Write your exhibition press release: 6 steps that get attention

A press release tells journalists, bloggers and local media why your exhibition matters and what readers of theirs will gain from visiting. The structure is fixed: who, what, when, where and why in the first paragraph, supporting detail in the next two or three, then your contact information. Done well, it lands your show in event listings, arts coverage and the inboxes of people who attend openings. Eclectic Art Studio walks you through building one that editors can use.

Start with the facts that decide whether someone opens it

The subject line carries the exhibition title, the venue and the opening date. Keep it under ten words. "New paintings by Sarah Mitchell, Riverside Gallery, 12 March" tells an editor what the story is. "Exciting new work explores themes of memory" does not.

The first paragraph answers five questions in three sentences: who is showing, what the work is, when it opens and closes, where it is held, and why someone should care. That last point is not hype — it is the angle. A first solo show after years of group exhibitions is an angle. Work made during a residency is an angle. A collaboration between two artists who work in opposing methods is an angle.

Write the opening paragraph last, after you know what the rest says. Editors scan the first lines and decide in seconds whether to keep reading.

Describe the work in terms a non-artist understands

The second paragraph focuses on the work itself. Name the medium, the scale if it matters, and what the pieces explore. Avoid jargon and metaphor that only other artists will decode. "Large-scale oil paintings examining light on water" is plain. "A dialogue between surface and depth that interrogates perception" is not.

Include a count if the exhibition has one: twelve new works, a series of fifteen prints, six sculpture pieces. Numbers give a sense of scope. Mention if the work has been shown elsewhere or if this is a debut body of work, but keep it to one sentence. This paragraph runs to four or five sentences at most.

Choose one piece to describe closely

Pick a single work that represents the show and describe it in two sentences. What someone sees when they stand in front of it, not what it symbolises. This gives the journalist something concrete to quote and helps a reader picture the exhibition before they visit.

Add context without writing a biography

The third paragraph places you in context. Where you studied, previous exhibitions that matter, awards or residencies, current studio location. Three or four facts are enough. This is not your CV — it is what a journalist needs to introduce you to their audience. If you have work in a public collection or have shown at a recognised venue, state it here.

For a group show, this paragraph covers each artist in turn, two or three sentences each. Keep the structure parallel so no one artist dominates unless the exhibition itself has that balance.

List the practical details readers need to visit

The fourth paragraph is a plain list: full venue address, opening hours, admission cost if there is one, private view date and time if it is open to the public. Write it so someone can copy it into their calendar without looking elsewhere. If the show has a closing reception or an artist talk, include the date and whether booking is required.

This is also where you note access information if the venue has step-free entry, a hearing loop or other provisions. A sentence is sufficient.

Follow the structure editors expect

A press release follows a format that makes it easy to file, quote and schedule. Editors who receive dozens a week will discard one that makes them hunt for the date or guess at the venue. The structure below has been standard for decades because it works.

1. Write "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in capitals at the top left, then the date you send it.
2. Add a short, factual headline in bold, carrying the exhibition title and venue.
3. Write the body in three or four short paragraphs, each doing one job as described above.
4. Close with a contact block: your name, phone number, email address and website.
5. Add "ENDS" in capitals below the last paragraph, before the contact block.
6. Attach one high-resolution image of the work with a caption giving title, medium, year and your name.

Send the release two to three weeks before the opening for monthly publications, one week before for weekly listings, and three or four days before for daily outlets and blogs. Earlier is better than late — print deadlines close well before publication.

Avoid the language that signals an amateur release

Certain phrases tell an editor the release was written without a reader in mind. "Exciting new work" says nothing. "A must-see exhibition" is a claim, not a fact. "Journey" and "explore" are overused to the point of meaninglessness. Write as though you are telling a colleague about the show — direct, specific and free of puffery.

Quotes from the artist are optional. If you include one, make it do real work: a sentence about what the work tries to do, or why you made it now, not a restatement of the paragraph above it. A weak quote is worse than none. Many successful press releases carry no quotes at all.

Send it to people who cover work like yours

A press release to the wrong list achieves nothing. Research which journalists, bloggers and listing editors cover exhibitions in your area or in your medium. Read what they have written recently and send your release only to those whose beat matches your show. A personal line at the top — "I saw your piece on textile work at [venue] and thought this show might interest you" — raises the chance they will read it.

Local papers, arts magazines, online platforms and community radio stations all use press releases to fill their events coverage. Find their submission guidelines and follow them exactly. Some want the release in the body of the email, others as an attachment. Some accept images, others request links. Ignoring the format they ask for puts your release at the bottom of the pile.

Keep a record of where you sent each release and what resulted. Over time you will learn which outlets cover your work and which do not, and you can refine your list for the next show. Building that relationship is as valuable as the immediate coverage.

Write your own listings entry

Many outlets publish a what's-on section that runs short entries. Write yours in third person, under fifty words, with the essential facts front-loaded: your name, exhibition title, venue, dates, a one-sentence description of the work. Send it alongside the full release and label it clearly. Editors will often lift it unchanged, which guarantees accuracy and saves them time.

Keep the file simple and the image high quality

Send the release as a PDF or in the body of the email, never as a Word document that may not open correctly. Name the file clearly: your surname, the exhibition title, the word "release" — for example, Mitchell_RiversideGallery_Release.pdf. Attach one image only, at least 300 dpi and at least 2000 pixels on the longest side, saved as a JPEG. Editors will request more if they need them.

The image file name should match the caption: Mitchell_TidalLight_2026.jpg, for instance. Do not embed the image in the document unless the submission guidelines ask for it. A separate high-resolution file is easier to extract and publish.

If you are promoting the exhibition online as well, the same principles apply. Photograph your artwork in good light with accurate colour, and consider how the work will read at thumbnail size on a phone screen. That image is often the first thing a potential visitor sees.

What happens after you send it

Most press releases receive no reply. That does not mean they were not read or that they will not be used. Listings editors seldom acknowledge every submission. Coverage may appear days or weeks later without warning. Check the outlets you contacted in the week before your opening and during the run of the show — your release may have been filed and scheduled without your knowledge.

If a journalist contacts you for more information, reply the same day. Have additional images ready to send, a short biography to hand, and answers to questions about pricing, availability and your working process. That speed and readiness often decides whether the piece is written or dropped.

After the show closes, note which outlets covered it and thank them briefly by email. That courtesy helps when you send your next release. Journalists remember artists who make their job easier.

Related guidance on presenting your practice

A press release is one part of how you communicate about your work to people outside your studio. Writing an artist statement that supports the press material gives journalists and curators the language they need. Build your artist portfolio so that anyone who finds your name through coverage can see the body of work behind the show. Approach a gallery with the same clarity and directness you bring to the press release, and your pitch will stand out for the right reasons.

#Exhibition planning #Networking #Artwork sales #Artist community

Download PDF: Exhibition Press Release Checklist PDF, 29 KB