Generations Exhibition
Under the direction of an experienced curator and artist, Patrick Nickell, I helped organize and curate a collaborative art exhibit, highlighting artists from the Burbank Art Association and student artists from Woodbury University.
The Problem
Alyana and I were tasked with helping market the Burbank Art Association, a non-profit group comprised of local artists who support each other and help find opportunities. We recognized problems that the BAA had with outreach and lack of brand awareness. Through our own research, we discovered that many student artists who could benefit from joining this group were not even aware of its existence. We also discovered that many members of the BAA were not aware of our university and the Nan Rae Gallery either. While our project was only to market the BAA, we thought that both organizations would benefit from a connection between the two.
The Solution
Our idea was to hold an exhibition at the Nan Rae Gallery. The goal would be to raise awareness of both the gallery and the Burbank Art Association. By establishing a strong bond between the two, we hoped to create an annual event that would connect students to experienced artists in the real world. Through this pipeline, the students at the university would have great connections to the art world while also keeping the Burbank Art Association thriving. Throughout this process, we planned on marketing to students by individually inviting student artists to participate, along with flyers around the school to advertise the exhibit. One problem we encountered was Google- when looking up the Nan Rae Gallery, users would find the Nan Rae Studio, which is the personal studio of the living artist, Nan Rae. Through SEO and our knowledge of Google, we were able to make sure that users who searched the gallery were able to find it.
The Outcome
I remember waiting with bated breath five minutes after the opening of the gallery. There were a small handful of people, but nowhere near the amount of people I had hoped. I distracted myself with my camera, taking photos to document the event. Before I knew it, the gallery was packed with artists, students, and their families and friends. In the end, there were over 100 people that showed up to experience Generations and this was one of the biggest events that Nan Rae Gallery had ever hosted. The Burbank Art Association is now a contact of the gallery and is much closer to the students of Woodbury. Patrick hopes to hold an annual gallery exhibit in collaboration with the BAA because of the success of Generations.
Pictured: Patrick Nickell, Deven Momi, and Alyana Castro
Me standing next to my piece in the gallery