Organizing Your First Gallery Exhibition

How to organizing  your first gallery exhibition

You have been involved in photography for quite some time; you and those around you think that you are showing talent and creativity. It’s maybe about time to move a step further from posting your shots online and to show your work in the traditional manner of an exhibition. Although a photo exhibit can be demanding of your complete devotion, it’s still feasible if you know how to organize yourself and you follow some steps which will make things seem easier. What you basically need to do in order to succeed in organizing your first Photo exhibition, is to have a clear vision of what you want, find avenue, prepare your photos and finally work on advertising the event. The success or failure of your first exhibition relies on these stages and each must be given the importance it deserves.

Preparing the Photos:

Unlike posting various photos on the internet, photos in an exhibit must show a certain amount of maturity. You need to have a clear vision of what you want to convey through this exhibition, and the photos must share whatever is defining your photography exhibit. It can be a theme, a technique, a particular subject… Whatever your direction, your photos need to have a sense of unity. It’s like telling a story to the visitors through your photographs, and there shouldn’t be any distracting elements.

Photo by Michael Foley Photography

Next to the importance of choosing a unifying factor for your to-be exhibited photos, there is the importance of properly choosing and selecting which photos to include and which to exclude. You need to show only your best work. This task can be particularly hard for a beginning photographer. We all grow fond of our photos, and it can be really hard to figure out which pictures to exclude. It’s always a good idea to go ask a photographer friend for help in selecting your photos. An objective eye is what you need for detecting the weak points in your photos.

Finding a Venue:

Photo by Swiv

After conceiving a clear concept of what you want your exhibition to be about and after making a primary selection of the photos to showcase, you need to find the location which will accept to harbor your exhibition. For a first exhibit it can be quite hard to get a known art gallery to host the event. Nevertheless, don’t be intimidated by anything, and don’t hesitate to ask as many art galleries as you can. If your work is really outstanding, many will accept to host the exhibit with an open heart. Also, spread the word among your circle of friends that you intend to organize an exhibition and that you are looking for a venue. Another interesting option is to hold your exhibit in a local restaurant, café, etc. Getting accepted by this kind of places is a lot easier. After all, you will provide them with a decoration to their walls and with potential new customers. Don’t forget whenever visiting a venue to take with you a portfolio containing the photos you intend to exhibit and the idea behind them. Nothing will get you acceptance like your work.

Printing and Framing:

The printing and framing stage is closely related with the two previous stages and it’s crucial to finish those stages , in order to make the right choices concerning printing and framing the photos. First you need to find a printer suitable for both your needs and your budget. In fact this stage is usually the most expensive phase in the organization of your exhibition. Ask around you for advice. If you know any photographers who held exhibitions before, ask them if they can direct you towards a good address. Also, don’t just go and print your photos at the first printing shop you find. Visit as many printing shops as you can, and a try printing your photos in a small format, to get a feel of what you will get as a final result.

Once you print your photos, you need to frame them. It all depends on how you want the photos to look and your budget. You can go with a classical simple frame, or you can go totally crazy with the framing technique. Just keep in mind, that your frames must be in accordance with the subject of your exhibit, and that you should take in consideration the issue of hanging them and which way to do it. You need to discuss this with the gallery owner, who will direct you to what can and what can’t be done.

Preparing for the Big Day

Photo by Slimmer Jimmer

The last step before showing your work to the world, is preparing for the opening day and the reception. You need to promote for your exhibit in order to get as many visitors as possible to come and see your photos. First consider printing some invitations and some flyers to present the event to the public. Send invitations to whom it may concern (local newspapers, art collectors, cultural institutions…) don’t limit yourself; the more the merrier. You can also use different social networks, such as Facebook to promote the exhibit. You can for instance create an event on Facebook and invite all your friends, which in turn can invite as many persons as they want to. This last method can be really efficient in drawing visitors, without costing you anything.

For the opening day, consider buying drinks and appetizers for your guests. Also, don’t forget to add titles and descriptions under each of your photos. Giving the viewer a context can make them better enjoy the picture. Another important thing is to be there for your guests on the opening day. Try to mingle with the visitors, and be prepared to answer their questions. If one of your shots is sold, don’t take it down and hand it to its new owner directly. Try to ask them to wait until the exhibit ends before delivering the photograph. A big blank spot among a continuity of frames isn’t very pleasing to see.

Finally, it can be a great idea to get a guestbook, where visitors can leave you their comments and encouragements.