Attending Art Shows - After the Reception

I have spoken some about attending opening receptions before, but I did not really explore attending shows outside of the reception and focused primarily on the participating artists and whether or not they are obligated to be there. But there is much more to explore when examining the theme of the opening reception. Who attends and why? How many people will see the show outside of the reception? How many will return later?

In regards to these questions, much of this depends on the venue before all else. Is it strictly a gallery or is there another business involved (coffee house, restaurant, bookstore, office...) or a larger public presence (as in museums, libraries and universities)? Is it commercial or non-profit? What audience does it attract and who does it try to appeal to? All of this varies a lot from place to place. As a result, a lot of different people attend art receptions for a lot of different reasons. Some are there to support the artist(s): some of these are regular patrons and buyers while others are family members, friends, mentors, professors, students and colleagues who want to show their support by seeing what new things the artist(s) are showing. Other viewers attend receptions to find out what is new in the arts, to feel out different galleries & artists by getting a sense for what they do, and to watch developments and emerging styles overall. And still others attend to network, make connections and promote themselves within the art world.

Again a lot of this depends on the venue, but many galleries get the most traffic during receptions and events. Some simply do not get much traffic otherwise. However there are people who attend shows outside of the receptions, either because they wanted to experience the work undisturbed or because they missed the reception for some reason or another. And some return to the show later on to study the work more in depth without distractions. However, most galleries are never near so crowded as during the reception and often art viewers will find themselves alone with the work and the gallery staff. As a result, many galleries that would otherwise be vacant during long open hours prefer to be open by appointment only.

I often find myself attending shows after the receptions having missed the opening. Unfortunately, in doing so, I run the risk of losing track of time and missing the experience altogether, especially if I am unaware of the gallery's regular hours or of how long the show will be up. I have missed out on seeing things that I really wanted by my own fault, through losing track of time or overbooking myself so that I had no opportunity to see the show that I had wanted to see. I know a lot of people who do this. So, if you are putting off seeing a show that you really wanted to see, do yourself a favor and pencil it in on the calendar as if it were an important business lunch and allow it to take precedence. I will try to take my own advice to heart and do the same.