Guide to Organizing Your First Photography Exhibition

Many young artists dream of their first own exhibition. You may already have thought about organizing an exhibition yourself. Or your friends have seen your photographs and said “You should do an exhibition!”. But, it’s not always easy to know if or when you’re ready to show your images in an exhibition. To realize this dream, however, not only courage and ambition must be present, but also a certain amount of organizational skills. After all, the first exhibition should serve to pique public interest and raise curiosity for further exhibitions. From dealing with your photographs, seeing your own pictures for the first time as a large print, and getting feedback from your visitors, you will be able to position yourself in the regional photo scene and potentially sell your photographs as prints.

Find an exhibition venue

The first step is to find a suitable exhibition venue. You can consider a gallery, but maybe that is already too big for you. Start with more discreet exhibition spaces. Think about the location of the venue, it should be a space easily accessible for visitors. Not everyone has a car at their disposal, so a connection to public transport is crucial.

Think outside the box, check for spaces where people are frequently passing by or have to wait. This can be a doctor's office, a public institution, the student club, the corridor of one's own workplace or a café. Public institutions, in particular, are grateful for artists who are looking for exhibition space. There are many different possibilities. Since you would probably already be in contact with the people who own these places, it is much easier to ask if you can exhibit your art there. Talk to your friends and acquaintances about your exhibition plans, and many possibilities may suddenly arise. 

Get in touch with the venue 

If you are directly getting in touch with the owner of the venue, it is helpful to have a few of your pictures ready to show them. A few smaller prints are perfectly adequate. They don’t have to be the final pictures for the exhibition. This is just to show the representative an impression of what kind of photography you are planning to exhibit and whether it fits with the space. Viewing on a cell phone or tablet isn’t the right choice for an exhibition where viewers will see your prints later. Choose five to ten images to present the owner of the space. 

Set the scene for your images

If you secured a space, you can then take a closer look at the venue and how you would want to exhibit your photographs. Are there already any frames, does the space have an existing hanging system, and how much space is available for the individual pictures? What viewing distance is possible for visitors? Where are portrait and landscape formats recommended? On which surface does light shine in the room, what light sources are available and can you direct the light sources? Which way do visitors go through the exhibition? How many pictures can you exhibit? When are the rooms open? Obviously, these things are strongly dependent on the rooms and you can only decide this in consultation with the venue. Depending on the exhibition space, there are other criteria that come into play here. The more leeway you have, the crazier and more creative you can make the presentation. 

Display your photographs

It’s often better to hang your paintings a week or so before the exhibition opening. That way, you have a little buffer for unplanned rework. Sometimes you are not satisfied with a print, a framed glass breaks or you spontaneously change the order of the pictures. If you do the hanging only one day before the opening, you don't have time for corrections. Take enough time for this step. A ladder, tools and a spirit level are of course helpful, as well as cleaning agents to remove fingerprints on the finished frames and glasses. Ask one or two friends to help you. A lot of the work of hanging pictures is simply better done in pairs.

Advertise, advertise, advertise 

Publicity is indispensable for a successful exhibition. Many artists underestimate the value of the presentation of an exhibition. If no one knows about it, no one can come. A good concept with a good visual presentation is the be-all and end-all of a successful exhibition. How you draw the potential visitor's attention to you and your work is again determined by the target group and the theme of the exhibition. Flyers, posters, social media platforms: You can use these and even more channels. Also, make sure that people know the person behind the art. It is always a good option to introduce yourself in a blog like ours in the form of artist portraits and thus raise your own profile. Only when the packaging is interesting will people be interested in what is behind it. Furthermore, the distribution radius is important. The more people know about the exhibition, the more potential buyers and audiences will come to the exhibition.

Get started

Organizing your first exhibition is an excellent opportunity to make contacts for your future artistic path and build up a network of people interested in art and organizers. This will make it easier for you to organize future art exhibitions. The target group is also the magic word here. It should close and reflect the circle of pictures, theme, title and location. Make it a real event and make it unforgettable for the visitors. At the same time, they will remember you as the artist and you will receive free publicity through stories afterwards. A good evening program that puts your work in the limelight is a good way to do this. The decoration should also be well thought-out. It should be restrained and of high quality. Just a few covers, for example, can easily create a stylish atmosphere. 

As a small giveaway, you can design and display program booklets for your exhibition. Illustrated with your pictures, the visitor has a visual souvenir of you and your works. As you can see, the prejudice is true that having your own art exhibition requires a lot of effort. But in most cases, it is worth it. You make a name for yourself and get the feedback that every art deserves. Art is there to be seen, so share yours with the world. We would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to put on your first exhibition. Don't think there is a time when you are ready. There has never been an exhibition or opening where the photographer was 100% ready. An exhibition will definitely help you and your photography connect directly with an audience. All beginnings are difficult and cost a lot of effort. So don’t wait any longer—get started!

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