1 post tagged “open studio”

Last night I attended a large open studio event here in Cleveland that included private artist studios, galleries, an auction house and the ever curious Xploited Cinema. It was a strange night and made me and my partner in crime feel as though we were in a David Lynch film. I had been in the building many times on the ground floor, but never saw how developed the rest of the property was -- very nice spaces indeed. But, nice space isn't enough to always look professional and not look completely shifty! It brought up a lot of points about open studios if you are planning on hosting one yourself.

• Clean your space up! I understand if you want to have your space look like Francis Bacon because it is all "tortured artist" or something, but at least clear off your surfaces where it looks a little bit like you tried. This especially goes if you are a gallery or an auction house! I'm not going to buy something from you if it looks like you are going to lose my paperwork in a mountain of magazines and trash. It says to me that you are a disorganized mess.
• No one is going to buy an old painting at auction that is cracked all to hell, because I can imagine paint chips eventually falling into my carpet.
• Dust your artwork, especially if you are trying to sell it for $14,000.
• Have business cards, hoping I remember your name to google later on isn't such a practical way of trying to market yourself.
• Lights, they're handy, I can see things when lights are put on them.
• Don't tell me how you've never exhibited, or sold work, because that would then make you a commercialized whore for the dollar and you want no part of that. It isn't cute, and it doesn't make me think you are somehow noble.
  
• Don't try to sell damaged prints to people.
  
• Don't have acoustic music or weirdo neo-folk people play art openings. That's just wrong.
• I can smell your pot smoke, we all can, you are fooling no one with the Oust air spray.
• If you have busted frames, throw them out and get new ones. No one wants to buy busted art.
  
• Being nowhere to be found when there is a possiblity of journalists who might want to photograph or interview you isn't such a good move. This goes for artists and the gallery owners.
• Not leaving bio information of any sort near art that I actually want to know more about, it is a no no. Especially if it is an artist not in attendance who can't be there to promote themselves.
  
• Not giving price lists anywhere, but instead saying to people, "make me an offer". That is vague, and totally unprofessional. I mean dude, come on.
  

I could go on, but these were instances that came up that I can remember.