Title: Writing an exhibition proposal
1 'Writing an exhibition proposal' How to tackle
writing and putting together an exhibition
proposal. Jenny Brownrigg
2- Exhibition proposal
- Usually comprises of
- -Proposal
- -Artist Statement
- -Images
- -Image List
- CV
- -Supporting material
- cover letter (if appropriate)
- Budget (if asked for)
3- Proposal
- Tips
- ensure that all is typed and in the same font,
from proposal through to image list and cv - No curly fonts! Keep it Helvetica or Arial
- Keep it in a logical order so the panel can read
through it easily - Dont write an epic. It will not be read. Keep
proposal to maximum of 2 x A4 sides if the
organisation has not set a word count - Good quality digital images - keep same size and
300dpi. Ensure they can open on mac and pc. Do
not supply over the amount asked for (normally
10) - Supporting material If supplying a film have it
cued at bit you want the selection panel to see -
it may be you edit an excerpt or have a showreel
with a menu that they can select to watch. Again
a panel will only spend max 3 mins on watching
something. Stick to what they ask for re.
duration
4- -Exhibition Proposal
- Write a clear proposal
- Dont make generalisations, be specific and
articulate your idea / concept clearly without
going down path of high-theoretical language -
Dont quote Deleuze, Derrida or Lacan! - -Project working title
- - names of artist/s
- -Detailed summary of your idea
- Themes of the project
- Proposed idea
- If group show why are you working together?
- If solo how would this opportunity be key in the
development of your practice
5- Example
- See handout
- Excerpt of Exhibitions Dept proposal to Cupar
Arts Festival 2008 - -Project working title Fifeman
- -Detailed summary of your idea
- This exhibition is an unconventional exploration
of the psyche of Fifeman by four male artists
all hailing from towns in Fife. All four artists
utilise myth, storytelling along with the people
and places of Fife in their work. Fifeman
presents the work of Dunfermline man Alan Grieve,
Kelty lads Jason Nelson and Kevin Reid, with
Peter Haining who was schooled at Bell Baxter,
Cupar and Buckhaven High School. All Fifemen
attended Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and
Design, Dundee.
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7- Example
- Lower Foyer exhibition
- Lauren Gault and Ashley Nieuwenhuizen
- -Project working title Moult-in
- Aim of project
- Gault and Nieuwenhuizen had identified
theoretical and stylistic connections between
their work, which they had realised during their
degree show in 2008, which they wanted to have
the opportunity to explore through working
together in collaborating on a two-person
exhibition. - -Detailed summary of your idea
- Excerpt from proposal
- Moult-in will give us the opportunity to explore
the dialogue between our practices. - Through the morphing of her body, to that of
animal, Ashley Nieuwenhuizen explores the
relationship between man and creature, and the
similarities and characteristics shared. Lauren
Gaults work centres around a preoccupation with
the brutal and often violent reality of the
processes in nature beyond the realm of
instinct.
8- -Artist Statement
- Purpose This provides a summary overview of your
practice - Aims It provides a logical overview of your
practice and will support the idea you are
presenting in your proposal. - Make sure it links to your proposal idea
- NB If you are proposing an exhibition of bronze
bridges, it would not make sense if your artist
statement is about your self-portrait paintings.
The panel would just discount it as it is too big
a jump. - Form it takes
- Introductory paragraph to main themes or ideas of
your work - Second paragraph could pull out some examples of
projects that have formed your practice
9- Example artist statement
- Catherine Street
- Catherine Streets practice stems from drawing
but encompasses writing, performance,
installation and video. Much of the work on paper
involves the modification of found printed
matter, through drawing, collage and cutting.
Sources for this work include photographic
imagery from vintage crime, nature and scientific
books and magazines, as well as digital imagery
generated by searching the web. Drawing and
writing are developed in tandem and often overlap
with each other so that writing becomes part of
the practice of drawing and vice versa. - Performance to camera work has looked at drawing
and performance, with four Ink videos which
bring the act of drawing close to the body, as
ink is dripped on to the flesh, blown out of a
straw or, in the case of Ink 3, blood is used as
ink. Current avenues of interest centre around
developing performances based on documentary
video footage or from previous performances. The
writing and collage based elements of drawing are
used in the derivation of scripted performance.
10Budget Income total should always equal
expenditure total Income amount might be stated
by organisation. If expenditure is more than that
you would have to specify where other funding
comes from What costs does organisation cover?
Artist fee? Print, opening, travel costs? AN has
good guide of charge per day for your time if you
need to put that in, even as an in-kind cost eg.
New graduate artist 183 per day
11Supporting material Types of images Installation
Shot
12Detail shot
13Detail shot
14Above Image of Second project NB. Always select
the images to support that particular
application You dont have to show them
everything - stick to selecting a couple of
projects that support that particular
proposal Never send more than they specify - the
panel will not look at it
15Proposal title Your name Image List (comprises
of numbered index Title of Work, Year, Medium,
and if necessary, short explanation of
image) 1. A Conflict of Interests, 2008 Carved
beech wood taps, on a beech shelf with soap
dishes carved into it. Installed on a wall as
part of my degree show, the title coming from a
conversation I had with an artist 2. Cmon Tim,
If Not For Yourself, Do It For England, 2008
Interactive croquet set comprising of a tennis
ball, ragged bronze hoops and rudimentary
mallet 3. Club Tie Series (1st, 2nd and 3rd),
2008 Painting triptych produced for a show at
Wasp Studios, Glasgow, which also appeared in a
show at White Nave, Devon, in an exhibition
curated by graduates of Central St Martins
16CV Example PLEASE NOT THIS! CV Name Address Emai
l contact Phone number Born dd/mm/yyyy Educati
on 2004 2008 BA(Hons) Fine Art (1st Class
Honours) Exhibitions 2008 Jul
Aug Departures Charlton Art Centre, Dover
17CV Name Address Email contact Phone number Born
dd/mm/yyyy In headings section always start
with most recent dates and work back - also
edit!!! Education 2004 2008 BA(Hons) Fine Art
(1st Class Honours) Exhibitions 2008 Jul
Aug Departures Charlton Art Centre, Dover
Jul Aug New Generation Show 2008 Compass
Gallery, Glasgow Jun Aug Francis Boag
supporting exhibition Just Art,
Fochabers 2007 Nov Preview Roseangle
Gallery, Dundee Nov Multiply in conjunction
with Great Glen House, Inverness More Than
Us, Dalziel and Scullion
18Work experience 2008 present Committee
member, Generator Projects, Dundee 2008 Deboardi
ng Degree Show areas, University of
Dundee 2007 Invigilator at WASP Studios, Dundee
Six Cities DesignFestival 2006
present Curator Writer of exhibition
interpretation and accompanying text Gallery,
A New Contemporary Space, Dundee
Other headings could be Curated
Exhibitions Awards and residencies Publications
19If you are writing a proposal to a brief provided
by the organisation, make sure you identify and
answer all the questions they ask, in your
proposal Example Hand-out Nine Trades of
Dundee brief Fraser Macdonald proposal
20Useful Website www.a-n.co.uk Good Practice
Guide for New Artists http//www.a-n.co.uk/publi
cations/document/360872 which summarises areas
to think about with reference to further a-n
published reading available for A-N and also uses
artist case studies to give examples. The two
further reading sources which are most relevant
to writing proposals are the following Going
for Grants http//www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/art
icle/257212 about Writing a Clear Proposal,
Compiling a Realistic Budget, Speaking the
Language of the Funders and writing in Evaluation
of your Project. Proposals http//www.a-n.co.uk
/knowledge_bank/article/81045 which speaks about
different Contexts for the Proposal and
Opportunity, Matching your Agenda to that of the
Organisation, how to Handle the Element of
Competition and making sure your Documentation is
up to scratch.