LOL, I know you are all chuckling over that one!
In the past I've done a number of wholesale trade shows, where pipe & drape were provided and a few art fairs that were also inside so I never bought a tent. So after a couple years of dealing with life, I want to do some retail shows but all the applications ask for a booth photo.
Now I'm in a bit of a dilemma-my laptop died and with it went the only photos I had of my booth set up. OOPPSSS!!!! Well, I learned my lesson- I bought an external hard drive to back everything up AND make CD copy of all important photos now.
I don't have the $$ to spend on a tent right now and don't know what to do. Since I don't have a tent, could I fake a set up in a room or just in my back yard? Would that just be dumb?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Replies
I don't know if this is helpful, but there is a company that is renting the 10'x10' tents to the Columbus Art Festival and you may be able to rent a tent for the shows that you would need it for and the photo. The company is Oneil Tents. It is out of Columbus but there is probably something in Cleveland like that.
Hi Nicole!
I am going to TRY and make it down to the Riverfront Festival. If I do I will look you up-do you know what your space is or what street you are on?
I will look into tent rentals up here, and start looking on Craigslist too. I had applied to (and got rejected from) the Country Living Fair. They also rented tents but the tent rental was over $400! I can buy a good EZ UP for less, what are they thinking with that kind of price? I guess it saves someone who is flying in, the hassle of getting a tent there and up on their own.
If I don't make it to the show, I hope you do really really well!
That would be great! I hope you can make it down this weekend. I will be at booth M94 on Main Street.
That is quite high for a tent rental. They are offering rentals at the Columbus Art Festival for $100 and I would imagine that is the cost that the supplier is offering to the festival. Another festival I will be participating in is offering a tent rental for $70 (+the cost of booth fees).. I ended up buying a EZ Up for this season and taking my booth shot last year to apply for shows as I could not afford the tent that I wanted. I am going to upgrade as soon as possible.
Hope to see you!
Those are great tent rental prices!!!! I'd do it too at that price LOL
Welcome! As Larry said, it depends on the show and what they are looking for. If you do not know someone who could loan a display, you could mark off a 10' x 10' area and set up a display as you would for an indoor show. When you submit that as a booth shot, indicate that it is the same as your outdoor setup but with a canopy over it. As far as where to do your setup for the picture... I would recommend finding a location that looks more like it "could" be at a show. My first one was in front of the garage door. Since I use display panels at the back of my booth, the background wasn't visible.
Thanks Bob!!!
Those are great suggestions. I think that's what I will do for now. If the photos look bad, I'll just figure out how to buy a tent so they look right. My studio is currently in our 50's knotty pine walled basement, perhaps if can rig my drapes up along the walls, I can make it look like an indoor booth.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention, right?? LOL
little hooks [if you're willing to do that to your lovely knotty pine] and the circle things from three-ring binders [much less expensive than curtain hooks] could work!
Do you have a friend that has a display you can borrow and put your own artwork in it for the photograph?
Some shows won't let you apply without a booth photo. Some will ask for you to submit a grouping of your work. Some will ask for an additional art images called a booth in your profile. You need to contact the shows you want to apply to and ask them how they want it handled.
Other options are to apply to shows that have an emerging artist category because they usually don't require a booth picture and provide a booth at the show for artists accepted in that category.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Thanks Larry!
I recently moved here, so don't really know anyone yet. I didn't think about emerging artist, thats a brilliant idea! I am currently looking at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago, but just saw the price on that one and don't think I can swing it LOL. I don't see an emerging artist category but I am going to email them and ask.