Category: Blog Posts

A group exhibition of paintings and jewellery at Ballroom Arts
Blog Posts

Group Exhibitions: Are they worth it?

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Over the years, Ballroom Arts has hosted several group exhibitions in both our Courtyard and Ballroom galleries, bringing diverse and often themed showcases of contemporary art.

With cost of living rising, and expenses for artists climbing higher and higher, we are aware of the challenges faced by artists wanting to expand their community and put their artwork on the map. We greatly appreciate the feedback we gather from the artists who hire our gallery spaces and have witnessed a large range of circumstances of artists pooling together to stage spectacular events.

Maybe you’re starting out as an artist, or you’re quite well established in your community but you haven’t exhibited in a public gallery for a while. Below, we address the benefits of hosting a group exhibition and settle some queries regarding group shows that we have witnessed over the years.

First thing’s first: the money

Gallery hire can be a pricey commitment to make without the knowledge of how well your art will perform in a specific community. It can be a daunting and time-consuming investment, without the promise of a busy footfall and works selling quickly. Whilst a solo show can give you the most creative freedom and little complexity over curation clashes and sales processes, a group exhibition is a very cost-effective approach if you’re willing to share the space with other artists.

The cost of hiring is instantly split, lightening your financial burden, and for those artists wishing to dip their toes in the water, it allows you to get your work out there without large and costly pressures looming over you. 

Grow your platform in a group

One fantastic benefit we’ve seen thrive in the group exhibitions hosted at Ballroom Arts is the fantastic growth artists have received- both from fellow artists and audiences. 

Let’s say you work with two other artists- any social media posts, flyers, or conversations through word-of-mouth will be spread between you and your two collaborators. Immediately, your work is published with their audiences, and their friends and buyers will visit your exhibition where they may not have if you hosted a solo show.

Share your passions

Many Ballroom Arts group exhibitions have been underpinned by a specific theme- whether it’s a shared medium, content theme, or regional familiarity. Finding a shared interest or link between your practices can help you direct the work you create leading up to the show and help you discover a community with shared passions and interests as yourself.

Making Lighter Work

For busy artists who have little spare time to dedicate to new projects, a group exhibition really helps to lighten the workload when staging an exhibition. Admin, marketing, curation, hanging work, and managing the gallery daily is split 2, 3, 4 or more ways depending on the size of your group! Where you might not have much experience knowing how to curate a varied exhibition of artists, one of your colleagues may be more seasoned at this and can teach you a thing or two to take into future exhibitions.

Final Thoughts

Yes, the spotlight may not be entirely on you in a group exhibition, but group exhibitions are a wonderful experience that is more cost-effective, a fantastic opportunity to grow your audience, and learn exhibition management skills from others! 

Our Ballroom Gallery upstairs is our larger space, perfect for hosting group exhibitions with a servery for offering drinks and canapés at opening events, sea views from the east windows, and a professional wall hanging system- all within a modern, beautifully styled building along the busy Aldeburgh High Street. 
If you have established a group and would like to exhibit with us, why not send us an application via the Bookings Page and email admin@ballroomarts.org if you have any questions.

Image: A group exhibition in 2024 showing Louise Sant Jewellery, David Gillingwater, Claire Fried, Kate Reynolds, Richard Dack, and BJ Kearns.

Two people faced away from the camera and looking at paintings of sea life.
Blog Posts

A Beginner’s Guide to Looking at Art

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Steeped in centuries of conflicting criticism between art historians, academicians and collectors, visual art can be an intimidating world to insert yourself in, even as a passer by at an art gallery. But art is for everybody, and you don’t have to understand it to enjoy it; rather you should look inwards to ascertain how it makes you feel and what you think it’s all about. The rise of abstract art and its ambiguous subjects within the last century has made it even easier to take a wholly subjective approach to interpreting what you see before you.  

At Ballroom Arts, we are lucky to host the collections of emerging and eminent living contemporary artists who have brought with them interpretations of the East Anglian landscape, abstract representations of their subconscious, and the critical challenging of global issues just to name a few… 

We have written this brief beginner’s guide to exercise your mind when looking at art in the hope that you can connect with and respond to art more intimately in the future.

Careful Curation

When you enter a contemporary art exhibition, you are often greeted with a room using very specific lighting conditions, colours, caption typography, music, and even scent (such as Maisie Cousins’ 2017 exhibition) that set a tone for the work you’re about to explore. Whether or not you realise it, the curation of an exhibition indicates a subliminal message or even just a feeling to the viewer, immersing their senses as they study the artworks contained within the space. The layout of art around the space is sometimes used for storytelling: for example the Women In Revolt! exhibition at Tate Britain (2023-2024), which is presented chronologically and is staged using critical themes representing women’s activism in the late 20th century. 


TIP: When you enter an art exhibition, pay attention to your senses, and consider all of the subtle decisions made in the curation of the event. Consider the following:

  • How does the lighting showcase the artwork? 
  • What colours dominate the space, and why do you think this is the case?
  • What can you hear? Does a use of sound make you feel something specific about the artwork collection?
  • Is there anything you’re allowed to touch? Does this make you feel closer to the artist’s creative process?

Take your time!

Some exhibitions are so expansive and trace the path of a huge history of art that it can be overwhelming to study everything placed within. You don’t have to intensely absorb every single artwork and its intended context when you visit an exhibition. Instead browse the works within the space and find one or two that draw you in to spend more time with.

This practice of ‘slow looking’ encourages you to question more about the work, the artist’s intention and how it makes you feel.

TIP: Find somewhere comfortable to sit or stand and explore the following when slow looking to engage more thoroughly with the work:

  • What are your first impressions when looking at the artwork? Do you like it? If not, why?
  • What can you see, and what do you think this means? Is this enhanced by the curatorial choices outlined above? 
  • If you’re with a friend or you strike up a conversation with a stranger at the show, why not talk about that artwork and see what they think. Maybe this will confirm your theories, or may lead you to even more questions!

Even if you just look at one artwork for 10 minutes, you’ll be sure to remember it and take away more from the overall experience!

What’s the Story?

Considering paintings and photographs for a moment- these works can sometimes be busy with lots of different things happening at once, or maybe they present several objects that allude to certain symbolism. These layers can be unravelled to reveal a theme or story. 

TIP: Pick one artwork and challenge yourself with this exercise whilst asking yourself the following questions:

  • Just look at the artwork. What can you see? Is it a figurative work with lots of things happening? What is happening? If it’s abstract, how do you think the choice of colour, shape and texture tells a story? 
  • Now look at the artwork label. Who is the work by? Does this tell us anything more about the artwork and its possible intentions? If there is a title for the artwork, does this help you to draw any more conclusions, or does it confuse you even more? 
  • Next, study the artwork caption or exhibition introduction. Does this tell you what the art is about, or where the work is situated within the wider cultural context? How does that make you feel now that you know more? Remember- your ideas or opinions are always valid as a spectator, it doesn’t matter if they deviate from what the artist wants you to see.

Final Thoughts

Don’t feel intimidated if your theories differ from the artist’s intention- they are equally valid interpretations and add to the wide and complex web of ideas surrounding the artwork. 

Enjoy taking your time, asking yourself questions and going in feeling a little naive about the artist or the topic- you’ll be sure to come out learning something new.

Artist in their studio with paintings on the wall in the background.
Blog Posts

Content Creation Ideas for Artists

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Want to re-energise your social media in the New Year, but don’t know where to start? We have listed 10 quick ideas for artists or small businesses to attempt to ramp up the quality and quantity of engaging content in 2025.

1. Process Videos

Set up your phone on a tripod or leaned against a prop, to create videos of yourself whilst you work on your latest project.

Tip: For the longer creative processes, use the time lapse feature on your phone for a fun sped-up video of you working.

2. Behind the Scenes

Your audience (including potential buyers) love to see what goes on behind the creation of your art. Try a flat lay photo of your equipment all laid out, a studio tour, details about your favourite material, or your messy hands after a long day working with clay or ink!

Tip: Show your face in your posts! We love to see the person behind the work and your audience will be more likely to engage in these posts.

3. Introduce Yourself

If you have a spike in new followers on your social media platform, it might be time to introduce yourself to your growing audience so they can find out more about who you are and what you do.

Tip: Show your face, maybe in your studio and try writing ‘5 Things You Might Not Know About Me’.

4. Before and After

Video content seems to be dominating social media platforms right now. Try a short video of yourself holding the materials used to create your artwork or a sketched plan, and then stitch this with another video of yourself holding your newly completed piece!

Tip: Instagram Reels has a few built-in video editing features, or try CapCut for more customisable tools.

5. Instagram Shop

If you have an e-commerce site for your artwork, you can connect this with your Instagram, so you can sell your art directly! When you post about a particular artwork for sale, you can link this to lead audiences straight to your shop. Find some guides online to get you started.

Tip: Make sure to review all the Terms & Conditions whilst setting up Instagram Shop so that it complies with your trading terms.

6. Tune into Seasonal Events

Note all of the special days throughout the year and create relevant seasonal content about your art.

Tip: For artists working with sustainable materials, why not post on Earth Day (22nd April) to explain why you commit yourself to working with environmentally friendly approaches.

7. Pre-launch FAQs

If you’re launching a new collection of work to purchase, make content with a list of FAQ’s a few days beforehand detailing your postage policies, how long delivery takes, and what materials you have used.

Tip: If you have a very engaging audience, why not use the question tool on Instagram Stories for your audience to ask questions, which you can then prepare a personalised Q&A from in a series of video Instagram Stories, or a post.

8. Use Keywords

Keywords or phrases are important to slot into your content captions for Instagram to push your posts towards the right audience. Think about who your dream buyer is and think about what they might search or who they already follow.

Tip: Keywords could include- ‘East Anglia’, ‘sculpture for gardeners, ‘Made in the UK’, ‘sustainable materials’, ‘dog walkers’, or ‘modern home design’.

9. Inspirational Stories

For the long-term followers or those who are invested in your journey, try sharing photos of your art 10 or 20 years ago and contrast this with your work today. Take time to talk about how your work has changed and why.

Tip: Make it personal- people are nosey and love finding out about the lives of others, so show yourself at your first art exhibition or art fair, looking fresh faced!

10. Tips and Tutorials

Share the love with a tip or tutorial, which will also serve as a process video outlined in Tip 1. This way, both buyers and fellow artists can engage.

Tip: Video a tutorial that’s satisfying to watch or has an ASMR quality about it to reel people in!

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, if you are using Instagram to sell your work, you need to write as if you are pitching to your dream customer. They want to know the process behind their new purchase, or reasons why you’re such a unique artist to invest in, so make sure your content reflects this, whilst sounding fun and not too commercial!

Your content doesn’t have to be perfect every time. Don’t spend hours on each post because this is not sustainable long term. Some of these tips can be quick to create and really give some varied excitement to your content. Consistency is key on successful social media profiles. Don’t worry about posting once a day if you don’t have time, but maybe try up to 3 times a week and adjust this to your needs and the way your audience responds.

Final Tip: Have fun with this, ask your audience questions, and be your authentic self throughout!

Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

The Ballroom Gallery with a view of artworks on the wall and ceramics on plinths.
Blog Posts

How to Curate an Art Exhibition

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At Ballroom Arts our Courtyard and Ballroom gallery walls are always beautifully covered in original artworks by local and national artists. But this beauty comes from a keen eye for harmony and balance with the allocation of artworks within a specific space. Here, we share our Top 5 Tips learnt from watching our exhibiting artists over the years so you can go on to curate a standout art exhibition.

1. Define a Clear Theme

Developing a cohesive theme is the first step to create a strong narrative and sense of communication between your works. Consider how your pieces connect with one another, or the world around them and from that, think about what message you want to communicate. A strong theme will gather a certain audience interested in your theme as well as the friends and passers-by that will come across your event. A well-thought-out theme gives visitors a sense of purpose and something to think about even after the event.

2. Choose the Right Venue

The right venue sets the tone for your exhibition. Whether it’s a gallery, a pop-up space, or a unique location, make sure it aligns with your artistic vision. Thinking about Ballroom Arts- a Suffolk seaside gallery, themes suggestive of rural living, the sea or East Anglian heritage are well-suited ideas for the space’s surrounding environment. Have a think about how the layout, lighting and accessibility of your space enhances the display of your work.

3. Create a Balanced Layout

The arrangement of artworks within a gallery space is crucial. To create balance, consider the size, colour palette, and medium of each piece. Try starting with the larger works to serve as focal points, placing smaller pieces around them to close gaps or create visual contrast. Be careful though: give enough space between artworks to let each one stand out and communicate with each other.

Don’t start hanging straight away! You’ll save time by resting works on the floor in drafted layouts and switching pieces around until you’re happy before you start putting works on the wall. If you change your mind once you’ve hung your works, easy STAS wall hanging systems like ours at Ballroom Arts can simply unclip your work, and re-clip into your preferred space.

4. Focus on Flow and Movement

The way visitors move through the gallery impacts their experience. Have a look at the gallery floorplan and visit the space beforehand to see how other artists create flow. Then you can curate a smooth, intuitive path that guides your audience through the narrative theme of your exhibition. Group works with similar themes or visual elements together avoiding ‘dead-ends’ in your layout.

5. Use Lighting to Your Advantage

Lighting is a powerful tool in art curation. Proper lighting highlights details, textures, and colours that might otherwise be overlooked. We have industry-standard overhead spotlights, which are adjustable to direct towards key artworks.

Final Thoughts

Curating artworks in a gallery is an art in itself, requiring careful consideration of theme, location, layout, flow, and lighting. By creating balanced arrangements using a strong theme complimentary to its surroundings, you can elevate the overall experience of your visitors ensuring all works are seen in their best light. Whether you’re working solo or in a group show, these tips will guide you to curate a memorable and impactful gallery display.