Emerging artists show strategies

I was recently invited to participate in an emerging artist's show. I have a few months to prepare, and so I will be creating new works, which will hopefully be accepted. This is a good gallery, and I want to make the most of it. So what does everyone know about these things?

What is an emerging artist's show? Is it an exciting thing for the clients of the gallery? Or is it the one show they pick to miss? Is it an endorsement from the art director to her clients, or more like a survey of what's new without any assessment or explicit recommendations?

What's a good strategy for these things? 2-3 complex pieces that knock everyone's socks off? Or pieces that show promise or competence and are small/inexpensive enough to purchase? Include a study or drawing? Or some combination?

Advice? Recommendations?

Thanks!
Lisa

[Michele Rushworth]

I was in a similar show in a nice downtown Seattle gallery many years ago, though your experience might be quite different from mine. There were three artists and we each showed a dozen or so pieces (depending on size). Sales were very low, for whatever reason.

You should probably ask the gallery owner how many pieces/sizes you should prepare. Ask him or her if they would like to select from your available works or if you get to choose what to show. If you get to choose, hang your very best work. If you're not sure which pieces are your best, ask the gallery or your friends.

Ask yourself what kind of work you want to become known for. Is this meant to be a way to showcase your talents as a portrait artist and hope to secure commissions later, or are these works meant for sale at the show?

The owners must like your work enough to have invited you, and gallery patrons may be intrigued to see what's new and upcoming, instead of the same old artists who show regularly. On the other hand, the gallery I was involved with always had their emerging artists show in January, knowing that most of their clientelle had already spent a lot of disposable income at Christmas and sales were not likely to be high no matter what was shown.