Communications Materials: Best Practices

The Center of Creativity works with you to help promote your exhibitions and events on our website, email newsletter, and social media.

For best success, here are the materials needed and the best way to provide them to us:

Press release about your exhibition. Include:

  1. Title of exhibition or event
  2. Presenting organization (if there is one)
  3. Dates of exhibition
  4. One to two paragraphs describing the exhibition/event
  5. One paragraph about your organization or bio of the artists/people involved
  6. List of participating artists if it is a group exhibition/event.
  7. Link to your organization or exhibition page for more information.

The CfC may edit your materials for its own promotional efforts due to space limitations. Here are some tips for creating a useful press release and artist bio:

  • Supply information about the artist that is relevant to their work or career, such as city of birth, city of residence, education, visible public works, a notable award, etc.
  • Write in the third person (he, she, or they, not “I”)
  • Avoid overly personal details except as they apply to the work.
  • Describe themes and sources of artistic inspiration or motivation in a concrete fashion.
  • Avoid jargony or ethereal language where the reader needs to guess at the meaning.
  • Note details of your artistic practice, especially if they are distinct or not easy to ascertain at first glance.
  • Avoid interpretations of the artwork. Let the viewer decide how to feel about it.
  • Keep it short. We recommend:
    • Exhibition information: 100 to 200 words
    • Bio or about the organization: 60 to 100 words
    • You can find your word count in a Word document by selecting the text, clicking the “Review” tab,  and then “Word Count.”
    • You can find your word count in a Google Doc by selecting the text then pressing Shift+Command+C.
  1. Photos of your artwork, display, or events 
  • Provide images as .JPG files. If you need help converting images, please let us know.
  • Provide both horizontal and vertical options for different uses.
  • Multiple images are welcome, but indicate if there is a preferred signature image for your exhibition.
  • Due to use in limited settings, images with a large central focus are more effective than those with a lot of detail.
  • Make sure the image is large enough for use in digital media: We recommend:
    • A minimum of 1000 pixels on its smallest side 
    • A maximum of 5MG for ease of use
    • If you have access to Photoshop, you can find the size of your image by clicking  on the “Image” dropdown menu and selecting “Image Size.” There you can toggle between pixels, inches, and other forms of measurement. 
    • If your image is not large enough, do not try to resize in Photoshop. All that will do is redistribute the information in the picture, making it blurry. Try to obtain a larger original.

3. Image Descriptions of Visual Media
Provide image descriptions for all visual media. Information on how to write effective image descriptions can be found here: americananthro.org/accessibility/image-descriptions/