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Concrete Strategies For Getting Your Art Recognized
by Cindy L. Adkins
Anyone who creates art can attest to the fact that it can often be a solitary process. Getting your art out to the public can feel even more isolating. So, why not look to your community for inspiration and involvement and get yourself noticed at the same time? There are some easy steps you can take to make yourself known while building a potential client base from people who live right near you. You can accomplish this by creating a work of art for your community that will not only be admired, but can also get you the recognition you deserve.
But, where do you begin? If you have a hospital nearby that has a children's ward, you can create some brightly colored works of art for the patients or common areas of the wing. It will not only bring joy to those who view it while at the hospital, but it can also give you tremendous satisfaction. Children's themes are quite easy to create and using a coordinated color scheme for several pieces of work could fit nicely placed in a corridor or waiting room where many different people can see them time and again. While visitors are worried about their loved ones who are hospitalized, your work can bring them solace.
You can also create a work of art for your local library. Choose a favorite book to give you inspiration for a theme for your project. Once the piece is completed, take it in to the library and tell the head librarian that you have a gift that you have made especially for their locale. Be sure to attach a small card on the lower portion of the picture that explains that the piece was given as a donation by you. Include your contact information on it in the event that someone wants to reach you regarding your art.
Volunteer at a local high school for one afternoon and create a project with an art class that you can make together in a short amount of time. This could be as simple as creating a paper quilt with the students. At the conclusion of the class period, announce that you will take the individual pieces home, arrange them in an artistic manner on a poster board (or two) and bring them back in a week. At that time, they can be displayed in the classroom or some prominent place in the school.
If you have a cause that you are passionate about, consider making a work of art for a non-profit agency that addresses that issue. If you create a piece of art for them, no doubt, it will be greatly appreciated as they are usually working with small budgets and their wall art is often limited to calendars and fliers. So, by making the extra effort to reach out to them, you will feel that you have done something positive to further a cause to which you are committed while tapping into resources that simply do not exist in your home studio.
Once you start this process, you will get a better sense of what the needs are in your community. At the time that you deliver your art, make sure to bring a camera with you. Ask someone on the premises to take a picture of you presenting your art to its recipient. Once you have a picture, email it to your local newspaper with an attached press release to let them know what you have been up to. It does not need to be wordy--just clear and concise. Be sure to include a phone number so that they can contact you for further information or to do a story about you and your amazing art! If you do not hear from them in a few days, be diligent about making a follow-up phone call to make sure it reached the appropriate desk.
Cindy L. Adkins is a New Orleans-based artist who enjoys helping people to promote their own art. She believes in the intrinsic process of creativity and all that entails for affecting the world in a positive way. To see her art, please visit http://recoveryartist.com/
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