In the past few years, I have participated in a handful of gallery shows.
The first time I had a piece in a show was as part of a group show for outsider artists in Beloit, WI in 1992. A friend’s girlfriend who was taking part in a curatorial class that was responsible for the show contacted me. As I was still in high school at the time, I was certainly outside of the art establishment and had one piece shown next to various crafts people, untrained artists and a death row inmate.
My next show didn’t come until several years later. In 1996, I was contacted along with a couple of classmates (Matt Nepsa and Geoff Smalley) from the printmaking department at school and asked to put together a show. It was displayed in the student gallery space that was dubbed G.B.U. for one week and consisted of several etchings. It was a low budget affair with little fanfare or promotion.
Not long after the G.B.U. show one of my classmates, Matt Nepsa, collected slides from several people around the printmaking department and put together a proposal for a show at Anchor Graphics. The administrator/curator there selected four artists – myself, Nepsa, Smalley and Natalie Barbera. The show was up for a month in the fall of 1997 and consisted of a number of etchings. See photos of the show.
The last show that I participated in was more than three years ago. It was arranged by fellow artist Nina Stanley who lives and works in the San Francisco area. It was held in an alternative space called Gallery 691 in the South of Market area. The show was up for a month in the spring of 1998 and included 7 paintings. The invitation for the show was drawn by Nina Stanley and myself.
Since the last show I have not focused any attention on getting new shows together. This has been for a couple of reasons. I do not believe that there would be much interest in contemporary art circles in the work that I have been making. This sounds like an excuse but based on the amount of expense and effort involved in trying to get a show together I believe that you should have a chance before you try. Also I have been very satisfied with the mailing list as a means to reach an audience and continue some of the dialog that I would receive through showing out. The downside to not showing is that the number of new people that I reach grows at a very slow pace – hence the website and possible new efforts in the future. That said, if you have any insights as to galleries that would be receptive or appropriate for me to show with, let me know, thanks, Chris (cgb@fliar.com).