How to write a press release about an exhibit
and turn it into an article in Carolina Arts.
(Written for Dec. 1999)
by Tom Starland, editor/publisher
First off,
I can tell you what's not a press release. An artist's resumé
is not a press release. An artist's statement is not a press release.
A copy of an article written about another exhibit by an artist
who will show at a different gallery with a different group of
works is not a press release. Any combination of these three items
does still not make a press release.
I have received press releases which after reading them only leave
more questions unanswered than information offered. Some press
releases forget to tell you the ending dates of the exhibit, while
others forget to include the location of the exhibit, and my favorites
are the ones that spell the name of the artist several different
ways in the same sentence. The all time worst ones are those that
come in plain envelopes with no return address and no name or
number of the person who sent it. It's kind of hard to call someone
and ask them what the hours of the gallery are, the street address,
and a contact number when they don't give you a number to call
to ask questions. You can do an investigation and find out how
to get that information, but does any editor pressed for time
bother? I know I don't anymore!
Every press release about an exhibit should have the following
(typed) information (for both non-profit and commercial galleries):
1) The who, what, when, and where paragraph. The first
paragraph of the press release should give the gallery name, general
location, exhibit title, names of participating artists (you are
responsible for the correct spelling of names), short description,
and opening and ending dates of the exhibit.
Here's an example:
Works by Cat-in-the-Hat to Show at Carolina's Hooterville Museum
The Green Eggs
and Ham Gallery at the Hooterville Museum of Contemporary Art
in downtown Hooterville, Carolina, will present an exhibition
of conceptualized photographs by Cat-in-the-Hat entitled, A
(an) Honest Look at City Hall. The exhibition will open on
June 14 and continue through June 15, 1999. It will be the first
and only opportunity for the public to view these controversial
works which caused the Mayor of Hooterville to cut the city's
funding for the Hooterville Museum of Contemporary Art.
2) The next paragraph should give information about the
artist and the works in the exhibit.
Our continuing example:
Cat-in-the-Hat moved to Hooterville in 1991 to take the position
of Artist-in-Residence at Hooterville University. It was at the
University where the artist developed his new medium of choice
- conceptualized photography. Conceptualized photography is where
the viewer sees whatever they want and that is exactly what the
artist wanted it to be. The artist does admit that with this new
form of photography the burden is on the viewer more than it is
on the images' creator.
Before the development of conceptualized photography, Cat-in-the-Hat
thought of himself as a creator of insider art - art created by
people with numerous art degrees and no creative vision, but have
total support and acceptance by the established art community.
A (an) Honest Look at City Hall, will feature 16 conceptualized
photographs show casing Hooterville City Hall, including images
of Mayor Yertle the Turtle. It is these images which the Mayor
is trying to stop the Museum from showing by threatening to cut
the City's funding to the Museum. "It makes you wonder if
the Mayor is afraid to find out how the public views him,"
commented the artist when asked about the controversy.
Before moving to Hooterville, Cat-in-the-Hat lived in Whoville,
SC, where he was working on a project, funded by the National
Endowment of Self Indulgence, to document the everyday life of
Whoville. His day involved carrying around a video camera attached
to a hat that was set up to take 15 seconds of video every hour.
At night the artist would just point the hat at himself while
sleeping. Cat-in-the-Hat had completed eleven years of the project
before Congress cut funding for the NESI in 1990. The artist protested
the action by Congress by smashing his video hat on the front
steps of the Lincoln Memorial, stating that he would remain enslaved
by Congress until NESI funding was restored. It was this action
which gained the artist the attention of the Art Department at
Hooterville University and the Artist-in-Residence position.
3) The next paragraph
should give further background information about the artist, as
far as education, grants, awards, and inclusion of works in collections.
And, any other important accomplishments.
Our continuing example:
Cat-in-the-Hat has the highest degrees available at leading universities
throughout the country. He has received continuous grants and
fellowships from every funding agency known. His works are included
in all the important private, public and corporate collections,
as well as those that are not yet known to be important at this
time. Cat-in-the-Hat is also credited with designing the "first"
cover of the Beatles' LP, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band, which was never seen by the public and no known copies
exist.
4) The final paragraph should include important information
about the exhibition space and contact numbers for the space,
as well as those providing the press release. This could include
web site URL.
Our continuing example:
For further information about the Museum call 100/987-6543.
For further info about Cat-in-the-Hat, call the Lucky 100 Agency
at 200/123-4567, e-mail at (IM@home.com) or on the web at (http://www16.Lucky100.com).
Special Note: It is advised that you should send
a color slide, photo, or artcard, (of artwork to be shown in the
exhibit) or electronic images, which could be converted to B&W
(avoid images with lots of shades of red). These items should
be copies which don't necessarily have to be returned. But, if
they do need to be returned, include a Self Addressed Stamped
Envelope (SASE).
Now, our example
press release may have more information than will be used by the
media, after all, that's what editors are for. Nonetheless, it
has all the information needed to be a good press release and
a future article in Carolina Arts. Most people just send
the info found in the first and last paragraphs, and most of the
time, they don't include all that info. I find it hard to believe
that anyone presenting the public with an exhibition of art by
a single artist, duo, or a group of artists can't follow this
formula to produce a respectable press release. If you don't know
this information or the artist can't provide it, I don't know
if you should be presenting the exhibit - you're not ready or
prepared to have a successful exhibition.
In some cases, representatives of other media, otherwise known
as real art reporters, may contact you for further tidbits of
information to justify their salaries. At Carolina Arts,
we don't have time and we prefer to receive all the information
we need in the press release. Depending on how well it is written
and how informative it is, we may reprint it as is. Some people
think of press releases as just an invitation to call to ask about
something unrelated to the exhibit or as an opportunity for poetic
license to interpret what you said on the phone anyway they want.
At Carolina Arts we think you should know your artist(s),
what you are presenting, and what you want the public to know
about it, better than we do or ever will. We're in the business
of distributing information about the visual arts.
This is how people get articles in Carolina Arts and how
we can operate this newspaper without a staff on a monthly basis,
every month. I hope you find this article informative.
One last thing. Don't send us a press release if you don't have
a gallery space in North or South Carolina. If you are from outside
our area of coverage and want information about your exhibit in
Carolina Arts, you can purchase a display ad to have that
info included.
Update: 2001
Since this
article first appeared in Carolina Arts, back in Dec. 1999,
I have received many comments and questions about the piece. Overall,
many people found it helpful and informative. Some people found
it to be just another smart-ass piece by me and another way to
slip a commentary into the paper. Although it's in my nature to
be smart-ass, most of the time I'm not trying to be, and yes,
the article was just another opportunity for me to make a few
editorial comments about some people in the art community, but
the main purpose was to help others write better press releases.
One item I forgot to emphasize in the article is that all press
releases we receive about exhibits, don't always get into the
paper, but all press releases about exhibits will make in on our
web site - if received by deadline. You're here now, so you can
take a look and see.
Each month we receive many more press releases than we could ever
fit into the paper. Some are from people who had press releases
in each of the last three months and it was time to give someone
else some space. Some are from areas of the Carolinas which we
don't cover in the paper (like Raleigh. Durham, Chapel Hill),
while some just didn't make it because we ran out of space. A
few are just too incomplete to print and there is no way to get
further info.
We don't just include press releases that only come from our advertisers.
If that was so, more than half the articles you see each month
wouldn't be there. Many of our advertisers don't send us press
releases - they prefer their ads to do their talking. We don't
sell inclusion in our paper, but we do consider the needs of our
supporters, and rightfully so, they are the people who make the
paper possible. We have had many articles about many exhibit spaces
who have never advertised with us and we will continue to run
those press releases - that's the way we do things here. We think
balance and content are more important than selling space in the
paper. Our supports seem to agree with that policy too.
If you still don't think you can write a decent press release,
even after our helpful advise - there are lots of writers for
hire out there. They talk the talk and can write volumes about
anything.
The final point is - I think it is extremely important to publicize
your exhibitions - through advertising or by press release. Not
with just us, but to many sources. And, not taking advantage of
any and every free opportunity just doesn't make since to me -
does it to you?
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O.
Drawer 427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: info@carolinaarts.com
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2009 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2009 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.