Art Fair Alternatives - Part I: Two Painters

Art Fair Artists Success Show

Art fairs not working for you? Not getting into the shows where you know you can sell your work? Tired of being on the road? Looking for a new adventure? Meet two painters who can say both yes and no to the questions above. Yes, the art fairs work but they wanted to try some new ideas for marketing their work. Where did they turn? Social media! In March, Carrie Jacobson, a painter from Connecticut, drove from Virginia to Arizona, painting, doing a show and visiting her dad. She found buyers who paid for the whole trip in advance and she had more paintings to sell when she reached her destination. Painter Scott Coleman from Georgia has been doing art fairs forever (I met him at my first art show back in the good old days), but in recent years has been using his blog and Facebook to sell "a painting a day." He sold 365 "Daily Cupcake" paintings in a year and a half. Imagine -- no rejection letters, no booth fees, no storms, just creating art -- and oh, Marketing! Remember, being an artist is 50% creating and 50% marketing. Is there some inspiration here for your art marketing?