Participating in Art Fairs: Tips for Artists

With the emergence of the direct-to-collector art fair model, among other formats, there seem to be more and more opportunities for artists to participate in art fairs. While that may mean there are greater possibilities for emerging artists to exhibit and/or sell their work, it can be hard to sift through them all and to know what to look out for before going forward.

Thinking of giving art fairs a try? We’ve put together some tips to help you decide and determine the best opportunities for you.

Types of art fairs

Art fairs aren’t only places where established galleries lay out substantial sums for a booth to exhibit artists from their rosters. There are other art fair formats out there — some of which are designed to showcase emerging, unrepresented artists and independent projects, and to facilitate direct connections between artists and collectors and art lovers. That means, even if you don’t have gallery representation, it might be possible for you to exhibit at an art fair independently.

There has been an influx of art fairs over the years, taking place in cities around the world, with different focuses, concepts, themes, approaches, etc. Here’s a look at a few of the art fair formats that are specifically geared towards artists.

Artist-focused fairs

Fairs designed to help emerging artists launch their careers and connect with collectors have cropped up internationally. Artist-focused fairs, like Superfine Art Fair and Saatchi Art’s The Other Art Fair, for example — both of which take place in various cities throughout the year — come with participation fees that generally start at around $1600-$2000 and go up from there, depending on the booth size. However, this might also include a certain level of support and infrastructure. Superfine, for example, describes itself as a business artist community, and devotes a substantial marketing budget to reaching collectors who are eager to buy art. But there may also be additional costs for other services.

stARTup Art Fair is another artist-focused fair, taking place in various cities, with a unique approach: the fairs are staged inside hotel rooms. While participation in their fairs in San Francisco and Los Angeles starts at $2000, they also run a ‘Small Works’ edition, with participation fees starting at $500. stARTup’s exhibitor fees include marketing outreach, curatorial and professional development support, a personal artist page on their website, and complimentary fair tickets, among other provisions.

Similar art fairs include Discovery Art Fair, which takes place in multiple cities in Germany, and invites artists, galleries, and project spaces to exhibit alongside one another in order to provide a more level playing field.

Artist-run fairs

Art fairs aren’t always driven by making sales. Another possibility for exhibiting at an art fair may be artist-run fairs. While these fairs don’t necessarily host individual artists, they are open to collectives, artist initiatives and independent projects.

Artist-run fairs are less focused on sales, and more on supporting and showcasing the artist-run sector. Toward this aim, they often offer dynamic public programming alongside the fair presentation itself, including performances, artist talks, discussions, etc. Artist-run fairs can provide a good platform for artists who organize as part of their practice — as a group, collective, project space, etc.

Supermarket - Stockholm Independent Art Fair, which was established in 2007, is a good example of an artist-run fair. With a focus on self-organized, artist-run initiatives, Supermarket also runs a professional networking participants program and other opportunities to meet and discuss during the fair. Supermarket charges exhibitor fees starting at €523 for artist-run spaces and projects, and though individuals cannot apply to exhibit, they can participate in the professional networking program (around €196). Such fairs may also offer support for funding applications to interested participants.

And a new artist-run fair has emerged this year: the non-commercial Juxtapose Art Fair in Aarhus, Denmark will hold its first edition in summer 2021.

Print and art book fairs

These fairs are more specialized, with a focus on medium: namely, books! Simultaneously an art fair and a book fair, this type of fair can be a good option for printmakers, bookmakers, designers, or artists and cultural workers with a publishing practice, for example. They frequently take place in and around art institutions and alongside other events that draw an art-interested audience.

Art book fairs are often also artist-run, and they tend to be more accessible — there often aren’t any entrance fees for visitors, and exhibitor fees tend to be lower (table costs are typically around €50).

The list is quite long, but there’s the well-known Printed Matter, which runs art book fairs in New York and Los Angeles, among others, and was founded in the 70s by a group of artists experimenting with the book as an artistic medium — one that was more affordable, easier to disseminate, and not reliant on gallery systems. As a larger-scale event, exhibitor fees tend to run a bit higher than other art book fairs (e.g., $500–$1200).

There’s also abC (Art Book in China), which takes place in Beijing and Shanghai, Miss Read, which was co-founded by KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Bon-gah Art Book Fair in Tehran, and African Art Book Fair, which usually takes place during the Dakar Biennale, just to name a few.

Finding the right art fair for you

First of all, it’s important to know what you're looking for: what are your reasons and goals for participating in an art fair? What kind of fair would be best suited to your work and needs?

Like finding best-fit opportunities in general, it often comes down to doing your due diligence. That means: research, visit fairs when possible, and ask other artists about their experiences exhibiting at a particular art fair.

Also check fair websites for previous exhibitors to see if your work can be a good fit and whether the level of quality and curation meets your expectations. In fact, look carefully over all available material. Where does the fair take place? What is the application process like? What are the participation fees and what services do they include? Are there additional fees for other services, such as PR, catalog inclusion, etc.?

Find out who the organizers are and what their background is. Does the fair have any sponsors or partners? Who are they? How long has the fair been running? Has it received any press, and in which outlets? What is attendance usually like? And be sure to check not only how many visitors usually attend, but also who attends. Is your target audience represented in the demographics? You may even be able to find sales records from previous years. If you are unable to find specific information or have additional questions, don’t be afraid to contact the organizers and ask.

If you are going to be putting your time and resources into participating in an art fair, you should make sure what is offered, the atmosphere, structure, and quality, align with your work, aims, and expectations.

Artists might sometimes be targeted by an email marketing strategy that directly invites them to participate in an art fair. Be wary of unsolicited offers like this, in general — especially if they tell you you’ve already been accepted (without applying), or they aren’t upfront about participation costs. This might turn out to be a phishing scam. But even if these types of invitations are not necessarily outright scams, they might be less than transparent. Again, doing your due diligence is the best way to know if an art fair is legitimate.

Use platforms like ArtConnect to look for current calls for participation in art fairs from organizations you can trust.

Before you apply

Art fairs don’t necessarily all have the same structures, features, and associated expenses. But, in general, there are a few potential benefits, as well as costs, to weigh before deciding to participate.

The Cons

Although they generally only run for a short time (3-5 days) art fairs can require quite a bit of work and effort, as well as cause a financial burden. This is especially the case if you have to travel and/or transport artwork over long distances.

Even if you participate in an art fair locally, participation usually isn’t free. Booth prices may vary depending on the fair, but for emerging and independent artists it might not be an affordable option. Sure, it can be an investment that artists choose to make in order to gain exposure, network, and sell their work. But there isn’t necessarily any guarantee that the big expense will pay off in the end or that you’ll meet your target in terms of sales, etc.

On top of booth fees, there can be other costs associated with participation in an art fair. These may include an application fee, as well as your own time and resources, shipping and installation costs, marketing outreach, and other materials — depending on the type and level of support the fair provides to its participants.

Another potential downside is that art fairs can become overly saturated, making it hard for an artist to stand out from the crowd. A form of art fatigue, where everything starts to blend together, may start to kick in for visitors. This might mean extra effort, and patience, for you when it comes to attracting potential buyers, curators, etc.

Plus, with all of the travelling, shipping, and materials used for art fairs it’s no surprise that they tend to have a heavy carbon footprint. Increased discussion around sustainability in the art world might lead to changes, however, and the migration of fairs to virtual and hybrid formats as a result of the pandemic may generate more sustainable solutions, as well. But it might still be something to take into account when deciding if and where to participate.

The Pros

One of the obvious benefits of participating in an art fair is that it facilitates face-to-face networking and visibility. Putting yourself and your artwork out there, where potential buyers, curators, gallerists and other art professionals come to see it, can lead to some valuable connections. Of course, you have to be prepared for such interactions — know your pitch, have further examples of your work on hand (e.g., digitally), and be engaging without coming on too strong. But the conditions are ripe for building your network, getting immediate feedback, and making contacts.

And it’s not just about connecting with collectors and curators — though this is important, of course. Participating in an art fair can also be a great opportunity to connect with other artists and to build a sense of community. Meeting other artists may not only be a source of inspiration and support, it can also lead to further connections, exchange, or future collaboration.

A potential benefit of selling your work at an art fair is the possibility of making direct sales without commission, or with a lower commission rate. Selling through a gallery usually means there’s a gallery commission of around 40-50% (though this may vary) on artworks sold. If you sell at an art fair without gallery representation, you might be able to eliminate this cut. That means, you wouldn’t have to take a potential loss on your portion of the earnings from a sale. While some fairs, like The Other Art Fair — which is run by Saatchi Art — take a lower commission on sales (15%), other fairs, like stARTup, don’t charge commission at all.

Some art fairs might even provide support to help you get started networking and selling your work, as well as take care of marketing to a broad network of collectors and art lovers, or offer further opportunities to present your work as part of its public programming.

Art fairs may be a useful tool for independent artists looking to build their network, exhibit their work, and/or meet potential buyers and increase their sales. But they might not always be the most accessible option for everyone. If you’re on the fence about participating in an art fair but are looking to sell your work, keep in mind there may be other ways to connect with collectors and make sales. Test the waters, try out a few things, if possible, and see what works best for you.

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