Wanna sell abstract paintings and open art exhibition for free?

[ashley]

I'm 16 I live in Vancouver, Canada.I'm very interested in art. I've drawn a lot of abstract paintings
I want to open an art exhibition someday.But I do not have enough money to afford for that.
Can anyone show me some places ( galleries, museums) where I can exhibit my artworks for free ?
Most galleries do not accept students
Once again, Can anyone show me some places ( galleries, museums) where I can exhibit my artworks for free ?
Thanks so much.

[Meg]

Look around for any art centers or museums. Sometimes they'll have student rates or opportunities for inexpensive/free exhibits (though they may charge or require a percentage of sales if they do that). Additionally, checking into local offices, schools and public buildings like libraries will sometimes be a good bet. I know a lot of libraries in the US at least, will allow display of local artists. Some coffee shops and small businesses will allow you to exhibit/sell, but may also request a portion of sales or some monthly fee to exhibit though depending on who owns it, etc.

You could also look for competitions and fairs to enter- not only do you build experience with shows then, and possible sales, but often times you can get a good span of audience from these types of things. There are some that are free, some that are super expensive, and others that you can find that are pretty cheap.

With technology too, you can utilize social media (twitter, face book pages, blogs) to display work and advertise yourself... and get an opportunity to get feed back as well. May be worth a shot. Most of these are free and will get you a wide exposure- it helps if you market yourself to get yourself out there, but this can be a good starting point atleast.
These are a few suggestions. I'm in the US, but I would like to think some of these may work for you!