5 Lessons I Learned After Going to My First Art Show

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The art world can be a little intimidating, especially if you are new in town. With all the shows, who do you want to see? What’s the difference between a gallery and a collective space? Do you need to prepare for a night of art viewing?

Here are five things I learned after going to my first art show:

1. Art is everywhere.

Art can be any object that triggers an emotional response in the viewer. It can be abstract or realistic, traditional or experimental. The important thing is that it has been made by someone with a lot of passion and love for their craft. As my guide, John (who took me to my first gallery), said, “you could argue that every piece of furniture we use is an art object.”

The canvas itself doesn’t make art; it’s the artist that does. This means that you could find art in your own backyard!

The first time I went to a gallery opening was in college. I was at the University of Washington and my friend invited me to come with her to an opening in Seattle. I knew nothing about art and almost nothing about galleries, but it sounded like a fun activity and I said yes.

Thing is, there were no paintings on the walls. It was all sculpture. And everyone who was there was dressed up in black. The whole experience felt very intimidating.

It took me years after that before I decided to go back to another art show again, and when I did, it was still a struggle for me to feel comfortable at them and enjoy myself. But once I learned how to navigate a gallery show and what to look out for, it became much easier for me to enjoy myself at them: all I had to do was keep these five things in mind.*

Art is usually intimidating. It can be scary to walk into a gallery. Most people don’t know how to react to art.

Art shows are the best place if you want to learn more about art. Here are some things that I learned while going to my first art shows:

1- The art show will be crowded with people

2- The art show will be full of artworks that you would never really like, but still you will ask yourself why it is so popular and why does everyone like it

3- There will be artists who are friends with each other there

4- You will be surrounded by good looking people who appreciate amazing art

5- It is more fun than one can imagine

I have been to quite a lot of art shows now, and I’ve learned a few things that might be useful for people who are interested in investing in art.

So here are some tips to help navigate the world of art:

1) Don’t get intimidated by the artists. They’re just people and many of them will be more than willing to talk about their work.

2) Check out the bios of the artists, sometimes it will give you good insight into their work.

3) Buy from artists that have a story to tell and exhibit regularly.

4) Don’t try and buy “the next big thing.” Instead buy something you like.

5) Don’t get suckered into buying prints or secondary works on paper. This is where most galleries make their money, because they can mark up prices since they don’t have to pay the same cost on materials or labor.”

It’s easy to feel lost at art shows. The unfamiliar and sometimes expensive work can induce a kind of paralysis. The most interesting work isn’t always easy to find and the most expensive pieces aren’t necessarily the best. A lot of art is difficult and abstract, so it’s not always obvious why one piece is more valuable than another.

Art shows, like other kinds of markets, are places where money flows toward quality, but it doesn’t flow toward quality automatically. It has to be pushed there by knowledgeable collectors who are willing to pay for it.

That’s why the best advice I can give you about navigating art shows is: know your collector.

Of course if you’re just starting out collecting art, you probably don’t yet have that kind of insider knowledge. But you can still get a lot out of a show if you know what questions to ask and what’s worth looking for…

The art world is a complex scene and navigating can be tricky. It’s easy to get lost in the crowd and find yourself surrounded by works that you think are mediocre at best.

Trying to make sense of it all can be challenging too, with trends, styles and fashions changing on a dime.

The following list is a combination of advice, tips and my own opinions based on my experiences attending art shows over the years. I hope they’ll be helpful to anyone who is just starting out or looking for some ways to improve their experience at art shows.*

*I am not an expert in the art world or a professional critic so don’t take this as gospel. These observations are based on my own experiences and observations.*

As I walked in the crowd, I could see that most people were looking at the artworks with their head only, not their eyes or heart. They were asking themselves: “is this useful?” or “how much is it worth?” but not How did they do it? or What does it mean?

Art is a language that talks to our soul. Art is a way of sharing knowledge, thoughts and feelings. Therefore, there is no limit to art as long as you want to express something.

Art inspires creativity and imagination. Art shows us hidden patterns in the world around us and helps us discover new ways to solve problems.

Art makes you think outside the box and challenges your vision of reality.

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