Art, Artist, and BOOTH
In Sunshine Artists Magazine’s August 2011 issue there is an article titled “Bending Booth Bylaws.” The article discusses and features some very well thought-out booth designs that render a 10×10 booth into its own work of art.
What is most interesting about some of these booths is that they weren’t simply decorated with swags of complimenting fabric and nicely printed banners. Far more interestingly, they were set up with architectural elements lending a full atmosphere to the art and the style of the artist. What this does for the patron of a festival is give them a very thorough visual experience.
I was wondering if this was an up and coming trend for festivals and how it might show in the booths of the artists of the Black Swamp Arts Festival this year. One newcomer artist did very well taking advantage of his space. In this photo, Andrew Van Shyndle, poses briefly with representatives from Montessori School of Bowling Green. Just to the left side you can see the edge of his booth.
Andrew received one of the two highest awards in the festival,Dennis Wojtkiewicz said it was reminiscent of the animated film work of Tim Burton. And Van Schyndle’s booth with a towering superstructure made of wood, only enhanced the effect.
“You enter into this world,” Wojtkiewicz said. “The booth supports the work and vice versa… The complete package is an important part of how you respond.”-from Sentinel-Tribune “Repeat winner, newcomer get top art show prizes” by David Dupont
For artists who make a solid portion of their income from doing art shows and festivals this is an opportunity to not only bring in more sales and be more memorable to the patrons, but also get into more festivals. Part of submitting an application into a festival or art show is your booth image, and that is nothing to take lightly.
My experience, as chair of the Visual Arts Committee for the Black Swamp Arts Festival and president of Bowling Green Arts Council, has given me inside exposure to other sides of the art world. Much of what I have learned over the last few years echoes some points artist Paul Brent covers in the “Brand Yourself for Success” teleseminar* he did with Art Licensing Guru Tara Reed.
From highly qualified jurors and seasoned, successful festival artists, here are some of the inside tips I have gleaned.
- Be memorable! The appearance of the booth and your personality can have a huge impact on sales.
- Your booth is your portable gallery; it should be clean, accesible, and visually inviting.
- Don’t display your work in a dressed-up garage sale style, if you want top dollar. Top dollar comes from showcasing the artwork as a fine pieces of art.
- Booth images: should be non-seasonal, unless you are applying for a seasonal themed show; should never be digitally rendered; should show your current work and style; and should be well lit to show details of all the work inside it.
- Avoid expanding out of your booth space into fire lanes, neighboring artists’ space, foot traffic space, or outside the guidelines presented by the festival or show.
- Be ready for all weather–especially high winds. The best tip I received for high winds was from Debra Purdy, who showed off her tractor weights* and how much less space they took up in her booth.
