Setting up and running a pop up exhibition | How to do it | Alexis Hyde
Alexis Hyde is a Los Angeles based curator and project manager, who previously directed The Museum of Broken Relationships. In the last 5 years she’s focused on pop up shows in LA with Southern Californian emerging artists to engage with the local community in a way that is fun, active, and real, as part of Softcore, a curatorial partnership. Softcore host at least four shows a year ranging from one night only to month long installations. These are an opportunity to introduce artists to other artists and get peoples name out there as well as giving people an excuse to work and something to promote.
Alexis’ advice on how to host your own pop up show:
1. Finding a space
The first thing to do is find a space. A big part of this will be your budget. If you have a budget then rent a space, research and reach out to what's available in the area. If you have no budget then ask friends and ask about, Alexis’s first show was in a space loaned by a friend of a friend with a great studio, the artist was happy to lend their space as they were keen to engage with the local community. Get creative with your search. It could be an apartment, restaurant or even a hair salon. Unusual spaces are a great way to engage new audiences.
2. Work out your timeline
Once in your space, work out a timeline. How much time do you have? You really need a minimum of two days because you need to install and de-install. If it comes down to it you can install that day, and then you'll need to de-install the next day. Make sure to find out when you will have access to the space. Give yourself 3-4 weeks at least to plan the show from when you’ve found the location. It's always fun to have a last minute show tomorrow night but as we all get older and busier it's easier to plan it if you have a little bit more time
3. Time to figure out your concept
Think about what your space is and what is logical in the space. It’s fun to be ambitious but practicality in this area really saves a lot of sanity. Consider what are the capabilities in terms of power? In terms of install, what are the walls like? How heavy can you hang? What kind of wifi access do you have? What are the install and de-install requirements going to be? Are you going to be patching up holes? Are you going to have to re-paint? These are the kind of things that are going to help inform your concept, and it’s kind of fun and a little bit more creative when you have to work within these sorts of parameters. If you are doing a group show, this is when you want to ask and reach out to the artists, make sure that they know what the concept is and what it is exactly that you're looking for from them.
4. Working with artists
You don't want to be closed to ideas, maybe the artist is working on something that you're not aware of, but if they're down for a painting and then they want to include a sculpture, say no. Be firm with what you want and need from the artists from the start. Get a consignment form for every artist that's participating. It'll have details about the install, the de-install, timings and what's expected of them. If you are selling work, it must be agreed beforehand what the percentages will be, how it is going to be paid and when. Give yourselves deadlines to receive payments and how these will be received.
5. Marketing
Hopefully you will have your own Instagram and social media that you can promote on. Have precise information sent to all artists and get these double checked by at least two other people beforehand,including images, dates and location address. Double-check all of your local weeklies, your calendars, Time Out and local arts websites, most of them have submission forms that you can send off a website or an email specifically for submissions or for consideration. Check through peoples Instagrams, Twitters, and websites to gather emails. Contact radio stations, local brands and local companies and let them know - everybody needs content!
When you send all of those emails make sure you Bcc do not Cc. When doing an email blast try to use a service like Mailchimp, usually if you have less than a certain number of emails then it will be free and look professional. Make a Facebook page and make sure everybody can invite and share. If you have a little cash in the budget, you can do a targeted ad to general people in the area. If you want to do flyers try to get these out at least two weeks before the show, make sure you have a comprehensive list of all the artists and their Instagram handles for all promotions. You will also need their titles and prices if you're going to be selling. Make sure that very single page that you've printed includes your contact info. Print-out labels for the work including prices, artist names and Insta handle to make it accessible to everyone.
6. Catering
Reach out to brands you have had contact with for food and drinks. Ask local brands, cafes and restaurants. They will get content and promotion and potentially promote you to their press list too.
Invite Friends and guests to bring a bottle, some beers or even a dish!
7. The day before
Make sure to have a list of everyone involved and an email list to check in with people leading up to the event. Once everything is in place and everyone is checked in on, this is a good time to pick up supplies like drinks, cups etc. Make a list of everything you need so nothing is forgotten.
8. The day of the show
After everything is installed, plan to arrive at the venue at least two hours before in case you have forgotten anything. Go over all your lists and make sure everything is in place and be there for any deliveries. Once people start to arrive be sure to be available. Make sure you get to have fun! Thank people for coming, especially if anyone important came or if any artists have brought guests.
9. The de-install
Always bring your own fully stocked cleaning supplies so you can leave things in a great shape to keep good relations and get any deposits back. Make sure you keep artist wrappings for the de-install to keep the artwork as integral as possible. This also helps if you sell something you can just wrap it right up in the container that it came in and give it back to them, make sure to pack extra tape!
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