Pop Art Exhibition Entry (Firenze)

I'm looking to boost my artistic career while balancing my dreams with my day job. I get by on what I earn, but to take the next step would take time and money that I just don't have.  Many artists plug their trade on the internet and some get lucky. Others like myself are lucky to be spotted by gallery curators who want to promote and sell artwork. I have been approached by group with a network of art galleries in Italy and the UK, who are looking for fresh new artists of the digital age that can bear a striking contrast to the traditional styles that are still very popular. This does not come for free.  Art galleries make sales that benefit both themselves (through commission) and the artist. While the gallery may see something in my work, there is no guarantee that they can monetise me without putting my work on the wall in front of potential buyers. For this reason, curators often charge an admission fee to untested artists as a way to keep their business moving. I am trying to raise funds to enter exhibitions for the six months starting 31st October 2017.  Some entrance fees are under 200 euros, but some are as much as 500+ euros. However, this will not be my main expense! My work is currently entirely digital, although I am planning to branch out during this period. The biggest outgoings are presentation and delivery costs, and I have fallen in love with printing my work onto the back of acrylic glass. Cost for producing a decent sized image (at least 50 x 50cm for square images) and sending it abroad after checking quality will cost approximately 80-100 euros per piece. I intend to have around 10 images that make it into my portfolio from my extensive collection of artworks. The galleries I am in contact with are nicely critical, and tell me what they think they can sell. Which so far concentrates on my portraits.  I'm starting a new portrait project to run alongside the non-portrait work I do to ensure that I have plenty of offerings to prospective clients. My plan I want to start putting my work into multiple art exhibitions and competitions to generate enough interest in my work that eventually the curators will drop the entrance fees. This has already been indicated to me as a possibility if my art can sell. My first exhibition will be at Galleria Merlino in Florence (Firenze), Italy. The name of the exhibition is Ragione E Sentimento, which translates as Sense and Reason. I will be able to submit two pieces to the exhibition for a fee of 170 euros. Initial discussions with the gallery are pricing my works at 350-400 euros per piece. They are offering their services for that fee: Selection and valuation on the works Professional figures in the exhibitions at all times Commercial intermediation Exhibition setup Online and offline commercials Press releases to reviewers and newspapers Facilitating invitations to other galleries Possible permanent exposition in their galleries The next exhibition that I want to enter is the Innsbruck Art Fair, which carries a pretty price tag of 500 euros to show your work. However, I think that at such a big exhibition (with a higher price tag) I can catch someone's eye and get some exposure there. Even if no one buys it, it will stay with the gallery for the next exhibition and we will try to find a buyer, even if I can't be there. http://www.art-innsbruck.at I will be entering further competitions and exhibitions over the next 6 months that could just give experience, but could also lead somewhere for the future. I'm not giving up my day job yet, and don't expect to, but I have found a passion after a few years of trying to find out what I want to do. This is what I want to do. Your support would be hugely appreciated, and while I am trying to make this dream come true I would be happy to share everything I am working on with people that believe in me. If you would like a digital copy of something I am working on, you only have to ask. Maybe some day I can repay you in kind with something you can pick up and feel. Thanks, Plip van der Engels