As an artist, it can be hard to get your work noticed, but there are some fantastic prizes and great advice out there to help you on your way. And the good news is that applications for the Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2016 are now open!
Sponsored by Ashurst, 3 winning artists will win £6,500 of prizes, solo exhibitions in London in 2016, and £1,000 to spend from us at Cass Art. There's also a new prize for 2016, the Sculptor Prize, with £1,000 in cash, a £250 Cass Art voucher and a solo exhibition in London. This year the judges are Conrad Carvalho, Gallery Director and founder of the prize, Briony Marshall, sculptor and Council Member at Royal Society of British Sculptors, Howard Lewis, Owner of the Schorr Collection, Barbara Cevasco, emerging artist, Dr David Bellingham, Art Lecturer at Sotheby's Institute of Art, Anna Delgrade, partner at Ashurst LLP, and Rosa Sepple, artist and Director of the Society of Women Artists.
Applications are now open, and you can apply by 14th February 2016 here.
The prize is organised by Oaktree & Tiger, a gallery that specialises in emerging artists, with helpful talks and career guidance. We caught up with Conrad Carvalho, director of the Ashurst Emerging Art Prize, to find out his advice on promoting yourself as an artist and getting your work seen. We wish you the best of luck with your application, and of course your journey in becoming a professional artist!
5 TOP TIPS FOR SELF PROMOTION AS AN ARTIST by Conrad Carvalho
1. Get your work seen
Use social media and newsletters, particularly focusing on Facebook and Instagram with posts of artworks with links to your website and very short educational commentary on the artwork. Have a really simple, clean website that is focused on showing the art and have links to grab emails and to social media profiles.
2. LinkedIn
This platform is great to get seen by art professionals, share status updates and connect with all art professionals and contacts.
3. Build your audience size (Likes, Followers, Subscribers)
Start out with friends and family, and encourage them to help you share posts, etc. The number of people seeing your work should then rapidly expand.
4. Don’t approach galleries
Engage with their artists, and their clients if you can, and without any hard sells. With some luck, you will get recommended to the gallery directors and then they will approach you if you are right for them. Do you know any artists that asked a gallery to represent them and was successful?
5. Practise your pitch
Have a well written and practised pitch for when you meet an important art professional or collector. You should have succinct and interesting 1 and 3 liners, which inspires the listener to want to ask you about your work.
Feeling inspired?
You can apply for the Ashurst Emerging Art Prize 2016 and find out more about the prize here.
Applications close on 14th February 2016.
You can also find out more about the Oaktree & Tiger Gallery on their website.