So You Are In An Art Show, Who Knew?
Wonderful, you are submitting your art to art shows, and you are displaying your art. That's spectacular! But did you do everything you could to help get MORE people to the show to see what you have?
You're An Artist AND You're Your Art's Promoter
It does not matter where your art is showing. if your art is in an art show somewhere: you are in a gallery, showing with an art group, at your local coffee shop, or art space - YOU must do what you can to help get YOUR friends, family, followers, neighbors...to let them know you have art in that show!
This cannot be emphasized enough!
If the gallery or art group is posting the show on social media, never think that is enough. They cannot reach YOUR social media followers and the very slight chance that your people see the gallery/group post is very slim.
The people that follow that gallery online, that art group's social media may see the post, but not your art followers and friends.
Here are a few things you need to do:
- Create a post with the show flyer and tell your audience that your artwork will be in that show, when, where, for how long. Include name, place, dates, times - any important details.
- Create a post with several pictures of the specific art that you will be displaying at that show. "Come see these pieces at the show..."
- Create a post about the art show's theme and how your artwork fits in that theme.
- Create a post with pictures of YOU with your art, and tell them to come meet you!
- Create a post with pictures of the art gallery/location and a screenshot of a map to show where the art show is.
- Encourage your art fans to support the arts and go see the show!
Don't wait until the day before the show. Post and make reminders, schedule posts, do what you can to make it easy for your viewers and give them enough time to plan to come to see your art.
Remember, there are millions of people on the various platforms posting all day, every day on top of your post. So as it happens, what you post to your followers will get buried in the ether depending on all the online noise and what they follow too.
These are interesting facts:
The average post on social media stats are as follows.
X.com/Tweets - generally, last about 15 to 20 minutes, so you must post frequently to maintain some visibility.
Facebook - posts last around 6 hours, but the first couple of hours tend to be where the most viewing may happen. If your friend isn't online that day, well...they potentially missed it.
Instagram - posts last about 18-24 hours.
TikTok - videos have a lifespan of 2-5 minutes
Snapchat - about 24 hours.
LinkedIn - 36 hours.
YouTube - varies greatly but 30 days to 2 or more years.
Pinterest - about 16 weeks.
Blog Post - about 2 years for a post.
Your friend or art fan could easily miss a post if they are not online when you post. That's why you should post multiple times that you have an art show coming up!
Think of it as tossing a post in a bucket. Well, other people including artists in your area are also creating posts for art shows they are in and throwing their posts in the bucket. Fairly quickly, that bucket gets filled with posts burying your post. See what I mean?
As artists, we wish we could spend all of our time making art. But a huge part of getting your art to potentially sell, is to help getting your art, the art show be KNOWN about.
You helping to spread the word potentially puts the show in front of more eyes to plant the idea of more viewers to come see the art which helps everyone involved.
@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
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