Weekender: Art Shows. Are they for you?

This long post really covers what you need to know before embarking on this type of endeavor. I personally know a couple of photographers who make substantial incomes from 3 or 4 of these a year. I also know a few who haven't made a cent. While there are reasons aplenty for both scenarios (and that could be grist for another post sometime) this article shows how careful preperation can go a long way toward a successful show.

Selling in Art Shows: "We all love taking photos, and that is why we are involved here at NPN. We sometimes see questions posed in discussion forums about ‘what is next’ or ‘why photograph’. One answer is to get your photographic work out among the public to share your vision and passion, and hopefully to find that others find your work exciting, and maybe even want to own some it. There are many other reasons as well why one would want to start selling photography in art shows. Regardless of the reasons, there are many factors to consider before starting this endeavor. This article will touch upon some of those considerations."

Here's another good post on Art Shows from Shutterbug.

Choosing Shows
We recommend that you only apply to juried art fairs, as this audience is more likely to be interested in purchasing original signed photographs. If you would like to get a bit of experience by doing small local events to start with, that is not a bad idea, but don’t be disappointed if your sales are not as high as you would hope. The big national and regional shows are where most serious art buyers go, and you should, too.

A long discussion on surfaces and paper at Luminous Landscape.

And another informative thread at Large Format Photography's forum.

From Entrepreneur.com comes this interesting piece. Not totally focused on photography, but interesting nonetheless.

Speer hasn't looked back once. Today, he and Banyas run a homebased business selling their whimsical mixed-media sculptures at art festivals and craft shows around the country, including the recent Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Miami where they rang up sales of several thousand dollars over the three-day Presidents' Day weekend. Despite an estimated $3,000 in travel and other miscellaneous costs, Speer and Banyas ended up making a tidy profit. Then they packed up their truck and headed home to Oberlin, Ohio, where they stayed for less than a day before traveling to another show in Baltimore.

One last posting to read: This list from ArtFestival.com:

• Project a positive and upbeat attitude at all times.
• Keep a guest book to accumulate names and addresses for your email or mailing list.
• Mail or email a personalized flyer to your customers with a list of your upcoming shows once you are confirmed.
• Be flexible and accommodating to your customers.
• Keep your promises for deliveries, special orders, etc.Enjoy the weekend.

Enjoy your weekend!