How to Organize a Group Art Show

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A group art show is an art exhibit in which works by two or more artists are displayed for the public. Organizing a group art show is pretty challenging. You have to curate the show, choose the setting, promote the event, decide how to divvy up tasks among the members of the group, finance the operation and make a lot of other decisions. You can organize a group art show just for visual artists, or you can include music, multimedia, performance and other activities. And you are going to have to put your business cap on.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Artists
Art
Exhibit space
Promotional materials
Money
Patience

Step1

Decide whose works will be included in the group art show. Contact your artist colleagues and ask them whether they would be interested in having some of their work displayed. Come up with a working list of artists and pieces to exhibit.

Step2

Decide who will be responsible for organizing the group art show. If it is you, then this part is easy. In most cases, however, you will have to decide as a group who will do what. Make sure that everyone's roles and expectations are clear.

Step3

Decide where to hold your group art show. This aspect of organizing the show will actually help determine which works to include, as every environment has unique qualities and limitations. You can hold your show at a rented art gallery, or you can convert a home into a temporary gallery.

Step4

Curate the art show. This means deciding which works to include. You can choose a theme, or you can just throw a bunch of differing works into the mix and let it happen. Each of these routes has its merits and disadvantages. Talk with your fellow artists and get to know their work to determine what will be the best course of action.

Step5

Design a marketing plan to promote your group art show. You will need both online and print materials. Online, you should set up a website or profile through which you can social-network. Offline, you should produce a flyer or postcard, post bulletins around town at appropriate venues, and telephone everyone you know and tell them about the show.

Step6

Throw a party. This will serve as your opening. Include hors d'oeuvres and beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Schedule a live band or DJ to help set the mood. The opening is your opportunity to give the art show a real blast of marketing chutzpah. If you do this well, word will get out about the art being shown, and more people will come to see it later. Decide whether to charge at the door or suggest a donation.

Step7

Figure out how to fund the group art show. Under most circumstances, every artist will have to chip in. If you have a benefactor or foundation to fund the operation, all the better.

Tips & Warnings

Have fun! Organizing a group art show can be a wonderful opportunity to flex your creative muscles in ways you haven't done before.
As stated in Step 2, make sure everyone knows what is expected of him. If someone doesn't meet his responsibilities, someone else will have to pick up the slack. This can lead to bad blood.