Change is constant in the art world, which remains rooted in tradition but now operates in ever-shorter cycles dictated by a packed annual art fair schedule in what feels like a contracting world. Add to that diminished attention spans and micro-audiences, and communications firms in this space must be unfailingly agile, inventive and ready to pitch new—sometimes virtual—initiatives.
Staying open-minded is crucial, given that on top of it all, what constitutes both art and culture is rapidly shifting. It’s a change for the better, Bow Bridge Communications co-founders Libby Mark and Heather Meltzer tell Observer, with more diversity and inclusivity and a broader range of programs. Emerging social apps and digital tools and platforms add yet another layer of complexity.
The firms on this year’s PR Power List Visual Arts Honor Roll are not only driving awareness of exhibitions and art events but guiding museums, galleries, art fairs and cultural institutions as they grapple with questions around how to drive audience engagement in an increasingly virtualized world.
“The landscape of best practices, platforms, tools and other ways of reaching key audiences and managing reputation is constantly and rapidly changing,” David Resnicow, President of Resnicow and Associates, tells Observer. And while it’s unlikely that algorithms and augmented reality will supplant IRL experiences any time soon, according to Hunter Braithwaite, a senior vice president at the firm Cultural Counsel, comms agencies working in the visual arts still need to keep up with the times.
Museums must innovate to grow their audiences—and tell stories that draw in the younger visitors that will become the next generation of funders. Galleries and auction houses feel the pressure to expand, both geographically and into virtual realms, to stay relevant in a crowded marketplace. And art fairs can no longer coast on cultural cachet—the most successful have merged into multi-fair behemoths complete with schedules of parties and events where celebrities and art-world VIPs go to see and be seen.
It’s not about ‘out with the old, in with the new.’ Deep ties in the art world remain an indispensable element of PR success, even as more institutions expand into new nations and new markets; ditto for the fervent belief that in-person engagement with art is vital to our collective well-being. But, Braithwaite tells Observer, you have to meet the public where they are. Today, that could just as easily be on TikTok as in the pages of the Times. Or, if the art in question is digital or has been digitized, in the metaverse or on the blockchain.
What PR professionals in the visual arts need to do to drive conversations and promote awareness has changed a lot in the past decade—and will keep changing from year to year. But what constitutes success hasn’t changed much: the goal remains to connect art and audiences in meaningful ways.
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