Artists tend to have different ways of releasing new work in to the world. If you’re not gallery represented, and want to create your own virtual or in-person release, you can steal our process of planning for a collection release, giving you a complete timeline and a comprehensive checklist to help you stay organized and maximize your time in the studio. (Bookmark this post for later)
Tips for How to plan your next collection
Define Your Artistic Vision
Before diving into the logistics, take the time to clarify your artistic vision for the collection. Consider the overarching theme, concept, or message you want to convey through your artwork. This will serve as a guiding principle throughout the planning process.
Set a Timeline and Location
Create a detailed timeline that outlines key milestones and deadlines for your collection release. This timeline will keep you on track in the studio and ensure that each step is planned for. Check out our suggested timeline template to help you get started (see below)
Artwork Production
Allocate sufficient time for creating and finalizing (and editing) the artwork in your new collection. Consider factors such as medium, size, complexity, and the number of pieces you aim to include. Break down the production process into manageable tasks and do your best to set milestones for each artwork. This can often be a challenging objection for contemporary artists, so if you know you need extra time to noodle on a piece, plan for it.
Pro Tip: Get accountability. Ask another artist friend to check in with you and encourage you when you’re stuck or just need a peer-to-peer crit
Documentation and Photography
High-quality documentation and photography are essential for promoting and presenting your collection online. Plan a photoshoot to capture professional images of your artwork and studio practice. Ensure that you have detailed descriptions for each piece, including titles, dimensions, mediums, and any other relevant information. Create your Certificate of Authenticity for each piece.
Need a COA template? Grab ours here
Curate Your Collection
Consider the best way to curate and display your collection. If you plan to exhibit in a physical space, take into account the layout, lighting, and overall aesthetics. For online showcases, create a visually appealing digital gallery or Online Viewing Room (OVR)
Pro Tip: Use Art Placer to create a virtual gallery
Marketing and Promotion
Develop a weekly visibility strategy to generate buzz around your collection release. Utilize social media platforms (including Linkedin, Instagram, Pinterest, Behance and Facebook), your website, and email newsletters to build anticipation and engage with your art lovers. Collaborate with other artists or reach out to art publications, art podcasts and local media outlets to gain additional exposure.
Your Email List
“Give priority to your email list. Treat your collectors like a VIP by sharing first looks of your new works. Always treat them with the love they showed you by buying your work. After you’ve emailed your whole list about the collection, create a mini sequence of emails, each sharing a separate email with a story and imagery on each piece. Talk about the back story and your creative process to highlight each work – they deserve some air time. Think about how much time you put into each piece, and honor that in your emails. This also gets your name repeated in your subscribers inbox and they might not open every email, but that’s okay.”
Social Launch
“Don’t be afraid of the overshare. Not everyone will see everything you post. This could look like 2-3 posts about the collection a few days in a row after launching. Or pre-promoting the launch for at least a month leading up. “Coming soon” works great until you’ve picked a date. Once you’ve chosen a launch date, put it on everything including your bio and on your website.”
Ask for a small audience interaction
“This helps encourage people to see you as a human and want to know you more. A new collection launch is a good time to ask for support, because people are excited by new work. I personally value connection in my work. I will often ask people to share what they are sparking to in my work and share it openly (with their permission). I find that showing your audience what it is you value, will give you more of that in return.”
Contributions by Jaclyn Gordyan, Nature artist – Listen to her collection launch podcast episode
Plan an Opening Event
Consider hosting an opening event or reception to celebrate the launch of your new collection. This can be a physical exhibition, a virtual call, or a combination of both. Invite art enthusiasts, collectors, friends, and supporters to experience your artwork firsthand and create a memorable experience.
Sales and Inventory Management
Establish a system for managing sales and inventory. Decide on pricing for each artwork in your collection and when appropriate, consider offering limited editions or special incentives for early buyers, ie your email list gets first dibs 48 hours before you go public)
Keep track of sales, handle inquiries promptly, and ensure that all necessary paperwork, including certificates of authenticity, is in order. At Vivid Creative, we love leveraging technology to make your art practice easier. If you’re tired of keeping track of your artwork inventory on paper or excel sheets (and that never get updated anyway) consider in investing in a complete Sales and CRM system like ArtCloud, Artenal, Artlogic or Artwork Archive.
Need help pricing your artwork? Grab this guide
Recovery Days
Remember the last art fair, gallery opening or event you did? Releasing a new collection is a lot of work! Give yourself a few days to recover mentally and physically. Take a break from the studio and book a spa day, a quick get-away or outdoor fun-day to reward yourself and celebrate.
Collection Release Timeline and Action plan
6+ Months Before the Collection Release
- Start thinking about your collections theme and message behind the artwork and number of pieces
- Set a weekly timeline for producing your artwork
- Set the date, time, and location (online + offline) of the release
- Consider hiring a venue to host a release party
- Start telling people about your upcoming release, it will create excitement and hold you accountable to the release date
4-5 Months Before the Collection Release
- Start a “save the date” campaign on social media and email your list
- Consider promoting the release through paid ads on google and social channels
2-3 Months Before the Collection Release
- Create a list of potential collectors and begin sending invitations to preview (via digital catalog/virtual or in-person studio visit
- Send out press releases if you are showing at a venue
- Develop a digital catalog to share virtually (As a link or PDF or OVR). Remember to Include photos, artwork details, pricing, about the artist page and a way to contact you (so many artists miss this!)
- Develop an Online Viewing Room (OVR) page on your website for the virtual release, include the ability to capture and email to preview the work
1 Month Prior to the Release
- Get professional photos of your artwork (and yourself)
- Frame your work or rent/build artwork displays
- Finalize your digital catalog (template), artwork descriptions and web pages
- Write your artist statement
- Make any logistical arrangements, especially for in-studio releases
- Promote the release on social media and through your email campaigns
- Make sure your are setup to take payments on your website or in-person
Week of the Release
- Send two – three preview-reminder emails to your email list, create excitement! Not everyone will see the first, or even second emails.
- Encourage friends and art lovers to share your posts on their social media channels
- Consider hosting a live Q&A or show and tell on your social channel of choice
- Create a visibility ad on 1-3 social channel for 3-7 days and adapt as needed. The ad should drive traffic to your website, not social media.
24 Hours post Release
- Send out a follow-up email to virtual (or in person) attendees with a personalized thank you message, share photos of the experience
- Respond to questions or inquires to buy your artwork
- Respond to social media comments
- Plan for a few days off to recoup (I love planning a spa day)
Within a few days after the Release
- Share your experience to your email list, share it on a podcast, make a video for youtube and social
- Update your website to mark any artwork sold
- Consider asking friends or trusted collectors for feedback on the release (Feedback is a gift and can make your next release so much better)
- Celebrate, even if you haven’t sold anything yet! Sometimes interested buyers just need a little bit of time, especially if your work is selling for thousands.
Planning for a collection release entails a lot of moving pieces. By following our guide and utilizing the provided studio timeline template and checklist, you can streamline your process, stay organized, and make the most of this exciting milestone in your artistic career — and avoid overwhelm and burnout.
Remember, a well-planned collection release not only showcases your talent but also creates a lasting impression that will resonate with art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Listen to Jaclyn Gordyan talk about her recent collection release on Art Biz Talk episode 24
