I was surprised to see the poor reviews of the Ann Arbor Shows. My husband, Brian, just returned and did very well at the South University venue. This was his fifth year, I believe. He sold several large pieces and a few smaller ones. He did comment that many artists he'd met in AA in previous years did not come this year.
I have noticed at nearly all the shows, retailers and commercial sponsors are taking up more and more space each year, distracting from the artists' booths. I suggest separating the sponsors from the artists and clearly signing the different sections, so customers know when they enter the art zone, and when they are in the corporate/commercial zone. Sidewalk sales should be held at other times, so that the artists can have the spotlight.... and revenues.
Comments
It's really irrelevant what anyone's "actual" numbers are. Each person's situation is different.
If you know the kind of work someone is selling (2-D, jewelry, wearables, whatever) and know their general style and read that they did well or not so well, that's all you really need to know. It tells you a lot about the show and the likelihood it will be receptive to your own work. I don't need to know if someone did $1K or $20K. It's none of my business. Period.
I never have and never will share actual numbers.
nancy, agreed...i only share with my close friends....and even that has come back to bite me...........it's a tough game out there !
We've been in this business for 35 yrs. In the early stages many people shared $ numbers but as time went by the show business became very competitive and telling someone how great you did often resulted in finding that person in your space the next year and you out of that great show.This was especially true of lesser known shows that often were some times overwhelmed by more applicants than they could handle .
See networking at shows over the years was part of paying your dues and the people you got to know often would share $ info with you but laying it out here tells hundreds of folks and you just gave up an advantage you worked hard for .
wow...everyone is getting a little fiesty on this site lately....
as for this discussion...i think it was the 'tone' in which it was asked that prompted the replys. a friend, not in this business, recently sat in on a post show dinner discussion..and was amazed that we shared our dollar amounts. she stated..this is the only business she ever knew where people told each other how much they did.
i explained most of what was said above, that simply stating that it was a 'good' show doesnt mean anything to anyone...i once was at a show and a guy told me he had a great day (not sarcastic, seriously)..and then proceeded to tell me he did over $200 ! he was thrilled...i would have cried...lol
so one man's good show is another one's devastation.
however, i will add this..... a gross number also has it's limitations on information as everyone's expenses (overhead, hotel, travel, supplies, insurance, time) everything involved...are different, so...it does figure that one could do a number that would be considered 'well' to one and not another....
However, the sharing of an individual's income is solely the discretion of that individual and no one is entitled to it. Also, implying that everyone needs to make over 4k for it to be worth doing is inappropriate and wrong. My expenses are much lower than most people for a number of reasons. So maybe I don't need to make over 4k. And FYI, I do live in the real world.
It's one thing to ask the question 'how much money did you make at the show' 'and another to follow it with passive aggressive comments to justify the question.
Any artist lucky enough to not have to be concerned with money is lucky, indeed. The rest of us live in the real world where in addition to the direct expenses of the art show, we have art supplies and a mortgage and health insurance and kids and... you get the idea.
The older I get the more I realize how uneasy many people are discussing money. Everyone has the right to privacy, of course. But what is the point of an adult, useful exchange of ideas and information if we are not able to discuss real numbers. Real numbers help give concrete information to help us all decide whether we are successful, or wasting our time trying to sell art that no one else appreciates but us. If everyone else is having 20k shows regularly and I am doing 1k at those same shows, I know something is wrong with my approach. If an artist thinks that just because they are in the black then it is a good show, that is information that helps others weigh that artist's opinion of the show.
There is absolutely no shame in discussing money. Money is not dirty, or boastful, or a reflection of one's character. It is just money. Money made from selling something you made with your hands that came out of your head is just about the most honorable money there is. If someone pays you for your work, treat that money like you are honored, proud and delighted they were so inclined to give it to you, not like something you gained by exploiting third world children. Selling art for a living means that sometimes you have more than you know what to do with and sometimes you don't have enough to pay the electric bill. Being broke doesn't mean you are trash and being rich doesn't make you superior.
What is the point of a conversation about how we make a living if we don't include real numbers? If this is solely a social website where we catch up and find out about each others latest work, then Facebook already has that covered. Why bother? If this is a real conversation about our shared business and show experiences, then let's not treat money like it is some dirty thing that can't be talked about in polite company, or worse something that must be diligently ignored like some dairy induced gas from your grandfather at christmas. Public companies and governments all discuss real numbers and even though we are all tiny businesses, that doesn't mean we can't treat our way of making a living like the business it truly is.
This comment is not specifically aimed at any previous comment here, only inspired by them. In 20 years of doing art shows, I have found it very useful to discuss real numbers and am surprised when artists are reluctant to do so.
I also think show directors should have a more accurate idea of how much artists gross at their shows and how much our expenses really are. Maybe that would have a positive effect on show fees. I think some show directors have an unrealistic idea of how truly difficult selling art can be in a down economy.
In addition I had parents who never discussed finance with their kids, but I would have been much better prepared for a life as a small business owner if I had received a solid foundation of finance info to lean on when I needed it, instead of bupkis, which is what I got (and plenty of it to boot). Discussing money helps us all.
Just to clarify: I did not and will not state how much Brian sold at South University. The figure of "over $4000" came from Mary. Each artist has their own definition of a good show, and each deserves to have their privacy respected.
Its good to hear some people did well at AA. Congratulations to those. From what I've heard though there are too many resellers (whether retailers or buy/sell) for comfort though.
Nels if you look up his website, BrianJensen.com, you'll see he is no neophyte, has been in the business for awhile and is selling original paintings.
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