Introduction
An art project needs to succeed on various levels if it is not to fail and first and foremost there needs to be a good marketing plan for it to eventually be successful. The marketing plan would include the publication of a press release to describe the various elements of the exhibition in question and how it may be used to attract newer audiences. The target market for this exhibition is the younger generation who may be attracted to such paintings accordingly. These are the exhibits for the art exhibition and their descriptions which are also an essential part of the marketing plan. The virtual arts exhibition can be created as a website which would include space for a forum and visitors comments. The page may then be shared on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter with the relevant pages created.
Mission statement:
The virtual art exhibition is being created to bring more people closer to art and to shed new light on the works in question. The main objective is to bring more people closer to art. The plan to achieve these objectives is outlined below.
The project for the art gallery will be funded by a public call for proposals. These will be sifted accordingly and the one which most closely matches the one in the mission statement will be chosen. The virtual art gallery only includes a small cost so it should not be too difficult to fund the costs for it.
The nature and purpose of the project is to increase awareness of the arts in general through a virtual exhibition. The organization is a small notfor profit group of enthusiasts who are enthusiastic about art in general.
The staff involved in the project will be a webmaster and a writer who provides the details of the paintings. The proposed budget is around US 200 for the whole project. The organization’s board is composed of two members who carry out all the work involved. The goals of the programme are realistic and its cost is definitely justifiable. The members of the board have experience in this sort of work and are very enthusiastic about art in general. The project will eventually continue to move ahead after the funding grant with public donations and with the revenue generated by the exhibition. The plan is to continually attract more patrons to the art project and to increase awareness about art. Eventually the exhibition is expected to grow to include other paintings and this will in turn continue to generate revenue.
Key Concepts
In his seminal book, Management and the Arts, William J Byrnes explains that art cannot exist solely in a vacuum since it is important that if something is portrayed than it has to be on a sound footing both aesthetically and financially. The virtual art exhibition should include possibilities for self-financing which could be a payment gateway for those wishing to access the paintings in a more detailed manner and to perhaps bid for the reproduction copies.
Byrnes also delves quite deeply into the theories and processes behind strategic planning and decision making which make up a crucial part of any arts project. It is crucial that the exhibition will be well organized and that organizational design forms an essential part of the exhibition’s setup. Byrnes also refers to staffing and personal relations which are perhaps more attuned to larger organizations than this small exhibition but are nonetheless still relevant on a smaller scale. Finally Byrnes emphasises the importance of having the tools and techniques which make the project communicate effectively and the keeping track of information for its eventual success. Virtual exhibition
I selected three works from the Google Arts Project which are known to be classics of their genre as my exhibits for the museum. One is a famous sculpture and the other two are equally famous paintings. The first one is Bernini’s David, a sculpture of incredible beauty with various aesthetic aspects that are original and very direct. The second is The Conversion of St John by Caravaggio, probably one of the finest examples of painting in the chiaroscuro theme and which reveals incredible and intrinsic beauty. Finally I chose Rembrandt’s ‘David and Bathsheba’, probably another of the finest representations of Renaissance art which demonstrates the lust between a man and a woman. All three exhibits are in museums and although they have changed locations several times, they have been in their present locations for quite a long time and are symptomatic with their position in the art world (Alexander, 2006). Sculpture is an art form which demonstrates beauty and focus whilst there is also a sense of inevitability in the way Bernini’s David is composed. Although there may be comparisons with other similar statues of the period, Bernini’s focus remains top notch and pretty much the seminal work against which all other sculptures of this kind are judged.
These exhibits can also be promoted on the social media as part of the marketing plan. Hereunder is a brief description of each work selected:
Bernini’s David
This sculpture is definitely one of the greatest ever conceived and includes various facets which are typical of the artist in question. David’s poise is intrinsically beautiful with some aspects of homo eroticism in it and one can definitely identify with the sculpture in question.
The sculpture shows David gathering momentum causing a strain in his body and his face conveys willpower and concentration. The biblical David was a common theme among artists in the Renaissance period for instance Michelangelo and Donatello. Though connecting with these works, Bernini’s David varies from them in some substantial ways for example, the sculpture relates with the space around it. Bernini’s influence was prevalent during the 17th and 18th centuries. His sculpture wants us to convey the image not only in our minds but also our bodies; to relate to the image physically.
The Conversion of St Paul by Caravaggio
This is perhaps one of the most famous of Caravaggio’s paintings in the sense that it applies the methods that we are consistently familiar with especially the chiaroscuro which is one of the hallmarks of this artist. In this great painting we observe several of the facets which have made this artist famous and although the subject is biblical we can observe some striking differences with those of Bernini’s David. First of all Bernini’s sculpture is perhaps more classical in style while Caravaggio’s painting looks forward into the dark with a certain sense of indissolubility.
The painting gives a picture of the events in Chapter 9 of Acts of the Apostles. In this painting, lighting, and low horizon lines are utilized by Caravaggio to create images that seem closer to the viewers. Use of foreshortening is emphasized and his main focal point is on action. In addition, he also makes use of chiaroscuro and atmosphere point of view
Bathsheba by Rembrandt
Finally we have one of Rembrandt’s most famous paintings which is Bathsheba where the feminine form is most certainly idealized in more ways than one. Again the aesthetic qualities of the subject are clearly idealized here with emphasis on the nudity of the woman and her plump beauty in this respect which comes to the fore especially with the dark background and intrinsic subject matter.
Exhibition methods
The exhibition can be promoted in various ways. First and foremost a press conference should be organized where the organizers can give more information about the event in question, how long it is going to be, some information on the paintings and suchlike. The event can be open to questions where journalists and media present can ask about the exhibition, the provenance of the works and other similar topics. There can also be interview opportunities for the organizers where these can delve more into the nature of the works themselves and how these have been specially chosen to be attractive to a wide type of audience. The target market for this exhibition would be those persons who appreciate art and who have a penchant for the traditional since all three works are traditional pieces. The marketing campaign for the exhibition could also include a small budget for TV advertising where the poster for the event would be used as a visual advert with special emphasis on the beauty of the works in question. The organisation’s positioning statement would be for more art lovers to delve deeper into the heart of the great masters whose artistic reproductions have now been made available. The press release should then be sent to as many media organizations as possible and an effective chasing plan should be carried out.
Works Cited:
Byrnes W; Management and the Arts; Focal Press, 2008, Print
D F du Plessis (1 January 2001). Introduction to Public Relations and Advertising.Juta and Company Ltd. pp. 9–. ISBN 978-0-7021-5557-4.Retrieved 27 March 2013.
The Origins of Public Relations, Sage publications, retrieved March 9, 2013
Cutlip, Scott (1995), Public Relations HIstory: From the 17th to the 20th Century. The Atecedents, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Donald Grunewald; Robert J. Petrausch; GiriDua (25 November 2008). Public Relations: A Primer for Business Executives. iUniverse. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-1-4401-0165-6.Retrieved 9 February 2013.
