how to write a press release for an art show

How to Write a Press Release for an Art Show (October 2026)

by 9 min read

An art show press release is a one-page news document, usually 400 to 600 words and written in third person, that tells editors who is exhibiting, what the work is about, when and where it runs, and who to contact for images and interviews. Learning how to write a press release for an art show comes down to one rule: write it like news, not like advertising. Most artists lose coverage at the first sentence because they open with their own biography.

The good news is that the format is narrow and repeatable. Draft it in one sitting, keep it under a page, and you have something you can send to ten editors, reuse on your website, and paste into grant applications for the next five years.

Table of Contents

What You Need

Everything below can be gathered in an hour or two, and none of it requires a writer. If you have the facts, you can write the release.

  • Exhibition details: title, artist name, venue, opening date, closing date, gallery hours, admission, full street address.
  • Exhibition concept: two or three sentences on what the show is about, in plain language, not curatorial theory.
  • Artwork facts: titles, years, dimensions, and materials for the three to five works you want mentioned.
  • Artist background: training, where you have shown before, collections you belong to, awards. Only what is verifiable.
  • High-resolution images: at least three press-ready photographs, correctly credited, sized for print.
  • A named media contact: a real person, a real email address, a working phone number.
  • Your media targets: ten specific outlets with a named editor or writer, not a scatter of generic links.

If the venue has supplied its own boilerplate, keep it separate and paste it in at the end. Your artist information and the gallery’s history are two different paragraphs, and editors notice when they get merged.

Step-by-Step: How to Write a Press Release for an Art Show

Step 1: Define the News and the Audience

Before a single sentence, decide why this is worth an editor’s time. A first solo show, a museum debut, a work returning to the city after twenty years, a newly announced gallery representation, an award received. Any of those is a story. “I finished some new paintings” is not.

Then name your actual readers. A weekly paper’s city desk, a regional arts newsletter, two art blogs that cover textile and mixed media work, a curator who is programming this type of show. Different outlets want different angles, and you will handle that later. Right now you are writing for one imaginary editor who is busy.

Step 2: Gather the Essential Exhibition Facts

Write the facts down in a plain list, in this order: exhibition title, artist name, venue name, street address, opening date, closing date, opening reception date and time, regular hours, admission cost or free admission, and the exhibition website.

Double-check every date against the gallery’s own listing. One wrong date is the fastest way to end a relationship with a small publication, because they will catch it.

Step 3: Select the Artworks and Supporting Context

Choose three to five works that carry the argument of the show, and describe them plainly. Title, year, materials, dimensions, and what the work is doing, not what it means to you personally. “Hand-dyed wool and cotton, stitched and layered, six feet tall” tells a reader more than “a deeply introspective journey into memory.”

Note the thread that connects them, if there is one: a shared material, a recurring motif, a shift in scale between pieces hung years apart. That sentence is the closest thing a release has to a thesis.

Step 4: Draft the Opening Paragraph

The lead paragraph carries the whole release. Answer the five questions in one to two sentences, in this order:

  • Who is exhibiting, named plainly.
  • What the show is, in a few words.
  • Where it is running, with the city.
  • When it opens, with the closing date.
  • Why it matters, in one specific sentence.

The sixth question, how to attend, belongs in the details block further down. Keep it there.

Step 5: Expand the Release’s Body

Two to four short paragraphs follow the lead. Paragraph one gives the exhibition concept and the artistic argument. Paragraph two describes the principal works. Paragraph three holds one quote from the artist, and if the gallery or a curator has supplied one, one from them instead, since editors prefer a voice with a title attached to it.

Write about facts, not feelings. Every sentence should survive the question, “how do you know that?” If you cannot support a claim, cut it.

How to Write a Press Release for an Art Show Headline

A searchable, specific headline beats a clever one every time. State the subject, the venue, and the angle: Painter Lena Ortiz Shows New Hand-Stitched Wall Hangings at Ferrand Gallery Through November 14. Keep it under about twelve words, drop the date from the headline, and use a subheadline for the one extra fact that does not fit.

Avoid ALL CAPS, emoji, and phrases like “must-see” or “groundbreaking.” Editors cut those on sight, and so do the editors’ own style guides.

Step 6: Add the Boilerplate and Contact Details

The boilerplate is a short artist biography of three to four sentences, written in third person, covering training, selected exhibitions, and collections. Keep it honest. Over-inflated claims are the fastest route to a request for a retraction, and artists report losing gallery representation over exactly this.

Close with a media contact block: name, title, email, phone number, website, and a link to a folder or page where press images sit with credits attached.

Step 7: Format and Proofread the Release

Step 7: Format and Proofread the Release

Past the headline, the structure runs: dateline with city and date, the release line, the lead, the body, the event details block, the boilerplate, the contact. Keep it to one page in plain text, with no columns and no tables, because many offices still read it in a plain-text mailbox.

Now read it out loud and search for the three classic errors: a first-person “I” anywhere, an inflated claim, and a date that does not match the gallery’s listing. Then check the address character by character.

Step 8: Distribute and Follow Up

Email it rather than uploading it to a wire service first. If the venue wants it on a distribution service, send that version separately and note the link in your email.

Write a three-sentence email: one line on who you are, one on the show, one ask. Attach the release as a plain-text or PDF file and paste the core details in the body of the message so the editor can read it without opening anything. Send it four to six weeks before the opening, follow up once after about a week, then stop.

Keep a simple tracking record: who you sent to, when, whether anyone replied, and what ran. Ten well-chosen contacts who read your release beat a distribution blast to two hundred outlets who ignore it.

Common Mistakes

Opening with the artist’s biography. Fix: move it to the boilerplate. The lead paragraph belongs to the exhibition, not to your career.

Writing in first person. “My show explores memory” is marketing copy. “Ortiz’s show explores memory” is news. Editors rewrite first-person sentences before they can use them.

Unsupported superlatives. “The most innovative textile artist working today” is an unfalsifiable claim. Replace it with something you can evidence, like a named award, a collection, or the size of a work.

Burying the logistics. Dates, hours, and address belong in the first two paragraphs and again in a clean details block near the end. Never make a reader hunt for an opening date.

Sending one generic pitch to everyone. A city desk covering openings, an art blog covering textile work, and a statewide arts newsletter need three different opening lines. Personalize the first sentence; leave the release itself intact.

Attaching unusable images. Phone snapshots, images with the artist’s face cropped out, or files under 300 dpi at 4×6 inches get ignored. Supply three clean, credited, print-resolution photographs and say what each one shows.

Final Tips Before Sending

  • Keep a master copy as plain text and one as PDF, so you can paste from one and attach the other.
  • Confirm image rights in writing, including the photographer’s credit line, before any file leaves your inbox.
  • Check each outlet’s stated submission guidelines; some arts newsletters never want attachments at all.
  • Use inclusive language that fits the work, and describe subjects in words your audience uses.
  • Time the send for a Tuesday or Wednesday morning, when arts desks are usually working through their queues.
  • Reuse the release on your own site and newsletter, where it doubles as exhibition copy for visitors and grant panels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a press release for an art show be?

One page, somewhere between 400 and 600 words. Editors rarely read past the first two paragraphs, so every fact they need should appear before the body begins. Keep the event details block tight, cap the boilerplate at four sentences, and cut any paragraph that repeats the lead. If your draft runs long, the fix is almost always in the artwork description, not the dates or the contact block.

Should I email a press release or send it as an attachment?

Email it, and attach the file. Put the headline and the two most important paragraphs directly in the body of the message so the editor can read it without opening anything, then attach the full release as a PDF for reference. Plain text works too and some offices prefer it. Never send a large image set in the same message; link to a page where press images are already credited.

How should I describe mixed-media artworks in a press release?

Give the materials, the process, the scale, and what the work depicts or evokes. Example: hand-dyed wool and cotton stitched onto linen, six feet tall, referencing maps of river deltas. Avoid interpretive language about what the work means to you; that belongs in the artist statement or the interview. Precise description gives an editor something accurate to write from, which is exactly what they are looking for.

What artwork photographs should I send to media?

Send three to five images: one overall installation view showing the room, two or three individual works that carry the argument of the show, and one detail shot. Each should be at least 300 dpi at 4×6 inches or larger, correctly oriented, with the artist title, medium, year, and photographer credited. Installations are what most outlets actually run, so make sure the room view is well lit and free of clutter.

How do I tailor a press release to different publications?

Keep the release body identical and rewrite only the pitch email and the headline. A city desk opening page wants the public logistics and the artist’s local connection. An art blog wants the material and process detail. A statewide arts newsletter wants the regional or thematic angle. Send about ten well-matched contacts rather than one message to a general list, and note in your record which angle you used for each.

When should I send a press release before an art exhibition?

Send the first announcement four to six weeks before the opening, which gives editors time to schedule a visit or interview. Follow up once about a week later with the nearest images and a reminder date. Send a short second note the week of the opening if a review or feature is running. If the show is online or virtual, compress that to two weeks, since print deadlines move more slowly.

Conclusion

Start now by confirming the exhibition facts and building a list of ten relevant local or specialized media contacts, with a named writer at each. Then draft the headline, write a lead paragraph that answers who, what, where, when, and why, and stop at one page.

If you follow that order, how to write a press release for an art show becomes a two-hour task rather than a month of avoidance. Keep the master copy, send it four to six weeks out, follow up once, and reuse the whole thing wherever the show needs words.

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