Planning a Show

I am putting on an Exhibition at the Old Fire Station Gallery in Henley.  It is called Rivers and Stone and will run from 28th March to 2nd April 2024.  The Old Fire Station is precisely that and is now a gallery space operated by the council that anyone can hire.  The space is fairly large and it is well lit with both natural and artificial lighting.  It is also well set up for art exhibitions with movable screens, hanging wires with clips, and plinths of various sizes.  The only down side being that it is a bit out of the way, behind the town hall so you can’t see it from the high street but it is central enough and well enough known that you get good foot traffic.  The gallery itself is popular and havs its own fans that basically go and see every show (there is usually something different there every week).  I have shown there before, both with a solo show in 2019 and also with the Henley Arts and Craft Guild in both their summer and winter shows.

This is the first solo show I have done for a while and partly inspired by the course I am doing at the Newlyn School of Art I am wondering what I can do differently both to drive traffic (and sales) but also to make it a more interesting artistic experience.
Firstly there is the theme.  I have done themes before but not a show at this scale.  The Old Fire Station can accommodate about 30 pictures (depending on the size and the hang). Last time I did a solo show of this size it was basically a selection of my paintings.  This time I do want to do something more themed. I have quite a few paintings that fit the theme so content is not going to be a problem.  Because I do oil painting basically anything I start now is unlikely to be a) finished or b) dry enough by March to show.   So there are paintings of rivers (the Thames, and the Lee) various Lochs in Scotland,  Standing Stones and other similar structures and I will probably put in a few still life paintings that are either directly, or indirectly linked to the theme, but what else to do?

Nelwyn Art School encourages to form links with the local community in part by getting business sponsorship.  I know I should do this and I have several organisations and businesses in mind I could approach but this is breaking new ground and it is raising up the courage to be perfectly honest.

Over and above that there are several other options.  Should I get other artists involved, if so who?  There are a number of people in the local area I admire and whose work might fit, but I kind of want to do this on my own (at least in the art stakes).  Is this foolishness?  What else?  Music, poetry, some kind of school based event?  The last one appeals but I suspect I may have left it too late. 

While the venue is quite large, it is effectively one large room so the opportunity for different areas with video, or talks etc is quite limited.  There are many possibilities that present themselves.  I think step one is get some sponsorship. If I have money that opens a number of other different possibilities.  What do you think I should do?  Pitch me some ideas?