Many younger artists who grew up in today’s modern age of technology may feel that the best way to generate sales is to promote their media and offer their products online.
The problem with this approach is that not everyone is E-commerce savvy. It may be too complicated to manage a website or too expensive to hire an IT to do the wet work of setting up and managing online purchases.
Let’s not forget to account for shipping charges, payment chargebacks, and other customer-related issues. However, if you’re a bit nostalgic and you want to go the traditional, face-to-face route when it comes to selling your art, well this blog might be for you.
Location
The first question I like to ask before I do my research is – ‘how far am I willing to travel?’ I currently reside in Memphis, Tennessee, so I try to keep in mind that I own a van that needs gas and I need lodging for overnight trips, which go into my expenses.
I would recommend beginning your search within a 100-mile radius of your residence. But you may also want to search for a neighboring city with a decent-sized population because they can host multiple events annually, as well.
Where to search
Google Search
Google is the biggest search engine platform in the world, so it doesn’t come as a surprise for this option to be at the top of my list. You can research upcoming art shows by typing the following inquiries:
- “Upcoming art shows in my area.”
- Or “Art shows in the {Specific City and/or state}”
- Or “Local art shows in the {Specific month}”
Art Guides
There was a time when you could walk into a local library and request a guide from a librarian. Of course, everything is online now, so I recommend the following websites to check out.
Art guides provide great information about art exhibits, artist’s bios and upcoming art festivals.
Art show listings
If you want to push your search into overdrive, take a visit to a good online art show listing. There are many to choose from, but these are the two I recommend.
http://www.artfaircalendar.com
Zapplication is a third-party platform that I consider to be a one-stop shop for discovering art shows in your state and registering upcoming events that you may like.
Art fair calendar provides dates and details on events and uses direct links to the art festival’s website where you can contact an event manager for additional information.
Please keep this in mind.
The average deadline for registration for an art festival is between 3 -6 months before the date of the event.
Bonus tip. There are two kinds of art festivals:
Arts and crafts festivals and fine art.
Art and crafts festivals
Art and craft festivals are typically sponsored by small businesses with products that are mass-produced and commercially applicable.
Fine arts festivals
Fine art festivals are designed for the little guy. Vendors are more experienced with decades of work under their belt and their displays are often more handmade.
The requirements for an application
Now that you have decided to apply, the vendor will expect some information from you.
Which are:
- Photos of your artwork
- 5 images
- The 5th image should be an image of your art booth set-up
- A short description of your style of work
- What type of medium do you create (Acrylic, watercolor, ceramics. Woodworking, pottery, etc…)
- Application fee
- This could range between 10 to 35 dollars.
- Social media presence (Optional)
- Anywhere on the web you have displayed your work like Facebook, YouTube, or your website can be applicable.
If you are approved
I would sometimes receive an email from a representative of the event. This would normally happen 2 to 4 weeks after filling out the application or a month leading up to the deadline. Here are a few things the email will provide:
- The cost of the booth fee
- What time to show up
- The booth’s location in the park or area to set up your booth
How to prepare
I normally pick the best pieces that I want to bring to sell, but you may want to develop a good common practice by creating an inventory list. The information should include:
- Title of work
- Type of work
- Size
- This includes Height x width.
- Price
I price my work depending on the size of the event and the size of the work. It may vary from $500 to $2000. Another factor is supply and demand. Potential customers in the art genre sometimes have selective tastes and it varies from one region to another, but I try to stay within a reasonable price range.
Don’t be discouraged if you experience one or two bad events. Go out there, have fun and good luck!
A Shade of Art 
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