presentation is a huge factor and selling and having a good name with the gallery. That is one part of being a professional in the art world. Important people in the art field respond well to artist who have their body of work completely ready for installing and doing so in a timely fashion. Having a professional put together appearance will help sell. John Sabraw, a working artist and professor, has told me about the importance of being completely ready for a show and having enough time to put it up. He talks about having a solid week or two are preferable for perfection. Another thing about allotting the appropriate amount is then you wont wait to last minute to finish pieces. It will look clean, put together, and ready for purchase.

Conclusion
Although applying for gallery shows is nerve wracking its extremely exciting for new artist like us. Art is a field that is constantly changing. New talent intrigues galleries so putting your work out there is only half the battle. No one will ever see the artwork you want to show if you dont make it known. Through out this guide I have touched upon the

important roles that make up how a gallery functions, language that is used in the presentation world, as well as other information about pricing artwork, putting up the show, and the goals and values of each gallery. I hope through this exploration the importance of presentation is made known. Half of the art world is made up of people who are all about the presentation of art. Getting a glance into what kind of work they do and language used only enhances the artists ability. Presentation is the vital to becoming a working professional artist.

Work Cited
People Cited: Primary Sources John Sabraw, working artist and professor at Ohio University Rosemary Basile, Assisstant Dean to Student at Ohio University Fine Arts College Secondary Research "How to Price Your ArtMaking Fine Line Price Distinctions." How to Price Art: Pricing Fine Points for Artists. Art Business, 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. "Making the Most of Art Gallery Shows and Exhibits:Understanding and Working with Gallery Owners." Getting Into Art Galleries. Art Business, 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. "Useful Art Gallery Terms." Useful Art Gallery Terms. Az Central, 2007. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.