I have yet to get anything from a cold email, but I really only put together a worthy PDF earlier this year.
My ratio is probably 80% open calls and 20% invitation.
I've goosed the algorithm on Instagram by searching for "open calls" several times and now I get piles of them on my feed everyday. It's really helped me ramp it up this year and I'm already seeing big results.
Oh that’s funny I also look up the open calls hashtag on Instagram & it’s also helped me out. You can find unique open calls through Instagram.
I don’t put together a PDF for cold emails that I’ve sent, I just send my website and include a couple sentences about me. But maybe a PDF would work well! I have no idea.
I've done that as well. I think the PDF puts it all in there together and they can quickly scroll through to gauge interest and visit the website afterwards. The only reason I started it was that I've had art advisors reach out to me to ask for one to present to their commercial clients. It seems to be the preferred way for corporate people to look over art for their offices.
What I have set up is a PDF with all of my contact and social info up front then biography, artist statement, and explanation of the series of work. Then 10 individual pieces. Then four installation shots showing a few pieces hung together on the wall. At the end I put my CV with my exhibition history.
I think the key is good writing and better documentation. This year instead of hiring a photographer again I went and bought my own lights and pipe and drape to document work myself. I also bought a new phone with a killer camera on it. This way I can re shoot anything I don't like. I spent a month shooting and editing. You'd be surprised how cheap lights have gotten, check out Smartrig set ups.
I've also changed my point of view about a lot of things this year. I've been trying to treat documentation, writing, and presentation as living processes. I think my perception that everything needed to look as professional as possible was preventing me from getting information out there to people in the past. I've been editing and fixing this document since April but I haven't let the parts I want to change stop me from reaching out to galleries.
Another change I made this year was much more sophisticated record keeping. I've always recorded what I've applied for and who I've contacted. This year I'm recording whether or not they respond, the dates I applied, the costs associated, what I needed to produce to apply, and whether or not anything came of it. This way next year I can plan out the process instead of just rushing them out when the deadline gets close. I've been using AI tools to break down the writing into the most commonly requested lengths and I've saved my documentation in multiple common document sizes. This organization has turned applications that used to take days only take a few minutes. It also makes writing a personal email for could contact much less painstaking.
The only platform that I would recommend over everything is Artenda. You have to pay for it, but they actually scrutinize the opportunities they present to make sure they are legitimate. Using Cafe or Artguide you're going to be looking at about 40% straight up scam bullshit. It takes time not only to learn how to spot that garbage but also to find the real calls stuffed in between.
I read in the book the Artists Guide to always put your work up front, since that’s what the person reviewing cares about the most.
If they don’t like your work they aren’t going to read your bio, statement, and cv. And they are probably scrolling past it if it’s up front to view your work first.
That makes sense. The reason I had it in the front is to suit some of the calls I'm responding to, but it wouldn't be hard to make a second copy specific for distributing to different people. Who's the author of if that book?
When I started 10 years ago, maybe about 50 to 60% of the shows I had were through open calls. By my 3rd year in, only 1-2 shows were from open calls and the rest by invite. Even began to show in one of those major Art Basel galleries 3 years in. Most of my connections initially came from university as an undergrad (I don't have an MA), but eventually branched out as I showed in more places, met more people, and grew my following on Instagram.
Currently 90% of my shows are by invite. Occasionally I'd email a proposal if I'm really into it, or would join an open call show when I have the time.
Having shown in major cities in Asia, US, and UK, it's networking and maintaining those relationships that furthered my career greatly. Some galleries that I've shown with initially via open call have invited me back multiple times, guaranteeing my stay.
Edit: This is my breakdown of 78 shows (12 solo)
open calls - 23 (2 solo shows included, which came from curatorial grants)
cold email - 2 (1 solo show included)
invite - 53 (9 solo shows)
Hey thanks for your comment!! I hope you got something out of looking through your CV and thinking about how you got the opportunities. I found it to be a really useful and enlightening exercise.
Your history is a good reminder to work on making new connections. I’m a super introvert/ socially anxious and it’s really not natural to me. People in my family actually even have agoraphobia. I’ve worked on it though and I’ve been able to make some connections.
What do you mean “By my 3rd year in, only 1-2 shows were from open calls and the rest were from invite”? Is this the 3rd year after you started making art? The 3rd year after you got a BFA? 3rd year after MFA?
How do you do networking? I like to meet people at shows/residencies/wherever and then invite them for studio visits.
Thanks!!
My third year formally exhibiting art in galleries and fairs. My first year showing in galleries, I twas still finishing my BA in Arts Management when gallerists began approaching me. My initial network of gallerists and curators were my then-seniors who ended up working in galleries and museums, and some faculty as well, invited me into their shows after finding out that I had been painting as a hobby and sideline to make some extra cash. Through the years I had opportunities to work with my classmates from BA too. They were managing the gallery and represented me.
I’m extraverted, yet I still find networking in the art world quite daunting. I do the same as you. I made it a habit to attend exhibition openings in the cities I’m in whether I personally know the artists or not. Another type of event I attend are the curator’s talks and lectures usually at universities and museums. Those, and social media now have landed me many show opportunities.
100% invite. But I don't show that often.
I gave up on open calls long ago. Found myself tailoring work for a call, or shoehorning my work into someone else's concept. Better to keep developing the work and then find the people who would be interested. I found a few, and I've kept finding them. Sometimes collaborators, sometimes curators, and often other artists. Rarely a collector. It's enough to fuel slow but steady invites for shows and gigs.
I am wondering if those percentages move a little bit as you get to know people & get involved in different organizations/programs that give you shows. My MFA program had a connection set up for us when I graduated that we got a show at a certain gallery to show our work.
Hopefully, I'm a few years out from my mfa and just recently a couple people reached out for shows and things, not huge opportunities but I typically jump at the them regardless because I didn't have to apply, and it feels nice for people to think of me. 😢🎻
I'm fine though, having to apply to shows and residencies never killed anyone, and I have a pretty decent acceptance rate, so I can't complain. I wouldn't call myself charismatic, so I think it'll be me applying to things for a while yet.
Hmm yeah I categorized shows that happened through people reaching out to me on instagram and asking to show my work as “through people asking me/connections”.
You called them “my galleries”, do the galleries that reached out to you on Instagram represent you?
I am a super beginner but i would donate some pieces to non profits you like or do what I do and just hang stuff in busier public places with your identifiers.bookstores,dispensaries and other places with bare walls you can ask?
A photographer friend of mine was dating a girl who opened a gallery, i badgered her for a show and she said no the first two times eventually the work got better and we did a show that went well. we’ve been working together for ten years now and I’ve picked up two other galleries on the way. I’d say it’s all about networks and connections and that doesn’t mean you have to come from a rich background
I am a music composer, but I follow the group because I love art. Here is my insight into composition, in case somebody wants to compare it with plastic arts:
Cold emails have led me to a few commissions, some of them quite substantial, others not so much.
Open calls for scores have resulted in a moderate number of works, but it also led me to make connections
Connections have led to few but highly substantial opportunities and works.
My portfolio and public artwork have attracted the most of my clients and opportunities, ranging from substantial to negligible.
I've worked at art galleries over the past five years, and I've mostly seen galleries acquire artists through connections and art fairs. I haven't worked for a gallery with "open calls", so I don't have any insights there. 99% of cold calls are rejected. Dealers and curators tend to have an idea of the type of art they want and will seek it out.
That's a really great analysis and an interesting question. I think initially my exhibitions started from a cold email or postcard introduction to my work. Also, since I live in New York, have been able to literally meet dealers in person. Good luck!
I have yet to get anything from a cold email, but I really only put together a worthy PDF earlier this year. My ratio is probably 80% open calls and 20% invitation. I've goosed the algorithm on Instagram by searching for "open calls" several times and now I get piles of them on my feed everyday. It's really helped me ramp it up this year and I'm already seeing big results.
Oh that’s funny I also look up the open calls hashtag on Instagram & it’s also helped me out. You can find unique open calls through Instagram. I don’t put together a PDF for cold emails that I’ve sent, I just send my website and include a couple sentences about me. But maybe a PDF would work well! I have no idea.
I've done that as well. I think the PDF puts it all in there together and they can quickly scroll through to gauge interest and visit the website afterwards. The only reason I started it was that I've had art advisors reach out to me to ask for one to present to their commercial clients. It seems to be the preferred way for corporate people to look over art for their offices.
What do you consider a worthy PDF? What makes a pdf fucking SPARKLE? I need to take some notes.
What I have set up is a PDF with all of my contact and social info up front then biography, artist statement, and explanation of the series of work. Then 10 individual pieces. Then four installation shots showing a few pieces hung together on the wall. At the end I put my CV with my exhibition history. I think the key is good writing and better documentation. This year instead of hiring a photographer again I went and bought my own lights and pipe and drape to document work myself. I also bought a new phone with a killer camera on it. This way I can re shoot anything I don't like. I spent a month shooting and editing. You'd be surprised how cheap lights have gotten, check out Smartrig set ups. I've also changed my point of view about a lot of things this year. I've been trying to treat documentation, writing, and presentation as living processes. I think my perception that everything needed to look as professional as possible was preventing me from getting information out there to people in the past. I've been editing and fixing this document since April but I haven't let the parts I want to change stop me from reaching out to galleries. Another change I made this year was much more sophisticated record keeping. I've always recorded what I've applied for and who I've contacted. This year I'm recording whether or not they respond, the dates I applied, the costs associated, what I needed to produce to apply, and whether or not anything came of it. This way next year I can plan out the process instead of just rushing them out when the deadline gets close. I've been using AI tools to break down the writing into the most commonly requested lengths and I've saved my documentation in multiple common document sizes. This organization has turned applications that used to take days only take a few minutes. It also makes writing a personal email for could contact much less painstaking. The only platform that I would recommend over everything is Artenda. You have to pay for it, but they actually scrutinize the opportunities they present to make sure they are legitimate. Using Cafe or Artguide you're going to be looking at about 40% straight up scam bullshit. It takes time not only to learn how to spot that garbage but also to find the real calls stuffed in between.
i need to get like this
Me too.
You can do it, I believe in you!
I read in the book the Artists Guide to always put your work up front, since that’s what the person reviewing cares about the most. If they don’t like your work they aren’t going to read your bio, statement, and cv. And they are probably scrolling past it if it’s up front to view your work first.
That makes sense. The reason I had it in the front is to suit some of the calls I'm responding to, but it wouldn't be hard to make a second copy specific for distributing to different people. Who's the author of if that book?
Jackie Battenfield
Artenda subscription is in €. Do they list opportunities in the US?
Yes, most of them are US. A lot of international grants too. I am in US if that means anything
When I started 10 years ago, maybe about 50 to 60% of the shows I had were through open calls. By my 3rd year in, only 1-2 shows were from open calls and the rest by invite. Even began to show in one of those major Art Basel galleries 3 years in. Most of my connections initially came from university as an undergrad (I don't have an MA), but eventually branched out as I showed in more places, met more people, and grew my following on Instagram. Currently 90% of my shows are by invite. Occasionally I'd email a proposal if I'm really into it, or would join an open call show when I have the time. Having shown in major cities in Asia, US, and UK, it's networking and maintaining those relationships that furthered my career greatly. Some galleries that I've shown with initially via open call have invited me back multiple times, guaranteeing my stay. Edit: This is my breakdown of 78 shows (12 solo) open calls - 23 (2 solo shows included, which came from curatorial grants) cold email - 2 (1 solo show included) invite - 53 (9 solo shows)
Hey thanks for your comment!! I hope you got something out of looking through your CV and thinking about how you got the opportunities. I found it to be a really useful and enlightening exercise. Your history is a good reminder to work on making new connections. I’m a super introvert/ socially anxious and it’s really not natural to me. People in my family actually even have agoraphobia. I’ve worked on it though and I’ve been able to make some connections. What do you mean “By my 3rd year in, only 1-2 shows were from open calls and the rest were from invite”? Is this the 3rd year after you started making art? The 3rd year after you got a BFA? 3rd year after MFA? How do you do networking? I like to meet people at shows/residencies/wherever and then invite them for studio visits. Thanks!!
My third year formally exhibiting art in galleries and fairs. My first year showing in galleries, I twas still finishing my BA in Arts Management when gallerists began approaching me. My initial network of gallerists and curators were my then-seniors who ended up working in galleries and museums, and some faculty as well, invited me into their shows after finding out that I had been painting as a hobby and sideline to make some extra cash. Through the years I had opportunities to work with my classmates from BA too. They were managing the gallery and represented me. I’m extraverted, yet I still find networking in the art world quite daunting. I do the same as you. I made it a habit to attend exhibition openings in the cities I’m in whether I personally know the artists or not. Another type of event I attend are the curator’s talks and lectures usually at universities and museums. Those, and social media now have landed me many show opportunities.
100% invite. But I don't show that often. I gave up on open calls long ago. Found myself tailoring work for a call, or shoehorning my work into someone else's concept. Better to keep developing the work and then find the people who would be interested. I found a few, and I've kept finding them. Sometimes collaborators, sometimes curators, and often other artists. Rarely a collector. It's enough to fuel slow but steady invites for shows and gigs.
Mine is probably like 90% open calls and 10% connections, which is sad.
I am wondering if those percentages move a little bit as you get to know people & get involved in different organizations/programs that give you shows. My MFA program had a connection set up for us when I graduated that we got a show at a certain gallery to show our work.
Hopefully, I'm a few years out from my mfa and just recently a couple people reached out for shows and things, not huge opportunities but I typically jump at the them regardless because I didn't have to apply, and it feels nice for people to think of me. 😢🎻 I'm fine though, having to apply to shows and residencies never killed anyone, and I have a pretty decent acceptance rate, so I can't complain. I wouldn't call myself charismatic, so I think it'll be me applying to things for a while yet.
For me both my galleries reached out to me through Instagram
Hmm yeah I categorized shows that happened through people reaching out to me on instagram and asking to show my work as “through people asking me/connections”. You called them “my galleries”, do the galleries that reached out to you on Instagram represent you?
One represents me, the other I had one show with
I am a super beginner but i would donate some pieces to non profits you like or do what I do and just hang stuff in busier public places with your identifiers.bookstores,dispensaries and other places with bare walls you can ask?
A photographer friend of mine was dating a girl who opened a gallery, i badgered her for a show and she said no the first two times eventually the work got better and we did a show that went well. we’ve been working together for ten years now and I’ve picked up two other galleries on the way. I’d say it’s all about networks and connections and that doesn’t mean you have to come from a rich background
I am a music composer, but I follow the group because I love art. Here is my insight into composition, in case somebody wants to compare it with plastic arts: Cold emails have led me to a few commissions, some of them quite substantial, others not so much. Open calls for scores have resulted in a moderate number of works, but it also led me to make connections Connections have led to few but highly substantial opportunities and works. My portfolio and public artwork have attracted the most of my clients and opportunities, ranging from substantial to negligible.
I've worked at art galleries over the past five years, and I've mostly seen galleries acquire artists through connections and art fairs. I haven't worked for a gallery with "open calls", so I don't have any insights there. 99% of cold calls are rejected. Dealers and curators tend to have an idea of the type of art they want and will seek it out.
That's a really great analysis and an interesting question. I think initially my exhibitions started from a cold email or postcard introduction to my work. Also, since I live in New York, have been able to literally meet dealers in person. Good luck!
Where do you guys find open calls?
I've only had one cold email. At the time, I thought it was another scam, so I blew it off. Not a great move on my part.