Artist Statements: The What, How & Why

I talk a lot about the importance of photography for artists because I believe very strongly in the power of great visuals to SHOW your talent. With that said, there are going to be times when you need to TELL people more about yourself as an artist, and the most common format is an Artist Statement. Can you describe your art and your style in a quick couple of paragraphs? Whether you're applying to a gallery or an art fair, you'll likely need this kind of writeup handy to help the judging parties get to know your How, What and Why. Let's review what makes for a strong Artist Statement as well as some tips to make your writeup memorable.

Time to Apply: Cherrywood Art Fair

The most wonderful time of year will be here before we know it. That's the handmade holiday shopping season in case you were wondering. Chula League's Cherrywood Art Fair has become a classically Austin event that happens the second weekend of December. If you offer giftable fine art and handmade items, this show would be a great opportunity to get in front of lots of buyers. Plus, there's music, food, family entertainment and more. The Artist Application is now live, and ready to hear from you. Below I've outlined more details about what to expect. Good luck!

Time to Apply: Blue Genie Art Bazaar

The holiday season is one of the best times sales opportunities for artists and handmade business owners. If you have work that is easily giftable, consider Blue Genie Art Bazaar. This event is unique in that it's open for a full month and showcases a wide range of talent. Artists aren't on site the whole time which allows them to keep making items. The application went live in May, but there is still plenty of time to submit. Just be sure you get everything in by August 10th. Here are some key considerations.

Time to Apply: East Austin Studio Tour

East Austin Studio Tour is one of our city's most unique art events organized by Big Medium, and the application period for 2018 opens July 10th. If you have a studio space within the East boundary or you have a place you can show your work, this is a great event to connect with art collectors. What do you need to know about applying? Here's a run down from a long time attendee with insights into application guidelines as well. Good luck!

10 Steps to Better Art Jury Photos

To anyone outside of the art world, Jury Photos is a pretty unknown term. However, as we’ve talked about, for fine artists and crafters alike, this category of photography is crucial to exposure and often, success. To get into art shows, competitions and exhibits, you need examples of your work to share with the judges, usually referred to as a Jury. This group of artists, curators and art industry professionals come together to help pick which artists should be included. They are given a set of criteria to evaluate each submission, and in most cases, they’re only looking at the photography, a.k.a. a Blind Jury. These images need to accomplish a number of things – from showing your talent and professionalism to indicating cohesiveness of your style and fit for the category. These juries may go through hundreds of applications, so your photography has to work its magic quickly. How do you make sure your Jury Photos really shine? Whether your just starting out with juried art events or ready to improve your acceptance rate, these tips are designed to help you present your best self.

Pearl Kissed     |     Sunshine Clay     |     Dalton Designs     |      Mary Winsett     |     Sandra Ross

Art Event Applications in the Digital Age

Some of you may remember the good old days of filling out and mailing paper applications for art shows. When you hear jury photos, you probably think of slides since that was the format of choice. Thankfully, as we've made our way into the digital era, you can now apply online and with digital images. Not only does this save you the postage, but it also makes the process easier and more efficient so you can submit to a wider range of shows. Truth be told, online platforms like Zapp have streamlined applications for the artists and the organizers as well. If you aren't registered on any of these sites, I highly recommend taking a look at their events to see how they might boost your exposure. I've compiled a list to help you get started exploring these opportunities. If you know of any others that you'd recommend, I'd love to hear about it. Happy Applying!

Art Jury Photo Deep Dive

We've talked before about different types of photography artists need to promote their work. For event focused artists I would argue that jury photos are one of the most important categories. Why? Because that's often how the judges decide whether or not to include you in an event. I'd like to take this opportunity to dive deeper into the jury process and how you can be sure your images represent you in the best light.

Considerations for Applying to Any Art Event

I've heard many artists and crafters mention that they need every opportunity they can get to show their work. With that said, not all events are going to be a good fit for your talent. It's important that you weigh the options and consider the possible outcomes before applying. No one wants to invest the time and money in a show that doesn't yield a profit. While you can predict everything (like the weather), you should ask yourself  a number of questions to gauge how this event suits you.

• How much does is cost to apply and participate?
• What is the likely size and makeup of the audience?
• Where is the event held? Indoor, outdoor, amenities? 
• How many vendors will be there? What type of arts? 
• Are you likely to make a profit or at least break even? 

The goal is to help you prepare for success and know when to seek out a different show. Yes, there are going to be some you should avoid. Consider the following every time you're applying to a new event so you focus on only those that are best for your handmade business!

Art Event Application Best Practices

While we just hit summer, we're officially in the season of important application deadlines for winter and holiday art events. In Austin that means Blue Genie Art Bazaar, Cherrywood Art Fair, East Austin Studio Tour and more. Knowing that many of you artists and crafters sell the most during gift giving occasions, I wanted to highlight a few tips for entering art events so you have the greatest chance at acceptance. In future posts we'll move on to how you can be successful once you're in a show. I want to help you demonstrate to the organizers and jurors why you'd be a great fit!

Do Artists Really Need Photography?

Interesting question... The answer to this is one of the most important things I can share with you, not only as a Photographer myself, but also as a Marketer, a fellow Artisan and even more simply as a potential Buyer. Let me paint you a hypothetical picture:

You're a talented Artist, and you make beautifully crafted pieces that catch the eye of quite a few buyers. You find that your work sells really well when people see it in person, but you struggle to get enough opportunities to sell. Maybe you apply to every art show in your area, hoping you'll be accepted for at least a few. How great would it be if you could be accept by most, if not all? Then there are those of you who decided to take your offline success and have a go at online sales, but your work isn't moving. Other artists with equal talent seem to be selling. What are you lacking?