Lesson video

Promotions: how to publicize a show for Art and design unit, Curating an exhibition.

Hello.

My name is Ms. Badru.

I hope that you are all doing well.

I'm really looking forward to teaching and learning with you today.

Our learning outcome for this lesson is, I can use posters and other creative methods to promote an art exhibition.

Our keywords for this lesson are poster and show.

Let's explore each in turn to find out what they mean.

Poster, a visual display used to catch attention, share information, and promote an event, artwork, or idea.

Show, a public presentation of artwork, such as an exhibition or performance, where artists display their work for an audience to view, experience, and to respond to.

So those are our keywords, poster and show.

For this lesson, we have two learning cycles.

So let's begin with the first one, Promoting a show.

The art students are discussing the possible audience for an upcoming exhibition.

What are your reflections? Alex asks, "Who do we want to see our work, friends, teachers, or people online?" Aisha says, "It might change how we show it.

If it's for teachers, maybe more technical explanations.

If it's online, maybe something more fun or relatable." Before promoting your work, it's important to think about who you want to engage, whether that's classmates, teachers, the local community, or online viewers.

How you present your work may change depending on your audience.

For example, Aneesa Dawoojee aims to celebrate the essence of community through portraiture to challenge stereotypes, while Renaissance artists tailored their explanations to wealthy patrons or church officials to secure commissions.

Decide how you will present your work so people notice and understand it.

Some ideas might be physical promotion, posters, exhibition panels, catalogs, printed invites, digital promotion, social media posts, short videos, virtual galleries, podcasts, interviews, live promotion, artist talks, performance, demonstrations, community storytelling, or guided tours.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding.

Which of the following are ways to promote your artwork? A, ignoring your audience, B, social media posts and artist talks, C, keeping your work private, D, not explaining your ideas.

So pause here for a moment and think about your answer, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, let's take a look.

And the answer is B.

Social media posts, posters, and artist talks.

Posters, exhibition panels, catalogs, and printed invites remain a reliable way to catch attention.

You can make them more engaging by experimenting with unusual materials, popup designs, or interactive elements such as fold-outs, textured paper, or QR codes that link to digital content.

For a student show, small handouts like postcards or stickers featuring artwork can also help spread interest organically.

Social media posts, short videos, virtual galleries, podcasts, and interviews are increasingly important.

Novel approaches might include live-streaming The exhibition setup, creating a time-lapse video of artworks coming to life, or hosting a takeover where students share behind-the-scenes insights.

Artist talks, performances, demonstrations, community storytelling, or guided tours allow direct engagement with your audience.

Consider immersive experiences, for example, pairing a performance with the exhibition's themes, hosting collaborative workshops, or arranging walking tours that connect your work to its wider context.

Even live music inspired by the exhibition can create memorable, shareable experiences that go beyond a traditional exhibition visit.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding.

True or false? The only way to promote an exhibition is to make a poster.

Is this true or false? So just pause here briefly for a moment and think about your answer, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, so what do you think? Let's take a look.

The answer is false.

And why do you think this is? There are many ways to promote an exhibition, depending on the exhibition and the audience.

Let's bring our attention and focus to task A, promoting a show.

So select an image or images that represent your exhibition theme or themes.

Pause the video here to undertake this task, and resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together and look at feedback in response to task A, in which you were tasked to select an image or images that represent your exhibition theme or themes.

There are many possible outcomes.

Let's take a look at this example.

Play is a right, shine bright.

So Aisha says, "I discussed with other members of my class and we each chose a piece of our own work and then had a vote.

This piece won the vote.

It really encapsulates the theme and it is eye-catching and clear." Let's move forward with our second learning cycle, Creating an exhibition poster.

Okay, let's look at creating an exhibition poster.

Posters are not the only method to promote an exhibition, but they remain one of the most accessible and versatile tools, especially for student shows.

They are used to catch attention, communicate key information, and create visual interest.

The primary purpose of a poster is to catch attention, communicate central information, and generate visual interest.

Posters can be approached in a variety of ways depending on the intended audience, style, and budget.

Exhibition posters can be highly collectible, especially if they are visually striking, historically significant, or associated with a famous artist or event.

19th- and early 20th-century Art Nouveau posters by Alphonse Mucha or Jessie Marion King are now valued as collectible art.

Posters for major exhibitions, like the Paris Salon or early modernist shows, are sought by collectors and museums. Posters from popular gallery shows, biennales, or museum exhibitions can become collector's items, especially if limited edition or signed.

Music, performance, and cultural festival posters often gain value over time.

Let's have a check in here for understanding.

True or false? Posters from major exhibitions, such as the Paris Salon, can become collectible, especially if they are visually striking or associated with a famous artist.

So pause here for a moment and think about your answer, and we'll resume again together shortly.

Okay, let's take a look.

And the answer is true.

Starting with an image from the exhibition is a good way to create a poster as it immediately connects the promotion to the work on display.

You can also crop and abstract images for use in a poster, highlighting details, textures, or colors in unexpected ways.

You can also crop and abstract images for use in a poster, highlighting details, textures, or colors in unexpected ways.

You can use topography creatively.

Raj Dhunna, in his TFL: Campaign Against Hate, shaped lettering around facial features with the text following the contours of the eyes to draw attention and symbolically link the message to awareness and observation.

The title or exhibition name can become a graphic element by experimenting with scale, layering, or placement to build visual impact.

Incorporate hand-drawn or made elements.

Adding illustration, pattern, or mixed media can give the poster a distinctive, personal feel.

Think about the poster as an object in and of itself.

Consider unusual formats, fold-out posters, posters that double as postcards or flyers, to make them more memorable and shareable.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding.

Is the following statement true or false? Posters for exhibitions should always be made digitally.

Is this true or false? So pause for a moment here and think about your answer and why, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, let's take a look.

And the answer is false.

And why might this be? You can incorporate hand-drawn or made elements to posters.

Let's bring our focus and attention to task B.

Create a poster or another form of promotion for your exhibition.

So pause the video here to complete this creative task, and resume when you are ready.

Okay, so let's come together again and focus on feedback in response to this task.

You were tasked to create a poster or another form of promotion for your exhibition.

There are many possible outcomes.

Let's see what Aisha has to say in response to this.

So Aisha says, "I designed a bright A3 poster using a crop section of one of my paintings.

I put the exhibition title in big, bold letters so it stands out, and underneath I added the date, time, and place of the show.

I included a QR code so people can scan it and see more about the exhibition online." Alex says, "I made a social media post and gained permission to use the school account.

The first slide has a striking image of my artwork with the exhibition title on top.

The second slide gives all the key details like the date and location.

The third slide has a short statement about the show and an invite for people to come.

I added hashtags and tagged the school so it can be shared more widely.

We have now arrived at our summary on Promotions: how to publicize a show.

Let's take a look at the key points.

There are different ways to promote an art exhibition or show.

Promotional content uses images, words, and designs that catch attention and share key information.

Posters are not the only method to promote an exhibition, but they are one of the most accessible and versatile ways.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed this lesson and gained some more insights about how you can promote your own exhibition.

I look forward to seeing you again next time.

In the meantime, take care, and bye for now.