Outdoor art fairs
Liz
dealers and other channels. I'm currently interested in showing my
works at some of the better outdoor art fairs in the Southern
California area. Are any other artists on this group selling through
outdoor fairs? If so, I'd be very interested in hearing any of your
thoughts on what has worked, what hasn't -- sizes of works, the most
effective booth setup, handy tips on the nuts and bolts of display and
presentation, etc, etc. Thanks much in advance for any responses.
sharonhudson
best of opportunities--an excellent group, an excellent location, an
excellent city for art.
But suffice it to say that large works of fine art framed under glass
are not compatible with sun, wind, rain, and continuous and repeated
transport and handling. I had to reframe and repair about half my works
after a few trips outdoors. And of course it was lucky that I already
had a van tailor-made for transporting the work, easels, and all the
other junk, or that would have been yet another expense.
In addition, it takes a special talent to sell items worth $1000
spontaneously to strangers passing by on the street. In the group I was
in, one or two people had this ability, and they made enough money to
cover their time and trouble. Everyone else was losing money and should
have spent their time working at a regular job, but being artists, of
course, they couldn't make that calculation. As for myself, I wouldn't
waste my time on it again. Instead, I've decided to eliminate the
middleman by going online--www.byhudson.com--and eventually sell
posters, etc.
Sharon H.
Windy
>But suffice it to say that large works of fine art framed under glass
>are not compatible with sun, wind, rain, and continuous and repeated
>transport and handling.
My experiences parallel yours. But I know many artists
who have had success marketing their wares at these
art fairs. Many are held indoors in civic centers or
such large roofed places. What I've concluded from
what I've seen over time is that it's the artists who
are more crafts oriented who have the greatest success,
usually falling back on reproductions of whatever is
successful -- reproductions are their meat and potatoes.
Because most artists prize their 'originals' highly,
and prices reflect that fact, reproductions are the
answer to mass marketing when selling paintings, drawings
and such. Photographs are a natural of course and
I know of a few 'fine art' photographers who do well
at art fairs. And I know artists who can't sell their
primary art mediums -- but do well selling something
crafty like jewelry, weavings, etc.
sharonhudson
because they are usually smaller and in a lower price range. You
probably have to be selling things for under $300 to do the best.
But back to Liz's original question...I didn't do enough research before
I joined the outdoor group; I was talked into it by the one money-maker
in the whole group. I suggest a very businesslike approach: First,
calculate the hours you will put in at your hourly wage; add in all the
other expenses (mileage, parking, materials, show fees, damage to work,
etc.); calculate the markup on your work; and then figure out how much
work you will have to sell on the average per show/weekend/etc. to make
money. I calculated I would have had to sell $1500 per weekend, on the
average, to make money. As it turned out, I doubt that everyone in the
group, put together, averaged $1500 per weekend. Certainly no
individual in the group even approached that, probably even the star
seller who was the only one making money.
But most artists don't seem to value their time at all; as for me, I
have other work through which I make over $20/hr and I value my time
highly, so if I'm making less than that babysitting a show, what's the
point? I think most people either basically give their art away and get
paid for their marketing time, or give their time away to get paid for
their work. Either seems a bit pathetic. The only exception would be
for those who manage to spend their show-sitting time doing something
useful, like actually working on their art, but you have to do something
that takes almost no concentration or quality attention.