Comments on: Help promote a Wisconsin retirement community art show

By: Big Mike St Louis

Big Mike St Louis — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:38:09 +0000

Hi I love it when a plan comes together
and i see some people have gave you
some really good advice. i think the christmas
party invite might do good but
use post cards and set up a capture page
for serious enrollise and have it where
they have to enroll early get a specia;l code
to present in person only to clailm their
Fre Plasma TY or something up scale like a FREE
Painting signed by the artist. welll you get theideal
PS: Post card work really well inside those
envelopes that look like wedding invitations.

Good luck i want to see this work great
so i will add lets all pray as well
that will really ensure your success.

By: Steven Home

Steven Home — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:02:04 +0000

We could partner! I have a brand NEW low cost ($1.50 ea) brainteaser/learning tool/puzzle, I invented and am trying to market to retirement communities. Some use it for bingo prizes, but you could use it as a promotional item for your project.

Everyone enjoys getting something for nothing, don’t that!

By: Ariane Goodwin

Ariane Goodwin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:08:04 +0000

All of the suggestions here are stellar.
And here’s one more idea you can mine:
Has this artist given you an artist statement to work with? If yes, is this statement written in first person, and is there a human interest story in there?

If he has, and there is, I’d use this as a jumping off point to conduct a telephone/recorded interview that opens up his personal story around why he makes art, how he started, what inspires him.

And if he doesn’t have an artist statement, I’d do the interview anyway.

And then I’d get that audio up on your website; use it as a narration with a slideshow of his art work in your gallery and put that up on YouTube; pitch it to a local radio station to play segments of the interview or to a local journalist for writing a story.

Offering people the story behind the art brings the mystery into their living rooms where it can become irresistible.

By: Shel Horowitz

Shel Horowitz — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:01:36 +0000

1. If the artist paints on a theme (e.g., nature, human portraits, alleyways), find community orgs in alignment with that theme and reach out to them.

2. Develop local contacts on Twitter and Facebook and send a string of interest-building notices there.

3. Have you done the media angle about the unusualnes of yur venue?

Shel Horowitz, author of Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World and four other marketing books, http://www.frugalmarketing.com

By: Robyn

Robyn — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:36:14 +0000

The last week of December your community is likely to be filled with a lot of visitors who are sick of being locked inside with their relatives and want something to do that can include the whole family. I’d try to find a way to market to that audience – here’s something great to do that’s inexpensive and fun (especially if it is free). First two weeks of January are also dead times in the media world. That’s another good time to try to drive in some business. Ask the TV folks if you can come on and talk about the show and bring a piece of art with you that last week of December or first week of January, or if they’ll do a live shot from the gallery. tie it to the economy – we’re all looking for inexpensive things to do with our families, etc.

By: Sarah Adams, owner of AV Framing Gallery

Sarah Adams, owner of AV Framing Gallery — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:20:23 +0000

Kendra,
I too own an upscale gallery, and unfortunately, I think your show may have become a two-fold victim of a poor economy (many novice collectors are scared of potential high prices of well-known artists) and a tough time of year (depending upon what day in November you scheduled).
I suggest trying after the New Year. I tend to promote a “Last Chance” private invitation to everyone, including those that did show up. Be sure to include a link to your press release (PRLog?) and newspaper/magazine review of the show, quotes from the artist on the opening.
They will feel like they really missed a great event, and are more likely to show up for the last week of the show!