This is a very special article written by guest author Joshua Kasper! Please see all the great stuff Joshua is working on through the following links:

artbaselandbeyond.com

The Business of the Art Fair and Why it Matters to You!

So here you are … an artist looking to sell your work. You place it in a few galleries and sell online via your website and IG, but how are you really getting noticed? Here is what you need to know. Selling art is about “eyes on art” and how many eyes you have seeing your pieces. Think about it this way, if your pieces are in one gallery and online then you are limited to the amount of eyes that will see your work. Online art sales is kind of a black box and gallery sales is dependent upon the reputation and client list of the gallery. So where does this leave you? How can you get maximum exposure without having to be featured in a widely distributed magazine (or other publication) or a blue-chip gallery?

The answer is shockingly simple, the art fair. Art fairs attract 100s and 1000s of guests per day. Usually, fairs run for 3-5 days and accept submissions from galleries and/or artists depending on who it is geared for. Some fairs accept submissions from both artists and galleries. A few crucial things to know about the fairs and collectors.

Collectors want to have a relationship with the artists and or gallery. Buying art is an emotional experience and hinges on both the quality of the work and the relationship you build with your collectors.
That being said, when a gallery featuring your work is at an art fair you must make sure you are present either in the booth if the gallery invites you or as a visitor. It is crucial for collectors to be able to engage with you. If you are exhibiting as an artist; of course, it is a given that you will be present.
To get into an art fair takes a lot of submissions and you need to determine which fairs are for artists and which are for galleries and which are for both. You cannot give up. The art fair is crucial to having “eyes on art” and it is where collectors go to see a wide swath of artists in one swoop.

I would highly recommend researching Art Expo New York, The Affordable Art Fair, Red Dot, Spectrum, Art Miami, Context Art Santa Fe. The list is endless and the key is to search for the companies that host such fairs like Redwood Art Group. Art Market Productions is another great company to familiarize yourself with.

Thanks for reading!

Please reach out to Joshua if you have any thoughts or comments: josh@artbaselandbeyond.com