A professional art exhibition gives both the artist and the gallery credibility. Artworks will appear more valuable and interesting if the event is professionally managed and displayed, and may even increase sales.

A professional art exhibition can be achieved easily and economically with a little careful thought and planning. Here are five steps to having a professional art exhibition.

1. Promotion

Many people believe everything they see in the media. Having adequate promotion is not only essential for exposure but will give your art exhibition importance and value.

Sending out press releases is an excellent, free way of doing this. Fax your press releases to local papers, radio and television stations and on-line media sites. Having an interesting hook or angle will help your press release get noticed so give careful consideration to this.

2. Hanging

How your artwork looks during the exhibition is extremely important. If the artwork is hung crooked, or they are cramped into the space, it can distract buyers and give your event an amateurish feel.

Plan your exhibition area to ensure the best use of the space. Professional exhibitions have plenty of empty space around each artwork so do not have too many artworks on display. The adage of "less is more" is certainly correct here.

Hanging the artworks straight and in the correct position is also essential. For consistency put the centre of each artwork at the same height on the wall by using a tape measure and string line. A spirit level with help you to hang all the hooks even, and blue tack at the corners of the artworks will help prevent them being knocked off balance.

3. Signs

Your art exhibition will look super special with professional signs. One of the most attractive signs is vinyl-cut lettering. Each letter is cut from adhesive plastic vinyl and stuck directly onto the exhibition wall. It is relatively inexpensive and come in a variety of styles, sizes and colors.

Placing the sign opposite the main door is an excellent location, particularly if it is above an artwork a great impact. Once this painting has been chosen you can match the sign color to complement it.

4. Price cards

Many art exhibitions use little cardboard numbers alongside each artwork to identify them. A price list is then distributed around the buyers. Although this looks professional the price-lists can start looking dog-eared if they aren't continually replaced.

A cost effective alternative is purchasing professional price cards for your exhibition. Use a good quality pen, such as a calligraphy marker, to carefully write the artwork details onto the card. Blue tack can be used to adhere the price cards to the bottom right-hand corner of each artwork.

5. Opening function

A successful opening function can be achieved with little effort and minimum cost without sacrificing professionalism. A short five minute welcome speech and some light refreshments is all that is needed to set the mood and style.

Having a buffet style 'feast' is not advisable. Instead, a couple of cheese platters and plain cracker biscuits is more than adequate and is usually all that is expected. Complement these with a selection of moderately priced wine and a good quality orange juice, served in long stemmed glasses.

A simple, yet professional art exhibition is relatively easy and economical to achieve with a little thought and planning. Small details such as free media promotion, professional artwork display and a well organized opening function can make your exhibition professional, successful and make it stand out from the crowd.