Recently, many art forms have been gaining traction by enhancing their popularity in the art world as décor items, hobby collection items, or just a memoir from a particular place or artist. Whatever the reason may be, the increase in demand for local artists is growing day by day. Many of them also are hooked on selling their masterpieces in local exhibitions and shows to make extra money and expand their reach to the right audience.
As simple as it sounds, selling your artwork in local art exhibitions requires a knack that most young artist lack. So, if you fall under this umbrella, here is a road-tested guide to getting started!
Walking the show
Firstly, it is essential to attend different types of art shows and fetch for things relatable to the audience. Make a list of everything people are interested in and shortlist them to match your talent. Once you’re done with the research, you should find the right venue which works for you! If you’re a beginner, sticking to a Renaissance fair or an open-air craft show can work wonders compared to an indoor setting.
Doing your homework
While shortlisting the most selling items, the genre of art and the location for display might fall under this category, knowing the budget also plays an integral part. The budget for setup, booth rent, travel costs, booth cost, banner, and materials to buy should be considered part of research and homework before diving into the sea of selling your art. In addition, some popular art shows also demand a license or permit to sell in those locations. Make sure to get everything sorted before starting your art.
Starting small
Most artists and artisans often sell to repeat customers who have a following and frequent the art shows every year. Hence, when you’re starting small, you should have an eye on your expenses, keeping them to a minimum. One of the best options to cut costs is to share your artwork or collaborate with a similar artist and share a booth. You need not invest much money unless you’re sure it will give some returns.
Pricing
Cheaper artwork is easy to sell. However, it would help if you sold tons of pieces to compensate for your expenses. That said, artists who fix extravagant prices for their work often need more time to go home empty-handed. Hence, art exhibitions often fix specific price points or ranges of prices and expect the artists to stick to them.
Live artwork
You might have seen artists drawing live pictures of people and the crowd cheering for them and getting their drawings done on the spot. If you’re in the one for art business, which you can do in life, make sure to use this opportunity. It will certainly help you gather a crowd and also help your spread of popularity.