By: Hollie Malamud, Pence Gallery Development Manager
With a compact staff and budget, the Pence Gallery hosts an astounding fifteen to twenty exhibits a year!This is no small undertaking! While visitors see the finished show on the walls, a lot happens behind the scenes to make it all come together.
Exhibitions aren’t just about hanging artwork on a wall. They involve careful planning—more than two years by a team of staff, including the curator, education director, marketing associate, designer, and installer. It takes tremendous skilled labor to make an exhibit look professional and well-done. Installation alone is costly—and many galleries shift those expenses onto artists. It’s common for artists to pay exhibition fees and to handle their own installation, marketing, and staffing the gallery.
The Pence does not shift expenses to the artist. The Pence Gallery relies upon generous exhibit sponsors to cover these costs eliminating the financial barrier of exhibiting from the artist.
As Development Manager, I find sponsors who cover exhibition expenses, which range from $850 to $1,900 based on the gallery space. Finding sponsors is challenging and essential.
Recently, Joe and Haven DePietro sponsored Worn: Clothing, Culture, and Identity (Jan 9–Feb 8, 2026). I spoke with Joe about his experience as a sponsor and below is an excerpt from our Q&A.
Q: What inspired you to become an exhibit sponsor?
A: As a Pence volunteer, I admired the exhibit sponsor’s role in bringing meaningful art to the community. Sponsoring an exhibit felt like a natural next step to deepen my involvement.
Q: How did sponsoring an exhibit shape your connection to the Pence Gallery?
A: Sponsoring Worn and engaging with visitors and artists expanded my view of the gallery as an active space for dialogue, learning, and community engagement.
Q: Why is supporting a community gallery important?
A: Community galleries make art accessible and relevant, encourage local artists, and provide spaces for visitors of all ages to engage with ideas that shape our social and cultural lives. Supporting the Pence Gallery strengthens Davis’s creative life and fosters important conversations in an open, welcoming environment.
Q: What would you say to someone considering sponsoring an exhibit?
A: Sponsorship is more than a financial contribution—it’s a meaningful way to participate in the cultural life of Davis, help bring artistic voices forward, and be part of something that educates, inspires, and connects people.
Q: Why does supporting the arts matter to you?
A: In troubling times, the arts offer reflection, relief, and emotional renewal. They help us process the world, imagine new possibilities, and stay connected to one another’s humanity. Supporting the Pence Gallery contributes something hopeful and sustaining to the community.
We extend big thanks to Joe and Haven DePietro for sponsoring Worn, and to all our exhibit sponsors. Last year, 20-thousand people freely visited our exhibits—without sponsor support, these shows wouldn’t be possible.
If you’d like to learn more about full or partial exhibit sponsorship opportunities, I’m happy to help. Please contact me at pencedevelopment@gmail.com or 530-758-3370.
