Art Festivals?
Art Festivals?
Questions from a year without traveling art shows
The other day I had someone ask, “Are you still painting?” For those of you who follow me online, you may have been as surprised as I was at this question. But, I often forget that many people I know (including some of my amazing and loyal collectors) do not frequent an online social media world nor receive my virtual updates or newsletters. His question was of sincere and kind concern. Since there have been no in-person art events or shows this past year, was I ok?
Was I still painting?
This question actually haunted me at the beginning of the pandemic. With art festivals closing, how would I still be able to keep painting and selling my work?
Over the years I have often pondered this idea - could I continue art making (as a business) without traveling to art shows and festivals? With my licensing and online sales continuing to take a greater share of my revenue stream each year, I often thought it might be possible - but with a responsibility to share in support of my family financially, I was too afraid to take the risk.
Then came the pandemic. And somehow, through the grace and kindness of online shoppers and supporters, I continued my art making. I shared my work via Instagram, YouTube, Etsy, my Newsletter, my website, a new sales site, and in the beginning, via Facebook (which I have since discontinued). As you may have noticed, I have found other new avenues too (such as my artist’s notes here on Substack). I’ve been putting more work and effort into these online avenues than I ever have before, and continue to look at new ways to share my art making online.
For more about some of my online marketing choices this past year, you can check out my Substack Post, “Art Marketing”.
And through it all, I continued selling my art - without renting vans and lugging around my tent, walls and artwork with me; without traveling long distances and staying in hotels or campgrounds on my own, far from home; without days or weeks away from my family; without gallery openings or studio showings. I was amazed. I was, and continue to be, very grateful. For everything that everyone has gone through this past year, I happened to be one of the lucky ones.
I survived a year without art shows.
Now, however, art festivals are once again looking ahead and hoping for the best, as predictions (and hope) for fewer restrictions seem to be within reach. I receive several invitations to apply to new shows daily. After surviving this past year, it’s tempting to ignore them all and continue down this path I’ve forged in their absence. But, as I contemplate this new revelation (I survived without art shows!?), and my path going forward (should I - and even CAN I - get back on the art show circuit?), I’m going to take a moment here with you and reflect on the lessons I’ve learned from this past year sans in-person events.
I like exploring new ideas and new ways of art making, letting my whim take me down any path I choose. It feels amazingly freeing to approach art in such a way, but because it’s difficult to do so when always applying to art shows (and needing a consistent body of work to apply to those shows), I have often stopped myself from approaching art in this way. (It also can make it more difficult to maintain an online audience too (you know, that whole branding thing), but so far my fans have been very supportive, for which I am very grateful!)
I have more time for art making! Without all the travel, packing, and print & merchandise making, I spend more time at my easel. And all this new time has allowed me to re-think other ways in which I could free up my time. I’m in the process of closing down my personal print shop (for making digital reproductions of my work) and replacing it with true art printmaking processes & supplies (silkscreen, monotypes, etc.) I’ve decided to outsource all my reproductions in the future, which was a giant decision as it has been a staple of my income at in-person shows for my entire art career thus far.
The virtual world offers more tools and opportunities than I had realized for sharing and selling my art, enabling me to pick and choose which social/marketing/selling sites work best for - emotionally, socially and financially.
However, I miss the art show interactions that provided me with the immediacy and depth of a personal response. I found such feedback inspiring and motivating. And while I do love those little heart emojis, it can’t replace seeing the joy, curiosity, or interest elicited by a piece of art in person. It also can’t replace the conversations which illuminate how my work is viewed and can lead me to explore greater depth and discipline in my process.
I actually do miss time alone on the road. Granted, I don’t want to be on the road all the time, but I enjoy the quiet independence of occasional solo travel. For while I might not always show it, I definitely have introverted tendencies. And while I thoroughly enjoy those in-person conversations that I’ve missed, they also exhaust me. Future solo travel time may be better paired with vacation time or more leisurely work (such as plein air painting tours) than all the work that is entailed in a traveling show booth tent display, which is also very exhausting.
Will I even be accepted into shows again? After more than a year of veering off my usual, more recognized art making path, can I even (a) put together a cohesive group of work to be juried and (b) will a jury even want to accept my newer work? In the past my work, which has been balancing somewhere on the line between fine art and commercial art, was recognizable and easily accepted into mid-level shows with occasional acceptance into bigger shows. The jury fees (which could easily add up to hundreds of dollars, especially as I might need to jury in multiple categories now at $30-$50 a pop) were easily accepted as part of my expenses in the past. Now, however, I’m not sure I’m as comfortable blindly throwing my money into these unknowns.
Then there’s the risk - physical and financial. Will we actually be able to have art shows safely anytime soon and will the same level and number of customers show up to attend? In a good year, art festivals were already a bit of a gamble. Having a great show as a painter often depends on those one or two customers who fall in love with that one original. If attendance is down, so are the chances of finding those few customers and having a worthwhile show.
And finally, once an online audience is no longer completely held captive as physical distancing restrictions are lifted and we all venture back out into the world more, will I still be able to maintain an art business completely online?
Was surviving this past year a fluke?
Well, as much as I’d like to know the answer, I don’t. Can I sustain my online sales? Will I find more followers with my new work or will I lose the followers I had? Do I have the inventory and consistency of style to fill a show booth? Will my next show booth experience by fraught with anxiety or filled with fun new moments and interactions? And now, with show deadlines fast approaching (or in some cases passed), decisions need to be made. I can only assume the shows themselves are struggling with how to proceed too as they seem to be trying extra hard to get artists to apply (I’ve seen several shows already postponing deadlines, changing show dates, and sending their news and updates much more regularly). Have we already lost too many of our long-treasured artists of the art festival circuit? Will there be new artists willing/able to fill a void? (Based on seeing first hand what the Great Recession did to the artist and show circuit community when we lost many artists to finding other jobs when art show revenues declined.) Will the art festivals have the financial support to fully continue and support their artists and communities? Will high-caliber art shows still be able to sustain their quality after this tumultuous year? It seems this will be another difficult year full of unknowns for many of us - including in this little corner over here where my uncertainty of whether to apply to shows is considered. Whether you are involved in the arts in some way or not, I’m sure there are many questions being considered in your corner too, and I want to wish you well and good guidance on your journey! Uncertainty is a difficult path to follow, but hopefully our future may feel a little brighter just now.
A glimmer of hope.
As I wait for my turn to be vaccinated (soon!) I see relief and excitement in the people around me as Spring arrives with more outdoor activities (and knowing how to safely enjoy them), grandparents are being vaccinated, schools are being re-opened (at least here in Oregon where we’ve been virtual-only for the last year), and optimism is slowly replacing fear, even as we remain cautious while grieving collective and individual losses. As I reflect personally on the challenges and accomplishments of this past year, it’s time to also consider the future and the options and opportunities that lie ahead. And as I contemplate this path before me, I’m sincerely grateful I can say “yes, I am still painting”. And now, more than ever, I’m painting filled with a new sense of focus, purpose, storytelling, and most of all - filled with hope.
May we meet once again (or for the first time!) down the road soon.
Cheers,
Jennifer
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