Square Edge Community Arts

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

The way that you prepare yourself, your publicity materials, and your work for an exhibition, and how you interact with a gallery space matters. Well prepared, professional artists are more likely to have their proposals accepted and to be invited back for ongoing opportunities. Being well organised, delivering requested items to any given deadlines, and communicating effectively are key elements of professional arts practice.

Our team understand that exhibiting can be intimidating but we are here to help you navigate this experience. Please just ask us if you have any questions or get stuck with any aspect of your preparation.

FRAMING

Framing can elevate or detract from your artworks. If you can manage it professional framing makes a huge difference. Square Edge have our own in-house framer Keith Peters: http://www.artofframing.co.nz/

PRESENTING YOUR WORK FOR EXHIBITION

Professional presentation of your work for the exhibition can have an enormous impact on how viewers perceive the works. The extra time that this might take is well worth the effort and does not have to be expensive.

If you are framing works yourself then there are a few tricks that can help you to create a more professional, consistent body of work:

  • Purchase or spray paint your frames all one colour (unless you want your frames to be a feature of the work it is better to use one colour)
  • Tape the backs
  • Attach D rings and string
  • Label the back with the artist’s name, the title of work, media used and price (please ensure that this cannot fall off when the work is hung)
  • Allow at least 8 weeks for professional framing and at least one week before exhibition if you are framing works yourself.

HANGING

Square Edge provide assistance with curating and hanging your works. It helps us if you have ideas about how your works might hang and the groupings that make sense conceptually. We are happy to work with you to plan your installation. A few tips that can help:

  • Group similar sized, shaped, and coloured frames together for hanging
  • Group similar coloured or shaped artworks, or works that complement each other together
  • Provide a layout sheet of the works if you have a specific format you would like on the wall (lay works on the floor and photograph)
  • Ensure that you have provided a secure method of hanging the works

    TITLES, STATEMENT AND SIGNAGE

    Please use the template provided for your titles and exhibition statement – stick to the fonts styles and sizes given. Professional vinyl signage can be arranged in house and is well worth investing into. Square Edge have an in house printer and can arrange for you to speak to them about your requirements or visit: https://www.facebook.com/displicosigns/

    YOUR CONTRACT

    You are required to sign a contract, agreeing to the terms and conditions laid out by Square Edge. Please read this carefully. This will need to be returned prior to works being accepted for installation.

    INVOICING

    An invoice will be sent out to you. Please pay this at least one week prior to your installation date. If payment is not made we will be unable to hang your works.

    PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF YOUR  ARTWORKS

    Having great images of your artworks can be a huge help in your online promotion, marketing and for future exhibition proposals. Bernadette Peters Photography is in the Square Edge Building: https://www.facebook.com/PORTRAITSbyBERNADETTE/ Bernadette can take some beautiful high-resolution images of your artworks at a very reasonable price – please contact her to discuss.