Art Festival Secrets

Do you like to go to art festivals? It’s fun to walk past the rows of booths and view the wide variety of art. Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes to pull all that together and make the artwork look attractive on show day? Even with my super-organized processes, it’s a lot of work. Here’s a glimpse of the backstage effort that makes it all happen.

It’s all in the planning

I’ve been doing art festivals for over twenty years, so I’ve pretty much got the preparation down to a science. But there’s still a lot that goes into making my booth ready for a 9 am opening on show day.

I don’t do a lot of art festivals and they are all in the Tampa/St. Pete/Sarasota area. I’ll typically have four in the winter season and two in the fall season each year. So my preparation usually takes place in October and again in January.

I start by using my inventory software to list all the work that I have available (I love ArtworkAchive.com), artwork that isn’t committed to a gallery or another show. Then I decide which are the most important pieces for display at that particular festival. Once I have my list, I’ll draw the pieces onto my template that shows the display panels in my booth to make sure I have enough wall space.

I know a lot of artists don’t do this kind of detailed planning, and just hang what they have on show day. But I don’t for several reasons

• I like things to be neat and organized. Yes, it’s a gift and a curse. : )

• I want to show artwork in groups that share a common theme.

• I like to make my booth look as much like a gallery as possible, because I feel that makes people recognize the value of my paintings.

My famous art storage bags

I bring around 25 paintings to a show, from 40x40 inches to 12x12 inches, and they all fit in a small van. I designed art bags made out of moving blankets to protect my artwork and allow me to stack them. These are envelope-like flat sacs with a flap over the top that closes with a button.

Sewing the heavy moving blankets was difficult using my trusty Pfaff machine because the material is so bulky and awkward, and the fabric is so thick that it tends to break needles. Then my mother loaned me her Necci, the one that my father bought on a business trip to Italy a few years before I was born. It’s a workhorse; all the parts are made of metal (not like the plastic of today’s electronic machines), and it sews through six layers or more of fabric like a champ. Thanks, Mom!

I’ve gotten many compliments on my art bags from gallerists and from other artists who like how functional and attractive they are. It’s always satisfying to find a simple, inexpensive solution to an everyday problem!

Pre-Wash

I usually wash my tent at the end of the season so that the grime doesn’t sit on it for months (I love my Trimline Tent by Flourish.com). I’ll also wash the grey fabric panels that cover my display panels (from GraphicDisplaySystems.com), so at the beginning of the season they are ready to go.

But there’s more!

The are many other tasks that are needed to get ready for an art festival and to get my booth looking like this:

• Print tags to place next to the piece with title and price.

• Paint the edges of newly finished artwork grey, varnish the front, and attach a wire to the back.

• Send out postcards to my VIP’s to let them know about the show. If you’d like to be included, just email me your snail mail address.

• Rent the van, reserve a hotel room, and arrange for the dog sitter.

• Write a newsletter to tell all my readers about the show (Here’s how you can subscribe).

• Go through my long checklist to make sure I have everything I’ll need.

• Beg my husband to help me setup and take down. He always says yes and does the bulk of the heavy work of loading and unloading the van, setting up the tent and the panels, and hanging the artwork. I’m so lucky to have his help!

It’s always a big job to get ready for a show, but once it’s all set up and I’m sitting in my booth, it’s a good feeling. I’m surrounded by paintings that I’m proud of and I can’t wait to share it with art lovers like you.

Here is a list of my upcoming art festivals and events. See you at the next show!