Welcome back to my channel. I'm thrilled to have you here today as we dive into an exciting topic that's relevant to all you soon-to-be graduates. If you’re ready to make your degree show a resounding success, Well, you've come to the right place!
In today's video, we're going to discuss the top five things to avoid in your degree show. Whether you're a painter, sculptor, photographer, or any other creative discipline, these tips will help you navigate the challenges and ensure your exhibition leaves a lasting impact. So, grab your notepad and let's jump right in!
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Alright, let's begin with our first crucial point to avoid in your degree show:
#1 - Illegible labels
DIYing your works labels is certainly cost-effective but come on, at least make sure they’re readable! So many occasions I had to guess the name of the artist and spend time trying to guess the name on Instagram.
So if you can, print some labels or pieces of paper with a plan and info for your pieces, this will also make your overall presentation more put together and you’ll stand out from the rest of your peers.
#2 - Unclear floor plans
If you’ve got several pieces exhibited in a room shared with many other works by different artists, you can also produce a floor plan along with your peers a floor plan but make sure this is done in a clear way and with no mistakes. I’ve seen so many times floor plans in degree shows where the pieces didn’t correspond to the locations placed on the map and it was just chaotic to guess which work belongs to what artist.
#3 - Leaving your work alone
I know sometimes it is not physically possible to be there guarding your work for so many hours but try at least to have a friend or someone familiar with your work to be with your pieces so that people interested in them have someone to talk to. You need to maximise this opportunity and talking with people will not only boost your network but also help you close sales easily.
#4 - Not contact details to be found
The amount of times I’ve seen people not leaving an email or their Instagram handle is staggering, like come on! This is a rookie mistake so always always include your email somewhere in the room, it can be on a business card, on your press release, written on a label, etc. For your instagram handle, I recommend to include it in each label along with your artist name so people can quickly find you and tag you.
#5 - Not inviting key people over to the show
Showing your works at a top institution is a big deal guys. Degree shows attract especially galleries who are looking for fresh new talent and collectors who would like to spot the next big star and buy works by emerging artists at a relatively lower price. This is your opportunity to shine and so if you’ve dreamt of working with a certain curator or gallery, this is the time to connect with them and invite them over to the private view of your show.
I’ve seen so many artists just doing nothing and only inviting friends and family but you should really take this show as a professional event so take the most of it! You can start a few months before the show researching and making a list of people you’d like to contact through Instagram or in real life and then a few weeks before, invite them over!
Hope you enjoy this post, do let me know in the comment section what other mistakes you think artists should avoid for degree shows! As always, thanks for reading! And if you found ito valuable, don't forget to give it a thumbs up and share it with your fellow art students. Till next week!
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