Hi All,
I'm new to the art fair scene, and have been seeking out information on the ins and outs of doing various fairs. I spotted AFI not too long ago, but decided the information I have found through you to be exceedingly valuable and have in turn decided to join.
I have been thinking about doing art fairs for at least a couple years now, as I have been suggested numerous times to try and enter some - at this point, I still have yet to. Not sure if it was fear of rejection, or the knowledge of oversaturation of photog's in the fairs I have gone to that keeps me from trying. My newer outlook is that I have a larger body of work to utilize, and also, that my means are better suited for the attempt of such an event. I also have been told by my husband to make use of some art walls I picked up a while back, or ultimately get rid of them. I recently borrowed an ezup knockoff tent from work, and am waiting for the weather to break in order to setup and see about taking some booth shots. I figure if the booth shots turn out/help me to get into a show or two, I will then go about purchasing my own tent prior to the show.
A little background: I live in south east Michigan in Ferndale. I am a photographer, who shoots a very diverse range of subjects - people, places, nature, sports, etc. I do have a regular job as well, though it was cut back to a four day work week last summer due to cutbacks/budget. Having the extra weekend day is what has given me a lot of motivation in learning about art fairs. Long story shortened: I got my start in grade school trying to work 40 year old equipment that was handed down to me from my grandfather(a photographer in WWII) for photos for the yearbooks. I became increasingly more serious later in highschool and earned degree for photography in college. These days I have an etsy store(www.byjenniferleigh.etsy.com), a FB(www.facebook.com/JenniferLeighPhoto), website/blog/photostreams, some side gigs, and hobby shooting when time permits.
Anywho, I look forward to getting to know/learn from/work with those of you on the site. My gratitude(and apologies? lol) to all of you ahead of time :o)
Jennifer
Replies
Welcome Jennifer!!
Glad you found us and decided to join! Please keep us all updated on your progress, and if you have any questions, or run into any snags ask away!! I have found the people here invaluable, informative and very helpful. Colorful and funny also come to mind!! Have a great season!
I hear you on the weather...two weeks of grey and rain!! I have yet to get the canopy out and prep it for next months outdoor shows!! Looking forward to seeing the picture, and wishing you a great season!!
Thank you for your comments and for making me feel welcome. This last week has been hectic with getting things done. I've really been working on my Etsy page to get a feel for what work will be the most promising to utilize for a physical show(not too much feedback as of yet, unfortunately). I've also managed to get some prints in, and I am going to work on doing some hinge matting to put into the frames I have and then get to setting up my staged booth shot!(hence why I haven't made it back on since I posted last). I think once I get the booth shot and whatnot I will start posting in the other forum topics to get a feel from those of you with experience. I'm still crossing my fingers for better weather!
Hello Jennifer and welcome. We are glad that you have joined us here. I hope that you get inspired by everyone here to jump into some shows. There are alot of shows in Michigan. You could do some without having to travel too far.
I am sure that you have many questions. This is a great place to ask other artists for help. Many of the artists here have been doing art shows for years. They would be glad to offer you some help.
Good luck. I hope to see you at a few shows this summer.
Jacki B
Welcome, Jennifer. You live in a great area for participating in art fairs and can get to them pretty easily - just throw a stone and you have the various Royal Oak events, Funky Ferndale, Birmingham, Rochester(s) and all the nearby suburbs. Having a great eye, being competitive and having photos that don't look like everyone else's helps a lot too. The photography category is very tough for the better shows but it sounds like you have been sharpening up your skills for some time so you are probably are ready. Best wishes to you.
I'll be in Novi at the Great Lakes Art Fair, April 15-17, as will many of the members here. It may be worth your while to attend, meet us and continue with the research. If you are interested, contact me and I can send you some free tickets.
Welcome Jennifer,
I am sure that you will find a lot of good useful information on this site. I think it is a good idea to try an art fair with borrowed set up prior to sinking lots of money into it. That way you can see if it appeals to you. Some people love doing shows and others do not. Good luck to you on getting your booth shot and applying to shows.
Diane