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Author Topic: Art Shows  (Read 1867 times)

wmchauncey

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Art Shows
« on: May 10, 2015, 10:01:36 am »

Have never tried doing it myself but, the ones that I've attended all have the same scenario...
print up a bunch of your stuff>hang the prints in a tent>hope they sell. That seems like crap-shoot.
This method, IMHO, would lack a personal relationship with the client...what's their décor/lighting/whatnot?

Would it not make more sense to hang a limited number of your works, not to sell, but just to show your competency, then...
have some sort of a slide show with the rest of your work and explain your desire to custom print based on their display conditions.

Or might there be a better way to develop that rapport rather than the substantial cost of printing images that might not sell or,
that might look terrible when hanging in that client's home?
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DeanChriss

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Re: Art Shows
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2015, 01:57:12 pm »

The vast majority of people will not spend the sort of time you're talking about to select any piece of art. In fact, if a person leaves your tent without a purchase physically in hand it's very unlikely they will ever buy. I'd guess only a few out of hundreds will even bother ordering a size or frame that is not available on the spot to take with them. Some people do come back year after year to the same shows to see the same artists. They talk and ask questions, and some buy repeatedly. That's the extent of any "personal relationship" you're likely to develop. The vast majority of sales are made on the spot to people you'll never see again.

Also, you can't afford to spend hours on one sale. It costs thousands for a tent, display panels, print racks, and inventory. On top of that booth and jury fees at good venues are not cheap. It's not unusual for the fees to amount to $25 or more per hour that the show is open for sales. You also have to pay for the time and materials invested in the items you sell, some sort of basic wage for the hours spent setting up, selling, and tearing down, plus a reasonable profit. In short, you have to sell quite a bit to make it worthwhile. The larger your on-hand inventory the more you'll sell. Gallery sales are a little different, but even there people do not buy what is not physically available, and most sales are made in a single visit.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2015, 01:59:33 pm by DeanChriss »
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NancyP

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Re: Art Shows
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2015, 03:50:50 pm »

I have been a buyer at these shows. Typically there are larger framed photos hung on the booth, and bins of medium and small matted versions of the same photos in bins, which can be bought framed or unframed. Customers can get an idea of what is available, and then find what they want in the size (and price) they want. An assistant has pre-assembled aluminum frames in two or three neutral colors, and finishes the framing while you wait. This pretty much dictates that the majority of your work is going to be in a given format, with few exceptions.

And yes, most people will not come back to a booth. The occasional person does come back. A photo is a mechanical reproduction, after all, especially in the age of digital printing, and I never worried that a photo would be gone. (I bought photos that I enjoyed, no thought of "value". I had stopped photographing non-work stuff for many years.).
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BillK

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Re: Art Shows
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2015, 11:57:22 am »

I have been doing art shows for 8 years now. I agree 100% with what Dean has said.
Sounds like he has been there, done that.

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