Art Festivals vs. Craft Fairs, resources and markets

Just wrapped up another disappointing "art festival" that really trended towards being a "craft fair." There's nothing wrong with crafts, and they are often lumped together with "art," but inherently they have different markets, prices, and customers.

I am wondering, for those who do art fairs (and specifically are making a significant amount of money in them, as opposed to just showing work for fun and maybe selling a print or two), where you look to find better art festivals that actually have buyers? Are they really uncommon? Are there some keywords or tells that signify a good location/event for this type of thing?

I have been trending towards "juried" shows, but still often find myself surrounded by booths with birdhouses, garden whatsits, and other crafty items. The good news in my mind is that I seem to have better sales than any other photographers at these shows from what I can tell, talking with them or seeing buyers.

I know this is a hard market to jump into, especially in this day and age, but I would love to start another discussion with those doing art festivals or selling prints outside of a gallery space, which is a different topic.

I don't have any experience on the exhibition side of an art fair, but I did go to the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival this weekend where there were several film-based photographers selling prints. Joel Anderson (Large Format contact prints!), Kristin Schillaci, and Micheal Paul Cole. All three had a crowd of people in their tents. This was a pure art fair with very little in the way of "crafts" as such, though there were useful pieces of art like ceramics and some very avant-garde furniture.

Thanks for the link to that festival. I will peruse that site to get an idea of how that kind of festival is advertised and presented. That's a lot of photographers there in that show! Not many at the ones I've done, and what is there is oftentimes...well, very very bad, both technically and artistically.

Speaking on this latest festival, I had no problems getting views and an audience, and had many people fawning over prints to the point that I was sure I had a sale in the bag...but no dice. They are simply NOT buying, period. I had a few complain about prices but I'm already selling dirt cheap IMO. I am considering attending a Chamber of Commerce meeting here (it was a local festival, and we have a lot of festivals in this town) and bringing up the issue of local artists, and specifically supporting them. I have some ideas on that front. But it doesn't change the inherent issue with most festivals up here being focused on crafts. So I'm looking for ways to better focus my choice of festivals. I think I'll have to look much further away than I have been (different states).

Corran,

Thanks for starting this subject. I have never exhibited in an arts festival before but I am considering entering the Bethesda Row Arts Festival in the Washington D.C. area. It’s seems like a legitimate way to market your work as long as there are enough people that are in the market for art with deep enough pockets. My concern is that the crowd that will be in attendance will be more interested in looking at art rather than investing it.

How many people were in the festival you participated in? How much did you have to pay to get in the festival? At a minimum I would be spending about $1000 for the Bethesda Row Arts Festival. Which is steep but it does get a lot of traffic as long as the weather is good. Bethesda is an affluent area so I’m hoping I could get more than enough sales to cover that investment but you never know.

Does anyone in the forum have any experience with the Bethesda Row Arts Festival?

-Joshua

Joshua,

The cost to participate in this festival was only $150, but of course the "cost" of materials (mat board, paper, plastic display bags, etc. etc.) was/is much more. Not to mention the large upfront cost of all the needed stuff like a nice tent, hanging system, display racks, etc. In terms of covering my investment...I'm not there yet, by a long shot.

You bring up something important - the affluence of the area. In another festival I did last year, there was a huge affluent community nearby, so I felt good about it. But, those folks didn't come to the festival. It ended up being suburban families with kids and if there's something those kinda folks don't have generally, it's extra money. Plus Georgia is really not an affluent state overall.

I will be interested in hearing what others' experience is in their area.

Punk Rock still sells. I found Punk late, 1979-2009. RIP

The only guy I know making money at fairs and festivals cleans up selling his custom silkscreen t-shirts and posters. He makes them, sells them, always has a cute & smart partner. Punk keeps coming...

Mom and Dad are not all right.

I think it frequently is geographical. Shows I went to (as a customer) while in MA were definitely more art than craft. Here in western PA it's mostly craft (and mostly non-sanctioned Steelers gear). And people here tend to buy things that have some sort of use - hanging on the wall looking nice isn't considered a use.

There are e-mail lists for some of the shows - I'll see if I can find one and add it later.

I've done some of those and they are a complete waste of time and energy..that is not your market...im about making books doing book shows reaching out to book stores and completely learning the curve so I can start a small publishing company...face it even if you are in the best gallery in the world only on the wall for 3 weeks maybe??
Check out rob Hornstra..and see what he has accomplished through his own publications; how he raised money; does workshops all over Europe etc
Prints are great and I have a boatload of them...makibg books,and having a definitive goal with the book as project

The traditional attitude of "$100 or less for an impulse buy" has kept me from ever thinking of showing at art/craft fairs. My photographs cost more than that to make. YMMV.

That’s a very good point.

I sold 4 sculptures 20 years ago.

$100 each. I immediately regretted it and decided to not sell Art.

Ever!

I also quit sculpture as it was too much to store.

One feel good event recently occurred. The guy who bought 3 of the 7 editions of the sculpture found me and gave me an update.

He still cherished the rather large objects and just wanted me to know. :)

I gave one away and have 2 left. :(

Stored negatives are tiny.

Corran. I'll bet my bottom dollar you would have sold some books though...then maybe a special edition with a print...best of luck to you

Corran,

When I mentioned the cost of $1000 for the event that was just to pay for the entry fee, pay for the space and then and rent a tent for the space. It doesn't include any of my costs for printing, displaying etc. That $1000 will basically get me a 10'x10' tent. It is possible to get a 10'x20' space however it will obviously be a greater cost. This is of importance to me because I print extremely large, often as large as 5'x8', if you go to the blog on my website you can get a sense of the scale of my work. So because of the size of my work a 10'x20' is really appealing. Four streets are closed for this event, one is caddy corner to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, another is right in front of an Apple store. Most stores that face the street that the festival is held on are restaurants. It is supposed to attract 45,000 people from a very wealthy part of the country. So all of the signs are there that it could be a great event for artists to sell work. But it seems an expensive gamble.

-Joshua

Bryan,

I forgot to add to my slightly off topic comments. I tried Art Fairs for several years 25 years ago. Chicago has many, some in very high-end $$$ areas.

It's tough. Many vendors are in big trucks and run a circuit. A lifestyle.

Good luck

Here's one of the bigger high end art fairs in the Chicago area: https://amdurproductions.com/port-clinton-art-festival/

They definitely have some expensive art and it must be selling OK. I think that B&W photography( especially landscapes) just isn't the in thing nowadays.

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Originally Posted by peter schrager

Corran. I'll bet my bottom dollar you would have sold some books though...then maybe a special edition with a print...best of luck to you

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I can't imagine people buying books, but I'll look into it. I am trying to focus on the silver gelatin print aspect. Just like anyone can print a digital photo with an inkjet printer, anyone can print a book by just dragging and dropping stuff online via Blurb (I know there is more to it and better publication methods, but I'm just saying the barrier to entry is low). My thought was that the handmade aspect of a darkroom print would bring something unique to the table. I could be wrong.

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Originally Posted by Joshua Dunn

Corran,

When I mentioned the cost of $1000 for the event that was just to pay for the entry fee

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That's quite expensive. Let me suggest you buy a mid-line tent for yourself rather than rent. I started a thread last year about Art Festival equipment you might want to look at, it's also in the Business subforum. Anyway, the size of your work sounds like it would be quite a commitment for a buyer! Forgive me but I see no links to a website on your profile...

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Originally Posted by Randy Moe

It's tough. Many vendors are in big trucks and run a circuit. A lifestyle.

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Yeah I talked to a number of vendors in the past couple festivals. I am definitely the odd one out with a little sedan running around. I have a very tight and compact setup. No hard walls for hanging, just a gallery system hanging from the tent trusses against the tent sidewalls. Easy to setup and grab prints to show folks up close, but wind makes them move to and fro a bit.

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Originally Posted by Chuck Pere

I think that B&W photography( especially landscapes) just isn't the in thing nowadays.

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Thanks for the link. Why do you say that? I know that what's in vogue in the "art" world (formal galleries, institutions, etc.) is not that, but art festivals are very different markets. I have some friends working in photography making some very avant-garde stuff that is all political and commentary on current world events, but that doesn't sell...I don't think anyway. I can't imagine trying to sell anything at these art festivals that is like that. But this was my reason for making the thread - I am interested to know what is selling, where, how, etc. My concept currently is that there would be a market for well done, black and white images of this area. All of the folks that came through my booth recognize some of my locations/images. There's the odd person who wants to tell me he took the same photo with his phone, but mostly people are recognizing there's a bit more there in my photograph, in terms of thought, composition, lighting...

Let me close out with a quick example story. I had a pair of women come through who were avid hikers and knew many of my locations. They were in love with one of my recent images I posted in the landscape thread last week I printed to 16x20 and had hanging prominently. One of them was just entranced and kept looking at it while the other talked to me about hiking locales. Anyway, I really thought they would buy it. I couldn't close the sale. The one lady, I actually saw her stop in the middle of the road as they were leaving and turned around to look at the print for a bit longer. How much better can it get, in terms of "liking" a print?? I don't really get it. But again, it seems like where I am, people are just not buying, period. BTW, most if not all of my print sales came from people who were travelling from a different state or came a long distance.

Do you use your camera as prop?

Perhaps a really rickety big wood camera and tripod?

Artiste is a state of mind. You mesmerize your prey.

Be an animal

And I hope you take Credit Cards.

Try Square.

Yes! The camera brings people in because it's unusual. This last one I had my Chamonix. I thought about bringing my 8x20 but it's huge of course, and I don't want some kid knocking it over and turning it into kindling. Most people think it's just an old camera, they are surprised when I say I shot most of the images with it.

I use PayPal as a CC processor (through a paypal.me link on my phone). No extra gear. Square is good if there is no wifi, I think it stores CC info until it's in range or something to that effect.

Bryan - your experience pretty much mimics mine these days. I have a sense that things are not getting better, and that this might reflect some overall cultural changes. But I also feel that all is not lost!

For the past four years, I’ve been participating in a very highly regarded, nine-day arts/crafts festival in N.H. which typically attracts around 25,000 motivated visitors. A bit expensive at appx. 1,400.00 (10x10 booth space rental), plus van rental and other expenses. About 2K total expenses, not including that of the matted/framed prints. Nor does this include the booth itself…leaving me responsible for schlepping down my own DIY booth, which I need to erect onsite.

While my first three years saw a steady increase in sales…to the point of making a decent profit over expenses, it was the most recent (fourth) year which still leaves me scratching my head. Thing is…the enthusiasm for my work last season was wonderful - kind of “off the map” in fact. But people simply weren’t buying, at least not with the gusto with which they had in past years…and I ended up barely covering my expenses.

But I did garner another collector who continues to purchase my work…as well as some gallery leads which are becoming productive. I’ve also realized some good “after the fact” sales, to folks who contact me…sometimes many months after the fair itself, to finally make a purchase.

So I guess my feeling at this point, as I look to participating yet again in this particular fair, is that getting my work out in front of such a large and enthusiastic audience is worth it for more than simply making on-site sales. Furthermore, getting my face out there…being a human presence amidst my work - engaging and educating my “audience” by way of countless meaningful discussions about my work and all that goes into its creation, is very self-reaffirming and also makes for lots of good will down the road.

Looking ahead…I can see two aspects of my art/craft fair pursuits which need some improvement. One is technical - in that I’m not exactly internet/web savvy. I should probably do some social media. My website is sorely in need of an overhaul (understatement of the year!). And I should probably be gathering email addresses so that I can do regular mailings/updates to potential customers. I’m really bad at this stuff…and I need to be better at it!

The other thing is that my prices start high enough to discourage a number of folks (at least in the art/craft fair context)…and I need to address this in ways which will not backfire in terms of maintaining my own standards. My thought here is to create a series of very small, handmade (batch processed) prints - perhaps make them up as signed, numbered note-cards (15 bucks a pop?) which can later, if so desired, be reconfigured, mounted and framed, and which in any case might serve as a “hook” to get folks to come back and purchase a full-sized print (or prints!).

Bryan don’t give up. Your work is great, as is your attitude, and you need to keep developing ways to connect with your audience, and potential customers, while maintaining/enhancing your high standards and integrity.

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Originally Posted by John Layton

Bryan - your experience pretty much mimics mine these days. I have a sense that things are not getting better, and that this might reflect some overall cultural changes. But I also feel that all is not lost!

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John, thank you so much for chiming in. I was hoping you would. It is very interesting and informative to read about your experiences there.

That is unfortunate about your latest drop in sales. I am also interested to see if I get any after-the-fact sales. Like other festivals, I gave out lots of cards, but previously I have not had anyone contact me later.

I also need to make a website for my work. I have a business page for commercial work, but not my prints. In terms of social media, I have been playing with Instagram for a while now and am slowing building a base of followers. That is the "in" thing these days. Facebook is old news and not great from a business perspective. It's also generational so YMMV.

I definitely like getting in front of people and talking about my work and my experiences. Most of my photos have a story I tell about them when people are interested in them. I am also a very good salesman, usually.

Similar to your note cards idea, I am planning on 4x6 postcards for the future - I want to make 4x5 contact prints and use the bottom inch for wording. I'm thinking stencils using transparencies to put the city name or "Appalachian Trail" or whatever. I have used Ilford's postcard paper before to send friends and family photographs and they love them.

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement!

The Schedule for some Art Shows Florida.
Season in Florida usually ends at the end of April to early May, people head north. Starts to get hot and rains a lot, then you head north or shutdown till possible late October to early November.

http://www.artfestivalbethel.com/
January 27-29: ART FESTIVAL BETH-EL, held inside Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg, FL.

http://www.mountdoraartsfestival.org/
February 3-4: MOUNT DORA ARTS FESTIVAL, held in downtown Mount Dora, FL. Booth #D-027 on Donnelly Street.

http://wpsaf.org/
March 16-18: WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL, held in Central Park and along Park Avenue in Winter Park, FL.

http://tarponspringsfineartsfestival.com/
March 24-25: TARPON SPRINGS FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, held in Craig Park by Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs, FL.

http://www.sfspringarts.org/
April 7-8: SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL, held in the Northeast Gainesville Historic District on NE 1st St. in Gainesville, FL.

https://www.mainsailart.org/
April 21-22: MAINSAIL ART FESTIVAL, held in Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. GOOD CROWDS, 43rd year last weekend

http://www.melbournearts.org/
April 28-29: MELBOURNE ART FESTIVAL, held in Wickham Park in Melbourne, FL.


Artist/Photographers that do the rounds
Jane Axman - Photographer, been around for a several of years, do a web search on the name for various websites
Marius Moore - Photographer, mariusmoore.com , nice unique photos
William T Underwood - Drawings, williamtunderwood.com
Nels Johnson - Photographer does Florida in the summer and MI in the winter, www.nelsjohnsonphotographer.com
Alann Jordon - Artist ironplanetstudios.com
timothy hall - Photographer good work priced to sell, I do not think he charges enough for his work, timothyhallphotography.com


Areas on the Gulf Cost of Florida that have the influx of Northern folks during season
Sarasota
Marco Island
Tampa
St Pete
Cape Coral
Venice
Destin

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Originally Posted by Corran

Forgive me but I see no links to a website on your profile...

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My bad. I updated my profile but here is a link.

www.joshuadunnphotography.com

-Joshua

Landscape art is a tough and saturated market so you have to think broader about the shows. You are basically acting as a pop-up gallery for a weekend with an un-targeted audience. So you need to capture info about your visitors such as email, or provide them a compelling way to follow you. Give a way a free print at the end of the show but have people register for the drawing with their email address, occupation. Make the ticket they fill out have a tear off portion for them that has your web info so they can verify if they won. Then use those emails to thank them for stopping by at the fair, then announce new prints quarterly or new fairs you participate in.

Do display your gear or pictures of it, and talk about your process with interested parties.
Read some guerrilla marketing books too for ideas. "Have film will travel" Frisbee might be a great give away for interested parties with kids once they have forked over their email or cash. AT/scenic view beer coasters might sell better than hand printed postcards.

I can help you with the website coding if you need it. Find a copy writer to help shape your message or tell your story.
sell your experience not the art. We all know Ansel's story of Moonrise, or Clyde Butcher's chest deep swamp stories.

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Originally Posted by Corran

Just wrapped up another disappointing "art festival" that really trended towards being a "craft fair." There's nothing wrong with crafts, and they are often lumped together with "art," but inherently they have different markets, prices, and customers.

I am wondering, for those who do art fairs (and specifically are making a significant amount of money in them, as opposed to just showing work for fun and maybe selling a print or two), where you look to find better art festivals that actually have buyers? Are they really uncommon? Are there some keywords or tells that signify a good location/event for this type of thing?

I have been trending towards "juried" shows, but still often find myself surrounded by booths with birdhouses, garden whatsits, and other crafty items. The good news in my mind is that I seem to have better sales than any other photographers at these shows from what I can tell, talking with them or seeing buyers.

I know this is a hard market to jump into, especially in this day and age, but I would love to start another discussion with those doing art festivals or selling prints outside of a gallery space, which is a different topic.

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Corran,

I have been doing art fairs for nearly twenty years, and have been doing them as a means of supporting myself for the last eight. Is it easy, no. Can you make money, yes, but it is not easy. Here in the Midwest there are numerous shows throughout the summer. In the past, I did over twenty shows a season and now I’m down to twelve this year. Show fees range from $125 per single booth upwards to $1000 for a double booth (something I normally try to do.). In many respects, you get what you pay for. Small, inexpensive shows tend to draw more craft booths. I do a couple of local shows that draw more crafters, but because of location and a few other variables, I still do ok. My best shows are generally the more expensive ones.

Something I learned quite awhile ago, trying one show a year isn’t a good judge of whether or not one can be successful. Hate to say it, but if you are going to give this ago, you should really try 8 to 10 shows a season. It’s a commitment of time and money. Jurying is the big question mark in this endeavor. The last couple of years, I was not juried into two of my better shows and my show season was not as good as in the past. One year a show will be a bonanza, the next a disappointment. This year, I was juried into every show where I sent an application. Of course, who knows what the summer will portend. Do yourself a favor, check out zapplication. It’s free to join and the list of shows that uses this jurying system is huge and all over the country.

There is so much to learn and absorb with the art fair scene. I know numerous photographers that are very successful selling their work, and of course, I know some that are not as successful. While difficult, it is not impossible to make money. At 66, I’m at the point where I’m starting to scale back and I’m seriously considering quitting the art fair scene. Would rather spend my “retirement “ photographing, not selling.

If I can answer any questions, don’t hesitate to ask or send a pm. I’ve attached a photo of one of my booth setups. As you can see, it is very time consuming and necessitates a commitment.

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Originally Posted by esearing

Give a way a free print at the end of the show but have people register for the drawing with their email address, occupation. Make the ticket they fill out have a tear off portion for them that has your web info so they can verify if they won. Then use those emails to thank them for stopping by at the fair, then announce new prints quarterly or new fairs you participate in.

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This is a good idea Eric, thanks! I will also put together my thoughts on a website and ask you some questions when I have a chance, I appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by Jim Becia

In many respects, you get what you pay for. Small, inexpensive shows tend to draw more craft booths. I do a couple of local shows that draw more crafters, but because of location and a few other variables, I still do ok. My best shows are generally the more expensive ones.

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Thank you so much for sharing your experiences Jim. Regarding cost, I have been looking at one of the biggest shows near me in Atlanta and have been thinking about going for broke in it as it is way more expensive than what I've done...so you've given me another good data point about cost of entry vs. sales. I'll probably do it. I saw some applications through Zapp so that's good to know, I'll look into their system more.

I've started slow by getting my bearing at these somewhat local shows, but my wife and I have been talking about going all-in with some of the larger shows and regional shows, so your input and thoughts are really helpful. I am very lucky to have a supportive wife who is backing me in this endeavor. We moved up to this area first and foremost to further her career opportunities so she is helping me through this slow patch as a freelancer and experimentation with festivals and such. These few shows I've done were great to help me work out the kinks in my setup and now I think I'm confident enough to work further from home.

Anyway, I need to absorb all of your thoughts and indeed I may message you with some questions pop up.

Do you mind if I ask you the sizes of the prints you offer, whether they are color or black and white, whether they are matted or framed, and what your asking prices are?

I am only offering b&w silver gelatin prints, from 4x5 contact prints up to 16x20 enlargements. Everything I have had on offer was matted (usually to a "standard" frame size), though I had a couple of things framed just because they were already in a frame from an older show or exhibition.

Prices are $40-$200 depending on size. But my pricing is reflective of a variety of factors including but not limited to my area (socioeconomic status), my notability (not very), and a healthy bit of "guessing" :). I would love to price my work a bit higher but I was already had the most expensive photography by far (of course the other photographers at these shows had only digital prints). I also had one person, who bought two prints, haggle with me a bit. That's fine with me, I like haggling myself so we came to a mutual agreement at a slightly lower price.

I started showing my photographs in different visual art fairs in 2010. Since then, I sold 2 or 3 pictures.

I remarked that visitors come to art fairs to see paintings. Not photographs. And even if they like my work (but mostly what they like is they are black & white), they won't buy.

Maybe you'll think of me as stubborn, but the reason why I still showing in art fairs is not for selling my pictures, but my name (well, kind of...)

See ya!!!!
Jeff

If you are going to do art shows the first thing you need to do have a booth that is very professional, presentation is a key element in selling your work. Go to a website like Pinterest and do a search for "Art Show Booths" you will find a lot of examples of what I'm talking about. I've been doing art shows for over 30 years and now have cut back to only a few good shows a year (I'm 74). Unfortunately, selling photography has become much more difficult over the last 10 years and I'll predict is is going to get worse. Back in the 90's and early 2000's selling film based images was lucrative because most buyers knew what it cost to produce a print so were not afraid to spend money on an image. Today you can download a photo from your iPhone, take it to Costco and have a 30x40 canvas print made for what, $100. Everyone is a photographer!
Can you make money selling images? Yes, if you have outstanding images that are presented better than the competition. The bad news is I've seen a lot of B&W photographers come and go over the years, art show buyers typically are looking for something that will match the color of their couch, drapes, whatever. I've had customers come in with wallpaper scraps, fabric swatches and even pillows.
Below is a photo of my booth.
Good luck,
Mr,Gale

My 34 year experience is different than the more upscale art shows of most members. It is in a park in a town of 9000 with an annual attendance of about that many people. The environment is great, but weather has occasionally been a problem. There are plenty of food and crafts. Some crafts are demonstrated during the event. Live entertainment is provided. A 10x10 booth for this juried show cost $75 last year. Most exhibitors display in tents. I use free-standing pegboard panels with room for a total of 32 16x20 frames. They have become rather decrepit, but so have I. Several activities are provided for children. In keeping with the local economy, my prices are low. Mounted and matted photographs in 16x20 frames were $50 in my final show last year. Unframed they were $20. Unmounted 8.5 x 11 photos were the most profitable at $5. In my best years sales were well over $1000. More often they hardly covered costs. Being a familiar local photographer with some photos of local iconic subjects helped. Repeat business has also been good. Only in the past 10 years have I departed from traditional darkroom prints. Now everything is printed on my Epson. That seems to make little difference in this rural area.

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Originally Posted by Jim Jones

Mounted and matted photographs in 16x20 frames were $50 in my final show last year.

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I would be losing money with every sale at that price, even with the cheapest frames and mat board available!

I do appreciate you all sharing your experiences.

I'm coming late to the party but, nevertheless, here's my input. The only show I've done was too much schlepping for too little money. I made back my booth fee but that's it. It was a neighborhood house tour and street fair and I should have known that people were just going to be lookers. That said, there are two major fairs in this area (PHX). One is in early December and the word among my friends who do shows is that you can't sell anything for more than $100. The second is in the spring and $100 is the starting point. This is not about photography specifically, rather the difference in patron expectations. Good luck.