The Opening Night Guide: What To Wear, What To Say, What To Bring

Your work is on the wall. The doors open at seven. Somewhere between now and then you have to decide what to wear, what to say when someone asks about your piece, and whether it is weird to bring your mum.

This is the complete guide to a Streeters Gallery opening night, for artists who have never done one and artists who did one and hated it.

What an opening night actually is

Friday evening, the first look at the show. Collectors, curators, art advisors, other exhibiting artists and their guests, plus the general public who saw the post. Drinks. Loud enough to feel like something, quiet enough to hear a question. Usually two to three hours. Streeters shows in London, New York and Berlin all open this way, followed by calmer public days over the weekend.

It is not a private view in the old, terrifying, silent sense. It is a party where the walls are the reason.

What to wear

Whatever you feel most like yourself in. Nobody is judging outfits at a Streeters opening, but you will be photographed next to your work and you will be talking to strangers, so pick something you can stand in for three hours and would be happy to see on Instagram tomorrow.

The only rule: comfortable shoes. Gallery floors are hard and openings are long.

What to bring

A way to take payment. Card reader, payment link on your phone, bank details ready. When someone says "I want it," the distance between yes and paid should be seconds.

Your contact details, ready to share by phone. Business cards are fine but a QR code to your Instagram or your Mostra studio on your lock screen is faster.

A friend, partner or your mum. Yes, bring them. Every artist should have one person in the room who is unconditionally on their side. Guests are welcome.

Water. And a phone with battery, for photos and for that QR code.

What to say when someone asks about your work

Two honest sentences. What it is and why you made it. "It's a portrait of a stranger from the night bus. I'm interested in what faces do when nobody's watching." Then stop and let them respond. If they want more, they will ask.

You do not need art school vocabulary, a rehearsed statement or a theory. You need to sound like a person who meant it.

If someone does not like it, "thanks for looking" is a complete sentence. Not everything is for everyone.

Where to stand

Not in front of your work all night, guarding it. Spend some time near it so people can find you, then walk the room. Look at the other artists' work, talk to them, meet their guests. The best conversations happen when you are relaxed, and some of the most useful connections at a group show are with the artist on the next wall, not the collector.

How to sell without selling

Have a visible price on your label. Be findable. Be pleasant. When someone lingers, say hello. When someone asks the price, say the number, without apologising for it. When someone says they need to think, give them your details and say the work will be on your Mostra studio after the show. Then follow up in a few days with a short, friendly message.

That is the entire technique. Most first sales at group shows happen exactly like that.

Nerves

Everyone has them, including the artists who look like they do not. It passes about fifteen minutes after you arrive, usually the moment someone you have never met stops in front of your piece for longer than a scroll. Arrive early enough to see the room before it fills. Have one drink, not four. If it gets too much, step outside; the show does not need you to be present every minute.

What to do the next day

Post the photos. Tag the gallery and the artists you met. Message the people who showed interest. Write down anything you learned about how your work reads on a wall. Then look at the next open call, because the second opening is easier and the third is fun.

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear to my art exhibition opening? Something you feel like yourself in and can stand in for three hours, with comfortable shoes.

Should I stand next to my artwork at an opening? Some of the time, so people can find you. Then walk the room.

How do I talk about my art at an opening? Two honest sentences about what it is and why you made it, then let the other person respond.

Can I bring guests to a Streeters opening night? Yes. Guests are welcome at all Streeters openings.

Do I have to attend my opening night? No. Attendance is optional and the show runs the same without you, but if you can be there, it is where connections and first sales happen.

Get your own opening night

Streeters Gallery: London November 6 to 8, New York Tribeca November 20 to 23, Berlin December 5 to 7. Free to apply. All mediums. Zero commission.

The Holy Art: nine cities, rolling open call.

Doors at seven. See you there.