Hi everyone, I am living out in North East Iowa and have done a total of two art shows. One good and one bad. The first one was ceramics which sold pretty well and was great for me to see my first art show (Artapalooza at cedar falls). And the second was paintings which sold little due to other factors ( Galena cellars vineyard show). I am now learning that there is way more involved than I thought of just setting up space and selling. I am also in the process of establishing a zapp portfolio to submit things. And in the process of figuring out how to revamp my booth. I own a pop up tent but no walls or ways to hang paintings. My questions today are
1.What are some alternatives for displaying paintings with no walls? Would that just be tacky? Should I really just invest the large chunk of stuff to pay for decent panels? I would probably need to take a new mocked up booth shot since my old one has me in it and no walls.
2.What is a good middle range wall system that is not bulding your own, but not as exspensive as pro panels?
3. What are your opinoins on panels? I like the grid for wind allowance but will it blow paintings all over? I feel like a solid wall would need heavier tent weights.
4. Lastly, I am finding that most art shows are costing around the $250-400 range. Is that an average price for a non juried show, more of an art fair, or music fest that offers spaces?
PS. My painting sizes usually are around 24 by 26" or soemthing close to that. I used to have three or four 3 by 2 foot paintings but those are gone now. Most of what I would display would be under that large size and unframed.
I have been trying to search through the discussions all over to find these answers but no one seems to answer it completely. Sorry for re posting any topics.
Replies
Welcome, Larry.
Lots of good questions. But my first one back to you is "how do you display paintings if you don't put them on walls?" easels? hand them from the top?
I can't think of anyway of getting around having walls. One of our members, Ernie Kleven, has written an ebook on how to build your own pro panels. You can find the link to it in the "Suppliers" tab at the top of this page.
Grid walls are good -- but really in a professional environment they need to have covers. You can use them without and they are good and sturdy, but if you look at the booth images on this site you'll see the most attractive ones have their panels covered. Wind? sure it comes -- but if you want to do top level shows and get the best prices for your work you must show in a more sophisticated way.
In addition, if you are thinking about earning any serious money in this business the juried shows are your best bet and the prices run from $100 to $5000 per booth, depending on which one you are looking at.
The non-juried shows and music events have much less rigid expectations for display and price of space, it all depends on where you want to find yourself.
Believe it or not. I actually displayed them wiht plant holder hooks hanging form my tent. Secondly all other paitings were propped up on tables and sipalyed against metal racks. Looking back at it now I am sure this looekd horrible for a booth, but it came off well and the fair hosts were happy with me.
I agree with the panel coverigns as well.
I wouldn't mind startign at basic fairs and festivals and then later trying to upgrade once I have sold more and have a bit more money to invest. I teach currently so it is more of a hobby for me as it is a profession and it is not like my teacher salary boosts my art making at all. haha. but yes thanks to everyone for helping me with this.
Here is a blog post I wrote last year after attending an art fair with several interesting artist made booths that may be helpful to you: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/photos-from-the-krasl...
I feel like most productive or well planned booths have an inviting element to them but are not overpowering. For isntance that one mans bright sculpture booth was broken apart and inviting but still focused on the art too. Thanks.
I would try Graphic Display systems. You can by as many panels as you need and add to it later. Back when I had them, I would strap them to the roof of my Subaru. You can either get or make covers for them out of knit fabric which gives it a much more professional look--and less like chicken wire. Wind can blow above and beneath the panels, so I wouldn't let that determine whether or not I used covers.
I have found that anchoring the display to the tent makes everything more stable. After all, you are adding many pounds of weight to the tent.
Here in the northeast $250-400 is for a good, juried art show.
Hi Larry and welcome to AFI. I'm not a painter/photographer so can't help with advice, but I'm sure someone will chime in soon!
Thanks annette,
I did some searching last night and found some cheper mesh type panels form flourish for a package of around 650 I think that seems liek a happy medium price. I also only have a sedan and wil be setting all this up myself so I am trying to keep things more effiecient, like every artist.