I was talking to an artist the other day. He had spoken to representatives at two public relation firms who told him that he wasn’t a good candidate for PR because he didn’t have an upcoming gallery show.
I’m not quite sure what to make of those two responses.
Either those two firms didn’t want his business, didn’t understand the basics of effective PR, were not very creative, or were simply lazy.
A gallery show offers a specific call to action answering the media’s who, what, where questions. But to say that an artist cannot launch an effective media campaign without an upcoming gallery show is simply… wrong!
The media is looking for stories and those stories are not tied to a specific show or gallery opening.
A show is one angle, but it is simply that, one angle.
To land media interest, you need a compelling story, or, better yet, compelling stories. We’ve gained more media for artists outside of galleries than for being shown in galleries.
It all depends on the angle, the hook, the story.
Effective PR is effective storytelling. No story, no media.
Simply presenting your work, no matter how compelling, will seldom be enough to garner media coverage. What the media needs is a strong narrative.
When I worked as a journalist and as a magazine editor, my job was to present stories that were of interest to my readers. When I wrote about artists, musicians or authors, it wasn’t enough to present their works and leave it at that. I needed a story, a narrative, a point of view that would interest my readers.
The same holds true for all media outlets from print, to TV, to radio to blogs and online publications. This is the primary fact that all artists need to realize, it’s not enough to showcase your art, you need to showcase it within the context of a compelling story. It can be about your art, your journey as an artist, or some other aspect, but you need a story, an angle.
So, yes, a show can be helpful, but fact that you have a show, or are being showcased at a gallery is not enough. You need a storyline that will not only interest, but captivate the media. Once you have that, you’re well position to have your artwork covered in the press and to create a strong brand for yourself and your artwork.
Copyright © PR For Artists – Artist PR Firm – Mora Communications 2015