Communication guidelines for gallery exhibitors
Communication guidelines for students who are organising an exhibition in the Academy of Fine Arts' own gallery spaces as well as in the spaces of partners.
Exhibition communications in the Academy of Fine Arts
The exhibition communication services at the Academy of Fine Arts are primarily aimed at exhibitions that have been granted exhibition time at Kuva/Tila and Tasku by the Artistic Activities Working Group.
When it comes to communications, the academy’s exhibition year is divided into three seasons: autumn season (September-December), spring season (January-May) and summer exhibitions (June-August). During the summer season, communication services are limited due to the summer holidays.
The basis for communication planning is the information provided by the exhibitor in the exhibition application, on the basis of which the exhibition time has been granted. If the content of your exhibition changes drastically after being granted the exhibition time, let communications know about it as soon as possible.
The communications coordinator will contact the exhibitor via email and give instructions on how to submit the communications materials. Be prepared to submit the materials early – some information is needed months before the opening of the exhibition. Usually the final deadline for all materials is 3 weeks before opening.
Kuva/Tila (big exhibition space)
The exhibitor will submit the following information to the academy’s communications team:
- The title of the exhibition, opening hours and exhibition opening date and time (usually a Thursday from 5 to 7 pm). Also inform us of possible exceptional opening conditions (discuss this with the producer first)
- Description of the exhibition’s content for the website FI&EN
- Artists’ names
- If there are events associated with your exhibition, send detailed information about them, as well: date and venue, participants, presentation of the event, duration, language, sign up -link if needed (Note that the events must be agreed with the producer first.)
- Lead image, preferably an art work image. Include work credits/photographer. The visual communication of the exhibitions in Kuva/Tila follow the visual guidelines of the Uniarts Helsinki’s event marketing, and it is carried out by KuvA’s graphic designer. The image therefore cannot be the finished look of the exhibition and it cannot contain text.
Tasku (small exhibition space)
The exhibitor will submit the following information to the academy’s communications team:
- The title of the exhibition, opening hours and exhibition opening date and time (usually a Thursday from 5 to 7 pm). Also inform us of possible exceptional opening conditions (discuss this with the producer first)
- Name of the artist/members of the working group
- Description of the content of the exhibition
- Brief artist biography
- Links to the artists’/ working group’s websites and social media accounts
- If there are events associated with your exhibition, send detailed information about them, as well: date, time and venue, participants, presentation of the event, duration, language, a sign up link if needed. (NB. The event details need to be discussed with the academy’s producer first).
- 1–2 images + work credits (title, year, technique, size/duration) and the photographer’s name. Select the image you want us to use in all communications
- If you create a Facebook event, send a link to the communications team so we can share it on the academy’s Fb page
If possible, submit the material in both Finnish and English. Unfortunately, the academy’s communications team does not offer translation services.
The exhibitor takes care of compiling the list of works. The exhibitor is responsible for possible exhibition text and translation. Please use design templates for poster and exhibition text/work list, available to download below on this page.
The academy’s communications team takes care of the external and internal communication of the exhibition in Uniarts Helsinki’s own communication channels. If you want, you can send the opening invitation to internal email lists yourself.
Myllytori
The exhibitor is responsible for the communication of exhibitions in Myllytori.
Exhibition collaborations
Communication for exhibitions outside the Academy of Fine Arts is usually the responsibility of the partner, unless otherwise agreed. The communication staff of the Academy of Fine Arts can add the event to its own communication channels at its discretion.
Kuvan Kevät
The communication and marketing campaign of the Kuvan Kevät master’s degree exhibition is implemented according to a separate plan. The exhibition has its own marketing budget. In recent years, the campaign has included marketing e.g. on social media, outdoors and on public transport and on the hs.fi platform.
Measures for exhibition communication
Website
The main platform for exhibition-related communications is the Kuva/Tila webpage. The communications team updates the page for each exhibition season. The exhibitions are automatically a part of the Uniarts Event calendar as well.
Invitations to openings
We use digital invitations with exhibitions taking place in Kuva/Tila. The communications team sends an invitation about 1.5 weeks before the opening to the exhibition guest list. The invitation includes the opening hours and a brief description of the exhibition. Invitations are written in Finnish and English. Each invitation has a banner image, which can depict the artwork or be an edited version of the poster for the exhibition.
The exhibition at Tasku Gallery is also mentioned in the opening invitation if its opening falls on the same day.
If you wish to add your professional contacts to the invitation guest list, please provide a list of email addresses to the communications team no later than three days before the invitation is sent. Please note that, due to GDPR regulations, the communications team cannot send invitations to your personal contacts, such as family members.
Visual identity of the exhibition
The visual identity designed for Uniarts Helsinki’s event marketing is used in the communications and marketing for all exhibitions at Kuva/Tila. The visual look for an exhibition in Kuva/Tila is designed by the Academy of Fine Arts’ graphic designer, following the guidelines for event marketing. For Tasku exhibitions, a poster template is available.
Poster
The graphic designer of the Academy of Fine Arts designs a poster for the A-stand (70x100cm) at Kuva/Tila. The posters (2 in total) are printed at the Academy of Fine Arts PrintLab.
The artist/working group is responsible for posters for Tasku Gallery. Use the design templates. Printed products must have the Academy of Fine Arts logo. The templates have the logos in their correct positions. If you want a larger print run of posters, you need to pay for the expenses yourself. You can use your thesis project grant for the expenses if the prints are for your master’s thesis project exhibition.
Artwork lists
Artwork lists can be printed for exhibitions in Kuva/Tila. A short exhibition text can also be added to the list. If you would like to have lists printed for your exhibition, please let the producer know about it well in advance. The producer will compile the information you provide and the academy’s graphic designer will design the materials.
In Tasku exhibitions, the exhibitor is responsible for compiling, designing and printing the artwork lists.
Wall and window tapings
If you need wall or window tapings, agree on the matter with the producer well in advance. Plan the place for the wall text. Suitable places include the inside of the Kuva/Tila door and the wall between the windows. If you need the communications team’s help with preparing or proofreading the wall text, contact them well in advance. The academy’s graphic designer designs the layout of the tapings.
Info screens
Kuva/Tila and Tasku exhibitions will be shown on Mylly info screens, as well as some other screens in other spaces of Uniarts Helsinki.
Social media
Information on exhibitions is posted on the social media platforms, that include Taideyliopiston Kuvataideakatemia and Taideyliopisto on Facebook and @uniartshelsinki and @kuvatila.uniarts on Instagram. If you are an active IG user, tag @uniartshelsinki and @kuvatila.uniarts in your posts so that the communications team can share your posts.
The exhibitor can have an Instagram takeover of Uniarts Helsinki’s account at a time that suits them best before the exhibition or during it. If you are interested in taking over and updating the university’s account as a guest, don’t hesitate to contact the communications team! Takeover guests will be paid a remuneration for their updates.
Press release and media
We mainly work with the Finnish media, for example via printed releases, internet, radio and television. The communications team prepares a press release if the topic meets the news criteria and has the potential of attracting interest in the media.
The communications team sends a press release on all the exhibitions scheduled for the season in the beginning of the exhibition season. If a press release is made of an individual exhibition, the Academy of Fine Arts communications team will prepare it based on the material provided by the exhibitor.
Event calendars
The Academy of Fine Arts communications team sends out the info on exhibitions for the event pages in the Helsingin Sanomat Menokone event calendar (online and print) and to other event calendars as well, if those are considered necessary.
Translations
We recommend that you submit all materials to the communications team in both Finnish and English. Unfortunately, the Academy of Fine Arts communications team does not provide translation services.
Photography
The exhibitor is asked to send a few press photos, along with details of the work and the photographer, to the communications team in advance. If your exhibition has installations or if your works are not finished until right before the exhibition, the academy’s photographer will take the press photos as soon as the installation is finalized. The communications team arranges the photoshoots. Exhibitors themselves are in charge of possible documentation of their exhibition.
Design templates
Download the Tasku poster template
Download a Word template for Tasku exhibition info text