How to Hold an Art Exhibition for Fundraiser | Step-by-Step

A successful art exhibition as a fundraiser can be the perfect event for your nonprofit organization, school, or church. An art exhibition allows you to share your passion for art with others by featuring artists in your community and selling their artwork. You can host an art exhibition as a standalone fundraising event or incorporate it into other fundraisers, such as a dinner or cocktail party with a silent auction or raffle.

An art exhibition is also a great way to market your organization’s upcoming charity gala or another black-tie fundraiser. This article will advise holding an art exhibition as a fundraiser, including tips on how to deal with the event, what types of artwork you should accept, how much commission you should take from the artists, and more.

What is an Art Exhibition Fundraiser?

An art exhibition fundraiser is an event where the organizers accept art submissions from local artists, display the artwork, and sell the pieces at the exhibition to attendees. A portion of the proceeds from the artwork sales goes back to the artist, while the rest is donated to the organization hosting the event.

The organizers of the exhibition also take a commission on each sale. An exhibition can be a standalone or incorporated into a more significant fundraising event, such as a cocktail party or dinner with a silent auction or raffle.

An exhibition is also a great way to market your organization’s upcoming annual charity gala or another black-tie gala fundraiser.

Why Hold an Art Exhibition for Fundraiser?

An art exhibition is a beautiful way to raise funds for your organization while promoting art in your community. Artists participating in your exhibition will likely receive much exposure, especially if you host the exhibition at a public venue.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to meet and connect with local artists who may be interested in donating their artwork for future fundraising efforts for your organization.

When to Hold an Art Exhibition?

You can hold an art exhibition at any time, but it’s best to select a time when many people are available to attend. For example, you might want to choose a date in the fall, winter, or spring when people are not engaged in the holiday season.

Summer exhibitions may be less desirable due to the warmer temperatures. If possible, select a date when many people are available to attend your exhibition, including many of your organization’s volunteers. For example, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is a popular date for fundraising events.

How to Market an Art Exhibition for Fundraiser

You should market your art exhibition well before the event so that artists have ample time to create and bring their artwork to the exhibition. You can sell your exhibition by sending a press release to local media outlets, including newspapers and radio stations.

You can also share news of your event on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Ask volunteers to post news of your event on their social media accounts to reach a larger audience.

You can also include information about your exhibition on the invitation to your other fundraising events.

Types of Art to Accept for Your Exhibition

There are no regulations regarding what types of artwork you should accept for your exhibition. You can accept paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and more. You may want to consider accepting artwork appropriate for a public venue, such as paintings on canvas or photographs printed on archival-quality paper.

See the piece of artwork before accepting it for your exhibition. If the artwork does not fit in your venue, it is inappropriate for a public forum, or the artist does not want to sell their artwork, you should not accept it for your exhibition.

How to Confirm Artists Will Attend the Exhibition

You should let artists know they can withdraw their artwork from the exhibition before the event, but you should also ask them to let you know if they cannot attend the exhibition.

Create a sign-up sheet and have artists let you know before the exhibition if they can attend the event. This will help you to avoid overbooking the venue and turning away artists who would like to participate.

How to Collect Money from Attendees at the Event

You should have a table where attendees can pay for their artwork at the exhibition. Offer a payment plan for attendees without enough money to purchase a piece of art or those who want to buy more than one piece.

You can accept payment in cash, check, or credit card. You can also accept payment for artwork purchased at your exhibition through an online payment website such as PayPal. This will allow you to receive compensation from attendees who cannot make it to the exhibition.

Pro Tip: Use an online donation platform like Donorbox so that you can even create a QR code for your donation page. Install the QR code in your event, so that people can seamlessly donate online.

Bottom Line

Holding an art exhibition for fundraising can be a real game-changer if done correctly. It is one of the best opportunities to raise money while supporting local artists. We hope that after reading this article, you will have some ideas running and help start your art exhibition fundraiser for your organization. Share this article if you think you got value or learnt something 🙂