24 Mar Free Art Fair Tips From the Pros + CLASS!
Art of Business ‘Gearing up for Art Fair’ Class, May 18, 2016
Art fairs can be the backbone of many artists’ business plans, but it’s not always easy to get started. They often require a lot of money up front and can be very competitive, so it can be a challenge for new and experienced artists alike to make a profit at them.
We’re assembling a crack team of panelists who together have decades of experience participating in and helping to organize art fairs of all sizes.
Join us for Art of Business class Gearing up for Art Fair Season on May 18, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Noblesville Library ($5 admission). Sign up here.
Our panelists will draw from their own personal experiences as well as professional advice they’ve received over the years to provide you with key tips and best practices to help strengthen your applications for art fairs, as well as improve your booth’s appearance and your own customer service.
Free Fair Tips From the Pros
Here are two great tips for artists who are looking to be more successful at art fairs. More advice like this will be available at the May 18 session!
Beth Forst
“It’s worth investing in good photography. Make sure you photograph your work well, and get good photographs of your booth. If you have never set up a booth before or don’t have photos to submit, get your friends and family to help you set up one in your backyard just as you plan to at the fair,” she says
Forst emphasizes that professionalism matters. “Don’t be cutesy with it,” she says. Arts fair organizers “want to see that you are professional and reliable, not that you’re creative and quirky.”
Anything you can do to demonstrate that you are going to be a positive addition — and not give that organizer a lot of extra work — will go a long way.
Rodney Reveal
“Always be positive and happy, regardless of whether or not you’re making sales. People can tell if you’re having a bad day and they won’t buy from you,” Reveals says.
“I try to always think of it as a party — is everyone having fun? Then if I sell art, that’s extra!” He goes on to explain, “No one wants to really support a starving artist. Whether you are or aren’t — act like you’re successful.”
Our Art Fair panelists will include:
Beth Forst: An influential artist and plein air painter, Forst has participated in and helped organize dozens of art fairs across the country. She has a background in sales and graphic art and printing, but now is a full-time artist, traveling across the country to sell her work and fuel her creativity.
Eric Freeman: The Director of Indiana Artisan, Freeman coordinates the annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, as well as other art showcases and sales throughout the year. He regularly works with creative people of all types, including food and wine producers, and has years of experience learning what patrons look for and respond to at art sales events.
Lesley Haflich: A Noblesville Creates Studio Artist, Haflich holds a degree in fine art from Purdue University and has a background in advertising. She is also a member of the Hoosier Salon and the Hamilton County Artists’ Association, and has won prizes for her booth design in the past. She has organized the annual Art Fair on the Square in Noblesville for the past two years.
Rodney Reveal: A graduate of the California College of Arts and Crafts and Herron School of Art, Reveal is a Noblesville Creates Studio Artist, a former president of the Hamilton County Artists’ Association, and an artist whose work is collected internationally.
