Melanie Houghton
A Walk through the business of selling
artwork at art fairs
July 1st through July 4th
2011
The idea behind my expedition
Being an Artist is a never ending job. In order to be successful, artists have to do extensive research in the field they wish to enter into. An art student has so much more to face. They have to not only do research, but they have to perfect their uniqueness, get everything up and running in preperation to market themselves, and actually go out and market themselves. Art students are beginners. I am an Art student at Finlandia University and I am just beginning in my adventures of obtaining the success I desire. The following entails information from my adventures in the Muskegon Hackley “Art in the Park” event that happens every year during the fourth of July weekend.
The “Art in the Park” is held in Muskegon, MI at the Hackley Park. This event brings in much attraction. There are artists from around the world that participate. The Art show is Juried and it costs about five hundred dollars for a spot in the park. The type of work is as follows: painting, photography, woodworking, metal working, jewelry, fabrics, and sculptures.
My walk through the park consisted of going around and talking to the artists that participated. Although there were many types of art work there, I only chose fellow artists in the Studio arts profession. Studio arts consists of: painting, photography, and sculptures. These artists all had pretty extensive works, but not all of them seemed to love what they were doing. I talked to fourteen artists within two days. I surveyed each one asking them questions that pertained to what I thought I should know in order to succeed myself.
The First tent was one of them that exemplified greatness. The husband and wife share the same dream and do many different works. The work that was showing in their tent was magnificent. There were abstract compositions and realistic compositions. All of the compositions were of different types of dogs. The realistic pieces were the ones that caught my eye. They had used the computer to paint dogs in martini glasses. At first glance, the compositions looks like photographs, but if the area between the viewer and piece was smaller, the viewer could see every brush stroke. I thought it was an oil painting, but the artist Gregg stated that it was all done on the computer. I am guessing that it was done in Photoshop or some other painting program on the computer. They were then generated out onto pieces of canvas. After I looked around in the tent, I talked to the male artist as his wife was not present.
Q1. What do you consider when deciding which compositions are appropriate in the locations in which you sell?
A. “We bring the same things. We have done other things and brought those, but we don't change up for a few years.”
Q2. What is your formula for deciding prices?
A. “Its really hard to get your worth out of your work at shows, but we are willing to let customers jue us down”
Q3. How long have you been doing art shows?
A. “32 years, we started out doing plaques for children's rooms and bathrooms.”
Q4. What is your secondary education background?
A. “I only went to college because of the G.I. Bill.”
Q5. What is your favorite medium?
A. “Mixed media”
Q6. What advice could you give me in order to help me to succeed?
A. “Make customers laugh, sell yourself.”
This man was so hilarious. I enjoyed his company. He was pleasant and cooperative. He was very upbeat, and had the body language that tells his customers that he enjoys his line of work. He was maybe one of two to three people. Many of the tents had prints of their works, but they had small originals. They only do originals, they do not do prints. I wish that he was one of the last artists I talked to because he would have made me feel more confident in what I want to do, but after questioning the other artists, I am not so sure.
For instance, This artist when I approached the tent, was in the back, hiding behind the tarp. He and whomever else was back there with him were using foul language. I just thought that kind of behavior was unacceptable when dealing with customers. His work was all based out of Italy. It wasn't unique. It had the same attributes as every other photograph of Italy that I've seen. I was very disappointed, but I asked him the same questions:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding compositions appropriate for your locations in which you sell?
A. “Most everything I do has something to do with Europe.”
Q2. What is your Formula for deciding prices?
A. “The cost of materials multiplied by three”
Q3. How long have you been doing art shows?
Q4. What is your secondary education background?
A. Bachelors in business administration.
Q5. Is photography your only medium?
A. “yes”
Q6. Is there any advice that you could give me in order to help me succeed?
A. “Do not lower your costs ever!”
as shown above, the answers that this man has given me are short, sweet and to the point. I felt that if he really loved what he was doing, for one he would not be using foul language around the tent he was selling in, he would have more extensive answers, and he wouldn't have acted like he didn't want any one under his tent. After noticing his body language, I was quick to move to another tent.
I was skeptical about visiting another tent after his behaviors, but I took a short break, gathered myself and went on to the next vendor.
The next tent, the artist was in illustrator. He used pen, marker, and water colors. His main focus was paintings of pubs around Michigan, mainly in college towns. He was not present, but I did speak to his brother. It was very hard for him to answer my questions, but he did so to the best of his ability-bless his heart. I was very disconcerted with the fact that the artist himself was not present and there was no signs of him being present at the show. There was only one chair set up, and there was no opening in the back of the tent signaling that there was another person present. I had to rephrase the questions as follows:
Q1. What do customers desire when looking for a composition?
A. “Prints of originals”
Q2. How much on average do you sell?
A. “A good show, we make at least 5000 dollars”
Q3. What Brian's secondary education background?
A. “he went to Michigan State”
Q4. What is his formula for deciding rates?
A. “he works about 100 hours on each piece, he calculates each piece to be around 30,000 dollars.”
He seemed confused by my questions, but answered them. There was no room for customers to really walk around in the tent which made me second guess the marketing mentality of these artists.
The Abstract artist I spoke to, had amazing pieces, but I think that is because I am into abstract art also. He was from France. He had a thick accent but he spoke very good English. I caught him in the middle of his break so he was sitting down, but he didn't have any confusion as to the questions I was asking and was even interested in seeing my work. I didn't have any with me, but I did pass out my business cards to all of the vendors which has my blog address on it. His answers were short and sweet, but he had a lot of “fluff” in his answers and it was difficult to sort out, but I got it:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding which compositions to bring to the locations in which you are scheduled to sell?
A. “you have to listen to what the clients want. And it also depends on which location your going to.”
Q2. How long have you been doing art shows?
A. “15 years”
Q3. What is your favorite medium?
A. “ I use mixed media but I would have to say PVC because it does what I want it to.”
Q4. What is your formula for deciding prices?
A. “depends on location because here, in order to make anything, I would have to go real low on my pieces, but in other places like New York, I can go real high.”
Q5. What is your secondary Education Background?
A. “A French University majoring in design/interior design”
Q6. What advice could you give me in order to help me succeed?
A. “design accordingly, 20% of your work should exhibit what you do while the other 80% should go to what the customer wants”
I had fun talking to this artist because not only was his work inspirational, but his advice was interesting. I still was not convinced that he loved what he did, but his work exhibited that he loved to create art.
This painter was the first Artist that I spoke to. He was very polite and well spoken. He seemed inquisitive as to what I was doing, but once he got into his conversation I had no room to input any questions. Although I was not able to ask the questions, he answered them while he talked. He knew a lot about his medium and carried a very inspirational tone. The questions I asked are as follows:
Q1. What do customers look for in a piece of art?
A. It solely depends on the location. You should probably bring things in relation to where you are selling.
Q2. How much on average do you sell?
A. I make a 1000-3000 dollar profit at each show.
Q3. How much do you charge yourself per hour?
A. 100 dollars an hour.
Q4. What is your favorite medium?
A. walnut oil and liquin resin.
Q5. What is your secondary education background?
A. Kendall University
I had a great time talking to him. He was very informative. His paintings were beautiful. They were very intricate and contained an abundance of emotion. He painted beach scenes of the waters mostly.
The next Artists that I talked to were Husband and Wife. They did not seem very interested in the art world. They seemed as though they were just doing it to make money. They had a diversity of color. They were not really adamant about answering my questions they just more or less talked. They did not really have other inventory to exchange things out at different shows. But from looking in the tent I could tell that the medium of choice was wood. They did say they were doing art shows for about 14 years. And their advice for me was to invest small and to do what you love.
This woman is an abstract Artist that paints cats and dogs. She called it fauvism. She was very articulate. She brought her daughter along for help, and they were both very nice. I enjoyed speaking with her although I was disappointed in the way she proclaimed her hobby. Her booth was set up so that the customers had to come into the tent to see her work up close but she had the entrance blocked off with a cart full of her prints, her daughter was also sitting in a chair at the opening. I did ask her the same questions as the other artists. The questions and answers are as follows:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding what compositions to bring to the location in which you are selling?
A. “compostions are important.”
Q2. How long have you been selling at art shows?
A. “13 years”
Q3. What do you consider when deciding prices for your pieces?
A. “The prices vary. It depends on my weekly rate and whether or not I'm selling to galleries.”
Q4. How much on average do you profit from your shows?
A. “3000 dollars”
Q5. What is your secondary education background?
A. “I did not go to art school”
Q6. What would be some advice you would give me in order to help me succeed?
A. “Start small. Do as many as little shows as you can. Document it.”
As you can see some of her answers do not fit the questions in which I asked. This was what it was like with most of the artists. I was very saddened with this.
This couple was sweet. They were an older couple who were doing their last show because they were too tired to continue in the business. Health also was not going to let them continue on. He was the one I spoke to. He was very intellectual about the business and I appreciated everything he had to say. His wife was running the cash register. He took me around his booth and actually explained to me why he did the things he did for his customers. He had two openings so that customers would not get stuck inside of his tent. He had three wall covered with his photographs and the he had a small wall set up in the middle guiding his customers around to the cash register. The questions I asked were as follows:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding what compositions to bring to your shows?
A. “The customers want what's interesting.”
Q2. What do you like most about being a traveling artist?
A. “Meeting lots of people and there is always a photo to be taken.”
Q3. When do you sell the most?
A. “I do lots of shows but mostly only on the weekends.”
Q4. How long have you been doing shows?
A. “25 years”
Q5. What advice would you give me so that I will succeed?
A. “be unique.”
He was very excited to help me out. He said that I should do a great job if I use my research that I am doing. I felt very compelled to keep going in his tent, but time was ticking and the show only lasted for a few more hours so I had to bid adieu and continue on my expedition.
This Photographer was not who I expected her to be, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I did not feel comfortable in her presence, but she was kind. She apologized for having to interrupt me a few times because of customers, but I fully understood. Her photographs were all nautical things. Her booth was set up so that her work hung on the walls. She had two walls covered with her work and a great big bin of prints out in front. The questions I asked her are as follows:
Q1. What do you consider when bring a composition to an art show?
A. “I bring the ones that sell and the ones that contain local interest.”
Q2. At what rate do you price your work?
A. “per square inch”
Q3. What is your secondary education background?
A. “ mechanical engineer with a minor in photography.”
Q4. How long have you been doing art shows?
A. “6 years”
Q5. What advice could you give me so that I too can succeed?
A. “build up funds for equipment, sell in a local gallery, and use comment cards.”
I excuse my self from her tent and went to another artist. This artist is also a photographer. This man was very interesting because his photographs were from following the National geographic explorers. His friend was actually one of them who worked for National Geographic and helped him to know where the locations were going to be. He pleaded that he wanted to keep the National geographic alive through his compositions. The questions I asked are as follows:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding a composition to sell at the art shows?
A. “ I follow National Geographic because I know a lot of people love National Geographic.”
Q2. What do you consider when deciding prices?
A. “cost of travel, material, booth.”
Q3. How much on average do you profit from one show?
A. “1400-5000”
Q4. What is your secondary education background?
A. “I studied music”
Q5. How long have you been in the art show business?
A. “8 years”
Q6. What would be some advice to give me so that I will succeed?
A. “stay in the creative mind.”
I really enjoyed talking with him but I came to find that I had to rephrase my questions for him also. The booth was set up having two walls covered and he sat in the back in an opening so he was not taking up the customer's walking space. When I left his tent, I was so discouraged at the fact that these artists did not understand the terminology I was using.
The next artist was a mixed media abstract artist. Him and his wife were in the art show business together and collaborated with each other in their compositions. Their artwork was very interesting. They were out of this world kind of compositions. I asked him similar questions:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding which compositions to bring to the art shows?
A. I don't decide because I would not want my work to lose its essence.
Q2. What do you consider when deciding a formula for pricing your artwork?
A. “I don't charge by hour because I live by the quote: “an artist is paid for his vision not by his time.”
Q3. How long have you been doing this?
A. “I have only done 35 shows”
Q4.What is your secondary education background?
A. “ I went to film School.”
Q5. What is your favorite medium?
A. “Ball point pen.”
Q6. How much on average do you profit at each show?
A. “1500 dollars a day.”
Q7. What advice would you give me to help me to succeed?
A. “do lots of research, work hard, just do it.”
I did not get to meet his wife but just listening to him, I was very inspired in his knowledge. I did not have to rephrase my questions, and he had his artist's statement hung in his booth. His booth was set up having three walls covered and one half wall covered. He had his counter blocking off the opening he made in the back of the tent, but from what I could see the customers had no problem getting in and out of his tent with ease.
The next woman that I spoke to is an oil painter who paints natural things such as rocks, leaves, and shells. She was very nice and very interesting. She answered all of my questions and even asked me questions. The questions I asked are as follows:
Q1. What do you consider when deciding which compositions to sell?
A. “ balance, shadows, and colors. I go for circular motions.”
Q2. What do you consider when deciding price?
A. “labor per hours”
Q3. What is your favorite medium?
A. “oil”
Q4. What is your secondary education background?
A. “Bachelors in Fine Arts, and a masters in education.”
Q5. How long have you been doing art shows?
A. “3 years”
Q6. What advice would you give me in order to help me to succeed?
A. “be resilient and sell yourself.”
She is a very laid back person and her booth was set up like she meant business. Her down to earth personality I think, is a great asset to selling and marketing. Her booth was set up so that three walls were covered and there was one great big opening in the front of the tent welcoming in her customers.
The last artist I have to introduce is a Japanese artist. He is from Grand rapids, Michigan. He does not sell his pieces in a gallery. His compositions were composed of gold sheets painted with acrylic and etched out. He also uses suomi ink in his compositions. I actually got caught in his tent because it started raining shortly after I got there. His booth was set up so that there are three walls covered and one half wall covered but he had some of the pieces blocked off by this half wall. He spoke well English although his thick accent was prevalent. The questions I asked are as follows:
Q1. What do customers desire when looking for a composition?
A. “they are looking to decorate their house.”
Q2. How much on average do you sell?
A. “500 dollars worth.”
Q3. What do you consider when deciding compositions to appropriate for the location in which you sell?
A. “I bring the same things.”
Q4. What is your favorite medium?
A. “suomi ink, but I use acrylics too”
Q5. How much do you charge yourself per hour?
A. “less than minimum wage”
Q6. what is your secondary education background?
A. “I went to the University of Ohio.”
Q7. How long have you been doing art shows?
A. “35 years”
With all of this research into what the art shows entail, I am ahead of the game. I am taking the advice that each one of these artist has given me and using it towards my goals. Although Art students have all of these things to do, if it's done it will be very useful in the future. I am very glad I had this opportunity although it was a homework assignment.
I was also marketing myself while walking the park by wearing a shirt that had the name of my future business' name on it. I passed out business cards to each of them. After the show was finished I went back home and wrote out thank you cards to all of the artists so that I can send those out. A few of the artists were very excited to hear that I was going into being an small business owner. I had a blast and I hope that these artists do pay attention to my blog and will give me feed back.
