DEGREES UNEDITED

A well-developed image in the form of an e-flyer is important to consider, as more often are exhibitions publicised through mailing lists and in other forms on the Internet; Degrees unedited and Artist talking (i.e. blogs) are such forms. Such an image will be representative of your show so it needs to be professional and relevant.

Things to consider:

• The image or background should be general and impartial.
• A short synopsis of the curatorial considerations that collectively represents the degree show as a joint effort
• The title of the exhibition.
• The dates and times including private views and special events.
• A quick list of all the artists that are involved
• The logos presenting any sponsors or funding body’s
•  Links to websites, blogs or any other url’s.
• Make sure you consider the image as a web image, and that on certain screens the type (i.e. all the important info) needs to be big enough to read.

An e-flyer can be emailed to any mailing lists that you already have, include people in your mail list that you would want to turn up to your private view – even if you think they might not – people that are representative to the local art scene, curators, critics, researchers… any prospective reviewers. Do not forget that people check their emails more than they take a flyer that is handed to them in person, its better in their inbox than in a bin!

Work out an agenda for re-sending the information in the form of an email, an initial send out, then a reminder on the morning of the day of your private view. It is a good idea to be consistent with the image that is used in order to build a representing presence. It is easy enough to imbed the image into the email instead of sending it as an attachment, perhaps as a header for a press release or just the image as itself.

If you upload the image to your listing or even to your blog then use the a-n url where the image is as a page to be linked to from any advertisement or marketing that you do. For example if you post your show in a local online group (for example Leeds Visual Arts Forum that exists as an yahoo group to which professionals in the local arts scene are subscribed), they usually don’t allow images so the next best thing is to link to a page where there is more content to see, including your image.

People will always click on the thumbnail, so the thumbnail’s destination needs to provide as much information as possible. Also, if someone gets to the a-n homepage and searches the name of your degree show, or your institution, relevant images will come up first. So it is important that this image is as applicable as possible.

Other things to include/consider for your listing

• Have you looked at what other students have already listed before you upload yours? 
• Link to website/websites Links to any other relevant content on the a-n site
• Link from your blog to the listing Links to a press release Call out for reviews

Upload your listing and read others: Degree show listings: log on and upload »
Any comments suggestions? please email me richard.taylor@a-n.co.uk

First published: a-n.co.uk April 2009