In this week’s reposted Ask a Gallery Owner we’ll talk about maximizing sales when showing your work in local venues and exhibits.
Ask a Gallery Owner | Succeeding with Exhibitions of your Art in Local Venues
Tweet on Twitter
Share on Facebook
Google+
Pinterest
This was extremely helpful!
I am laughing right out loud as I think many years back on my first attempt at showing my work in a public space. I was cleaning rooms at a high end retirement/assisted living complex. Their commons area was beautiful, sunny, and open. It just begged for some art. So I did a number of pen & ink drawings of some of the residents. I asked (and got) permission to display and sell them. So far so good. From that point on I did everything wrong…or rather didn’t do anything. I thought the families of the residents might be the ideal audience and that if they wanted a piece, they’d simply ask at the information desk.
Had I taken the actions you recommend it might well have been a sold out show as most residents had plenty of visitors from well heeled family members. But because I didn’t know what I was doing, it was 26 artworks/0 sales. I think I’ll go the gallery route…..and buy your book. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Jason.
Hi Jason,
this was a very comprehensive helpful podcast.
Just wondering about insurance for the artworks – should the artist take out separate insurance ?
Thank you Jason for your extremely clear explanation today. A year ago, I had the opportunity to have a solo show up for one month – well – in a back corner 6’x8’ and 12’ tall of an antique store with irregular hours – in a small depressed town in centra Florida. It was April so many snow birds had already left. I worked like crazy too mat and frame all my watercolors and prepare for the event. I printed up invites and went to businesses in town and posted in the towns fb site. The store owner said my prices were way too high. She didn’t want drinks or refreshments at the opening but there was a good crowd. In the end, I had 6 sales and most of them I had a relationship with.
My takeaway-
it takes an enormous amount of time to prepare.
Relationships, communication and connections are key.
Regular business hours are crucial. I lost several prospective buyers due to the separation hours.
Quite thorough! have been doing private venue shows for some 40+ years now and find them successfull. in my younger years i would run several of these shows to gain a feeling whether a gallery would be viable in the chosen area. Starting with the initial contacts i would progressively open more involved business operations to meet the market. For a private artist these are great first ventures and will teach you the facts of the art business very rapidly.
the venues i have engaged ranged from communitty halls to major intl exhibitions with high end clients.
people are generally supportive so do not be scared to step forward.
this approach is not for everyone, you need to be willing to express yourself and develop a thick skin as comments can be very direct at times.
You may well be surprised at the results. richarddixonfineart.com
I wonder what thoughts are on posting a QR Venmo code for purchases? and then they can just take the piece?