The Artists’ Toolbox: Show and Tell 

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Students should have some experience of art practice and be relatively established.

Special Information

Materials and equipment provided for students as part of the course fee:

• Visitor account for MyEd

Essential materials and equipment students must provide themselves:

• A notebook / sketchbook

• Access to the internet

• Materials available to purchase during course

• Papers and card

Optional materials and equipment students may provide

• A camera and access to a PC or Mac laptop

Content of Course

1. Showing your work

Editing and selecting for portfolio. Mounting, framing and installing. Exercise: Creating an online portfolio.

2. Gallery visit

Private commercial (Open Eye, Scottish etc.). Public (Dovecot, National Museums, Talbot Rice, City Art Centre etc.). Artist led (Summerhall, Drill Hall etc.). Pop up spaces or installations. Exercise: create an imaginary show of your work in one of the spaces we visit.

3. Exhibiting your work

Where your work should / can be seen? Approaching galleries and which galleries? Open competitions. Self-curation. Why you need to think about where NOT to show. Exercise: curate an online exhibition.

4. Writing about your work

The personal statement. What is it? Who is for? Who actually reads them and are they important? Your bio and CV. Keeping a blog and website. The dos and don’ts of social media. Exercise: identify three examples of good practice in an artists' blog, website or Facebook page.

5. Selling your work

How to value your work? Gallery commission. Private sales and commissions. Costs and overheads. Studio and materials. Working for nothing – working for favours. The artist and the taxman.

Teaching method(s)

Each class will focus on a different theme of professional practice in art and design which will lead into a seminar discussion, a practical exercise or a site visit to a museum/gallery. Teaching will be a combination of tutor introductions followed by class discussion and workshop sessions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a more informed understanding of a range of professional practices common to contemporary artists.

• Show a greater awareness of how to identify where their art practice sits within contemporary art.

• Use social media and other online tools to support the promotion and public visibility of their artwork.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.