Today on Artist Strong we will talk about my advice on how to navigate a solo show of your art.

Hi, my name is Carrie Brummer and here on Artist Strong I help creatives like you build your skill and develop your unique artist voice.

Today I want to talk about some simple steps you can take to hosting your own or preparing for your first solo show.

First, obviously, let’s make a body of art. When you find a good venue or match with a gallery that’s a good fit here are some considerations:

Write an artist statement and have it printed for people to take to read about the work.

For installation, I mapped out the space before going and laid out my work on a smaller scale poster of the space to help know kind of how I wanted it laid out so I spent less time installing the work the day of hanging.

I made labels for each work, which included title, name, and price.  I also made QR codes, which I printed on each label, for each work. Each QR code led to unique pages on my website that had video and more to share about the art, as well as my prices and purchase buttons.

Not sure about QR codes? I found an article I’ve linked below.

I made business cards with contact info to leave in the space so people could find my website and even call me with questions (I have a business number with Google Voice so it wasn’t my personal phone number).

For the opening event I think details can make it very memorable. For example, in my Anonymous Woman exhibition I hired a local cookie-maker to design and decorate cookies directly inspired by my paintings as part of the treats for attending the event.

Think: how can you add some kind of special touch to make your viewers feel special and welcomed?

Please remember: whether you choose to host your art in an exhibition on your own or show in a gallery space people will be lucky to see it.

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Now it’s your turn: what are your best tips for hosting or preparing for a solo exhibition of art? Tell me more in the comments below.