Art Shows

Onerom1945

I do oil painting, mostly still life, portraiture, realism.  I was thinking of  going to and trying to sell my art at an Art In the Park in a near by town.  The show is two days long. This is be my first time and I would like to hear from those of you that have done some kind of festive, art show etc.
1- What quantity of art did you do for the show?
2- Was the show worth it?  Did you sell some or none?
3- There are start up expenses. A 10 x 10 tent, having your art photographed for the submission and a web site, business cards, travel, hotels room.  If I broke even I think that would mean success.

All words of wisdom are very welcome.

dencal

Onerom1945

A good idea is to attend a few art shows. Take a camera and notebook. Talk to the stall holders or exhibitors. 

We discussed art art show participation here;
http://forum.drawmixpaint.com/discussion/8330/participating-in-a-summer-art-festival#latest

Denis

BOB73

Breaking even might be "Great Expectations". Do your home work as Denis suggests. Every venue has different rules, learning them is part of the homework.

hez

I've done one like this, and a few other shows. I think an art fair is a great experience, but not always financially worth while. It depends on where you are. In Fort Wayne, IN, where I am - people don't buy art.  There just aren't many people with enough disposable income to spend a hundred dollars on a small painting.  When I was in one held at the library, there was lots of traffic, but only two sales.  Some people didn't make any sales at all. I made some money, but was it worth giving up my Saturday? Not really.  The quality of my work was probably better than most of the oil painters at the fair. But there were lots of other artists doing smaller, less expensive work - like jewelry or greeting cards, and those sold better.  I only had one 8 foot table, so I bought some cheap table easels, and put up as many small paintings as I could, then I took one or two large easels and displayed a couple larger paintings.  I had a few more leaning against the table legs,  probably 15-20 paintings total. But all I had was a table, If you have a tent, you could probably hang up more than that.

Since you have never done one before, I would definitely not spend money on a hotel or travel.  Unless you are supremely confident your work will sell. I really think you should start small - with fairs within (close) driving distance.

There are probably strong opinions about this, but I would consider photographing your work yourself. Once you start making money, then you can pay a professional to do it. There are tutorials on how to do it. 

Whatever you decide, good luck!

anwesha

I haven't done any art show yet, but I would advise you to count the number of days you have and plan everything in advance... as you might find roadblocks where you  never expected... Apparently to Square (card swipe machine company) I don't exist, neither my soical security number....

for your first show you could also try renting some of the equipments, like panels, tents, etc... unless you know you will be doing it every year and think its wiser to invest by buying....

Julianna

@anwesha   this link didn't work? https://squareup.com/signup?signup_token=JULIANNART
 I use square all the time with my vacation rental business - have never heard of someone not being able to use it  - you should be able to get $1,000 worth of free processing with that link - it has even worked for European friends of mine who set up an account. https://squareup.com/i/JULIANNART    That little card reader is invaluable at art fairs.  I don't understand why you cant set up a square account?  that's a huge bummer.

@Onerom1945 fairs are very hard work, exhausting physically and emotionally but can be fun and a great experience.  I highly recommend having some smaller works that are reasonably priced for the general public - I sell a ton of 2x3 little oil paintings with little easels - if not for the smaller items, it's difficult to make a profit unless you get lucky and someone comes in and plops down a large sum for a large painting.   Good luck - you never know unless you try!

Personality is key - I see so many artists who sit in a corner and look at their cell phone in their booth all day and wonder why no one comes in and stays - people want to engage - if you're not an extravert or friendly, I highly suggest having a partner who is.  Patrons want to feel a connection to the artist - the story.

anwesha

@Julianna , some problem identifying me in their data base.... it worked for my husband though.. just my data... its very rare though..... I've mailed them , waiting for their response....

Julianna

@anwesha    can you get them to send a free reader under your husband's account?  As long as you have something like that - you'll definitely get more sales with something easy and secure - buyers love it.

anwesha

@Julianna : I can order it in his name, but eventually i would need to use it in my square account... considering the legal issues...