How to Curate an Art Show

Putting on an art show can be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved, and just as much of a headache for the curator. So you've found artists that you feel deserve attention, or maybe to sell their work? Read on to learn how to get your show on the road!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Poster material
• Photocopier
• Stationary
• Mounting supplies

1. Find space for your show! It may just be your home or even garage, but you're going to need a time and place to exhibit. You can call your town hall and inquire about public buildings, talk to local schools, churches, galleries, museums, restaurants and cafes. Consider the theme of your show when negotiating a venue. Try to nail down a convenient opening date.
2. If you want music and catering now is the time to decide what kind of each. You can always cook yourself, have a professional caterer or go to the convenience store and pick up chips and dip but one cardinal rule is you absolutely must feed people at your show.
3. Unless you're going with work that you've already collected, or creating an open show, decide on a theme. Your theme can be as concrete as "Portraits of the Great Falls" or as ambiguous as "Floating World." While most artists will rail against being constrained to a concept, having a theme will help to direct creative energy and attract artists that have an interest in your show.
4. Decide upon some details of the show: will it be judged? Juried? Is there a limit to the type of media that can be employed? Any taboo subjects? Are only for-sale works to be shown? If for-sale works are to be shown, will the curators be selling them and keeping a percent?
5. Create a poster image in the style that you envision for the show with the information you decided upon in Step1 and 2. Be sure to put your contact information! The image you create now will be an introduction to the show to any artist who sees it, so try to make it attention–grabbing and interesting, but not gaudy–unless the theme of your show is gaudy. Leave space to add more information.
6. Now to transform your poster image into actual artist-call material. You can either use a graphics program, robust word processor program, a print shop or a photocopier. Make some full size posters, some three-quarter sized handbills and some postcards.
7. Time to get artists involved. You can start with artists that have already done work that you think would be a good addition to your show. If you do not know any specific artists personally or by reputation you can search the internet, art magazines, or just ask any of your artist or art-savvy friends. Art professors are absolute wealths of information for this step. In this fashion create a list of artists you would like to submit work.
8. Write a letter introducing yourself, your show why you are writing. If you choose to write a form letter and mail it to multiple artists be sure to leave room—best in the first paragraph—to personalize the letter with why you are writing specifically to them. The best results are often gained by friendly and personal, but professional wording. Give as much information about the show as you have, including submission guidelines. Be sure to include your contact information and end by asking them to call or write in order to let you know whether or not they are interested in submitting work. If you are charging for the show, consider giving tickets to the artists you invite whether or not they decide to submit. Use nice stationary.
9. When you stuff the envelopes make sure the poster is the first thing the recipient will see when they open it. Include the poster, the letter, tickets if you are using them and information about anyone else involved in the show. If you are interested in a specific piece or pieces by the artist be sure to mention it! Ask for artist statements or bios as well.
10. While you're waiting to hear from your choice artists the time is ripe to get other artists interested. Tell galleries, colleges art departments, art organizations and framers about the show and see if they'll let you put up fliers, handbills or posters. See if you can give them postcards–postage paid, of course–to mail. Talk to everyone about the show and submission information.
11. Now that you have some artists on board you're going to need space to keep the work. If your venue can not provide that space until the show is hung–and most venues won't–you're going to need to make room in your home, garage, rental van or storage space. Be very careful with this work, it's somebody's pride and joy! To minimize this hassle set a concrete day and time, one or two nights before the opening if you can manage it, for the artists to bring their work to be hung.
12. Now to hang the show! This is where your creativity as curator really comes in. There are no real hard and fast rules to hanging art, just consider how people seeing the work for the first time will react. Try to create an easy, walking–tour flow and a social, comfortable atmosphere.
13. Your role as curator is nearly complete. All that remains is to be a gracious host or hostess and answer any questions that a guest might have. Once the show has run, make arrangements for any pieces to be returned to the artists or delivered to a buyer.
14. Finally, leave the space cleaner and more orderly than you found it. If you can, present the owners of the space with a gift and thank then for its use.

Tips & Warnings

• Coordinating with your venue is very important! Don't take the space for granted and consider what they hope to gain by hosting a show.
• Art is complimented by music like food is by alcohol. Consider the theme of your show when inviting a musician to perform or what album to put on the stereo.
• If you're not an artist dealing with artists can be like herding cats. Be patient and prepared for all kinds of delays and unexpected complications.