When you’ve got numerous pieces of art that you’re ready to show (and ones you’re really excited about), it’s a big step organising an event.
Not only do you want to make sure it’s a downright success but you want to guarantee that all of this artwork is presented in the best possible way.
And one of the most important factors in this is the venue, especially when it’s likely that this will eat into a huge part of your budget.
So how do you find the right venue without too much hassle?
Think About the Concept
Before you even start looking for a venue, you need to think about the theme behind your artwork. What brings it all together and what do you want the show to achieve?
It could simply be to showcase up-and-coming artists, or to tackle a particular emotion or social issue.
Then, you’ll have an idea as to what type of venue may suit the theme. For example, if you’re trying to create a show based on works of art that are centred upon contemporary themes and abstract paintings, an old-fashioned venue might not bring these to life very well.
Make Sure It’s Right for You
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It doesn’t matter where the venue is so long as it feels right to you. So don’t just limit yourself to the samey gallery spaces, well-known venues and art halls that everyone else uses.
Look further afield at everything from hotel lobbies to restaurants and music halls – even a basement in someone’s house might work well!
Make Sure It Works for Visitors, Too
You might find a location that is entirely in keeping with your theme and is exactly what you had in mind, but if there’s no space for many guests and it’s not very accessible, it might not be the ideal choice.
It’s vital your venue is safe, open and easy to access. So think about how your show will be laid out and how you want people to see the art, e.g. in what type of context.
Try to visualise how the space will work and how guests will move from piece to piece – drawing a diagram or map might help you figure this out.
Ultimately, you should know within a few minutes of being at a venue whether or not it’s right for your art exhibition. And when you’ve found the right space, make sure you can book it for the time and date you wish, getting this in writing if possible.
You might also want to discuss pricing as this will allow you to work out whether you’ll need to get the artwork up and down in one day (to save costs) or whether you can afford to hire the venue for a few days to organise everything.
Now all you need to do is put together a guest list and get advertising!
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