Why Exhibit (and where?)
As a visual artist, exhibiting is a key component of getting your work out into the world. Or is it? Some incredibly successful artists exhibit mostly online and rarely stage live exhibitions. If they do they may curate an exhibition with a group of friends, for the sheer fun of it. Other artists create their work and only sell from their home studios.
So what is the allure of exhibiting in a public space and what are the exhibiting options?
Many emerging artists think that having a solo exhibition is the pinnacle of exhibiting. I have to say that being in a group or joint exhibition is also highly rewarding, especially when you are starting out. For one thing it takes the pressure off you to make ALL the decisions.
Many galleries have artist call outs for themed group shows. There are those exhibitions which are fully inclusive and those where your artwork needs to be selected by a jury.
When you are selected, it means that you are being installed in the company of your peers, which means fantastic networking opportunities. Going to an opening event and meeting the other exhibiting artists is the perfect time to build relationships with like minded people and maybe even get together for a future collaborative project or exhibition.
If you are hiring a space in which to exhibit as a group, the venue cost is shared and the audience numbers are multiplied. More people will see your work as they come to see someone else’s. It’s a Win/Win situation.
There are numerous considerations when you are applying to exhibit – where do you want to exhibit – at a regional or council run gallery or at a commercial gallery? These are usually free to exhibit in but the application processes are more stringent. Or you could exhibit in a hired venue or an ARI – an Artist Run Initiative which usually means you need to “sit” the exhibition yourself, a big time investment.
The very first time I exhibited was as part of a TAFE art exhibition at a venue where we all shared the cost of exhibiting in a little gallery attached to a winery. That was fun and I sold a couple of little monoprints. Then I exhibited in our local art festival where I showed some photographs. My very first solo exhibition was in a community run printmakers where I installed a series of artworks about refugees with human rights declarations printed onto cloth.
My first major exhibition was at a regional gallery where I was given a whole wall for my 365 stitched 10 x 10 collages. That was more than 10 years ago and although I have taken part in exhibitions in many different countries and galleries, the ones I most remember are the exhibitions where I had to back myself financially to “go out on a limb” and hire a venue.
Like the joint exhibition I am in with fellow artist Samantha Tannous who shared a residency space with me in Central Australia way back in 2019. Our exhibition was scheduled for 2020 but we all know what happened that year. It was finally staged in March 2021 but the opening was cancelled at the last moment due to an electricity outage. We decided to stage it again later in 2021, but had another two postponements until this week when it finally opened in Murwillumbah.
With Covid restrictions again in place, numbers have been restricted but it only takes one or two sales and you can recoup your outlay. Its worth all the effort and each time you exhibit you learn something new and become more confident in backing yourself. First you have to throw your hat in the ring, commit to yourself then put a date on it. The rest as they say, is just logistics….
Occupy - exhibition view, Murwillumbah, January 2022
