Let’s be real. Art shows are so fun to go to because of the art, AND because there are usually free drinks, how great is that. So of course, drinks aren’t actually free at the store, so I decided to see if someone were willing to sponsor the show! There were two memorable stories. I first called Pretty Things, which I knew to be a local brewery (in fact the previous hacker space I was a member of was in the same building as where they started), so I looked up the people involved on their website and cold emailed/called them. They were somewhat lukewarm about the idea and told me that it was too short notice (I called them two weeks before the show) and that their beer was actually stored in Florida (go figure). Re-learned a lesson to do things ahead of time :)
Then I basically kept talking about the endeavor to people around me, until a friend that’s on another floor of the building told me about a cool local brewery that had then just opened up - Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville. He happened to know the guy who had designed their logo (Ryan Habbyshaw - who also later became my friend) and put us in touch. Ryan in turn forwarded me to Aeronaut and I called them up immediately.
If I had any piece of advice at this point, it would be to tell people about what you’re trying to do. People can feel if something is a labor of love and will offer advice or assistance. This has been true all along the way. And honestly, I find it hard not to talk about something I like :)
Back to the story. I called up Aeronaut and said something like “Hi I’m Nick, and I’m putting together a show called Curious Sound Objects, which is a collection of interactive sound sculptures, and I’m looking for someone to sponsor the beer.” He said, “That’s awesome! Reminds me of a time I was on LSD in a forest full of musical instruments! Of course you can have some beer! Come by and pick it up!” Done!
Story continues in the next post.
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-Nick
Check out:
How to start an Art Show with No Money Part 1 - Pick a Theme
How to start an Art Show with No Money Part 2 - Find a Venue