I"m "VERY NEW" to Art Shows & need a ton of help!

I've got a lot of photos I've taken and my "Artsy" friends and relatives have told me to enter them in an art show for "Possible" sale.... but, I have no illusions....and know that I won't sell a blessed one!...

I have no money to spend on frames, etc, so I've got to use my credit card which is against all my principles of survival!..so, so far, I owe over $4,000 to MasterCard.... of course, I'm a total pessimist and the glass has always been "half empty" for this 78 year old senior guy!..

Each year our family goes up to delightful Chatham, Massachussetts, for a few weeks, and I did entertain the idea of showing my 'Masterpieces" at one of their major weekly open fairs, but for that they want $495 for a booth!..so, goodbye to that!..

Right now, I"m in the process of looking for matted frames to show off my photographs.

My daughter Elizabeth, who's an art teacher is patiently guiding me as to what type of frames I should buy.

And, my other daughter Christine, who's a Broadway performer who I consider to be very talented, is also helping me to do the right artsy thing!..

And, another important point is: What if I do get some buyers for my photos.....what kind of payment do you accept from them?.....a check?....no thanks!....and, I'm not equipped to accept any charge cards... so, what to do?......

And, another dilemma!.....how do you figure what to charge for your framed, matted photographes?.....if a matted frame costs me $20 and photopaper and ink $1 to $3..

If I sold the photo for $50, I then don't think I'd want to sell for all the work I put into it.

I do think at least $100 would be a more acceptable price to sell.. am I wrong here?..

I do need and would appreciate some feedback!..

I'm also attaching one of my youtube videos to show what I'm talking about.

I only hope that the video attachment will load onto your computers.

Thanks for listening to me......

YouTube - If "Monet" had a digital camera!....

YouTube - If "Monet" had a digital camera!-1.....webloc

Welcome Salvatore to this great resource site!
I have been a photographer all my life. I "retired" from my real job of design engineer after 25+ years about 6-7 years ago. My sole income now comes from my art. I understand your excitement of your new endeavor! I'd like to suggest an alternate avenue for you to explore. At 78, I surely would not recommend entering the expensive and grueling "art fair" venue. Larry's link gave you an excellent picture) Financially the initial investment of supplies and equipment is a minimum of $5000 (tent/display/print racks/misc). You mentioned the entry fee of one show at $495 being too much but most entry fees are $250 to $500. Then you have the art itself - mats/frames must be purchased - if you print yourself (I do)- you must purchase professional printers/inks/paper. You'll likely need a room of it's own for your artwork. Then... insurance and a vehicle and perhaps trailer to transport. Can you set up the tent alone? Can you haul the equipment yourself? Another hurdle is the current economy.... those who have done shows for up to 30 years are struggling in their sales. In many ways it takes quite a few years to gain the experience necessary to know the ins & outs of the game. No way would I begin this adventure at 78.

I always enjoy the exhuberance of persons who find their talent later in life. It's wonderful to have that renewed zest and focus. However, I would suggest you look at a couple of easier, less expensive avenues. 1) any of the online sites that you can sell your work (Etsy for one). 2) Enter various photography contests - many have great monetary awards 3) find a local gallery or even gift shop that will exhibit/sell your artwork.

I wish you great success whatever you decide to do. Exhibiting at art fairs provide wonderful experiences but the expenses can often outweigh the profits in both a financial and physical manner.

Replies

Salvatore Pedi March 24, 2010 at 11:54pm

Thanks for your kind words........

Connie Mettler said:
Thanks for joining us here. I see you've already gotten some great advice from serious pros in the business. In addition to Larry's article and Sunshine Artist (ditto on those ideas), keep your eyes peeled for other art fair or gallery exhibitions in your area and get thee hence! That is the way a lot of us learned about the business, visiting all kinds of shows and doing our homework.

Also, visit ArtFairCalendar.com, my other site, for a list of events across the country.

Lastly, don't let age get in your way :) This is not a business for kids!
Connie Mettler March 24, 2010 at 9:21pm

Thanks for joining us here. I see you've already gotten some great advice from serious pros in the business. In addition to Larry's article and Sunshine Artist (ditto on those ideas), keep your eyes peeled for other art fair or gallery exhibitions in your area and get thee hence! That is the way a lot of us learned about the business, visiting all kinds of shows and doing our homework.

Also, visit ArtFairCalendar.com, my other site, for a list of events across the country.

Lastly, don't let age get in your way :) This is not a business for kids!
Salvatore Pedi March 24, 2010 at 3:29pm

Dave,

Yes, I've got much to learn, and knowing just where to start gives me palpitations!..and, your advice is well appreciated!... I did notice that theres a lot of shows going on in Florida, and I don't live anywhere's near there. There are some going on up in the Northeast where I live, so I'll be checking those out. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to respond, I do very much appreciate it...

Dave Hinde said:
Salvatore,
I had to smile at your sentence "..friends and relatives have told me to enter them in an art show for "Possible" sale". That's exactly how I got started a little over 4 years ago. I was making note cards and calendars for friends and family, and they kept telling me I should sell them. One day a friend called me up and said a few of her neighbors were getting together a small impromptu art show, and would I like to participate. I quickly ordered some mats, spent several days printing and matting, and a week later sold my first pictures. That got me "hooked" enough to spend a little more time on my photography, processing, and printing. I then did another small show and sold even more, so I made the investment for a tent and display racks.

I suggest you look around for more local fairs and shows. Many of the one's I enter around the Norfolk, VA area are $100 or less. Sales are not what you'd get at a higher price show, but it's a good way to learn, and still make a few dollars. I'm not making a profit if you figure in all my expenses (like cameras, lens, etc.), but I don't lose money on what I sell.

Look on eBay for mats, you can get them for a decent price there. I pay less than $5 for an 11 x 14 double mat. Also, keep you eye open for sales on frames.

One thing that is very important with doing shows. You have to enjoy meeting with the people and talking about your work. If you enjoy that part, then all the effort and work is worth it.
Dave Hinde March 24, 2010 at 2:55pm

Salvatore,
I had to smile at your sentence "..friends and relatives have told me to enter them in an art show for "Possible" sale". That's exactly how I got started a little over 4 years ago. I was making note cards and calendars for friends and family, and they kept telling me I should sell them. One day a friend called me up and said a few of her neighbors were getting together a small impromptu art show, and would I like to participate. I quickly ordered some mats, spent several days printing and matting, and a week later sold my first pictures. That got me "hooked" enough to spend a little more time on my photography, processing, and printing. I then did another small show and sold even more, so I made the investment for a tent and display racks.

I suggest you look around for more local fairs and shows. Many of the one's I enter around the Norfolk, VA area are $100 or less. Sales are not what you'd get at a higher price show, but it's a good way to learn, and still make a few dollars. I'm not making a profit if you figure in all my expenses (like cameras, lens, etc.), but I don't lose money on what I sell.

Look on eBay for mats, you can get them for a decent price there. I pay less than $5 for an 11 x 14 double mat. Also, keep you eye open for sales on frames.

One thing that is very important with doing shows. You have to enjoy meeting with the people and talking about your work. If you enjoy that part, then all the effort and work is worth it.
Linda Anderson March 24, 2010 at 2:13pm

Welcome Salvatore to this great resource site!
I have been a photographer all my life. I "retired" from my real job of design engineer after 25+ years about 6-7 years ago. My sole income now comes from my art. I understand your excitement of your new endeavor! I'd like to suggest an alternate avenue for you to explore. At 78, I surely would not recommend entering the expensive and grueling "art fair" venue. Larry's link gave you an excellent picture) Financially the initial investment of supplies and equipment is a minimum of $5000 (tent/display/print racks/misc). You mentioned the entry fee of one show at $495 being too much but most entry fees are $250 to $500. Then you have the art itself - mats/frames must be purchased - if you print yourself (I do)- you must purchase professional printers/inks/paper. You'll likely need a room of it's own for your artwork. Then... insurance and a vehicle and perhaps trailer to transport. Can you set up the tent alone? Can you haul the equipment yourself? Another hurdle is the current economy.... those who have done shows for up to 30 years are struggling in their sales. In many ways it takes quite a few years to gain the experience necessary to know the ins & outs of the game. No way would I begin this adventure at 78.

I always enjoy the exhuberance of persons who find their talent later in life. It's wonderful to have that renewed zest and focus. However, I would suggest you look at a couple of easier, less expensive avenues. 1) any of the online sites that you can sell your work (Etsy for one). 2) Enter various photography contests - many have great monetary awards 3) find a local gallery or even gift shop that will exhibit/sell your artwork.

I wish you great success whatever you decide to do. Exhibiting at art fairs provide wonderful experiences but the expenses can often outweigh the profits in both a financial and physical manner.
Salvatore Pedi March 23, 2010 at 10:30pm

Larry, Thanks for your very quick reply to my dilemma. Your suggestions from your article were wonderful to read and have enlightened me to my total ignorance of selling photos at art shows.
And, thanks for suggesting subscribing to "Sunshine Artist Magazine" which should give me all the information I need. It seems that at age 78, that I"ve completely re-invented myself with digital photography. And, it all started with buying my first digital camera about ten years ago. I quickly "got hooked" and am having a ball getting "pixelated".....Thanks again!....Sal Pedi

Larry Berman said:
Do you understand exactly what art shows are and what's necessary to get started? Have you walked a few shows and looked carefully at the booths of the photographers who were displaying their work?

Besides inventory issues, there are display and transportation issues to deal with. Material cost needs to be kept to a minimum so that you can price competitively and make a profit, You need a display which includes a canopy and walls within the canopy that you can hang your framed work on. And you need a vehicle to transport your display and inventory to whatever shows you get accepted to. And when I say accepted, there is no guaranty. You apply and are judged against all the other artists applying in your medium for the limited number of spaces each medium has within the overall show.

I suggest starting with small single issue questions. It's impossible to get all the answers at one time. A good place to research before asking questions is the article I wrote for Shutterbug Magazine on how to sell photography at art shows:
http://artshowphoto.com/pages/artshowphotography.htm

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Larry Berman March 23, 2010 at 2:21pm

Do you understand exactly what art shows are and what's necessary to get started? Have you walked a few shows and looked carefully at the booths of the photographers who were displaying their work?

Besides inventory issues, there are display and transportation issues to deal with. Material cost needs to be kept to a minimum so that you can price competitively and make a profit, You need a display which includes a canopy and walls within the canopy that you can hang your framed work on. And you need a vehicle to transport your display and inventory to whatever shows you get accepted to. And when I say accepted, there is no guaranty. You apply and are judged against all the other artists applying in your medium for the limited number of spaces each medium has within the overall show.

I suggest starting with small single issue questions. It's impossible to get all the answers at one time. A good place to research before asking questions is the article I wrote for Shutterbug Magazine on how to sell photography at art shows:
http://artshowphoto.com/pages/artshowphotography.htm

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

This reply was deleted.