The Key To A Successful Art Fair
There are no hard and fast rules about making an art fair a success, but at Art Surrey, we want you to do exceptionally well and make the most of your investment. Fraser and Carol & John (as Caiger Art) have over 10 year’s experience of exhibiting at both national international art fairs, so we want to share some tips with you to enhance your exhibiting experience.
We have found when it comes to hanging, visitors are put off by stands that look: Busy, Overhung or Overwhelming.
Visitors are attracted to stands that look: Minimalist, Easy on the eye, Not too crowded and Easy to take in.
Our Top Tips:
Hang work as cohesively as possible. Look at the flow of the artwork on the stand.
Allow enough white space for each piece to breathe. Overhanging can make the stand look cluttered and difficult for people to visually pull out individual works.
Use your central facing wall as a wow factor draw - either with one large piece or a triptych. This will catch the visitor’s eye as they pass and also bring them in - and is a good talking point!
Clear away debris, bags, water bottles, lunch etc along with any excess stock and put them storage
Don’t display artwork on the floor of the stand or leaning against the stand walls.
Your stand should be an inviting space that doesn’t feel too crowded or intimidating to walk up to.
Avoid narrow entry points to your stand if you need a chair, make sure it is placed sensibly at the side of your stand. A good tip is to have a tall stool or chair, so that you can still sit down but are also at a higher talking level ready for engagement with the visitors.
Be super engaging - smile and talk to visitors going by, give good eye contact without looking desperate! Look like you are interested and approachable and enjoying the fair. Avoid prolonged looking at phones, or long group chats with the other artists.
Be present on your stand at all times. If you need to leave your stand for a comfort break, Ask one of the Art Surrey Team to take over whilst you are away, never leave your stand unattended.
Don’t be tempted to sit in a chair away from your stand - the visitor’s don’t know who you are - they may want to engage with the artist but if the stand is deserted, they won’t be bothered to look for you!
Don’t be afraid to mix things up on your stand throughout the fair, especially if you feel you have had a lack of response from visitors about some of the artworks on your walls. Re-hanging freshens up the stand and can put the spring back in your step if there is a lull during the fair.
Artwork prices should be clearly marked and easily seen from a distance.
Consider the price point of your exhibited pieces. It is very much in your interest to have a wide range of prices available. While Art Surrey has a selling criteria of £50 to £3,000. It is advisable to have the majority of your original artwork priced over £250 and unframed prints over £50. The average sale price at an Art Surrey fair is around £600. A high proportion of artworks sold at Art Surrey are £400 plus with some works selling for over £5,000.
Don’t be tempted to sell merchandise, Art Surrey is not a craft fair. Selling anything other than original art or prints that you are known for only lessens the credibility of your artwork. Please see our FAQ's for artwork criteria.
The sale of greeting cards and postcards is not allowed, although these may be given away within your stand for marketing purposes.
Don’t forget, If you are new to exhibiting at art fairs, we are very happy to talk to you individually about your stand.