I think an opening with an entrance fee and a small gift print would be a good way to get your name out there and get a buzz going, skip the food, but charge at the door.
I think an opening with an entrance fee and a small gift print would be a good way to get your name out there and get a buzz going, skip the food, but charge at the door.
To an art gallery exhibit opening? Not at all, but compensate with an equally valuable small print.
For one this gets your art into the hands and homes of potential buyers of bigger prints, it starts their collection of "X photographer" prints. And you make it numbered and signed.
Most of the famous people are good photographers but you gotta have a gimmick and have good and innovative marketing techniques too.
Look at Peter Lik, he's not a bad photographer but he's also not the best, he just figured out how to make himself a name, and so people spend more for highly saturated color panoramics. I can make those too, but no one would buy them at peter lik prices even if mine were better because I'm not a name (yet), it's all in the gimmicks... Why not make a fee bucks guaranteed at the opening but also give people something that makes them feel they've gained value from going. Heck make it a first come first choice deal, so people come early and can choose the mini-piece they want best, plus it gets the place "packed" sooner.
Just saying it's an idea to think about.
An alternate to charging for admission would be a "blind bidding" for a couple of prints. The money would go to a charity.
That would get your work into the hands of people with money and be better class than charging for admission.
LOL
the OP might as well have it set up as a PEEP SHOW if he
is going to charge admission.
I think the only thing to be gained by charging admission is to make all the people who are comped (which will be most of them--press, potentially buyers) feel like they're getting something even more special for not having to pay admission. Someone is going to have to be a fairly big name with a significant publicity budget to get anyone to pay to get into an opening.
Even museums that charge substantial admission to regular patrons don't typically charge admission to openings, which are by invitation and are promotional by nature, and in addition to the party, guests will likely go home with a gift bag containing a catalogue of the exhibition and other swag.
You might partner with a local winery, bakery, restaurant, and or caterer, willing to showcase their products.
I don't want to shoot down any ideas at this point--just want to think (and re-think) out of the box.
I also want to address the question of what to serve--wine or no?
As with all this questions, it isn't just a matter of having or not having an opening, or serving or not serving wine--but what are the alternatives. What could be done *instead* to serve the same need, or to better serve the same need.
Here's one idea we're sort of kicking around:
Half Moon Bay, the town where the gallery is, is a coastal down a fair drive from more urban areas. It has essentially no night life and no art crowd. However, it has a large number of visitors, most of which will drive by the gallery on the way in and out of town.
So perhaps a format like this would work:
Friday night--private, invitation-only event, with alcohol served.
Saturday *afternoon*--public, drop-in event with finger food and non-alcoholic drinks.
?????
--Darin
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