Business: Avenues for your work

Business 8: Avenues for your work
Wholesale/Trade shows: These are large shows aimed at galleries, dealers, and stores. Some wholesale shows are exclusively American made craft, some allow imports. There are also several Jewelry and Accessories shows. Look at the exhibitors and their wares to determine if a particular show is right for you.
Wholesale booth fees tend to be higher than retail. The attraction to wholesale is that you fill your production calendar doing 1-2 shows a year, eliminating a lot of travel expenses and time on the road. You also know how much money is coming in to your business each month which helps in business and cash flow planning. At wholesale shows, you are selling your work (product) to stores. The store’s primary concerns are: Price point, does the aesthetic work for their customers.
Have examples of each piece for buyers to look at and easy to read information about the pieces and yourself for them to take.
Shows: Buyer’s Market of American Craft (Philly), ACC Baltimore (wholesale and retail), NY Gift, JA

Retail shows- Juried: Juried art shows have artists selected from images of their work by a panel of judges. The judges base their selections on a variety of criteria, and if you meet those, you are invited to show. Those close to being accepted are sometimes put on a waitlist and will get in if an artist drops out. Retail shows are open to the general public. Local gallery owners will sometimes attend them looking for new work, but the majority of shoppers are looking for themselves.
Be prepared to give a short explanation of your process. Educate your customers! They more they understand about how things are made, the more appreciative of art they are. Be good-natured and friendly- this is one of the keys to being successful in selling. A lot

Personal/Trunk Shows: Personal shows or home shows are great way to reach a concentrated client base. These are usually arranged by customers or representatives for artists normally for one day/night. Because of the invitation only nature of these shows, you get a group of customers who are already interested and familiar with your work. You will get some customers who begin to collect your work. This can lead to commissioned pieces down the road, and are good relationships to pursue.

Consignment: Some galleries will want to take work on consignment- you are paid by the gallery when the work sells. Typically consignment will pay you 50-75% of the retail price. Local consignment and holiday consignment work well. The local galleries I can visit and check in on, making sure that my work looks good, and easily exchanging work. Holiday consignments are a great way to have galleries and stores sell more of your work during the busy buying season without you having to commit your time.

Exhibitions and Publications: Exhibition artists are usually chosen either through a jury process like retail shows or through invitations. Galleries and museums run exhibitions as a way to promote them and draw customers in. If you develop relationships with galleries, they will likely include you on the invitation list for shows that they think suit your work. Keep galleries updated on your latest work. Open calls for exhibitions can be found in the classified sections of the craft magazines, through SNAG and other guilds.
Publications are similar to exhibitions. Check for open calls, and if there is a project that you hear about that interests you, go ahead and contact the person editing or authoring. If you are interested in contributing to a magazine, write up a synopsis of the piece you are interested in writing. Make sure to show your angle or expertise in the area, and send it off for consideration!