Openings or Private Views?

Why do we call exhibition opens 'private views' if they are not private? It seems that our openings have become public free for alls. In recent years social media has enabled us to invite complete strangers and contacts to our events and exhibitions. It's good for our contacts to mingle and network but does it work in a crowd?

It's not just individual artists doing this. I have noticed galleries advertising their PVs publically. As a result the free drinks are gone very quickly, the exhibition spaces are so busy you can't see the art work, and believe me it can be too noisy to have a conversation!

I was at my very first ever 'private' private view the other night at Home House Private Members Club. The show was a collaboration between Cura Art, A Space For Art, and OffShoot Arts. It was for the members of the club to meet the artists in person. I was invited because I was one of the exhibiting artists in the exhibition (It's My House). It was busy. The invited guests were given a token each for the bar which worked well and I was able to strike up converstions with people who were interested in my work. People who attended were curators, collectors and buyers rather than artists (artists being too poor to pay the annual membership), and they had booked their tickets for the event via Eventbright sent to members only. I like comunicating and networking with other artists and friends but it rarely generates any sales.

Which is the better option for artists' careers? Private or public views?

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