Are Big Expensive Art Shows Worth It To Artists?
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
- In this video, I discuss our philosophy and thoughts on big expensive art shows and whether they are worth it. Support this channel by joining our Rogue Community on Patreon (We REALLY appreciate it): / rafiwashere
We have a bunch of FREE stuff for creative humans on our website (things like resources, a 6 hour Artist Masterclass, free courses, more videos, blogs, downloads, and who knows what else) in case you want more stuff from us: rogueartistcommunity.com/
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Never sell your art in a gallery if you have to pay for it. Not even with an online gallery. I'm thinking, If a gallery has already been paid by you why would they go out of their way to sell your work? Run a gallery on a percentage basis only. Agree on a percentage for every painting sold 20, 30, 40%, it doesn't matter. This gallery will do marketing for you and has an extensive buyers list. These galleries are difficult to approach and often they approach you. Don't sit around waiting for that and put your art online or hang it on a lamppost or something. Whatever works make an art show with other artists and divide the tasks. It's hard work, but it's affordable. Organizing an art route along all studios is also a good idea. Together you are strong. Greetings Peter Palm from Holland.
Indeed!!!! Well said!
So reaching out to galleries is generally a waste of time if you're not super established yet?
Totally agree with you.
Yes. Most reputable galleries get so many applications from artists looking for representation that they are more likely to run away from you than even look at your art. Instead apply to juried competitions, put on your own exhibitions, have open studios. Also go to galleries, shows, and exhibitions and talk to the staff and other attendees about art and the local art scene but never mention you are an artist unless they ask. Volunteer at galleries, shows and museums. Get to know and be known by the people in the art community in your area.
Dear Rafklee, I really appreciate the effort you make to help emerging artists. Thank you
As a pet and wildlife artist I was over the moon when I got a call from the AZA ( Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to participate in a 5 day show. It was bringing docents (those volunteers you see hanging around Zoo enclosures) from all over the country, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia as part of their once a year AZA celebration/ conference. I was told that doing the show was by "invite only" (you could NOT apply) and that "I was recommended from several docents who'd seen my work at other shows." I was over the moon thinking I was invited to an "elite" show and I had garnished a following I didn't even know about...The show was very expensive (almost 600$ in 2014 which was more than one month's rent). It was an hour drive away from where I lived, and being a 5 day show I also had to take time off work.I spent weeks before signing up trying to research and find other vendors, but I was unable to get any insight. Because most of the people were traveling and flying I had to scramble to come up with a body of work that small, inexpensive, and particular to our location in Wisconsin. I spent months shooting locations, zoos and animals. Editing, printing and mounting hundreds of prints from 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10. Easy to put into a carry on if you were flying. All priced 50$ or less..I did have bigger pieces for much more but didn't expect to sell them. I was hoping to make some friends and some contacts at some of my favorite Zoos rather than focus on selling work. The week came and I was just devastated to find out that not only was I not the only artist, I was not even the only photographer! The other one had better skill, equipment and merchandise than I did. ( so much so I bought some stuff from her.) Vendors were treated horribly by the attendees so much so they made an announcement to all conference goer's to respect the vendors and treat them politely! Two vendors pulled out on the first day because of how they were treated. On "zoo day" I opted for a orangutan study that I wanted to experiment with, dealing with psychology and behavior or great apes and art. I was mentally and emotionally done 3 days into the event by trying to be an artist vending and decided to just do something for myself. That was the best part of the whole week. I met some people and I was much more in my element at the Zoo. Despite the big investment, I did NOT get any new followers, collectors or even made any new friends. Sadly I lost my butt on that show, was out months of work (sold only 1 print for 10$) and hundreds of dollars and time spent. The vast majority of the attendees never came in the vendor hall at ALL as they didn't want to deal with people "hocking their wears" the just wanted to "hang out with friends". I've made several docent friends at zoos since then but NONE at the convention as it was treated as an "exclusive club", almost ALL the attendees were snobby and condescending to vendors and myself. I felt the show was misrepresented and because it's a traveling show (not in the same area or even STATE each year) I felt they took advantage of my naivete to help pay for their rental of the rest of the venue they needed for the conference. I could understand why some vendors left after the first day and cut their losses. But I stuck it out hoping to make something of it. Would I do it again, probably not. I did learn a few things. But the financial cost, lost of time, and the huge hit I took personally and emotionally by the way I was treated at the conference took me a long time to get over. My confidence was never the same. And I no longer trust people who say "I have an exclusive offer for you." when it comes to shows.
That's horrible! I think maybe the first red flag should have been that it was supposed to be an important show of decades long standing, and yet there was nothing online about it, and no one else you talked to had never heard of it. I would never go back and would be warning everyone else to run away!
Very wise words! I'm a textile artist from Poland - the same thing here. Never pay for an art show more money, than you can get from it. Start on small markets, local art shows, local cultural events. There are people around, who may actualy love your art, and they met you there and became your most loyal collectors. Love from Poland and from MIMIC Art Studio to all of creative people
Yes!!
We started out at Medieval and Renaissance fairs in our region, which usually run for multiple weekends and are juried shows. They usually are pretty reasonable in fees but are a tremendous amount of work. Dressing the part and having the tools to be theme/period appropriate can be costly too. However, this is a lucrative market for artisans as you usually aren't competing with cheap resale and most shows at least TRY to bring in handmade artisans. Developing a following may take a few years, but I think this market is often overlooked by artists. We have since attempted some larger shows such as Home and Garden type shows at big expo centers with big marketing companies and we were not happy with the booth fees and return on investment. We were competing with wholesale Alibaba type resellers and everyone shopping wanted cheap deals on junk. Our handmade items were overpriced next to the buy-one get-one free and five dollar trinkets around every corner. I guess it pays to know your market. The more expensive shows don't always pay better.
I serve on the Executive Board of my Local Arts Organization, Homestead Center for the Arts (FL). We have hosted two indoor in Banquette Hall Art Shows, with Air-conditioning in the last two years. One day only events, $50 Flat to have a display area and participate. We had 50 Participants last July, and about 40 at this last April's Show. People sold stuff.
The prices Rafi is talking about are absurd. I don't know how promoters have the nerve to charge that much, and they probably don't do very much to promote and advertise the Events
Thank you for this Douglas, it is so true!
@@Rafiwashere You have me thinking I should up date locally what the entry fees are for these events. They haven't as far as I know been $1,000+ to participate.
Maybe Art Basil in Miami Beach, at the Convention Center. There is a Guy that did a Camera Phone walkthrough video of that show this year, he was in and out in 19 Minutes. it's available on RUclips. Definite example of overrated.
There are smaller shows put on by Churches and Art Clubs and Guilds. They are well established, and coming back. None of them are cost prohibitive to enter. Amazingly the Shows that have had the biggest draw of the small shows that I have produced or Promoted were Quilt Shows.
Let Klee know that the Jewelry Makers did pretty we at the April Show at the Banquette Hall in Homestead, both times.
back in the 80's, i did many craft fairs ... there was a great resource publication called "the craft fair guide" which allowed me to pick and choose those i could/would participate in ... it listed the fair location/dates/cost/inside or outside display spaces ... what was most helpful was the data gathered from the creators who had exhibited in the past ... which types of art sold best, which price points did best, the amount of foot traffic, how easy (or difficult) the organizers were, the percentage of sellers offering specific items, i.e., how many jewelry crafters, printmakers, stained glass artisans, etc. .... so, more often than not, i would have a wonderful, magical experience while selling stuff ... i picked locations i loved, low entry fees, friendly/supportive organizers ... and it was the artist participant feedback which was the most important ... ahhhh, THOSE WERE the DAYS!
That needs to come back!
Even if you don't sell at an outdoor art fair. From time to time.
Still fun to people watch.
people, families and doggies. 👨👩👧👧🐩
Seeing trends of the day. An example of a trend was. Whirling yard art- Wind moving Art on a Stick sculpture .🎏
I did that too. They were fun.
Thanks so much for this! Previous to Covid, I was doing a lot of small galleries with my artwork - as you said, $10 entry fees for artwork, $30 yearly memberships to the galleries. It was wonderful! I was also doing fairs, but I was doing fairs with my jewelry. I never thought to do fairs with my art. I didn't think the market would support it. I typically do my art as 10x15", framed, and that can get a bit pricey, so I kept my artwork out of the craft fairs and other things around here. What you've taught me is this: Don't keep any sort of creation out of any sort of fair I'm entering, look around for other opportunities, and don't go through the big catalogs, and keep up with my current mindset of doing small, inexpensive shows. I think, in general, our mindset tends to be that a show is unsuccessful if we don't have any sales. However, it's not about the sales, so much as it's about the marketing. Nobody sells anything without marketing. You could spend thousands of dollars for TV ads, or hundreds to thousands for print marketing in magazines. Even hundreds of dollars, plus hundreds of dollars of your time, if you're going to do something like 'flyer bombing'. However, the cheapest marketing is to just get out there and let people see your face and talk to you, and if you can do a weekend show for $60, that's a steal! So I found that I had to reframe. I had to stop thinking I was a failure if I didn't make any sales. I was marketing myself on the cheap, which was a total success if I was out there, showing my stuff for under $100!
YES!!!!!!!!! That's it! Well said!
Portable air conditioning. Cosco, Walmart, hardware stores. With temperatures reaching 42C or 115F +/- but feeling like 150f a portable AC is wicked good
The king and I song pops into my head
.🎼. Getting to Know You. Getting to know about you....getting to like you .. and hoping you like me...🎶😀
Always a pleasure to see you guys! I am so happy your doing well!
Smaller pieces are your "Bread and Butter". It is great to sell the big ticket items, but you need things in the $5-$50 range to keep things afloat.
The work is gorgeous! Keep it going guys! Have an excellent day!
Thank you! Will do!
You guys rock! Always fun to listen to your experiences and opinions. We have so much to learn... Thank you!!
XOXOXOX
Great Exhibit! Love how you filled the space!
Thank you ☺️
Your art and jewelry look amazing! The show I bet was even more so in person! Doing a solo exhibition is definitely something that is the next step outside of my own personal comfort zone.
It was! You've got this, you are a badass!
Wow man you're a true inspiration 🙏🙏
I've done a couple of more expensive shows with underwhelming results. However, most of them do have indoor venues, which is the vital thing for me... I'm just not able to wrestle a canopy in the weather anymore. BUT... I'd rather be closer to home than most of them are. So I'm seeking out the little shows. We'll see how it goes.
You guys are awesome I’m glad I stumbled on your channel!
Awesome! Thank you!
I've been doing festivals for about 7 months and now I can pretty much predict my ROI based on the expected attendance, location, and duration of the festival. I've found that it's better to do a lot of cheap shows than a few expensive ones. This is in part because I get to meet more customers AND other artists. It's important to talk to your booth mates and ask them which festivals and event companies are the best. That way you know which few expensive markets are worth you time. Even then, I never like paying more than $40/hr for a show. Usually I pay closer to $5-20/hr.
Spot on!
You two are inspiration and the show looks amazing!
Thank you so much!
Looking great! Xx
Thank you!! 😊
Wonderful set up. You both are amazing.🥰🎨😍😍🤩
Thank you! 🤗
The show looks amazing 👏 wish I could see it in person!
How absolutely freaking awesome!!
I love you guys. This was a perfect video with lots of learning experiences. I did a couple of market things but I really did better on my own. Setting up at the intersection at Walmart and Ruby Tuesday’s. It works for me. 😃I can work that in my schedule and even if it’s only a few hours. You know the saying…. Build it and they will come. 👍🏼
YES!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for this, I do smaller art fairs, but have always wondered if the bigger ones would be worth it. At the smaller ones I usually sell some art, but not enough to cover a very expensive show. I think I'll stick to my smaller fairs and such. Love the gallery tour wish I lived closer to see it in person.
Great comments again
Your show looks Awesome ❣️❣️❣️
ooh That's one thing I noticed moving south from New England; I was used to hardly any homes and older buildings with air conditioning but in the South central air is a requirement.
Ravi…cheers for the advice in the vids…and thanks for making me realise ‘creative imposter syndrome’ is a thing rather than my own doubting ego…nice 👊✊🌞
❤️❤️❤️
This seems like sound and reasonable advice.
You need to buy some fans! No. Not my kinda, the kinda that pushes air around. Lol, or Barrow them for your performance night. Your art exhibit looks wonderful! Yes, thanks for inspired talk too. You are looking good, both of you! Be blessed and happy!
Lol, we did.
Yes!
We've met a lot of artists who spend the whole summer doing shows and festivals, and one thing we've learned is that there's a lot of advance planning for the whole season, rather than just one show. When we look at all the work on the walls, or the beautiful outdoor booth, it's not apparent how much time and money it took to get there (application fees for jurying, booth fees, travel and accommodations, publicity). Thanks for clearly explaining this!
Thank you for being such a great support to artists! I can speak for many of us when I say we have a special place in our creative hearts for Blick!
@@Rafiwashere Thank you so much!
@@Blick_Art I'm in the Sacramento community of artists and your company has always supported the Artist Open Studios event in September...thank you.
After a lot of hype, I tried out the Columbus arts festival. For the locals, they have a free sponsored spot but I came back disappointed. Lowest thing on my table was $20 and I barely made back parking and food. I'd be hurting if I paid for a booth there. Not sure what the jury fee is but a regular spot runs $600 for the weekend. Saw a lot of people buying prints but maybe only two people walking by with canvases. Yikes. Had i not sold a painting online leading into it, I'd call it a complete waste of time.
Yeah, just one lap around most of those shows and the artists look miserable, just not worth the hype.
They are
Congratultions, it looks amazing. I wish I could have come along. I've got my first solo exhibition coming up soon and I'm pooping my pants a little bit hahaha
Thank you! You will do great! Remember to have a blast!
Good luck. I just had my first show this last weekend. Only advice I'd offer is have fun
I showed at fairs and weekend markets near Sacramento for a couple years before I moved. Things I learned. First - enjoy the people, smile. Second- NEVER assume a person cant afford your art or is beneath your notice. Third - don’t ignore people while you have long conversations with someone you think might buy something or be influential.
(That happened to me - I wanted to buy a $5,000 painting at a posh show but couldn’t get the vendor to notice or speak to me- I moved on and bought a different painting.) Fourth - remember- you never know- everything varies for lots of reasons. Go to enjoy people and show your work. Rafi and Klee have this down!
This is PERFECT!!!!!!
Sometimes things that are expensive are worse.
But I love vending music festivals. I’ll pay a grand but I would wanna be there no matter what it’s just fun
I'm new here.. I have a question???... have you done a blog on the wires used in the back, hooks and hangings.??
No, but I will. Honestly, I use hanging wire and constriction staples because I don't have time to be all fancy on the back of a painting... and honestly buyers have never cared as long as it is secure. The only people that have ever scoffed are artists who are super concerned with the back of a painting.
I literally just completed an art walk all weekend there which cost me about $1000 all in ($750 booth fee plus $200 for grids & $50 for tarp) I sold NO originals! In fact I felt like I couldn’t give my stuff away.. everything was priced so low so it was extremely depressing & frustrating. I also sell tiles & coasters with my art on them so I sold $550 worth of that.. then bought a $45 print from the old guy Next door to me as he sold NOTHING all weekend & my heart really went out to him. I brought my husband along to help me & my dog & the guilt I felt at the end of it for wasting their time, my money, my energy… my ego definitely took a bashing! But would I recommend doing them? I would say find out what kind of art does best in the area you’re in & if yours fits the mould then do it.. if not which I have realized is the case for me then don’t. Sometimes ya gotta make these mistakes to learn though & I didn’t even cry about it so that shows how strong I’m getting.. good luck out there fellow artists!!!
Our first six weekend fair I, 2009 had more zero days than sales days, we didn't make back our booth fees. Second year we made all of our money back and then some. Learn from it and adapt. Today, we are one of the bigger artists at the same fair.
Yeah, that’s been my experience. One thing I did notice though is that you have to do your own marketing prior to the show as the show itself doesn’t necessarily bring in a buying crowd for ur specific art. Like I know I’ll try to run Facebook ads or Pinterest ads, local paper, etc next time I decide to do it.
I feel your pain. It is hard to be a bottom-line business person but that mentality is required. Each show has to analyzed critically. What is the average price of the art present, what is the average price of the art actually sold, where does your price points fall? The more above average your prices are, the less likely you will sell anything. Most shows I see are filled with lower priced crafts and art by vanity artists, some of which is good, some not. These artists are not trying to make a living at art and consequently underprice their work tremendously. The average person will not understand why your work, which took 40 hours, is priced at $850 and theirs at $125. My admittedly anecdotal view is it is harder to sell original art now than 40 years ago. Back then I was not nearly as good an artist but I regularly sold a piece per month, including at outdoor art shows. Now it is a struggle.
@@nev733 We work in metal, blacksmithing, plasma cut, and casting. We don't do a lot of blades because our market is flooded with cheap knives made overseas and bladesmiths or hobbiests who don't necessarily do the same type of work that we do. When someone who does this as a hobby sells their twisted railroad spike knife for $35 while ours are $95, some get confused. Put the two pieces side by side, ours will be more refined with a better finish, sculpted faces in the hilt, color added to give it character. But the average person may not recognize the physical differences, they just see the price difference. I don't mind it too much. There are those who understand the difference and appreciate it. Those are the people who value the work and become repeat offenders/collectors. We have also had no choice but to design smaller, lower priced pieces or give a nod to pop culture to keep things afloat. Not exactly what we want to do all the time, but it is what it is. After 14 years, I know that we have a staying power that most do not. It takes a special sort of person to do what we do for any length of time.
I saw a lot of pet-related art and cutting boards selling at the last one I did at a winery. As Rafi said in a video, he likes to visit the fair the year before to see if it's for him.
Ya'know Rafi, I'm a little perturbed it's coming from a kind place so here it goes.
I've never submitted my art via....anyway.
I am interested in showing my protest art at a big fancy Arteest house. I asked you what is better digital or US mail and you said read the instructions. (...)
I wanted to know if art is "more better" in hand or on screen....I'm perturbed Rafi.
With love, 🎨
and I can't wait to hear you guys sing.
Art is ALWAYS more better in person. However, I always read the instructions and call to get an idea of how egotistical the organization is. I guess it is a way to prequalify to see if they are a good fit for me before I send anything.
Imma dork. Thank you. 😊
These are great tips. What typical resources do you use to find these art walks or festivals that you then apply to?
Local event calendars and word of mouth from local artists who do shows. Just go to the events and talk to them or contact the (it's usually an arts council for a town)
So I spent this winter with my folks in Cape Coral, from Thanksgiving till right now I’m leaving in a couple weeks to head back home to Minnesota ….
I was wondering while you guys lived down here I know you guys were up in Pensacola Bay. Also can’t remember where your dad lived when you guys stayed with him to help him out, but wondering if you ever did any of the flea markets in Southwest Florida Cape Coral, Fort Myers Naples areas?
Thinking about possibly bringing things down next winter and setting up a booth. So I was just curious if you had and how they were if you had
anyways love you guys to bits!
I would do it just for the experience.
@@Rafiwashere thanks Rafi!!
Wonderful display- could you include quick scans of Klees work - yours is wonderfully visible but it would be cool to see what Klee is showing too😄😄
We are planning a full video for our adventure channel and may post some more here :)
Oh that’s great! Looking forward to it!
👍👍
James 😁
XOXOXOX
wooohooo
Thanks for this. My local art walk has had fees for artists up to $400, now down to $300. Their own stats show that 25% of artists lose money, another 25% break even, and the other 50% make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a small group of 10% making two or three thousand.
A yearly art show in the local farmers market shows similar results. The organizers think this is great. It is if you are a tourist or simply want to window shop some neat art. For most artists, it is a waste of time given the effort to participate. Serious artists rarely participate for more than a few years since most don’t have the cheap art or crafts that sell, with result that vanity artists and crafty Knick knacks predominate.
That’s ok, but people attempting an art career need to think like professional business people and not spend time on an essentially unpaid public service. This is hard for most artistic people and they get sucked into donating their valuable time for the ever elusive “exposure.”
True, that why even if they call themselves an "ART WALK" but they are charging those kinds of prices, they can eat a bag. There are plenty of other small venues not trying to make money off of artists for "EXPOSURE" just gotta find them. Sorry for the all caps, just makes me upset that these people get away with that.
Just nuts. Depressing
Wait, back up to that torture apparatus I saw in the gallery...Cara Mia!!
It's a balancing act to be the artists that we are. Artist first, then a little bit of everything else. Never stop standing in your light and power.
Love to both of you from a well seasoned artist.
XOXOXOX
Another place to have your art at restaurants or coffee house , I've never had very many sales as that type of place. These days one need to keep eye on these places. If these places close your art could get lost. In the ether or aftermath.
Gotta check in often
True story, I once placed some music themed oils in a jazz bar and grill. Got no action, then it closed without warning and I had to hunt down the owner and stake out his house to get my paintings back. He stalled for a bit until I convinced him that I now knew where he lived, wink, wink. Magically my paintings materialized from the back of his house.
glad you put a label on your easel, might have given people the possible wrong idea lol
Lol
I wanna do the Art walk in Mobile
That one is cool!
Most of the craft fairs I’ve done recently are local ones and their advertising is nonexistent. I have tried to advertise them via my own links/websites etc but I don’t have the same reach as local councils etc
Even if they advertise it's usually spotty, that's why I promote my shows everywhere I can no matter what.
I always enjoy your videos...especially when they show your art and I also love seeing Klee's jewelry, love her bracelets. I have had luck using the technique of a preview art exhibit with friends and collectors (usually both the same) before the opening. There is no way of confirming this, but I feel that I sell lots more art with that approach...is that cheating? I'll say no because many of my friends and collectors ask to see the art before the exhibit anyway...which I let them do and sell if they see something they want. Is that also cheating? Should I be concerned with "cheating" or are these just good or bad business practices? By the way, I find the group art exhibit a great way of exposing my art to many who would have never seen my art...I'm sure you know that, but it's great for your reputation to have a sole art exhibit. Oil City must be a great place to live (no bugs) because they apparently have a segment of the community who welcome artists! Need to start a large art community there like in Taos, Berkeley, etc.
Lol, it's not cheating :) It's putting yourself out there. Yes large art community is the goal :)
@@Rafiwashere We had a large community of artists and collector's for decades, up until Covid. We are working our way back here in Sacramento, CA.
I have never had an art show or a gallery show. 🙃
A quick question... Is there still a fee to have a show in Graffiti unless at least two artists are in the exhibition?
We rented the whole gallery, so we didn''t enter a group show.
I have a question. Could you get a peddler"s license and display your work in a park? The galleries where I live want 60% . That my friends is painful. I just want to work around having to give my hard earned profits away. I want to show my work but I don't want to pay for the privilege:) The art sells itself if you can just put it out there. Do you think this could work?
I do. However look at your local laws about peddling with a license. I have done paintings in a park or in public locations and made sure to talk to anyone that approached me, gave business cards, and had a portfolio where they could see my art (for times where selling was not acceptable. The podcast that will go up tomorrow covers some of that kind of stuff we have done.
Rafi what do you think of paying for an artist’s biography or ‘interview’ in an art magazine? I’ve done art exhibitions in the UK but not selling much, is magazine advertising worth it to get my work noticed more? It’s about £70 for 12 photographs/bio
hmmm... I've never advertised in those magazines. If it doesn't break the bank you can give it a try. Most of my promoting techniques I have are from trying stuff out and testing the results.
@@Rafiwashere The big magazines will reach out to you for an interview...but I guess it helps to send them a letter of interest with a resume???
Have you ever done your own garage sale art show? I am wondering if it might work.
We’ve done several YART sales
Omg I did an art evemt coordinator show. It was a total flop. It was 12 years running, and he couldn't fill the slots so slashed the fee in half. I made half my fee back. It was adverstised as an Italian art Festival. The Italian part was a restaurant food cart. I sold 20 bucks of cards. Grrr...
I feel for you. This whole business of art shows is so depressing for me.
@@karlabritfeld7104 I haven't had any luck and give up. Honestly, people don't realize how much expense is on the artist. I actually ran into a girl who never sells anything at the shows, but then people go to her Etsy site after and buy there. Talk about expenses topped on each other! It's awful!😢
Hmmm 🤔 I think I got invited once to show my jewelry but it would cost $400s.
Palafox Market? Are y’all based in Pensacola?! There’s a Palafox Market here that is pretty big on the weekends.
I just watched further into the video. So cool to know that my area has super successful artists!
We lived there for ten years and moved back up north at the end of last year. We love Pcola!
@@Rafiwashere that’s awesome!! A few friends and I are trying to get an artists’ collective and arts center started around the Crestview area!
YES!!! DO IT!
I hate entering art shows. I've had 5 solo shows and 16 group shows. I just dread them. I've never sold a single painting at any of my shows. Only friends and coworkers have bought my paintings and I'm grateful for them for doing so. But for the most part I feel like art shows are a total waste of time and they leave me feeling dead inside. To me they are soul destroyers. I just brought six of my paintings to a gallery for a group show and I've been depressed ever since. I'm in a funk and have now lost all interest in painting, where I normally paint something, anything every day. I'm just so depressed.
If you are taking the NO SALE as rejection, that will end you. The reality is that a relationship has to be built. We never count on selling anything and just building relationship. The excitement of just showing off who I am and what I create motivates me to do more... because if not, then you hide away.
@@Rafiwashere yes, that's what I'm doing. I swing very high and low in moods.
This guy is telling like it is. I have done all these things. I have even held art show at my house and sold 12 originals . They charge to much for those big yearly shows. The only way is to have small paintings , under 150.00 bucks. I was lucky to break even 😂
What about artist society's are they worth it
Maybe, organizations are made up of people. If you jive, it’s on :)
Thank you again for helping us realize we can carve our own path. It’s so discouraging and depressing when you think there is only one way whether you like it or not and you just have to suck it up! I recently applied to a show and am just now realizing that apparently I list my art dimensions on my website “incorrectly”. My whole life I’ve only ever seen w x h for size dimensions. When buying frames, prints, shipping boxes- always w x h. Now that I’m entering the “art world” I have been schooled that they list their art as h x w and I am told I have to abide by this on my website and at shows. Every damn step of the way I’m told a new thing I’m doing wrong. Do I have to give in to this bullshit? Will I be laughed at by sizing w x h??! How do you deal with this nonsense constantly Rafi it’s so discouraging having “professionals” tell me time and time again what I’m doing wrong. Ugh!!