Every artist should live by these words: Never feel bad about successfully selling your creations. Never feel bad about creating art you can’t sell.
— Marc Ecko
This guide, crafted to ensure your success, will prepare you to navigate the art show sales landscape. Use it as your key to unlocking the potential of your future art show sales endeavors.
Art shows, fairs, and festivals are vibrant platforms that offer dynamic opportunities to connect with buyers face-to-face, build relationships, and significantly enhance an artist’s reputation. The energy and potential of these events are essential for artists at all career levels, offering a promising path for growth and recognition.
For decades, I produced, marketed, and promoted hundreds of fine art and picture-framing tradeshows. I have learned insider tricks and strategies to assist self-representing artists like you to flourish from countless events. This guide provides real-world tips to optimize your art show experience.
Inside, you’ll discover practical strategies for engaging buyers, building relationships, and turning interest into sales. From booth setup to post-show follow-up, you can implement techniques like creating an inviting booth layout, offering personalized experiences, and following up with potential buyers through email or social media.
How This Guide Will Help You Sell Art at Shows
You might be preparing for your first art fair or looking to refine your approach, but either way, you’ll find everything you need to make your next show successful. You’ll learn:
- How to choose the right art fairs and festivals for your work
- The critical elements of booth setup that attract buyers
- Effective engagement strategies to build relationships with visitors
- Proven follow-up techniques to maximize sales after the show
- Practical tips and checklists for every stage of the art show process
With these insights, you’ll be well-equipped to take full advantage of every art show opportunity, whether aiming to increase your sales, grow your mailing list, or make a lasting impression on potential buyers.
Pre-Show Preparation: Setting Yourself Up for Success
Choosing the Right Art Show
Choosing the right show is not just a matter of chance; it’s a strategic decision that can significantly impact your art career. Not all art fairs are created equal, and understanding the audience is crucial to success. This guide will empower you to make informed decisions and take control of your career.
Research the Audience: Not all shows attract the same type of buyer. It’s essential to be strategic and thoughtful in your selection, looking for shows where the target audience aligns with your art style and price point. For example, higher-end shows attract more affluent buyers, while casual fairs may be better for emerging artists.
Understanding and catering to your audience is not just important; it’s empowering, putting you in control of your success at art shows. To help with this, use resources like ArtFairInsider, a community of artists who share show reviews and insights. Websites like Zapplication and WhereTheShowsAre list juried art shows and provide feedback from other artists, helping you find suitable events for your work.
Establish Criteria: Before you begin researching, create a list of qualities that define your ideal show. Are you looking to connect with collectors, win a large cash prize, or show in a new city? Setting criteria in advance will save you time by filtering out shows that don’t align with your goals. Consider factors such as whether the show is juried, its location, the type of prize or exposure, and its reputation.
For a more tailored approach, tools like the Art Fair SourceBook offer in-depth listings for over 1,400 juried art shows and craft fairs. You can customize your search based on your criteria and get detailed reviews. Subscription packages range from $199 to $649 per year, making it a valuable resource if art shows are part of your business model.
Consider Location and Timing: Choose geographically convenient shows that fit your business calendar without overloading your schedule. A good strategy is to group shows by region to minimize travel costs and stress. Checking out resources like Sunshine Artist can help you assess the best shows by region and season, ensuring your time and money are well spent.
Additional Resources for Artists:
- ArtDeadline.com: A long-standing resource offering paid and free opportunities for exhibitions and competitions. Their website is updated frequently, giving you the latest calls for artists.
- Res Artis: For artists looking for residencies, Res Artis works with 500+ organizations across 70 countries. It’s an excellent way to find artist residencies that suit your needs.
- Use “Call for Entries” Websites: For a broader search, explore “call for entries” sites like Artshow, CaFÉ, C4E, and ArtCall. These platforms list opportunities for art shows and competitions worldwide.
Leverage Local Resources:
- Reach out to local galleries, art associations, and artist friends.
- Attending local art shows and gallery openings and networking with fellow artists can uncover opportunities and give you personal connections to regional shows.
Using these tools and platforms, you can make more informed decisions and select shows that align with your goals, ensuring your art reaches the right audience and maximizing your chances of success.
Navigating the Jury Process
Understanding the jury process is vital when preparing for shows. Most juried art shows require a strong portfolio and booth shot, which can influence whether you’re accepted.
- Use online application platforms: Websites like Zapplication.org and WhereTheShowsAre.com make applying to multiple art shows easier. Ensure your digital portfolio and booth photos are professional.
- Take a Great Booth Display Photo: When applying to juried art shows, you must often submit a photo of your booth display. This booth shot should show a clean, well-organized layout that presents your art cohesively. A professional-looking display reassures the jury that your booth will attract attention and effectively highlight your work at the show.
Budgeting for Art Shows
Knowing the costs involved is essential when selling art at fairs. Booth fees, travel, and additional expenses are critical budget factors.
- Booth fees can range from $75 to $600 for local or regional shows and escalate to tens of thousands for international art fairs. To ensure profitability, always plan to make at least ten times your booth fee in sales.
- Additional expenses: Remember to account for lodging, travel, food, and marketing materials, especially for out-of-town shows. Unexpected hidden expenses always happen, making having a contingency fund an excellent idea.
Choosing the Right Art Fair for Your Work
Not all art fairs or festivals are equal in quality, and selecting a suitable event can make a big difference when learning how to sell artwork at shows.
- Ask critical questions: Before committing, ask about the show’s promotion, expected attendance, and reputation with other artists.
- High-traffic shows: Aim for shows with intense marketing efforts and attendance over 20,000 to maximize your sales potential.
Pre-Show Checklist:
- Research art fairs for the target audience.
- Use Zapplication or WhereTheShowsAre to apply to shows.
- Prepare a professional booth shot.
- Create a budget that includes booth fees, travel, and other expenses.
- Talk to fellow artists about which shows are best for selling art.
Designing an Irresistible Booth for Selling Art at Shows
Crafting a Booth That Draws Buyers
Your booth’s design and layout are not just a setup; they are potential buyers’ first impressions. Here’s how to set up your booth for success when selling art at shows.
- Make it inviting: Use lighting, color, and strategic layout to create an inviting space. Avoid clutter and leave enough white space so visitors can focus on individual pieces.
- Create zones: Organize your booth with different zones for larger works, medium-sized pieces, and smaller, affordable items like prints or postcards.
- Invest in a good tent: Use a durable, weather-resistant tent for outdoor art fairs. Consider black backgrounds for hanging art to make your work pop.
Display Techniques to Attract Buyers
Effective booth presentation is vital to selling artwork at festivals.
- Feature your “masterpiece”: Display a standout piece to draw visitors in. Large, bold artwork is eye-catching and sets a high standard for the rest of your collection.
- Use signage: Label your artwork with titles, prices, and descriptions. Clear signage can help answer questions and minimize friction in the buying process.
Engage Visitors with Demonstrations
If you’re wondering how to sell more art at shows, consider doing live demonstrations. Showcasing your creative process can captivate your audience and build an emotional connection. If that’s not possible, time-lapse videos of a work in progress are an alternative.
- Create live art: Whether it’s painting, drawing, or another creative process, performing live adds an element of engagement that draws people to your booth.
- Show the creative process: Breaking down the steps of your work or explaining your technique in real-time gives visitors insight into your craft, deepening their appreciation and connection to the art.
Prepare for Common Questions
Preparing for common questions can make conversations smoother when selling art at fairs. Don’t take offense at inane or even insulting questions. Often, folks seek more information or a way to evaluate you and your art. Use any such interaction as an opportunity to engage with prospects. That is why you are there:
- “How long did this take to create?”
- “What’s the story behind this piece?”
- “Do you paint from photos?”
By preparing thoughtful, concise answers, you’ll be able to engage visitors without feeling flustered.
Booth Setup Checklist:
- Invest in a high-quality tent for outdoor shows.
- Create a clean, inviting layout with transparent zones.
- Highlight a “masterpiece” to attract attention.
- Ensure clear signage for pricing and artwork descriptions.
- Prepare answers for common visitor questions.
Engaging Visitors and Closing Sales at Art Shows
How to Engage Visitors and Build Relationships
Building relationships with visitors, even if they wait to buy, is crucial when learning how to sell art at shows.
- Ask open-ended questions: Ask visitors simple questions like “What brought you to the show today?” or “What types of art are you drawn to?” Questions such as these open the conversation and allow you to connect personally.
- Tell your story: Share your journey as an artist, your process, and what inspires your work. This emotional connection can be a deciding factor in a sale.
Using the Be-Back Offer to Boost Sales
- Sometimes, buyers need time to decide. Implementing a Be-Back Offer encourages hesitant buyers to return and complete their purchase. What is a Be-Back Offer? It’s a limited-time incentive like free shipping or a small discount. Present it discreetly to potential buyers who show interest but aren’t ready to commit.
- Follow-up for success: Collect contact information during the show to follow up with buyers via email, reminding them of the offer before it expires.
Closing the Sale
Being approachable and closing sales go hand in hand. To improve your odds of making a sale:
- Stay approachable: Be active, present, and engaging. Avoid sitting in the back of your booth or using your phone. Always greet visitors with a smile and open body language.
- Offer multiple payment methods: Remove friction by accepting credit cards and offering layaway or payment plans. Services like Square are easily set up and widely accepted at art fairs.
Engagement Checklist:
- Ask open-ended questions to engage visitors.
- Share your artist’s story to build emotional connections.
- Implement a Be-Back Offer for hesitant buyers.
- Ensure your payment system is working.
- Offer layaway or payment plans to close the sale.
Post-Show Follow-Up: Maximizing Your Art Show Success
Follow Up with Leads from the Show
Proper follow-up is the key to long-term success when learning how to sell art at shows.
- Send follow-up emails: Use the email addresses you collected during the show to send a thank-you email or remind visitors about a special offer.
- Capitalize on the Be-Back Offer: Reinforce the Offer with a follow-up email reiterating the special deal and providing an easy purchase process.
Evaluate Your Show Performance
After each art show, it’s essential to assess what worked and what didn’t to improve future events.
- Track expenses and sales: Compare your total sales to your booth fees, travel expenses, and material costs to calculate your profit and decide whether the show was worth attending.
- Analyze visitor engagement: What questions were asked the most? Which pieces attracted the most attention? Use this data to refine your booth setup and sales strategies for future shows.
Post-Show Checklist:
- Send thank-you emails and follow-up offers.
- Analyze your booth performance and sales.
- Add new leads to your mailing list.
- Plan adjustments for the next show based on feedback and performance.
Conclusion: Mastering How to Sell Art at Shows
Learning how to sell art at shows is a journey of preparation, engagement, and follow-up. Creating an inviting booth, engaging with visitors, and following up after the event can maximize your chances of success at art fairs and festivals.
Absolutely OUTSTANDING advice!! It should be re-read often! Thanks Barney!
http://www.leebowmanart.com
Thank you so much !!! I am a new artist and I have my first exhibition next month!!!!! I am taking all the advice you are giving on this great article and I will share this with my artist friends 🙂
Thank you. It’s good to know the info is helpful to you. Best wishes for success at your show!
Blue Sky is one of the best songs EVER recorded! It IS uplifting. The entire “Eat a Peach” album is a peach! Great article, Barney. Appreciate you sharing your expertise! Very helpful to an old dog learning new tricks!
Thanks Tim and you’re welcome. I could not agree more about Blue Sky. I can listen and hit loop and just let it go. One of a select few I can say about that. I find it impossible to be cranky after hearing it.
Brilliant advice…thank you SO much for sharing.
Many years ago, after having been doing outdoor fairs for years, we did our first indoor fair. We were floored! Our perfectly reasonable outdoor display looked like s— compared to our neighbors. This was a show that provided pipe-and-drape booth separators, but individual exhibitors were on their own for everything they put in the booth. We looked around, took note of our competition, and went to work. Finally, with further tweaking, I thought it finally looked pretty good. Then my wife started coming back to the booth with a bad case of booth envy, handing me a list of individual booths to look at. After looking and discussing, I found that it came down to that the booths on her list were much brighter-lit, more sparkly. After we got track lighting and doubled the number of fixtures we had originally used, the booth envy factor finally quieted down.
Note that if you look at the mall galleries of a “painter of light” (who shall remain unnamed here), there is *NO* light wasted on unoccupied wall space, but several bright pin lights dedicated to each picture – THAT’S sparkly.
Thanks for your insights! Sometimes you just can’t know until you experience an event, especially as a paying exhibitor at a show. In my many years selling tradeshow space, I regularly told new artists they were likely to learn more than they would earn as a first-timer. I also told them if they used what they learned it would pay off for them in spades. And, of course, I gave them all my insider knowledge because I wanted them to succeed. What was good for them ultimately was good for me, too.
Thank you so much Barney for the inspiring motivating articles….I always look forward to your emails….what a great gift to receive in my email….all my shows have been on the back burner since 2012 because I’m helping my ailing elderly mom…I love to read everything you send me!!.. you get me primed and ready to explode on the market again once mom’s better!!…reading your wonderful lessons and experiences first thing in the morning with my coffee puts that extra expresso shot in my day !..yeehaw!!… 🙂 Happy Trails to You Barney!!
Hey Rae-Lynne, thank you for your comments and encouragement. I’m all about the expresso! 😉
Barney, Love taking your advice at trade shows. It has given us proven examples how to look like pros, increase sales and grab new customers. Thanks, Steve and Kay Witt, Strasburg, VA.
Barney, your advice about creating a more inviting space paid off in spades today at a local art show. If I was in thje booth when someone came by, I stepped out of the way and said “I’m sorry, don’t let me block the door for you, go on in and have fun!” The booth was full all day long. Thanks again!
Great news, Vic! I love stories about how my advice pays off.
This is the work of a genius, Barney! Thanks for sharing this piece, especially about the appearance. I’m meeting with a huge potential buyer next week and plan to dress the part, show my confidence, and be myself. I’ll let you know how I make out.
Good stuff Barney I look forward to doing an Artfair, it’ll be a first for me. Which probably adds to your advice, do fairs when you really want to, rather than a “Oh Lord here we go again” attitude. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Thanks for all you great articles Barney. Do you have advice (perhaps a previous post I may have missed) about how to engage visitors during a raucous “First Friday” art event? I find my social skills somewhat lacking with so much going on and so much other art to view, how can I direct attention to my work without sounding “hard sell?”
Dear Priya, Make sure your booth is inviting. If the is chaos in the aisles, a booth can be a respite from the bustle. I devote a whole chapter to networking in my Guerrilla Marketing for Artistsbook. My Zen of Selling Art e-book also has suggestions and advice for how to engage customers in a conversation. The basic thing is be interested in them first, and then let the conversation come back to you.
Learn to ask open ended questions, which will create a conversation. “Are you enjoying the show?” gets, “Yes.” While “What are you seeing at the show that interesting today?” “What brings you to the show today?” Mention something about their attire, what they might have in their hands, and ask a question about it. Work on developing a half dozen or more questions like that to rotate and trot out regularly. Be genuinely interested in the other party first, the get into your art.
Hi Barney, I have listened to your excellent advise for quite awhile now. I am a sales person at heart and really enjoy people. I am the top salesperson in many of my present and past jobs, but I seem to have a problem selling my own artwork. If people linger a little while I will ask them if they know where this image was taken or what do they see in this piece of abstract art. Then I tell them and show them what others have seen in this piece and tell them that is why I love abstract,,,everyone sees something different. . It always opens the conversation. But then they leave. My son thinks that if I will just leave them alone that maybe they will buy something.
This and the fact that four of the last five outdoor shows, we have had rain. All the shows are rain or shine events. I am getting so discouraged. So far this year, I haven’t sold more than my booth fee. Because I have sold for so long, I can be upbeat and smiling when a potential customer comes in. Should I play the oldies in my booth to keep me upbeat all the time?
Suzanne, Sorry you are having a hard time selling at shows. There are so many factors. Is your art right for the show? How are your prices compared to other artists at the show? It reads like you use open ended questions to get a conversation going, but maybe you are seguing into a dissertation on your work. Whether you are passionate and eloquent might not matter if you are doing all the talking. Are you getting enough information and the are you asking them to buy. It’s a fine line between being overly aggressive and just asking for the order. Either are better than waiting for the prospect to ask to buy. Jason Horejs has an excellent book, How to Sell Art. I have an e-book, The Zen of Selling Art that has many tips on selling.
As for the music, I would not play it if you don’t think your buyers are going to enjoy it. Better to have a single earbud going if you are not sure. All the best!
Hey Barney, Well I completed another (probably my last for awhile) arts & crafts show. It did rain the night that we were setting up and the last hour of the show, but I made more than my booth fee!! Not by much, but neither did the majority of vendors. I sold note cards and a few mats. What sealed the deal was when a husband and wife came in and purchased one of my larger framed images. Someone told me that there were 40,000 people there. I doubt there was that much, but at least 1,000 came to the arts & crafts area of the park. Many of the usual vendors didn’t attend and the all the vendors around me, except the jewelry people showed very low sales compared to their normal income, at that show. Just wanted to give you an update. I will pursue the interior designers now.
Thanks for your update. Sorry your results weren’t better. Outdoor shows are always a bit of a crapshoot. At least you broke even. I hope you came away with names for your mailing list. Good luck with designers. Get that market working right and it will pay off for you on a repeat basis.
You just gotta love a guy who gives great advice and throws the Allman Bros. in to perk up the mood.
Thanks, Barney, you are really helping me get the marketing end of the business together.
You’re most welcome Linda. And, yes, I do love me some ABB!
Thanks for your clear and simple instructions on what to do and what not to do at an art show. Being a creative doesn't mean that you're a savvy salesperson and you have to be both; all advice and tricks are welcome.
It’s my pleasure. I’m pleased to know my advice is helpful.
Yes, well said. Honoring yourself and your art honors the potential buyer and all win.
Thank you for your thoughts.
You’re welcome and thanks for your comment.