My first Art Fair!
Hello there! It has been a crazy start to the year and so far its whizzing by! Apart from the usual craziness that come with three kids, and then the washing machine and dishwasher breaking, I have been focusing on preparing for my first Art fair eeeeeeekkkkk!
I went on a reckie to the Surrey Contemporary Arts Fair last September to have a bit of a look, chat to a few artists and basically decide whether I thought I was ‘good enough’ (although Im still not completely sure!). After a bit of encouragement and a good shove, I went for it!
I started planning, organising, and preparing it all early as I pretty much work during school hours and in the evenings and all it needs is one of my kiddies (or me!) to be ill and that’s it for a few days. I think I knew it would take quite a bit of time to prepare to exhibit at an Arts Fair but at the same time, I really didn’t! So, after going through the preparation side of exhibiting at an Arts Fair, I thought I’d note down the process and anything I learnt during this experience for future new exhibitors…….
Firstly, be brave and apply. Different fairs have different application processes. The Contemporary Arts Fair required an initial email with my website link which then went to a panel for approval. Once I had this approval I then filled in the application forms and paid the deposit. At this point I needed to decide on which stand and what size I would like. I considered the cost as well as the size of my work and how many pieces I wanted to exhibit. Its a longer process than I thought so always good to bare this in mind.
Read through all the information sent by the Art’s Fair. I printed it off so I could highlight and add notes to make it easier to find key info, but then again I am a massive planner and love to organise! Its important to establish the way you like to work and organise yourself. By working this way I feel in control and on top of things - yes I’m a control freak and I am embracing it!
Pay! The worst part but when this is done you will have confirmation that firstly you have a stand and then which one and what size. Once you get to this stage you know its happening and need to start working towards it! Exciting eh?
Choose the pieces of work to take. Lay them out together to make sure they ‘fit’ or the body of work can look disjointed and random. I am also planning to take more than I need - yes it means buying more frames but if a piece sells I have a spare to pop in its place!
Order, or in my case find frames to fit my work. I decided to buy pre-made frames simply because of cost; its my first fair and if I had frames made to measure I would have to increase my prices considerably. I created pieces of work in the sizes I wanted and didn’t think about framing which did mean I had to buy custom mounts and trim work. This obviously meant more time, money and faff - Lesson learnt!
Tweak any pieces of work. I then added the date, title and signature.
Frame the work and give yourself time to do this. I really enjoyed this process and I think it was partly because I set up my dinning room table (along with the kitchen sides!) and allocated a couple of school days. I wanted the time to focus on each piece and make sure once it was in the frame I was proud of it. Framing a piece of work massively adds to it and its important to soak this up!
Package it up carefully. I kept the wrap and boxes from when the frames were delivered which made the job a lot easier.
Now to price each piece, which I found particularly difficult. I didn’t want to undervalue my work but ultimately I want to sell these pieces; they need a new home and I am ready to let them go. Its also my first fair so there has to be an element of ‘just go for it, hope for the best and put it down to experience’.
Once I decided on the price for each piece, I slept on it, double checked and then typed them up and printed the labels for each piece. I also needed a sign for a selection of limited edition Giclée prints I have decided to take and an ‘About me’ blurb to create a personal touch.
Purchase the bits and bobs for the show; business card holder, white tack, screws, a table to place it on (which I have still to do!)……. Basically get organised before hand so you have everything you need and aren’t feeling stressed just before opening night!
Promote! Promote! Promote! The fair will send lots of promotional posters etc, pop them onto social media. You should also receive free tickets for the opening night and weekend. Initially I didn’t want to invite anyone (a bit of imposter syndrome sneaking in there!) but actually it will be lovely to see familiar faces and be proud of the work I have created
Lastly, enjoy the process! This is an exciting experience and something I never thought I would do but always wanted to. I am really looking forward to seeing my work up on the wall, speaking to other artists and meeting the fellow art lovers. Wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted how it goes!
Kelly x