Living off Art Shows

This is a heart to heart I had to have with someone last night and just starting out I didnt have very good answers...

How do you make a living doing art shows? Ha. Taking the overhead and traveling into account how do you come out on top? This person accused people who do art fairs of just living show to show and only really making enough at one to do the next when you take everything into account. And while I am sure this can be the case with some, I dont think living show to show is an artists ultimate goal, obviously.

Is there a specific formula anyone uses to know mow much they have to produce or how much inventory you have to carry to always have your business trending up instead of flat lining? Do you have a cap each year you try and meet knowing you cant make any more money than that off of doing shows? Do you just try and do as many shows as possible or do you have a set number based on production and inventory?

What sort of things- if anything- do you do in off season to supplement your art fair income?

I know there is a science to it and I will learn as I go, but it is disheartening in the beginning to have to think of it as a "business" when all I want to do is feel proud to have started at all! And I dont even want to be rich! I just would like, maybe 25,000 after everything else is paid, to live comfortably and keep making art.

How do you guys live/plan/ map out making a living as an artist year to year?

Replies

Elisabeth Maurland August 25, 2012 at 2:14am

In all honesty - I'm not really making ends meet. I did better before I had a family, when I could work 80-90 hours a week. I can't do that anymore if I am to be a good mother and wife. So now that I'm down to 50-60, at least it's better on my body. But I'm struggling with that formula that I haven't figured out. I have been doing shows for 18 years, and I do them about once a month. That means three weeks of making pots, one of firing, although at least one day gets lost to paperwork right after a show. I take no days off.

I am always struggling to make enough pots to make each show worthwhile. My shelves often look bare after the first or second day, and I sell pretty much everything I make (although I have two or three pieces that nobody seems to want...), but that is just barely enough to pay my bills for one bill cycle. If there is more than a month between two shows, I'm in trouble.

As a potter, I don't think I'll ever live truly comfortably. I try different things - smaller stuff, bigger stuff, raising my prices, new designs, paying more attention to sure sellers, but I will never compromise the quality or the spirit of my work.

I don't have an off season, except that I take a few days off over Christmas, but I am working on having the surface designs that I have developed over the years on my pottery manufactured on textile products. It's a long road to hoe (not quite the right expression, or?), but I believe I'll get there. If I can get just a little more comfortable financially, I think I'll be able to find the time to put some of my more out-there ideas into clay.

I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, but maybe pottery isn't the easiest way to make a living, even within the art fair world.

On the bright side, I am still doing it, even after 18 years, and I still love it, both making the work and the art fairs!
Richard L. Sherer July 19, 2012 at 12:18pm

Wrote a reply but it disappeared. Pardon if it shows up twice. David B. is right on with philosophy of this business and I like the comments of Britt and Warren. I display about $50K of inventory at weekend shows and a statistic I track is % inventory sold,among others. Britt is right on with minimum net return. My minimums for summer Colorado resort area shows is $2K gross $1K net. If it is less, I have to really rethink the show and extraneous factors that affected sales - wildfire over hill, rain all day, etc. I do 6-10 shows during the summer months for minimum of 25% of business's annual gross. The shows produce year round special order work of belts, gun leathers, horse tack, etc. The rest of the year is spent building new saddles for clients worlwide, restoring antique saddles and gear for high end collectors, and building inventory for summer shows. I usuall have a back log of 8-12 months' work.
I am really curious how folks manage to do 30-40 shows a year, almost one every week. Are they all close to home and do they really pay being on the road that much? It is totally foreign to me,but this is the site to get good, factual information. I know I could not do. The only things I can do on the road is plan and write articles for publication and $.
For new artists,I recommend setting annual goals and longer term goals,and be specific, i.e purchasing a new peace of equipment, doing X number of shows, finding the shows that produce income level desired. I have three on my list: open mutual fund for youngest grandson, pay off a personal dept, set aside money for second trip to Africa ( the Okavango this time).
- Richard L. Sherer > Richard L. Sherer August 25, 2012 at 3:03pm
  
  Got the account opened for youngest grandson this month. Found out that our daughter's baby will be a girl at the end of the year. Happy about that after four grandsons. Another account to open after a good show next summer.
- Britt Hallowell > Richard L. Sherer July 19, 2012 at 12:25pm
  
  I would think only photographers or people who sell a lot of reproductions could do that many shows a year. I know if I spent that much time traveling there would be no time to actually make my paintings! I'm sure you would be in the same boat.
Britt Hallowell July 19, 2012 at 8:41am

I've been doing art festivals for two years while also working a "normal" job during the day. At the end of this year I'm going to make the jump to doing solely art full time! I'm so excited and scared out of my mind too! I've been saving for these two years, so that I have enough money to coast on for at least a year or two if necessary. I'm incredibly fiscally responsible and I have a very good paying job right now, so leaving it and not knowing how much is coming in each month is scary. I've gotta have that savings cushion.

My formula, which seems to be working even with my limited time to actually produce my paintings (only evenings and weekends since I work during the days) is to do two art festivals a month. That gives me time to replenish stock and also spend time with my family (who wants to be gone every weekend?). If a festival does not bring me at least $1000 in pure profit after all the expenses then I will not do it. I give each show two tries, but then they are dropped if they can't come through. Then I know I at least have $2000 coming in from those per month, and I sell about the same online each month too. After materials, booth fees, all other expenses, I should still have enough to live on.

Hopefully.
Elissa Brown May 24, 2012 at 10:32am

Thanks to each of you for your responses. I guess its just crucial to keep in mind the slow and steady part of the business. Building a base and spreading out your income streams. Thanks for your thought and advice.
Dave Hinde May 23, 2012 at 8:55am

My plan isn't to make a living at Art Shows, so I may be a bad example. I have a full time job. All I'm trying to make at Art Shows is enough to pay my expenses and pay for my equipment. Maybe some day I'll retire the full time stuff, cut way back on my living expenses and try to live off shows.

If I were to advise someone on how to make their living doing shows, I'd suggest having enough savings built up ahead of time to pay for one year of entry fees and travel expenses. You goal then at shows would be to replace that amount you had saved in advance, plus pay your normal household expenses.