April 20-23 marked the third pop up gallery Jeremy Enlow put up in Fort Worth. Enlow, who owns Steel Shutter Photography, is also a fine art photographer. For his latest pop up gallery, he took over a 4,000 square foot building in Sundance Square during Main Street Arts Festival. The event drew large crowds and was his most successful pop up gallery to date. With visitors from all over the world (and local VIP Mayor Betsy Price!), it was an exciting way to connect with new audiences and bring art into downtown Fort Worth. Here, we’re sharing 4 of our tips for planning your own pop up gallery.
4 Tips for a Successful Pop Up Gallery
- Plan Your Gallery’s FlowA well thought out flow is essential to helping people get the most out of your art. Carefully curate your pieces into collections that share a theme — whether that is subject, location, or visual style. Think about the way people will walk through the space, and arrange the collections in a progression that makes sense for you.
- Create Defined Spaces
It’s not enough to just put art in the walls. If you want people to really spend time in your gallery, you need to create inviting spaces that encourage lingering. A comfortable seating area and dedicated space for payments and taking custom orders are essential. You may also want to have special activity centers or photo booths to encourage further interaction with the gallery.
- Spread the Word via Social Media
The temporary nature of pop up galleries makes it naturally compatible with social media marketing. Set up a Facebook Event, make sure people can check-in to the gallery, and create a unique hashtag to share your event. Encourage visitors to share their experience on their social media profiles to maximize your reach.
- Host Mini Events
To encourage bursts of visitors and keep excitement flowing, plan mini events throughout your gallery’s duration. You might host live music, have a catered reception, or give a talk about one of your collections. These events can be short and simple — once you’ve attracted a crowd, it’s easier to keep the momentum flowing.
To see more images from Jeremy’s pop up gallery and find out about upcoming events, follow him on Instagram @jeremyenlow. There, he shares photos from Steel Shutter assignments, behind the scenes images of life as a Dallas / Fort Worth advertising photographer, and news about his fine art photography exhibits. His next event will be at Antek’s in Dallas on May 11. You can learn more about that event here.