As part of getting my solo exhibit ready this time, the curator wanted my portfolio. I had put doing a portfolio as part of my list of things to do, but hadn’t gotten to it before she asked.
So, I asked what was supposed to go into the portfolio.
Her answer was that for the gallery’s portfolio it needed to let the potential client see what was possible and the person who didn’t know they could be a client an awareness that they could become a client.
She recommended that I include images of other works and “tear sheets” of other press materials. Well, my last time dealing with “tear sheets” was in high school journalism class when we ripped out the ads that businesses had paid to publish and mailed it to them as proof of publication. Suddenly, I came away realizing that those copies of the program brochures for the quilt events that I had been juried into were exactly the stuff she was talking about.
I also included communications with clients and information about my design processes for different works.
When I thought that I didn’t have much for a portfolio, it turned into quite a big collection.
I still want to do a more artistic portfolio too, which will not be as big as the package I gave her. The cover for the artistic portfolio is done, now just to get back to that effort.
On another note, the Washington Post listed my exhibit! It was listed in the coming events in the religion section (I think) in the Saturday, May 24th, 2008 edition.