Annual neighborhood or city art festivals provide artist's with repeat exposure and the opportunity to gain a local following. Look for festivals that require a short drive, reasonable booth cost and are well advertised. Artists should do everything they can to make the festival work for them---know what is provided in a booth purchase, bring the items needed to install the work and bring enough artwork to fill the booth properly.
Be Prepared
Sometimes art festival fees will include a table, shelter and peg board walls for each booth. But often the only thing provided is a patch of ground and an opportunity. Know what is provided by the event and what is not. Ask if a booth sign, table, peg board walls and a canopy, or some form of sun protection, will be provided. Arrange to bring what is not provided but needed. Identify the size of the booth the art will occupy. Using a sheet of graph paper, layout display racks and tables within these dimensions to know how the booth will look. Ask to see a map of the event grounds for a better understanding of where to park, where to unload and move items from vehicle to booth. Arrange to bring food, water and assistance in the form of family and friends. Pack a bag full of essentials for hanging art---hammer, picture hangers, duct tape, scissors, price tags, pens, pencils, markers, picture hanging wire, double stick tape. Include outdoor electrical cords, bulbs and lamps if electricity is being used.
Fill The Booth
Know how many pieces of art will be needed. This is not a question festival personnel can answer, this is a question the artist will need to figure out and has more to do with the type of art being shown than a standard number or formula. Large, framed pieces fill walls easily without the need for much else. The smaller the artwork the more items will be needed. Fill booth space by beginning at the front. Place display racks where they can be easily accessed and make sure all work is easily viewed. Allow for traffic flow inside the booth. Don't make customers step over or walk around the work. Items placed in mats but unframed should be shrink wrapped for protection and placed in a display rack or on tables. Use a cover on tables to easily hide excess inventory below.
At The Festival
Art festivals require artists to be completely setup and ready to sell before the festival start time. Arriving two to three hours before opening time should be enough to prepare. Once on the festival grounds, find the easiest, fastest path to the booth before unloading the vehicle. After the festival has begun, hand out business cards to those that seem interested in the work, make notes about what is selling or what is receiving the most attention. Make a few rounds of the festival grounds and meet the other artists. Keep a running inventory list of artwork available for sale. Use the computer to keep track by creating a database or spreadsheet of the items. Bring a copy of the list to the festival and tick off the ones that sell.
