Art Fairs and Alternative Places to Sell

This section covers:

• why all artists need to do “due diligence” on third parties before they pay money to them so they can exhibit their art
• Rent space at a reputable Commercial Gallery – and why that can work for artists with a strong following
• Pop-Up Spaces – an artist rents a space and holds an exhibition

Three reasons why you need to take due diligence of art galleries/fairs/events seriously

• There are a lot of people who make a business out of exploiting those who would like to make a success out of being an artist.
• There are a lot of people who have a bright idea but lack the competence to deliver what they’d like to do.
• The art market is a target for financial crime. It pays to do some research about reputation if you don’t want to be associated with any art fair or people who have sold stolen goods in the past.

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Before making any financial commitment – to a gallery or an art fair or any other event – make sure you ask some questions to find out whether or not you might be wasting your money and/or damaging your reputation.

Checklist of questions

• 10 questions for artists to ask event organisers – These are the questions to consider if you’re invited to participate in an event – an exhibition or fair – which aims to have artists with stands displaying their work.
• Art-related due diligence | Deloittes – Prevent financial crime and manage your reputation

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Rental Space – pay to exhibit 

• Owner pays the bills; commercial galleries / art fairs may have track record as a place to sell art (but beware of ‘start-ups’)
• business model: artist-driven – the artist rents a space to market, exhibit and sell work in a commercial gallery, pop-up space or art fair
• quality: Commercial galleries and art fairs typically do a quality assessment of an artist’s work. No guarantee of acceptance. (Not applicable to pop-up spaces.)
• cost to the artist: Best return if exhibition generates good sales. No commission paid.
• risk to the artist: Maximum effort cost and risk if no sales. Gross sales have to fund all expenses of rental and marketing.

Artists’ Co-Operative

• Typical a co-operative has no owner – the member artists are responsible for the gallery
• business model: aim to promote co-op member artists and artwork and sell art on a non-profit (i.e. cover costs)
• quality: admission to the co-op is usually juried with the co-op looking for artists with good quality art and a track record of sales
• cost to the artist: often a combination of membership subscription and time spent doing stewarding/processing sales. No commission costs.
• risk to the artist: relatively low cost way of getting art exhibited – especially if you can trade time for membership fees – and paint while you man the gallery

Vanity Gallery – Rent a wall

• Typically has an owner who owns the space and pays the bills
• business model: income derived from artists paying fees to exhibit their work (often seen as deception / a scam as galleries can masquerade as proper art galleries). Marketing targets inexperienced artists.
• quality: eligibility is wallet-oriented; assessment of art is usually very superficial
• cost to the artist: rental of wallspace – this can be exorbitant; may also pay commission at a lower rate than a conventional gallery; could include hidden charges
• risk to the artist: vanity galleries on a CV are considered to be a demerit by other art galleries

Paying for your own marketing used to be really frowned on – but times have changed. 

In the past an artist might not be considered to be credible if they were not taken on by a gallery who judged their art and found it worthy of putting on their walls

Today, marketing art is no longer limited to the conventional and traditional methods e.g. bricks and mortar galleries.

Art Marketing practices – have changed due to:

• ecommerce for art – a lot of art is now bought online
• artists can sell art without being dependent on galleries. They can now exercise much more independence and control over marketing and exhibiting their art
• the closure of a lot of art galleries due to economic difficulties and a failure to get to grips with the internet. Many artists were ‘stung’ as galleries closed. Some were left with their artwork behind locked doors and a closed sign.

The critical difference with Self-Promotion is that the artist is in charge – and is not being taken advantage of.

The artist who promotes their own work by arranging their own exhibition:

• makes the running and weighs up the pros and cons of alternative options for marketing their art
• determines which spaces are acceptable to them
• decides the length of the rental and exhibition
• finances the rental for the space and all other costs associated with the exhibition
• organises all the marketing, the catalogue, the Private View and Press Releases – and pays for it
• organises and hangs the exhibition and take down
• stewards the exhibition and processes the sales (depending on the nature of the rental agreement)
• receives all the income from sales – without a deduction for commission

The options for exhibiting your art

Many artists have explored ways of making themselves more independent of conventional channels. Beside promoting themselves – via websites, blogs, ecommerce and holding open studios – one of the ways they can promote their art is to hire space at a reputable art fair/market or gallery and hold an exhibition.

Options for holding your own exhibition include:

• pop-up spaces – basically just an empty space (such as a shop) which can be made available for very short term lets
• renting space from commercial galleries
• hosting open studios
• running your own Gallery alongside your studio.
• renting a booth at an Art Fair (typically juried entry)
• Renting a booth at an Art Market (typically juried and a regular weekly commitment if this is to work)

General Reference:

• Investigating Venues for Showing Your Art | Alyson Stanfield

• Such exhibitions can be very successful – and very profitable for an artist with a strong following who knows what it takes to make an exhibition successful.

(For example read my post Rosa Sepple sells 50+ paintings in 4 days!)

• They can also be very high risk and make a big loss if the artist does not have an existing following and/or does not make a significant effort to market their exhibition effectively beforehand.

A Pop Up Show / Gallery / Shop – also known as ‘flash retailing’ is a great way for an artist to:

• get your feet wet in terms of finding out how to run a promotional space/event
• run an art event or gallery for a short period without long term commitments
• provide a space to which you can invite your target audience and/or those you want to connect and network with

It can also help a local community and economy by providing an attractive use for an otherwise empty shop or commercial space.

You can use vacant commercial premises on very flexible terms.

​First you need to decide what you want to do….

• size of space required (provide a range with minimum and maximum size)
• facilities needed
• the type of area it needs to be in
• the duration of your pop up project  (eg a weekend for an evening event)

…..and then you need to locate a suitable space in a suitable place.

What you need:

• an empty space
• permission from the owner to use it – and then a licence or a short term lease
• a budget for premises costs
• working utilities and facilities which protect visitors/third parties from harm
• insurance to cover your activities and third party liability
• equipment to kit it out for a show
• publicity to tell people about you and your show and where they can find you

What is a pop up shop?

• What is a pop up shop? | popupspace – temporary retail spaces used by businesses who prefer a short, flexible hire term to a traditional long lease. Artists and art groups are a typical category of tenant
• Examples of Pop Ups – take a peek – you may get some inspiration.

How to run a Pop Up Space

• ​​The HowYoPopUp Wiki – provides detailed guidance and support for those wanting to run a temporary event in an unused commercial space – including checklists for risks you need to manage
• How to Set Up a Pop-Up Art Gallery in 7 Steps
  by Tristan Pollock | Storefront Blog – provides some key pointers on what you need to run a successful pop up gallery
• Setting Up a Pop Up Gallery | Empty Spaces – an Australian Case Study of setting up a gallery as a pop up
• Three things you need to know about opening a pop-up | The Popupspace blog

How to find a Pop Up Space (UK)

• Accessing Empty Spaces | ArtQuest – advice and guidance on how to develop and run a pop up to sell your art
• Popupspace – work for potential tenants – matching them up with available space around the UK. They sort out the property for a fee

How to find a Pop Up Space (USA)

• The Storefront – a website which helps you find the ideal space in the USA and talk to the people who can help you to use it​. This is how it works.

REFERENCE (UK):

• The popupspace website provides a lot of useful tips as well as brokering popupspaces between those with space on offer and those who need a pop-up space
• Spare Place is a crowdsourced map of useful spaces like meeting rooms, church halls and community buildings – many of which can be used for pop up activity.
• East Street Arts – based in Leeds and manages spaces for artists to work and exhibit
• 3 Space provide spaces for voluntary and community groups

Pop Up Business For Dummies by Dan Thompson

Rated an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars by 22 UK based customers

Lots of practical pointers to the process of what you need to do to run a successful pop up event – including art shows or art galleries

This book was written by the Empty Shops Network founder Dan Thompson and published in 2012.

This section covers:

• The Art Fair – from different perspectives
• Listings of International, Affordable and Regional Art Fairs
• Local Art Fairs FAQs
• e-books by experienced local art fair veterans
• Art fair equipment and practical tips 

The Art Fair’s perspective

Galleries and artists that want to participate in the higher end art fairs generally have to meet the criteria for the type of gallery/artist the Art Fair wants to see exhibited at a Fair.

Typically, the larger and more prestigious contemporary art fairs only want art galleries and art dealers taking stands – and charge accordingly.

Smaller and more parochial art fairs will allow artists to represent themselves on their own account – if they meet the quality criteria.

The art collector’s perspective

The major advantage for the buyer is that they:

• get to see a lot of artwork by artists with different galleries in a very short space of time – and
• socialise with “people like me”.

For those who are ‘time poor‘ these reasons are a major advantage and the reason why they attend.

This factor works at all levels of the art collecting community – which is one of the reasons why art fairs are so very popular.

Guides to Art Fairs – for collectors

Everything You Need to Know About Art Fairs (But Were Afraid to Ask) By Alex Allenchey and Andrew M. Goldstein​ | Artspace

• An Art Fair Survival Guide | Wall Street Journal
• Art Forum – Guide to art fairs
• London Art Fairs: A Beginners’s Guide – How do you decide which one’s are worth going to?
• ART 101: What NOT to do at an Art Fair | ArtSpace

Guide to Art Fairs – for artists

• How to Sell at Art Fairs with Ilana Vardy | Alan Bamberger – If you’re exhibiting at art fairs or know someone who is, here’s how to do it right.

The Art Gallery’s perspective

Presence at an Art Fair means they are recognised to be credible and now have another place to sell art.

However this also means that they have less time to invest in the gallery shows at ‘home’. and you are less likely to develop a client base that lives near your gallery – and thus become dependent on somebody else’s operation for selling art.

The gallery that participates in art fairs has to finance:

• the booth and set-up costs – which are not cheap
• shipping costs for the artwork and set decoration
• travel costs for staff
• hotel costs in typically expensive locations
• cover for being away from the gallery – unless they shut up shop.​

The Artist’s perspective on ​Gallery-oriented Art Fairs

Typically artists are at the larger and more prestigious art fairs because they are with an art gallery.

​Hence artists that attend art fairs with their galleries need to finance travel and hotel costs if they are there for more than one day.  The locations of art fairs can mean this can be expensive.

If you’re an artist and not with a gallery you’ll need to buy a ticket to attend.

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Gallery-based International Art Fairs

• International Art Fairs 2016 | ArtUpdate
• Frieze London
• London Art Fair
• Frieze New York
• Frieze Masters
• The Armory Art Show 

Gallery-based – Affordable Art Fairs

• Affordable Art Fair​​
• ​Art Fairs in the UK | Galleries Magazine

This is the type of art fair that allows artists to take a stand and represent themselves – as long as they meet qualifying criteria for that particular art fair.

Always check out the organisation’s experience of operating such fairs in other places and reviews of the operation online (artists and galleristas will make their views known if it was a disaster!)

​Beware of the Art Fair with no track record that promises more than it can deliver or breaches its contracts.

Artists have to rent a space and then buy or rent a stand that meets the fair’s requirements. You need enough stamina or people to be able to man the stand at all times (you can’t rely on your neighbouring stands being reliable).

Artists often take a camper van or use B&Bs for accommodation. The time taken for preparation is significant. Travel costs for non-local shows can be hefty.

​In the USA there are a lot of art shows at a regional and local level.

​There’s also a lot of ‘knowledge’ about those art fairs to be had from those who have previously exhibited.  Art Fair Organisers annoy artists at their peril!

USA

• Art Fair Calendar – lists the smaller and medium sized art fairs in the USA
• Art Show Reviews – the artist feedback on the shows listed in the above calendar
• Art Fair Insiders – the forum related to the above two sites

See also the due diligence section for questions to ask before making a financial commitment.

If you’re thinking about trying an art fair here are some things to think about

• Avoid wasting money by researching the art fair before booking a stand; speak to people who have exhibited there and find out what it’s really like behind the hype
• The ideal research is to visit the fair first. Year 1 – research how it operates and which stands are busiest etc. Year 2 book a stand if you think it’s a good fit.
• Financial Budget: Work out the cost of hiring a space and creating and fitting out a stand and display equipment. Do a proper costing for what you need to buy or rent. Get quotes from different suppliers for what you need. Think about what alternatives might work. Plus you need a budget for where you stay and eating out.
• Time Budget: Work out how days relate to being at the fair. Plus how many days/hours you need to allocate to preparation – you need to create your stand, fill it with “product”, have safe storage for more “product”; print lots of flyers, business cards, price lists etc. Then add on the time for getting there and back and time spent at the fair.
• Read ALL the contract before you commit to anything – it’s not unknown for organisers to build in extra financial commitments.

REFERENCE

• Belgin Bozsahin: on art fairs | Artquest – provides information for recent graduates, artists and craft-makers who are thinking of attending fairs and independent trade shows

How to Succeed at Art Shows and Festivals | Red Dot Blog – this is a post asking artists to provide tips from their own experience

Selling Art: Tips From An Art Fair Veteran | Mona Majorowicz – Tips about how to conduct yourself and covering:

• Selling Art: Tips From An Art Fair Veteran
• ​No Hard Selling Please
• The Importance Of Quality
• Booth Appearance
• The “S” Rule
• Demonstrating Your Art
• Cultivating A Mailing List
• Artwork Website A Must
• Giving Out Business Cards
• Handling the “Be Backs”

Many artists share their views on Art Fairs in the Facebook Group Art Fair Buddies

FAQS: Two blog posts written by Michelle Geromel who wrote the Kindle book about art fairs (see below)

• Question & Answers on Art Fairs – Part One – covers how much stock to take; and profit made vs expectations
• Question & Answers on Art Fairs – Part Two – covers where to sit in your tent to make customers feel comfortable; the size of work which sells at art fairs and what to do if it’s too big to take away; theft from a booth

Before contemplating applying for an art fair do check out the rules on what you can use to display your art.

• Some big art fairs can be very fussy about what sort and size of stand you can have.
• Local art fairs are often more relaxed about what sort of stand you can have – but they still have standards!
• Finding a stand which can stand up in ‘robust’ weather can also be a bit of a trial.
• ​Finding a stand that can fit in your vehicle – and still leave room for the contents you intend to display – is also absolutely essential

Then there’s all the equipment you need…..

Do visit an art fair to look specifically at what tents and display equipment and lights people use for their stands. Find out if they are happy with them and whether they would recommend a purchase – but don’t ask questions when they are busy selling!

REFERENCE

• ​Better Safe than Charry | Exhibitor Online – about fire safety at art fairs; why checking and protecting against fire hazards os so essential
• ​Nicole Caulfield and her Mobile Art Studio / Gallery – one artist’s answer to providing a shelter for her artwork at art fairs – how to exhibit without a tent or panels

​Take a tip from people who’ve done lots of shows as to what you need and what works best.

​You’ll find most of the practical tips come from craftspeople rather than artists however most good practices are common to both.

These sites are written by an American artist who has been doing fairs for well over 20 years

• The Best Art Display Panels – shows various options and provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions
• Art Fair Equipment Essentials – Covers: securing your tent; sun and weather protection; electricity and lights; storage and organisation; money management and office essentials

This is  a very sound batch of posts by experienced craft artist Luann Udell – which have as a common title Good Booths Gone Bad. Luann is very experienced at showing at art fairs – and she’s been at League of NH Craftsmen’s 75th Annual Fair all week. Here’s a sample

• GOOD BOOTHS GONE BAD #4: And the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down
• GOOD BOOTHS GONE BAD #7 What Lies Beneath
• GOOD BOOTHS GONE BAD #21: Give Me Space!​

​You can find her two e-books about booths at art fairs below