ASK ESA - Do's & Don'ts

A few do's and don'ts Happy New Year to all of you out there in AK-land! I am back from all of my glamorous worldly travels with a few words on getting the word out about all the fabulous work you are going to do in 2003. I am just going to assume here that most of you will be looking for a way to show your work this year - and well you should! Alas, the days of Mary Boone making surprise visits to studios to find her next big "discovery" are sadly gone and the only way you are going to see your work hung, projected or sitting on a pedestal in a pristine white space is by getting your work under the right noses.

Before you run out and get a 100 sets of slides made think about where you want to show and what you really want as a professional artist i.e. do you want fabulous riches and art star fame or would you be happy to have one show at a local non-profit art space in 2003. Have a quick tete-a-tete with your fine self and examine your immediate expectations and needs. Once you can identify what you need to accomplish in the next year you can get out of your studio and start making things happen.

The fun part of this dreaded task is that in the arts there are no established practices - so you can promote yourself creatively. Unfortunately, this also means there are no set rules when it comes to what a gallery or space must provide for a show. The really unpleasant reality is that even if a gallery is going to give you a show sometimes they don't promote it well.

In sum my darlings, it is in your very best interest to know a little bit about promoting yourself. Here are a few Do's and Don't to get you started:

Do print postcards for your shows even if the place you are showing won't. They can cost as litlle as a hundred bucks for several hundred - I like to use a place that does 5,000 for $300, then there is always extra for later use. You can always ask the gallery or your local arts board to kick in some money or to pay for postage - always say please!

Do take the time to write personal love notes on your cards to people - I always stop to read any handwritten messages on cards in a giant stack of mail. Write things like "Dear Kimmy Cutie Pants, I hope you will grace my opening with your captivating presence!" Do build a great mailing list (I can't stress this enough as you may have noticed.)

Don't send your slides, postcards etc. willy nilly to every gallery in the world - your investment rate will be astronomical compared to your return rate. Select appropriate galleries and send to people who know you or your work.

Do get to know galleries that show work in your area, genre or career level. Even better, get to know them personally. Go to galleries and chat people up by asking questions about what they show. As chilly as galleries come off people who work in them can be quite nice if you steer clear of the one's that deal exclusively in the work of dead white men.

Don't drag your portfolio from gallery to gallery demanding an audience with the Director. I know people who have done this and actually gotten somewhere but unless you are drop dead gorgeous, a fabulous dresser and ready to ready to lay on a scintillating presentation of your work you probably won't get past the receptionist.

Do invest in advertisements if you are having a show - even if it's a small local paper, penny saver or college rag. You don't have to spend $3,000 on an ad in Artforum the first time around.

Do learn to write and send press releases. They don't have to be long and windy - they just in the basic information - who, what, where, and when - and they just have to reach a few of the right desks.

Don't flypost signs that say things like "Genius but misunderstood artist seeks mothering dealer" - people will hate you, just like they hate Patrick Mimran for putting up those trashy billboards in Chelsea.

Do have a website and for heaven's sake make sure it looks as good as your art work. Make sure it loads of fast, is easy to navigate and not overloaded.

Do keep postcards, even for an old show, of your work or business cards handy and go out and meet some people. Ask if they want to be on your mailing list.

Here's to a year ahead of new art, fabulous opportunities, great shows, bags of money, throngs of admirers or whatever it is you seek!

Mistress Esa

Next month: Is selling your art on the street legal?