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Do This! |
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| Current Issue: January 3, 2005 | |||
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IN
THIS ISSUE
What's Going On:
Announcements /Classes |
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The Do This! newsletter is sent only to subscribers. You can subscribe using the instructions in the column at left. Instructions for unsubscribing and changing your email address are at the bottom of each issue delivered to your inbox. : : A BRIEF NOTE : : I'd like to express my condolences to anyone and everyone who has been affected by the tragic earthquake and tsunamis in southeastern Asia. For those who are fortunate to have your health and family intact, I hope you will consider donating whatever you can to the relief efforts. Money is what they need most urgently. Our local daily paper recently listed these agencies, although I'm sure there are many more worthy recipients in- and outside of the U.S.:
Thank you. WHAT'S GOING ON : : e-Class:
SETTING UP YOUR ART BUSINESS : : : :
e-Class:
A MARKETING PLAN THAT WORKS FOR YOU : : : : Workshop:
FROM FRAME TO FAME : : |
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| DO THIS: EXPAND INTO NEW MARKETS | |||
I'd be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every time I heard this: "I know I'd be more successful if I only lived in New York." Or, "I know my work would sell in a Santa Fe gallery." Admit it. How many times have you thought or said something like that? Well, it just isn't true. You must be able to sell your work locally before you can expect to sell it in another city. Why, after all, would a gallery dealer in Santa Fe be interested in your work if you can't even prove you can sell it to the people you know in your hometown? Think of your home environs as a testing ground if nothing else. Experiment. Change. Shake things up. Sell. Get articles written about you. Sell more. After several years of consistent work and marketing, you can begin to recognize trends and patterns. You will know what works and what doesn't. Then you can take your show on the road. When looking for new places to sell your work, consider the following:
►Does your work fit with the local aesthetics? In other words, if you're a Maine artist painting lighthouses, don't waste a moment trying to find a market in the Rocky Mountains. ►Do you know anyone there? Are you willing to make contacts? Those of you who have been reading this newsletter for some time know that the last criterion is the most important one. Using your contacts--networking--is the best way to get into a new market.
Identify potential sites and galleries. Use a tool like the Art in America Annual Guide to Museums, Galleries, Artists. It comes out every August and is free with an annual subscription, but is also available in the magazine section of your local bookstore. If you can't find a copy, try contacting the magazine staff at http://www.artinamericamagazine.com After you have identified several places you think might be good fits for you, make plans to visit. This is extremely important. It will help you eliminate places that look good on paper (or on the Web), but are awful in person. Perhaps the lighting is terrible, the staff is rude, or it's in a terrible location. You want to know these details before you waste any more time. While you're in the new city, pick up every piece of information you can get your hands on: art newspapers and newsletters; brochures; business cards; etc. Memorize them. [Oh, yeah, and try to schedule your trip to coincide with a gallery walk or other significant event where you can meet people.] Upon return home, enter your new contacts in your database and send them an "It-was-nice-to-meet-you" card. Stay in touch and begin planning your next visit. |
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| KNOW THIS | You must first make a reputation locally before you can think about expanding into new markets. | ||
| THINK ABOUT THIS | Why should anyone far away be interested in your work if you can't prove you can sell it to the people you already know. | ||
| DO THIS |
If you already have potential new markets on
your radar screen, delve into the research. Use the Internet to help.
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TIP / FIND OF THE WEEK: Digital Jury Process Alert reader Ron Diorio (NY, NY), found this article about the digital jury review process. http://bermangraphics.com/artshows/digitaljuryreview1.htm I know many artists are using the Zapplication process described in the article to apply to arts festivals, which happen to be mainly in the Western U.S. If you aren't aware of it, find out more at http://www.zapplication.org Note: See the menu in the upper left of this page to view popular topics from past issues. |
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Copyright © 2005 Alyson B. Stanfield, Stanfield Art Associates. All rights reserved. I encourage you to forward all or part of this newsletter as long as you include the above copyright information and this link: http://www.artbizcoach.com . Internet Explorer users can forward this page by selecting "File," then "Send" then "Page by E-mail." The Do This! newsletter is sent only to subscribers. You can subscribe using the instructions in the column at left. Instructions for unsubscribing and changing your email address are at the bottom of each issue delivered to your inbox. |
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ALYSON
B. STANFIELD STANFIELD ART ASSOCIATES,
INC. |