How to Create Successful Art Exhibitions Using Themes

Enhance The Mood, Increase Attendance, Attract Publicity and Get Financial Sponsorship for Your Art Event

You probably already know by now that at one point in my art career I organized many art events in New York City. The venues ranged from such diverse spaces as galleries and artists’ studios to major corporations and cultural centers, night clubs, and hotels. I was continuously challenged to provide innovative ideas. The events ranged from 50 guests at an artist’s private Open Studio to more than 1,000 in attendance at televised art galas. What they mostly shared in common was they were designed around themes. Now, I advise artists and arts organizations about how to create successful art exhibitions. In this article I’ll share important reasons and examples for how to create successful art exhibitions using themes.

Themes Enhance The Mood

For your exhibitions you’ll want to create anticipation and having a theme certainly accomplishes this objective. I recommend you choose a distinctive title for the event that relates to your artwork and expand upon it. For example, when I organized an exhibition of artists’ work inspired by France, we named it “The Montmartre Gala”. The artists wore attire from “La Belle Époque” period. We transported guests to a different place and time period.  To tie the theme together we served French pastry and Champagne and gave away bottles of perfume from Chanel. To add even more dimension, we asked a French designer to bring a few models to the event and we raffled off French inspired artists’ prints.

Theme Events Can Be Held at Different “Alternative” Venues

Events with themes that are presented at alternative venues other than art galleries can be very successful. For example, at a “Healing Power of Art” event at a new restaurant in SoHo I invited Tai Chi performers and massage therapists to give guests the healing treatment and served healthy foods.

At the Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts gallery I curated an “Art Inspired By Music” group exhibition accompanied by live music.

When a large dance studio invited me to organize an exhibition I curated an exhibition on the theme of art inspired by dance and movement.

And, when the Hilton Hotel asked me to put on an exhibition around 4th of July, I decided the theme would be art that reflected the feelings of freedom and independence. All of the artists were dressed in red, white and blue attire.

Themes Increase Attendance

Themed events help build attendance because they are more interesting. Furthermore, they offer you the opportunity to reach out to related professionals, businesses and organizations that share your theme and purpose. They help you promote it to their associates and friends.

For instance, as publisher of Manhattan Arts International magazine, I presented various cultural art events, and asked the respective embassies to announce the events in their newsletters. When I helped to organize an exhibition for an artist promoting her animal portraits and prints, we created it as an exhibition / fund-raising event. We invited a local animal shelter during June, Adopt A Cat Month, to join us. They helped to distribute the invitations, that mentioned their organization, to their board of directors and donors.

Themes Attract Press Coverage

Events that are organized around a theme provide more content and value for your press releases. They give the local press, always in search of new stories, the impetus to give you advanced publicity. You will find as I did, when your events have an added community minded service, such as helping to raise funds for a worthy cause, the press will be motivated to cover your event as a positive news story.

Exhibition themes that focus on local scenes and historical landmarks can be a great idea for taking place at a community center, public government building or tourist center. These exhibitions will appeal to local residents as well as reporters and local radio and television channels as well as writers who are also historians.

Themes Increase Sponsorship and Funding

Whenever I presented events with themes it was easy to find local retailers as well as corporations to serve as sponsors. For the series of art and culture events — including our “Montmarte Gala” — we received funding from Air France, Alitalia Airlines, wine and liquor distributors, French and Italian bakeries, and cultural newspapers, among others. In return we placed their names on the invitations and press releases, which they helped to distribute to increase attendance.

My advice is use your series of art as a springboard for your thematic art event. Expand your imagination and include as many other people, businesses and organizations as possible as your co-hosts, sponsors and promoters. Have fun and let your creativity soar!

I am sure that when applying a few thematic ideas for your art events you’ll turn guests into loyal followers and customers.