Marketing/Promotion

Selected Articles

Dave Hickey, Art Critic and Theorist

IS: I think that critics--the role they play, the training they have--are one of the more mysterious aspects of the art world for emerging artists. Could you tell me a bit about how you came to write art criticism?

DH: I began writing about art because I was interested in the gap between what we see and what we say. Also I wanted to write about things in the world that stayed in the world after I had written about them, so whatever I wrote would remain in a live relationship with its subject. If you write about a concert or a play or a public event, that event is gone and nothing remains but the writing. Works of art, however, survive as an ongoing critique of the critique you have written. I like that.

What is the role of the art critic within the art world? How much of an effect do you think critics have on what is being produced and sold, and is this positive or negative?

Slide Registries

The information below is part of a series of guides that outline the pros and cons of various types of venues.



ABOUT:  Sponsored by local arts organizations, museums, libraries, and public art agencies.  Curated and made available to the public, curators, collectors, critics and historians for exhibition opportunities, articles, and research.

EXPECTATIONS: Some slide libraries are curated, or open only to members.  Others are open to anyone who submits.  Registries will also collect other information such as résumés, catalogs, exhibition announcements, laser prints etc. in a file folder to be viewed upon request.

PROS:  Another opportunity to get your work seen.  Some registries have an online database that can be accessed worldwide.  A good registry will ask for periodic updates.

The Skinny on Slide Registries

A slide registry is a place where you send your slides-neatly labeled and photographed, of course-and then curators come and look at them and then you get a commission or sell your work or are asked to produce a work for your region's City Hall. At least, that's how it works in an ideal world. You should seriously consider sending your slides to a few good slide registries, however, not all slide registries are equal. How do you distinguish among the hundreds of slide registries out there?

Using the Internet to Market Your Work

An artist who wants to get her or his work noticed must enter the marketplace with a good plan and set of tools. The Internet has become an essential channel for distributing traditional artist marketing tools such as résumés, press releases, work samples, and business cards. This essay provides basic advice about using the Internet to enhance your marketing efforts.

Can an artist Website bring you fame and fortune?

The simple answer is no! Artist Websites work best as an extension of traditional marketing efforts and can save time and money.
View all Articles

Selected Artist Stories

Ursula Sokolowska

Ultimately, the most daunting thing about seeking out organizations is the fact that there’s no predefined path to follow. It’s important to go with your gut and let the work you create reverberate with people. A lot of that is self-promotion but a good amount is simply will. It’s important to listen to what your work is saying not only to yourself, but to other people as well. When people identify with pieces strongly, its clear that you’ve made some sort of connection with them. That connection can replicate itself if you let yourself be open to the resources at your disposal. I think the Internet is the single most important backbone of connecting the artist to his or her own kind.

Alamo & Costello

 

Kathryn Trumbull Fimreite

There are many types of registries, but the one I am a part of is like a reference guide of artists (via Chicago Artist Coalition). It's a terrific tool for artists...even on the fundamental level of forcing you to organize your materials: proper documentation of your work, all the necessary accompaniments (resume, statement, pricing, etc.) All of this organizational stuff is daunting to pull together, but in preparing the materials for the registry I found that if I could get it all done in a timely, consistent, presentable manner, I could do the future updates as needed.

Michael Workman: On Getting Published

Both should send press releases and show cards for their exhibitions. Artist should get their work out there any way they can, whether it’s showing in galleries or little apartment spaces, storefronts, whatever. It’s always a good idea to donate your work to silent auctions and fundraisers as well. It will get seen by all the people who go and maybe even draw the attention of a few collectors. Ultimately the goal is to get your work out there, to make it visible. I love it when I go to New York for Armory and there’s always a little group of artists who stage their own sideshow literally right out on the street in front of the piers. I always give them a few minutes of my time. It’s all about building connections, getting seen.
View all Artist Stories

Selected Chicago-City Links

Selected National/International Links

Selected NYFA Requests

Agents/Managers

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Marketing/PR Information - Dance

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Marketing/PR Information - Music

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Marketing/PR Information - Theater

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Marketing/PR Information - Visual Arts

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Publicity Materials and Printing Services

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Publishers and Publishing Information

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.

Web Site Design

Courtesy of New York Foundation for the Arts and their NYFA Source national database of awards services and publications for the arts.