When you’ve got thought-about diving into the world of artwork festivals, this is a bit glimpse of what to anticipate based mostly on private expertise. Spoiler alert, it is not a straightforward highway to journey.
I keep in mind my first artwork competition. It was in my hometown. I had utilized and been accepted a number of months upfront, which is the norm, and out of the blue realized that I wanted an entire lot of issues to occur fairly quick to indicate my work there. I wanted a cover, partitions to show my work, extra work printed, and a method to get all of it right down to the park come the day of the competition setup.
The cover I picked up on Craigslist. It was a bit older and heavier than the newer fashions however would do the job nicely for a number of years to come back because it turned out. Show partitions had been one other matter. I shortly came upon that the nice-looking ones that I had seen in different cubicles had been fairly costly to purchase, so I commenced making my very own out of wooden and indoor-outdoor carpeting from House Depot. They ended up wanting not half dangerous.
Come the day of setup, I had borrowed a trailer from a buddy to get my cover and sales space partitions right down to the park. It was not an enclosed trailer, so fortunately, the Colorado sunshine got here by means of, and I did not have any concern with rain. All my art work was piled at the back of my automobile.
Trying again, there may be a lot that I do in another way now. The cover functioned nicely however was a ache to arrange, and my work was a hodgepodge of various issues I had printed and proven in galleries and low retailers through the years with a number of new items added in. However I realized rather a lot, and by my requirements on the time, offered fairly a bit. About $1,500 value of my work, which was actually greater than I had made in any gallery reveals or espresso retailers as much as that time.
I used to be off and operating, or so I believed. So, after having invested the cash and energy to get the mandatory elements collectively, and making some cash as well, I believed to myself why not do some extra reveals that summer season. I hadn’t utilized to any others as much as that time, so I needed to shortly discover a couple extra that I might put myself into. That is the place I realized my first huge lesson.
Not All Festivals Are Created Equal
The very subsequent present was an actual again right down to earth second. It was in a close-by prosperous neighborhood, and I figured it whould be an ideal market. Sadly, it was a scorching July weekend, and the present was arrange on an asphalt car parking zone with temperatures hovering round 100 levels, and to prime it off, no clients had been coming by means of. I believe I offered possibly one matted piece and a card all weekend.
I realized on this expertise that many of the higher artwork festivals have an software and acceptance course of many months upfront. The reveals that I might get myself into on the final minute had been in all probability not all that nice. There are exceptions, after all, corresponding to reveals with a last-minute cancellation. I additionally know of 1 promoter that retains the applying course of open till virtually the very day of the beginning. However for essentially the most half, you could plan within the spring to get your purposes in for the summer season.
The one actual constructive that got here out of that present was assembly different artists who offered their work in that method, certainly one of whom grew to become a buddy that I discovered might depend on for recommendation about artwork festivals basically.
Construct Relationships
That was the opposite lesson that I realized from that first summer season. Constructing relationships and making connections with different artists has helped me discover higher reveals to do, getting pointers and suggestions about my work and my show, and has made my journey a lot extra gratifying. They’ve additionally supplied precious enter on what reveals to do and what reveals to keep away from. And on the worst reveals, they’ve given me somebody to speak to when no clients had been coming round.
My buddy from that second present helped me be taught that there are particular promoters that he avoids. Simply because the competition is not a very good location does not imply it is nicely run or is doing a very good job of promoting. He additionally avoids reveals which can be of their first yr or don’t have a constant observe report. Despite the fact that he works in a distinct medium, his recommendation has been invaluable.
Be Prepared to Begin Small
I believe one factor I may need completed in another way had been I to begin over again can be to begin with smaller reveals, corresponding to one-day farmers’ markets, and so on. I did a number of small reveals once I began, however I additionally jumped into some larger reveals that may’ve been a bit out of my league to begin with.
Over time, my work and my show have continued to get higher and extra refined, and because it has, I’ve seen my common gross sales go up and change into extra constant, though the subsequent level is one thing that I at all times have to remember.
There Are No Ensures
It may be discouraging when folks round you might be promoting their work and you aren’t. However I discovered that I simply need to keep in mind that generally, it’s simply not my day or my weekend. I could be at a present that’s in an ideal place and I’ve completed nicely earlier than and nonetheless have a flat day or weekend. If I do sufficient reveals all through the summer season, it simply all averages out. And the clunkers get averaged out with the shock hits. It’s fairly a bit like playing in a method. You lay down your cash and purchase your area and take your probabilities. There aren’t any ensures anyone’s going to come back by and purchase your stuff.
There Will Be A lot of Competitors
One factor I found shortly is that the artwork competition world could be aggressive. The larger reveals could be very troublesome to get into. And even when you do there is perhaps one other photographer throughout from you or down the aisle that has a sales space filled with monumental, stunning prints. I’ve realized to not let that hassle me an excessive amount of. I attempt to take the angle that if my work is totally different sufficient, I’ll discover my buyer. However it’s a fixed problem to make my work pretty much as good as I can and to develop my type.
Your Fortunes Can Change in an Instantaneous
I don’t know what number of instances it’s occurred. I’ll be sitting there in the midst of the afternoon on a day or a weekend the place I haven’t completed very nicely but. Simply once I’m getting discouraged and beginning to assume I’ll simply need to lick my wounds after this one and transfer on to the subsequent present, somebody walks up out of the blue and makes a giant buy, and the entire day or the entire present is rotated. You simply by no means know.
So, there you have got it, a few of my experiences and observations from the previous decade of promoting my work at artwork reveals. If that is one thing you’re desirous about doing I want you all of the luck on the earth. And possibly I am going to see you on the market.
