A Message from One Artist to Another.

As an artist, I had encountered problems selling my art. My goal is to solve these problems for myself, and other local artists.

Keeping Fragile, Vulnerable Arts and Crafts Safe

Wind, rain, and intense heat can damage the art itself and are not ideal to sell in as a human being. I have sold at events where rain has ruined my original paintings and wind has blown away my printed graphics. I have also decided to not go to events as a guest because it was just too hot to be outside. I have also gone to events and tried selling goods in persistent 33 degree weather. I am really tired of the weather making selling art difficult. It damages the arts/crafts and is a huge hindrance to anyone with health sensitivities. It also can discourage guests from coming out.

Solution -I will offer an indoor event.

Ample, Nearby, Safe Parking

As a guest and as a vendor, I have gone to events where I literally can’t park anywhere and leave, or the only parking is in a very questionable alley. I also don’t want to be parking my car illegally or unsafely. I have told myself it is not worth the safety risk to sell at events that do not offer safe parking. My car being intact is worth much more to me than a day’s worth of sales.

Solution - I want to use a venue with on-site, safe parking.

A Breathe of Fresh Air

There is one big indoor arts/crafts event that everyone knows in town; I have been on a wait list for 2 years. The fair has a set list of vendors and don’t have openings for new people

Solution - I am hoping this event can offer a space for new faces.

Better Communications

Many other events do not have websites, may require you to text someone for a sign up form, or mail in a check. I have gone to fairs where I only found out about it through word of mouth, had to call and email someone’s Gmail to get a form, had to snail mail a check, and then had no confirmation I was in or of my booth space until I showed up the day before the event.

Solution - As a professional graphic designer, I can create a website that is easy to access and sign up for, as a guest and as a vendor. Managing this event is not something I do full time (I have another full time office job), but I will try to my best here.

Vendor Fees that are Affordable to Artists/Artisans

I find that fairs have the problem of being super expensive, thus eliminating emerging artist the chance to sell.

Buying materials and booth equipment is already super expensive for a moonlight artist. Having to risk money on a booth that might not have sales adds to the chance that an artist might not be able to take a shot at sharing their art at all.

Vendor fees should be just enough to cover the area’s expenses. It doesn’t seem right to take more money than is needed from ‘starving artists.’ This can also open up small business artists/artisans ventures for new people who currently are not practicing their talents because other events are too expensive.

Solution - As an artist, I want to lower the cost barrier to sell and share artwork.

Keeping Money Local

I have traveled to other cities for art events, spending money on hotels, gas, food.

Solution - If I am going to spend money trying to sell my art, I would prefer to keep that money in my own area.

Foot Traffic & Marketing

Whether an artist pays 50 bucks or hundreds of dollars, if only 10 visitors show up, it is not worth even the time it took to prepare your art, build booth display pieces, and dedicate a whole weekend to an event, let alone cover the cost of the booth fee.

I am hoping through having a narrow target audience, paid social media ads, and posting posters/flyers at places around town where the target audience congregates at, I can have a good turn out. This even is also planned for Small Business Saturday.

Qualifications Verification

I know this may sound bad, but I personally don’t like selling art near a booth that is selling pyramid scheme vitamins, leggings or catalog products that were made overseas. I think this leaves a sour taste in the visitors mind and diminishes the quality of what people expect to see at a fair. It also then challenges the prices of artisans and craftspeople to compete with these items.

I don’t want a gate keeper to say your art is, or is not "good enough," what I will do is vet whether a hand made craft is going to be sold, VS a mass produced item.

Accessibility

I have gone to fairs where people who use wheel chairs cannot move through the artists’ alley because it was placed in areas with speed bums and curbs, without any access ramps.

There are also people who cannot go outside if the weather is too hot or too cold. By offering an accessible indoor market, this allows for people with sensitivities and disabilities to comfortably enjoy art.

Because It is Fun

The way culture has nurtured me, I was trained to do things only because there was a business value or functional need. Living that way can actually be very unfulfilling. I am trying to do things, because they bring me joy. Having fun things to do, for the artists and for the guests, makes life worth living and enjoyable. Not everything has to have a business value to be of “value” to a community. This event can get people excited, for the sake of it.

Artist tend to sell because they want to share their art. They want to communicate a message, feeling or emotion. Artists typically don’t wake up with a get-rich-quick-scheme in mind of selling art. It is far too easy to loose lots of money in vendor fees and hotel fees trying to travel to sell art.

I hope as an artist, I can understand and shape the event better than another event. I am open to ideas to improve the event it you have any. Please contact me.

-Ellice Sanchez, Event Founder