Art Career Experts » outdoor art shows

Checklist for Outdoor and Indoor Art Shows-Stop forgetting!

ace — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 02:14:17 +0000

Setting up your tent at an art show as the wind starts to pick up is not a good time to realize that you forgot to bring the weights and tie downs. Feeling the sweat roll down your back while you slow bake over the asphalt at an outdoor art fair in Florida is not a good time to realize that you forgot the sunblock or your hat or the cooler. Discovering that the artists must all park 30 blocks from the show is not a good time to realize that you left the hand cart in the studio!

I could go on and on but you get the picture. Make a list. Make it detailed and make it thorough. Use ours as a beginning guide (all art forms are different) and life as an artist on the road will be easier, calmer and far less stressful when you know that you checked everything off on your list!

ART SHOW CHECKLIST coutesy of www.ArtCareerExperts.com
Use our list and add to it as needed for your partciular situation/art product. Make as detailed a checklist as necessary to make it easier to zip through your list for each show. For multiple day shows, have an idea of what you will wear each day and make sure that you bring those items.
Your personal list may be separate but it too should be itemized to prevent hyperventilating situations!

The following is divided into Outdoor and Indoor shows.

OUTDOOR Set up Tent or Canopy (Always know if your tent is UV protected and what winds/rain it can withstand. Be prepared!) All art shows tents should be 10′ x 10′. Booth display designs are built to accomodate that size.

One day or multi day shows

Tent

Weights and Stakes and ratchet tie downs

Carpet or Mat (RV Patio Mat or Indoor/Outdoor Carpet)

Hand truck / luggage cart (can be critical)

Rope and bungee cords

Cable ties

Booth SIGN

Display

Display Walls

Wall covers and hardware

Hooks and Hangers, velcro

Display Cases

Display Stands

Print Rack/prints

Table (4, 6 or 8 ft)

Table cloth/cover

Business Signs

Plastic drop cloths or tarps

Artwork!

Prints or Cards

Price tags / labels

Stool or chair

Extension cords

1 or 2 fans

Easels

Any art supplies needed if demonstrating on site

bungee cords

Tools

Hammer
Pliers
Screwdrivers
Cable/electrical ties
Duct tape
Spring clamps
Glass Cleaner
Paper towels
Towel

Office/Sales Supplies

Calculator
Money
Money box/fanny pack
Sales/receipt book
Pens/Pencil/Marker
Scissors
Stapler and staples
Price tags/labels
Credit card signs/logos
Square credit card processor/your cell phone
Boxes and/or Bags
Promotional items
Business Cards
Business Card Holders
Guest Book
Guest book pages
Portfolio of past work
Post Cards
Brochures
Name tag

Personal

Cooler / thermos
Paper towels
Sunscreen
Hat (optional)
Sweater
Insect Repellant
Towel
Breath mints/gum
Baby wipes
Hand sanitizer
Comfortable shoes

Medicines

aspirin/tylenol/ibuprofen
anti-nausea anti-diarrheal
hayfever/allergy

Cooler
Bottled Water
ice/drinks
Coffee
Food – sandwiches/ snacks

Not to do!
NO READING BOOKS
NO CELL PHONE CONVERSATIONS
NO WEB BROWSING/EMAIL CHECKING
NO NEWSPAPERS
NO FAMILY REUNIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD GET TOGETHERS
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ART SHOW CHECKLIST ArtCareerExperts.com
INDOOR Set up (No tent)

With the exception of no tent, everything stays the same EXCEPT yo will need many lights. ALWAYS have lights in an indoor booth. Put up more than you think you need! Using the energy efficient bulbs will keep your booth cool and not blow electrical circuits!

Lights LOTS of LIGHTS for indoor shows!

Extension Cords
Power Strip
Extra Light bulbs/energy savings bulbs (to not blow circuits)
Carpet or Mat RV Patio Mat or Indoor/Outdoor Carpet or Foam tiles, gel mats
Stool or chair
electrical ties-lots of them

Follow the list above from this point on for the outdoor shows. You may not need sunscreen but you may need a sweater. Be prepared!

What art to take to an outdoor show

ace — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:28:32 +0000

The following is my answer to a long questions about what to bring art-wise, hang a few pieces, a lot, display pieces, hauling it, etc…all good questions but a little impossible to reply to in just one post BUT the basics are here!

Go into any mall and look at the window displays. They did not drag someone off the floor to set up a window display-a professional does that.

Same with a grocery store. Sellers of the products to the stores will pay the store more to display at “end caps” and at eye level. It is also one reason that certain colors are used in products to market. Many years and lots of money goes into research that helps companies learn what attracts consumers.

So at an art show:

I make sure my walls have my art on them. Nothing displayed below waist high if possible. The medium and price are clearly marked (that does not mean they see them!) A small amount of space between them, but not much .

Prints in a separate rack, complimentary colors with any drapery in the booth. Ideally tables should be high enough so people are not bending over them (stick 6″ PVC pipe on bottom of legs to raise them ) Any written material set out clearly. You out of your chair and available to chat with prospects.

There is always a learning curve! We have been at beach shows where people remarked more over the horse paintings than the beach paintings.

Much will also depend on the show you attend. One or two paintings on each wall of your booth with high end lights, drapery, etc….may work fine in a very exclusive show. But frankly the average artist at an average juried show is there to sell and it does not unfortunately help to say “I have one at home in the studio.” The best decision is to make every effort to streamline your carry in/carry out. Hand carts are a must, plastic bins are a must…anything with wheels will make your day.

Finding a travel/show buddy is an excellent idea (as mentioned earlier) as two can spread the labor. I suspect that checking around will find more people than an artist thinks in her area that have wished for a sharing the load situation.

I cannot emphasize more bluntly than to say don’t put up a crappy exhibit. Make bags to insert your framed images so they don’t get banged up. Be able to alternate exhibits and always have your stuff “road ready”….which also means that you have to be the type of person who knows where your insurance info is, your bills, your client list, etc etc.

Know your organizational weaknesses and make a decision to overcome them because if you do not, then every show will become an ordeal……very often it is not the work that is the biggest issue but how we are seeing it and handling it!.

A show is work but taking your “gallery” to the public is an excellent way to become known….use common sense-hit the shows in your immediate area as much as you can!

Theresa

Getting Ready for the Summer Art Shows

ace — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:49:48 +0000

Getting Ready for the Summer Art Shows by M Theresa Brown

If you are like us, by the end of February, beginning of March, you are interested in the arrival of Spring. Mother Nature may yet throw a curve ball at us and dump a few last winter storms but we remain, in North Carolina, hopeful that all the signs around us point to spring at last! However, we know for a fact, having driven clear across the US two years ago to art shows in California, that winter is not over in many parts of our country. In fact on our beginning journey at the end of March to that series of shows, we left a rainy but moderate NC. But enroute, we encountered such extreme weather as tornadoes, torrential rain storms, blizzards (that shut down part of I-40 in Texas) high winds and more snow before finally reaching our destination of Palm Springs. On our subsequent return mid April, we encountered more snow in Albuqueque, New Mexico. It was almost depressing . Although surprised at the weather extremes, we were prepared!

It takes preparation to participate in an outdoor art show (juried and non-juried) anywhere-near or far! We had applied to this show the previous fall. Some art shows send out their applications and information only a few months beforehand. But most have been around long enough to need your entries at least 8 months prior to the event.

Preparations for your show season should take place long before your first show! One promoter with Sunshine Artists Magazine, came up with their list for getting ready for the summer show season and we have taken and added to it to come up with 10 basic things to do ahead of time:

1. Finish up and finalize any show registrations and payments you may have. Many promoters are now accepting credit cards and payment plans. Something they never used to do!

2. Put your show schedule on your website, Facebook and blog.

3. Do you have enough business cards? Read our article on what you need on your business card!

4. Get your email blasts ready to go prior to each show. Let people know where you will be! Don’t rely just on email. CALL them (yes the telephone) and send postcards via USPS mail!

5. Make sure that your vehicle is road ready.

6. Keep making your art! Bring new art to shows if you are a seasoned show artist. Leave your older work for an “end of the year” show. Make sure you have enough.

7. Your tents, panels, signs, displays all need to look fresh and ready to go. Make any repairs or upgrades ahead of time.

8. Plan your route and hotels wisely

9. Make a “to bring” list (and get it ready long before the first show!) for all the small, easy to forget things such as portfolios, guest book, pens, scissors, price tags, tape, shopping bags, aspirin, etc.

10. Review your pricing. Now more than ever is the time to have work in 2 or 3 price levels so that everyone can find something at a price they are comfortable with.

An outdoor show is hard work and can be very rewarding financially if you have taken the time to prepare like a professional should. Our long list has saved us more than once. More importantly, it has helped us focus on what we should be doing at a show and why we are there-helping our clients invest in the art that we are creating!