manderson wrote:
Dave, how did you get chosen for this exhibit? I wish I had the time to drive up there and see it. Could you give some of us ideas on how or where to do exhibits, what the processes are, etc. I would love to be able to do one sometime down the road (as experience gets better).
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Great question!
I'm sure others with experience showing and exhibiting their photographs and other art will contribute their own experiences and advice.
The Brookings Regional Arts Council, which serves much of the eastern edge of South Dakota north of Sioux Falls, puts out a call for artists' proposal for shows. the CFA ( Call for Artists ) for the exhibition year of 2016 will be going out before the year's end. The Entrants submit a CD DVD with 10 to 20 representative images or or other pieces of art, a artist's statement, a resumé
of the entrant's art activities (exhibits, shows, awards, ...anything that gives evidence of the artist's serious pursuit of art). The Arts Council Exhibition Committee reviews the entries in detail and usually by February of the year before the exhibition year applied for the successful applicants are notifed of the pertinentbdates associated with their show.
I've lived in various parts of the country and can attest that the pattern and process I've described is reasonably closely followed everywhere. Most Arts Councils usually have as one of their prime missions to encourage appreciation of, instruction in, and participation in the arts, and organizing shows by enthusiastic emerging artists in many realms of the arts and many media of the visual arts is high on their list of important ways to fulfill those missions.
If you are interested in getting an opportunity to show your work I suggest you contact all the arts councils withing a radius from your home base that you would consider reasonable and ask for details of their exhibition schedule and procedures to,follow to be notified of Calls for Artists. your State's Arts Council is usually an excellent source of information on the regional and localArts Councils amd other Arts organization within your state. Many arts councils do not require that Artist applying for a show need to,live in the immediate area or even in the same state that a particular Arts Council serves, although some do.
Other possible venues you might consider to show your art are coffee houses, restaurents, Community Colleges, Banks, Co-op art galleries, Community Cultural Centers, libraries, an of course, local art galleries. Your community may have other venues beyond those I've mentioned. It never hurts to be a member of your local or regional arts council, but I've never found that to be a pre-requisite for successful application for exhibition.
And remember, most venues willing to exhibit art are always interested "emerging artists". Doesn't that apply to a lot of us?
And once you've taken the jump into offering your works for exhibition, youl find it interesting and fulfilling dealing with the managers of those venues who are interested in art, and with the other artists in your community.
I've been involved in the visual arts for many years, particularly as a judge and juror, but have gotten into exhibition of my own works in stone and glass engraving, graphic art(painting, drawing), and my first love, photography, only since retirement from my professional/academic career.
With regard to more useful information to those wishing to get into exhibiting their own works I've pretty well told you what I can with the above comments. For more specific info inquire of the various venues and organizations I mentioned above.
Best regards, and good luck.
Dave Graham