Event planning & promotion for the public opening of Indiana’s largest private collection of local art.
Gregory & Appel has been proudly based in downtown Indianapolis for over 140 years. Throughout its history, it’s placed an importance on supporting the local community.
When Andrew Appel took over as the fifth generation of family leadership, he commissioned local artists to create original works which would be permanently on display in the new office location in the historic Gibson Building at 433 N Capitol Ave.
An Art Gallery at an Insurance Agency??!
Planning & Promotion
generations is a collection of over 40 works from Indianapolis artists. Through the presentation, artists share stories of family history, cultural traditions, and how they carry on their family legacies.
This was more than an art opening – it was an opportunity to bring diverse voices into the light and provide a platform for these stories to be told.
We set an October open house date but started preparing for the event in the spring by inviting each artist into our space for a video interview. Just one problem…I’d never taken on a project like this before without an experienced videographer. And our production budget was $0.
The Learning Curve
So…I learned. We had some cheap ring lights the agency purchased during Covid. A roll of paper we use as a backdrop for headshots. I shot on my iPhone 15 and recorded the audio using Audition via a USB mic I found for cheap.
I taught myself Premiere Pro, “learning by doing,” and using YouTube tutorials to develop my skills.
The interviews turned out great – I spent a total of over 80 hours cutting our 30-minute interviews into 2-3 minute videos, cutting in visuals of their artwork throughout. Then, cut down these long versions into :30 clips for promotion on social. The videos are available on YouTube, on the G&A website, and each work has a QR code you can scan to watch the video.
I love to learn by doing, am up for just about any challenge, and love growing my creative skillset.
The Big Day
Our promotion strategy included paid social, placements with local arts organizations, and listings on Indianapolis event sites like Do317 and Visit Indy. We also sent each participating artist a promo kit they could use to invite friends and family, post on social, and connect with their network.
First Fridays in Indianapolis feature a variety of art gallery events, but because our office is in downtown Indy – but, well, a commercial office building – we couldn’t count on foot traffic. We weren’t sure how many people would show up, as Facebook and Eventbrite RSVPs can be unreliable.
But we had a packed house – over 300 visitors attended the event, well exceeding our goal. Our promotional strategy worked out, and most importantly our artists felt seen, valued and supported.
