How to Use Jewelry Exhibition Opportunities

Being an artist isn’t easy, not only do you need to make work but then you also have to sell it. How do you stand out in the competitive jewelry space? Read Bella Neyman's advice on using jewelry exhibitions as a strategy for getting exposure for your brand.

Look for New Jewelry Exhibition Options

Raleigh-based artist Tara Locklear travels extensively around the country participating in craft shows, museum fundraisers, and has built relationships with galleries like Pistachios in Chicago and Ombre gallery in Cincinnati. Locklear says that she is constantly searching for new exhibition opportunities. "It is part of my work schedule yearly planning. In particular, I look for new types of events in cities that the work has not been shown in before, to continually grow the audience for my work." She also uses websites, such as callforentry.org, zapplication.org, or artfaircalendar.com to find new projects. "I do find that doing craft shows also lead to other opportunities such as group exhibitions or possible museum collaborative work pop-ups. I believe that 'showing up' at all of my work events aide in multiple connections for growing my business in multiple facets beyond just sales."

Some artists have begun to create opportunities for other artists. Kat Cole and Laura Wood founded Jewelry Edition (JE) in 2012 out of a "desire to find new methods of sharing work without relying on preexisting template." Cole and Wood told me that "in the beginning our focus was to seek new opportunities for early career artists and it has evolved to provide support for artists in the various stages of an art practice." JE puts out an annual call for work, their last one for JE5, recently closed.

The project also pushes artists to think about their practice a bit differently, "Jewelry Edition has provided a challenge for some artists to build out a collection featuring limited edition production in addition to one-of-a-kind work and has also been a launching point for artists to see the impact of avant-garde work with unexpected clients." Cole and Wood wear many hats themselves but they have really carved out a much needed space for JE. "The feedback from JE participants has been exceptionally positive: increased interest in work from a larger audience, new gallery representation, and a sense of community."

Branch Out From the Traditional Location

Finding venues for JE exhibitions is also a good lesson for other artist's who want to be more independent and needs ideas on how to do it. "We have secured venues in a variety of ways: through existing gallery relationships we both have from our individual practices, cold calls to spaces we see as exciting opportunities, and making relationships at conferences and large gatherings where these conversations happen naturally. We also include one or two experimental spaces each year. For example, we teamed up with a culinary artist in Atlanta to share clients lists and an event space for an evening of jewelry, music and hors d'oeuvres. We welcome any ideas or collaborative opportunities and we stay open-minded about how each year will develop. Jewelry Edition is an extension of our creative practices and so we are continually re-examining how it can evolve."

In the end, Cole and Wood agree that "the landscape of being an independent artist is challenging and working together and with our network of artists and collaborators has allowed us to be creative."