Reimundo Garcia Jr.

Depending on where you are with your photography or art career, you may be interested in participating in an art show in the near future. The first show that you do can be exciting and scary at the same time. The art shows I’ve done have all required an application and a registration fee. These types of art shows are normally craft fairs or street festivals that include artwork to a large or small degree. This means that photography or art can make up a lot of the other booths, or it may only be a few booths.

Overall, the experience of an art show can be as fun as it is disappointing (which I’ll talk about in a later post). Having participated in over 12 shows over the past few years, let me talk a bit about how to choose a show.

Choosing a show is easier said than done. There are hundreds of street fairs and art shows around the country, each with a different focus, varying costs, and distinct requirements. There are several websites and newsletters that offer a glimpse of the upcoming shows and include relevant information, such as how to sign up. The following websites have useful, searchable databases:

• Festival.net
• Artandcraftshows.net
• CraftLister.com

There are hundreds of other sites that focus on one particular art show or a series of art shows.

It’s also helpful to actually stop by the art fairs in your area when you hear about them to see what they are like. Things to consider:

1. Cost: Each show comes with a price tag of some sort. Be wary of these costs, especially as a beginner. If you are not willing to make a large investment, select inexpensive shows to start or share a space with a friend. (I am still sharing a space with a fellow photographer, but we have encountered at least one show whose regulations didn’t allow us to share space.)
2. Space Requirements: Each show rents space of a particular size or multiple sizes. Make sure you get the size that suits your art well. You don’t want a really small, 4×6-foot space if your art is regularly 2×3 feet.
3. Supplies: What do you need in order to display your art? I will have a future post about this subject, but be ready to spend a little money and be creative!
4. Competition: What else do they sell at the show you are interested in? If you are looking to sell your art, the best situation is the one where the show is solely focused on artists. If you sign up for a show which also has crafts, food, clothing, etc., then you are competing with those vendors as well. Plus, the people who are attending those shows are less likely to be looking for art. At least, that is my experience so far.

In future posts, I will cover pricing of your art, deciding on limited editions, and how to prepare your booth/space. As always, let me know if there are topics related to this that you would like to see covered.