Getting into an art festival is so much more involved than most people are even aware of. Most customers are not aware that it is far more complex then just setting up a tent and selling your wares. Some customers assume that we just show up while others are not even aware of the cost we incur just to be there.
As an artist, I apply yearly to all of the shows that I eventually do. The application process can be rather daunting. After filling out an application, sending in my 3-5 images that a show organizer wants to see, and an application fee that goes with the application, a jury looks over my work and passes judgment as to whether or not I get to be a part of or come back to the show each year.
Some juries want to see the images all in a row. Some juries want to see them side to side and top to bottom. Some want them projected onto a screen, and some want to see them on laptops or desk tops. It is important to know how each jury wants to review the images. As an artist, it is equally important to know the difference between what can jury well and what sells well. Even with all that preliminary work for the application, there is still no guarantee, that I will be accepted. The competition is fierce. In your larger art festivals, over 300 applications in my category are there for just 12 available spaces. So, it is very important to do your research and homework, before sending in your application.
Once I have been accepted, I pay a booth fee for the space at the show. This space can be in excess of $1000.00 just for that weekend. If I am lucky, the show staff is helpful, friendly and cares about the artists. Everything else I bring with me to the show -- the tents, the display panels, the bins, the lights, and most importantly, the work, has to be carried in, set up, and packed away at the end of the show by myself.
So when you see me at the next show you attend, say hi, and stop in for a look at my latest work. If you can't get to a show, know that you can always come to my virtual show, here online!
As an artist, I apply yearly to all of the shows that I eventually do. The application process can be rather daunting. After filling out an application, sending in my 3-5 images that a show organizer wants to see, and an application fee that goes with the application, a jury looks over my work and passes judgment as to whether or not I get to be a part of or come back to the show each year.
Some juries want to see the images all in a row. Some juries want to see them side to side and top to bottom. Some want them projected onto a screen, and some want to see them on laptops or desk tops. It is important to know how each jury wants to review the images. As an artist, it is equally important to know the difference between what can jury well and what sells well. Even with all that preliminary work for the application, there is still no guarantee, that I will be accepted. The competition is fierce. In your larger art festivals, over 300 applications in my category are there for just 12 available spaces. So, it is very important to do your research and homework, before sending in your application.
Once I have been accepted, I pay a booth fee for the space at the show. This space can be in excess of $1000.00 just for that weekend. If I am lucky, the show staff is helpful, friendly and cares about the artists. Everything else I bring with me to the show -- the tents, the display panels, the bins, the lights, and most importantly, the work, has to be carried in, set up, and packed away at the end of the show by myself.
So when you see me at the next show you attend, say hi, and stop in for a look at my latest work. If you can't get to a show, know that you can always come to my virtual show, here online!
