Setting up an exhibition part one
I am opening up my house and garden for visitors as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks at the end of May.
I have exhibited before for this event but it was with two friends and in a public space so this feels very different.
There is lots to do. I want to make visiting as enjoyable as possible so I’m going to turn my studio into a ‘wonder room’ - another name for a cabinet of curiosity.
I am going to hang other pieces from the beams in my living room. And I plan to have some pieces in the garden with the summer house as a place where you can get a cup of tea.
I’ve also got to consider how to price works and whether I want to have any merchandise such as greeting cards, mugs or tote bags.
Then there’s all the publicity. I’m the only artist exhibiting in our village this year so I’ve got to let people know where I am and persuade them to give me a go! As well as online information - on the Artweeks site there is lots of info plus a portfolio, I’m printing flyers and posters.
I’m hoping that by having my garden open as part of the exhibition this will be an added attraction but this also means I’ve got to get it looking as good as possible. I’ve tried to get ahead of the game by putting lots of mulch on the flower beds to keep the weeds down. I have biennials in the cutting garden that I hope will be in flower and I’ve already planted some autumn grown annuals including sweet peas that might be blooming then too.
I’ve had to think about how I’m going to display my works. Very few of them are in frames, textiles tend to be hung without them as they don’t need the protection and it means you can really see all the textures.
I’m mostly going to suspend them or pin them to the design walls in my studio.
You can see all my plans in this video here:
I’ll do another update soon letting you know how it’s all going!