Art Fairs TIPS
1. What should an artist look for when searching for an art fair that fits them/their career?
Ideally you should go and visit the art fair to see the operations and observe the various booth setups. The best way to have the appropriate, professional booth is to see what works and what doesn’t. Do your research. There are some arts organizations that offer seminars on professional practices dealing with Art Fairs and many of these are very worthwhile. Make sure to read the rules and see if your work is appropriate for each art fair. Most art fairs have very strict guidelines, what they will and will not accept.
2. What is too much to ask for (from the artist e.g. too much money, time, booth preparation, etc.)
If you do your research you can compare the costs of booths, whether electricity hook-ups are available, etc. You will always be responsible for your own booth and set-up. Some fairs will provide golf cart and manpower assistance for booth set-up and transport. Generally there are additional charges for electricity and corner booth requests. You should be able to look at the layout of each art fair and figure out the appropriate place for your booth to be located for the easiest set up. You should gauge your estimated sales compared to the expenses and decide what your profit margin might be. It is always good to talk with other artists you might know that do the fairs you are interested in. There are several publications that give reports on art fairs, such as Sunshine Artist and Art Fair Sourcebook. Keep in mind that the only data they have to make these reports are the artists that respond, and not the entire fair body.
3. What are some warning signs that this particular art fair may not be worth the money or time?
Be wary of art fairs that have very low standards or don’t follow their own rules. Good quality art fairs should have a published system for jurying and if this doesn’t exist, how are the vendors chosen?
In general the best fairs have a long history and track record. You can tell if a fair has a good plan for parking, listing of hotels and accommodations in the area, good food vendors, good awards, providing good entertainment and a well rounded fair atmosphere. There are many levels of quality in art fairs and you have to decide where you might fall in that spectrum. Good art fairs have a number of highly qualified jurors, usually not staff members who make decisions on who is accepted into the fair. The better and larger fairs are making the switch to digital jurying. Don’t be afraid of this change. Digital imagery and fair entry is much easier than the old-fashioned slide and individual entry method and the images are much more professional. The switchover is a bit of a hassle for artists, but after that is done the process is much more orderly and easier.
Special thanks to David Kwasigroh, Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services at the Indianapolis Art Center, for help on this topic.
Ideally you should go and visit the art fair to see the operations and observe the various booth setups. The best way to have the appropriate, professional booth is to see what works and what doesn’t. Do your research. There are some arts organizations that offer seminars on professional practices dealing with Art Fairs and many of these are very worthwhile. Make sure to read the rules and see if your work is appropriate for each art fair. Most art fairs have very strict guidelines, what they will and will not accept.
2. What is too much to ask for (from the artist e.g. too much money, time, booth preparation, etc.)
If you do your research you can compare the costs of booths, whether electricity hook-ups are available, etc. You will always be responsible for your own booth and set-up. Some fairs will provide golf cart and manpower assistance for booth set-up and transport. Generally there are additional charges for electricity and corner booth requests. You should be able to look at the layout of each art fair and figure out the appropriate place for your booth to be located for the easiest set up. You should gauge your estimated sales compared to the expenses and decide what your profit margin might be. It is always good to talk with other artists you might know that do the fairs you are interested in. There are several publications that give reports on art fairs, such as Sunshine Artist and Art Fair Sourcebook. Keep in mind that the only data they have to make these reports are the artists that respond, and not the entire fair body.
3. What are some warning signs that this particular art fair may not be worth the money or time?
Be wary of art fairs that have very low standards or don’t follow their own rules. Good quality art fairs should have a published system for jurying and if this doesn’t exist, how are the vendors chosen?
In general the best fairs have a long history and track record. You can tell if a fair has a good plan for parking, listing of hotels and accommodations in the area, good food vendors, good awards, providing good entertainment and a well rounded fair atmosphere. There are many levels of quality in art fairs and you have to decide where you might fall in that spectrum. Good art fairs have a number of highly qualified jurors, usually not staff members who make decisions on who is accepted into the fair. The better and larger fairs are making the switch to digital jurying. Don’t be afraid of this change. Digital imagery and fair entry is much easier than the old-fashioned slide and individual entry method and the images are much more professional. The switchover is a bit of a hassle for artists, but after that is done the process is much more orderly and easier.
Special thanks to David Kwasigroh, Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services at the Indianapolis Art Center, for help on this topic.