How Do I Get My Art at an Art Festival

If you're similar me and you've been pour painting for a while, you probably have quite a few paintings stored abroad, or maybe hanging on your walls. Or, let's face information technology, stacked all over the house until yous've taken over every room just the bath!

Then at present y'all may be thinking it'southward time to take reward of the art festival circuit and try and sell some of your pieces.

I have been an artist and crafter since I was a child. My mother was a nationally renowned lettering creative person who besides painted and did botanical illustration. I was lucky to grow up with a fully stocked art studio in my house, a patient mother who was more than happy to teach me, and some innate inventiveness.

My mother always had at to the lowest degree 1 slice in a show or gallery somewhere, but she rarely participated in fine art festivals. One time I honed my skill as a crafter and set upwards a successful Etsy shop, I started participating in craft festivals in Brevard Canton, Florida, where I alive. Craft fairs and festivals are very different from fine art festivals, and I have learned how to be successful at both.

If possible, an creative person should take advantage of the opportunity to testify their piece of work at art events. In add-on to selling their pieces, artists tin can learn what the art buying public thinks near their work. There are challenges to success at art festivals, but those challenges can be overcome if you exercise your research and know your market.

Practise Your Enquiry

Start things first, visit some art shows and festivals in your area. Observe everything and take notes nearly the quality of the art, number of booths, number of shoppers, types of displays and tents, etc. However, don't photograph the displays or the art without the artist's permission. As a thing of fact, most artists don't allow photographs of their work.

Talk to the artists and ask them for feedback about the prove and how the experience was for them. But please don't have up a lot of their fourth dimension, peculiarly if there are patrons in their booth. We artists are at the testify to brand sales, and y'all don't want an artist to lose a potential customer because she was talking to yous about her booth set-up.

It's of import to go familiar with the art market in your area and the market of a detail show. That'due south where visiting dissimilar shows will really make a big departure. This besides helps with pricing your pieces. You lot desire to gauge the price range of fine art at a show.

Arts and crafts show clientele are unremarkably not there to buy fine art, and if they are, they typically aren't ownership fine art at a higher price betoken. When I do arts and crafts shows, I usually don't fifty-fifty bring my larger pieces, as I know they won't sell. Fine arts festivals usually depict crowds of "art people" who celebrate the arts and are more apt to buy a argument piece of art.

Practice Good Festival Etiquette

How you present yourself and your brandish is more of import than you would recollect. You desire your berth to look like a mini fine art gallery. Near fine arts festivals have rules in regards to tent color, size, display racks, etc. As tempting equally it is, don't bring everything you've ever painted!

Yous want your berth space to exist inviting and heart-catching, merely non so overcrowded with art that it's overwhelming. Choose your attire wisely; you don't want to seem unapproachable, merely yous also don't want to look too casual. If you've washed your homework and visited your local shows, yous should know what to article of clothing.

Read: Options for Displaying Your Poured Creations

Be nowadays, interact with people, look and sound professional person. This includes your neighbour artists, every bit they are the ones who will keep an eye on your booth for your meal and restroom breaks. Some shows take booth sitters, simply they are not always available.

It's nice to include a short biography to let people know who y'all are and how/why you got into painting. I use a magnet to attach my bio to the tent pole at the front of my booth. Hither's what it looks like:

If you lot practice the same shows every twelvemonth, endeavour to book the same space. Repeat customers are the best, and y'all want to make sure they know where to observe you.

In improver, if you know your evidence schedule for the year, you should have it available for patrons. Brand sure you have plenty of business organization cards on paw. I also paw out refrigerator magnets with my logo and website, as people tend to lose business concern cards when they get dwelling house and unload their goodies from the show.

Prep Similar a Pro

I like to use a packing checklist and an inventory list with thumbnail photos of my art. I too keep my "tailgate kit" handy, in case I forget annihilation. My tailgate kit is exactly what it sounds like: the things I apply for tailgating, which is like to what I need for art show set-ups. It's a small tackle box, and information technology contains bungee cords of varying sizes, magnets, rope, scissors, a box cutter, screwdrivers, packing tape, "S" hooks, Sharpie markers, wet wipes, and sunscreen.

Information technology'southward of import to accept the ability to accept credit and debit cards. I utilise Square, but I'g sure there are other mobile carte processing applications. Almost people don't carry besides much cash, and yous can lose sales if y'all can't accept cards.

Even so, you lot practise want to make sure you take some cash on hand, in example yous need to make modify in a cash auction. I don't accept checks, and I would propose yous not to, either, but that is a personal preference. If you trust the bank check will clear, feel gratuitous to allow payment by check.

Before you employ to fine art festivals, y'all will need high-quality photographs of your art and your booth set-upward. All festivals I have applied to have required a berth shot. I cannot stress how important it is to take a professional looking booth. Your booth should exist set up up similar a mini art gallery and your name should not be visible on your display.

Of form, at the evidence yous want a imprint with your name and/or logo, just non for applications. All display racks should be covered, no metallic showing and tents should be white. Early on I made the mistake of entering shows using grid walls for displays, and I wasn't getting invited.

I finally asked for feedback and was told that my art was cute but my booth shot was awful. I learned what to exercise, and I am always improving my display. I bought a soft wall organization from Flourish, and I accept added a carpeting and some personal touches.

Since the jurors are deciding who to invite based strictly on photos, it is a good idea to invest in a photographer if yous can't take high-quality photos yourself. Exercise setting up in your backyard and shoot the photos at that place. It's always a skillful idea to do a test run and time yourself setting up so you are prepared on show day.

More Things to Know

Almost all art shows use an online application process and a bulk employ Zapp. It's a good idea to set up a portfolio on Zapp with high-quality photos, so you're ready to utilise when the time comes.

Exist prepared for the cost of the festival circuit. Yes, you lot can brand a lot of sales, merely it costs coin to brand money. Virtually shows have a non-refundable awarding fee, usually around $25. Once you're accepted to a testify booth, fees typically range from $175 to $500 for a x-past-10-foot space.

After y'all've factored in the cost of your display materials, booth equipment, entry fees, and travel expenses, fine art festivals are an expensive endeavor. Only it's an endeavor that can bring in a lot of sales and potential customers. I accept washed shows where I take made a huge profit, and I have washed shows where I barely break even, only I accept gained a prissy post-obit of people who like my art. I have gotten some committee work and I have met a lot of wonderful people.

Fine art shows and festivals aren't for everyone, but if you lot call back you want to give it a try, get for information technology! If you follow my tricks and tips and do your research, art shows can exist really fun and profitable.
Good luck!

Nancy Beth is an award-winning fluid acrylic creative person in Palm Bay, Florida. She learned to draw and paint from her mom, Barbara, who was a nationally acclaimed lettering artist and botanical illustrator. She grew up spending virtually of her free time in her mother'south art studio in Miami. She works at a retirement community and teaches fluid painting to the residents at that place. She is a young adult cancer survivor and uses fine art equally therapy. Delight visit her website at www.nancebeth.com.

mcduffieanall1979.blogspot.com

Source: https://acrylicpouring.com/how-to-sell-at-art-shows-festivals/

Share this post