The Outdoor Art Show Demystified
The first outdoor art show I participated in was the 2016 Chester County Studio Tour. I had no idea what I was doing and used a borrowed tent with borrowed walls and participated as a guest artist at a borrowed studio. It rained the entire weekend, and it was so cold and damp I wore 3 jackets- by the end of the weekend I was shaking inside and out! Despite the weather, there was a great turn-out and I almost sold out my booth. Beginners luck, maybe, but I was interminably hooked on the show scene from that weekend on. I immediately purchased display walls, my own tent and dove wholeheartedly into show applications-yet again, looking forward to reinventing myself and embarking on another artist income stream. However, after visiting a few shows and talking with other artists who have participated in outdoor fine art shows, I quickly discovered that there must be a time, money and experience investment to get really good at this outdoor show thing.
I’m still a major novice-I meet people who do 40+ shows a year, have done this for 20-30 years and can set up their booth in an hour! Those are the experts, and this is soooo not me. Even so, I have learned a thing or two in the past eight years. I’ve been posting the handful of outdoor shows I do per year and I have received lots of questions about how to get started, so I thought I would share with you some of the steps I took and maybe save you some time if you’re also thinking about doing this yourself.
The following is a list of things you can do to get started. It does take a bit of research and sometimes a few years to get to know what’s a good fit for you, so give yourself a little time.
Research
The best way to find out which shows to do is to ask other artists who do them. They’ll tell you all you need to know about everything, plus some. Once you narrow down what shows look good to you, visit the show website to find out their application deadline. Sometimes applications and deadlines are well in advance of the actual show, so check the websites frequently.
ZAPPlication is a website application database that caters to the outdoor booth show world, so it’s a great place to visit to research shows. It also has a helpful calendar so you can keep deadlines straight.
Whenever possible, I visit the shows I want to do first before doing them. I check out the artist’s work, price points and the general feel of the show for whether my work and I will fit in well.
Each artist has their own criteria for what shows they like, so make a list of yours and go from there. Prioritize what is most important to you using criterion like location, outdoor vs indoor, space fee and other expenses, artist services, whether it’s a fine art only vs art & craft show, etc., are just a few starting points to think about. For me, location was a big issue because I don’t have a vehicle that can load everything I need for a show. Being close enough to make multiple trips was important as well as not adding up travel expenses.
Start simple, work up and out
To keep from being overwhelmed by show choices I recommend beginning with a few shows a year to see if you even like doing this kind of thing. For many years I only did local studio tours and Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, plus a few indoor shows that didn’t require a tent and already had walls set up. Staying local also kept me from being overwhelmed with the choices I had for shows to apply to.
Doing a ton of shows can also get expensive between application fees, booth fees and traveling a distance on top of all that. Plus, those expenses are riding on a big IF you sell your work in order to make it all back.
Outdoor shows can also be exhausting. Some have very long hours on your feet in the heat or rain, talking and interacting with people all day-this could be a shock to the system of an artist used to being in the studio alone all day. It’s a good idea to check into what artist services are provided by the show-do they have people who will booth sit for you if you need a break and/or do they provide snacks or water or restrooms. Seek the assistance of a spouse or friend who will help you set up/break down and/or booth sit when you just need a break.
For a few years, I set up on my own with help from friends or people I paid a small amount to who could help me assemble the tent. As I get older, I definitely need more help than just an hour or two during set up. Some people make it a family affair and their spouses (sometimes children, too) join them on the road. This can be super fun, I love it when my husband is able to join me in the booth.Once you’ve done a few successful shows, begin branching a little further out of your immediate location to see how you like it. Taking in bits and pieces, rather than the whole meal is best in this situation.
You also want to factor in the time and energy needed to make good quality work to sell. My work takes a lot of time to make, I do not crank it out formulaically and this can be a detriment to doing a ton of shows a year.
Don’t apply to more shows than you can do a year and don’t think it’s a guarantee that you’ll get in. When I apply, I always make sure I have the dates available and that I have enough time between shows to make work (plus teaching). I started doing 1-2 outdoor shows a year and did this for about 4 years. I now do three outdoor shows a year and each year for the last 4 years I have added another 1-2 that I will apply to. With the applications I have lined up for 2025, I could have 4-6 shows next year. For a pro in the outdoor show world, four shows is nothing, but for me and my heavy teaching schedule, it’s perfect.
Booth Shot
Once you begin applying, you’ll find that most shows require a Booth Shot. A booth shot is an image of your tent all set up for a show with your work displayed. If you haven’t done a show yet, you won’t have this important part of the application. It will take some time out of your day, but just set it up in your yard or driveway or the yard of a friend and photograph it there.
Make sure your name isn’t visible anywhere in the booth shot, this can eliminate you if the jury is blind, as most of them are. Once you start doing shows, take a booth shot each time. Your booth shot will show current work, plus each time you set up you’ll be improving on the display.
Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show does a free Webinar once or twice a year about show application mistakes and how to improve them. I sat in on one just last year and learned so much about how to improve both my booth shot and photos of my work. Follow the show on social media or subscribe to their e-mailings to find out when the next Webinar is scheduled.
Display
Again, I could write a year’s worth about this subject, so I’m just sticking to the basics for the purposes of this article.
I mentioned visiting shows for many reasons and one of the top reasons is to check out display ideas. For every show I have done since 2016 I incorporated at least one improvement or modification. Your booth display is a never-ending labor of love.
Like I said in my introduction, I borrowed everything for my first show, then purchased a less expensive set of walls and a nice, but lesser expensive tent. I used this display for seven years and it did well for me until recently when I purchased Used Propanels and a better-quality tent.
Purchasing a Trimline or Light Dome tent will get you into better quality shows as some of them actually require these tents for safety reasons as they withstand high winds much better than an EZ-up. In the beginning of my outdoor art show career, I didn’t apply to these shows because of my lesser tent, but purchasing my Trimline has now opened up a few more opportunities.
Places to find used walls, tents and show equipment
If you’re not ready to purchase a display, you can rent a tent, walls and other booth sundries from a couple of places. Tents4events or artistTents.com. Utilizing these companies is an excellent alternative if you don’t want to take the plunge and invest in the display stuff before you try out the shows to see if you even like doing them.
Shameless plug…I’m selling my complete Graphic Display Systems walls with fabrics and all you need to set it up. Since I only do a handful of shows a year, it’s in excellent condition. Email me and I’ll send you images and pricing. Pick up in the Philadelphia area only, I won’t ship. I’ll drive a reasonable distance to deliver or meet you halfway. FYI, I do drive distances many times a year to teach, so if you’re interested, email me to find out when/where I’ll be and maybe we can work something out.
Selling
I could write a whole year’s worth of blog posts about selling art, but there are many coaches and mentors who do this much better than I would. (Visit Alyson Stanfield, she’s the best!) In this article, I’m just going to give you some pointers on what works for me, you’ll develop your own style as you go.
Have your elevator speech all set to go. This is a quick 1-2 sentence statement about your work that explains what you do in everyday terms to someone in a short elevator ride from the 1st to 2nd floor. This is not re-reading your artist statement, although the wording for your elevator statement can be derived from that longer statement. Remember, you’re talking to, rather than at, the person you’re speaking this statement to-try to relate the person to your work. Write down the statement and practice saying it out loud so that it comes easy to you whenever you’re asked.
Be authentic!! Just be you talking honestly about your work, don’t try to ‘sell’ it.
I should explain here that I am NOT a hard seller. I want people to respond to the work on a visceral level and really want to live with it in their homes. I converse with people in an informal way, but always direct the conversation back to the work. When they ask directly about the work, I explain to them how the work is going to be a positive in their lives, how it is more than just a pretty object and how it will inspire them daily. In fact, this is the mindset I try to have when making the work as well and hopefully it shines through in the work. This is why it’s impossible for me to crank out a million paintings a week.
If there is room, stand a few feet in front of your booth looking in so you’re not standing in there taking up room and can allow people a little space to look around.
Be aware of your body language. Stand in a welcoming stance with your arms behind you and not crossed in front of you.
Make sure your booth is clean with trash, food, drink and art packaging out of sight. If you need a snack, eat outside of the booth or take a break elsewhere, if possible.
Visitor Questions
The following are some of the questions I frequently encounter. It’s good to have answers to them so you’re not caught off guard…
How much will you discount if at all? There is always someone asking this question and it always seems to be those with the most money. I don’t discount at all on single paintings. I always tell them they’re getting my best price. I will offer a 10% discount to friends and family and if someone purchases two or more paintings.
Will you charge to deliver or hang the work? As a courtesy, I will deliver work only within a 15-mile radius from the show and will only hang a small work that does not require moving furniture or going too high on the wall. Anything outside of that criteria will require a charge.
Do you take commissions?
Think about your stipulations for commissions and if you’ve never done one before you might want to complete one first with someone you know before committing to a commission from someone you met at a show. I have only completed a few commissions in my time because I really prefer not to do them due to my intuitive process of working. Additionally, the collage I use is all found papers and images (no prints or reproductions) so it’s difficult to reproduce something and/or find exactly what someone may be looking for. Nevertheless, I do accept commissions if all the planets are aligned and I’ve had really good experiences so far. Look for a blog post delving into the details of commissions coming up in the near future.More Information
Art Fair Insiders that I mentioned above, is a fabulous resource for more than just used tents. There is a forum, blog, newsletter, reviews, tips, calls for art and a ton more information on anything outdoor art fair.
Art Fair Reviews.com-all you need to know about every art fair from an artist’s point of view.
Art Fair Reviews Facebook Group Like I mentioned above, the best place to go to find out which shows are best for you is to ask other artists who have done the shows. This group is an excellent resource to ask questions, share an experience and participate in discussions.