How It Started.

I decided to challenge myself this year by setting a goal to vend at least 3 art events. Participating in events has been something I have wanted to add to my art business for a while now. I believe they could provide ONE of the streams of creative income that will allow me to have the artistic freedom I hope to achieve one day. Plus, they are a great way to get out there and socialize with people who may not only come to love my artwork but also could possibly bring artistic opportunities that I am a good fit for.

I had tried doing an event once before a couple years back, so I did have much of the equipment but to do multiple events I felt like I did not have enough to sell. I started painting a handful of smaller originals that I hoped people would be interested in. More stickers were designed and made, and then there came the actual setup. There were a few things I needed to buy, one of which was a solar powered canopy fan. I remembered from the first event I did it was so hot in the tent, and I wanted to be comfortable, not dying in a stuffy tent all day at events. For merch I ended up having stickers, prints, and originals. Oh, and one sculpture that I ended up making as an experiment.

I only had 2 events in mind at first and the 3rd one I applied thinking I would not get in, but I did, and I found out just a little over a month before hand, so it was a mad dash to prepare! It was also the first event I would be doing this year. I was nervous about it but with the help of my amazing girlfriend and her oldest child I got prepared and setup at the event. They proceeded to help me with the rest of the events this year which was an absolute blast. I don’t know how I would of made It through the events without them. Especially the second event.

Event 1

For my first event I did Centerfest Music Festival in Lewistown Montana. I wasn’t really expecting to get in but when I found out that I had I only had about a month to make sure I was ready to go. I was lucky enough to have my booth sponsored as well, which was great! So, because of that, there was no booth charge, but the venue required vendors to get event insurance for their booths for the day which ended up being a small chunk of change. Around $175. As events go it was cool having live music going on and tons of people around but there were not many vendors and the majority of them that were there were for food and drinks. I felt like they were understandably there more for the music and not for the random art booth. They came to spend money on tickets, food, and drinks. Not so much artwork. Not to say I did not make a few sales but if it wasn’t for family, I probably would have lost money on everything. I would %100 go back to the event but probably as a volunteer and not as an art vendor.

Event 2

For the second event I did the Chokecherry Festival in Lewistown Montana. This one was probably the biggest one I took part in this year. There were so many vendors. I think it was about 6 blocks of tents side by side on both sides of the streets. A huge crowd turned out as well and perfect weather. But the day started off pretty rough. First time vendors to the event were required to setup at 5am, so I was awake a little after 4. I really do not know how I would have made it without my girlfriend and her oldest kid. Between not enough sleep, nerves, the cold morning weather during setup, an empty stomach and at the tail end of being sick all week, I felt horrible while setting up. At one point I started to get nauseous, and I was worried maybe I was coming down with the flu which only exacerbated my stress levels. My girlfriend told me to sit and take a breather and not to worry about things, they would finish getting the booth setup. Much to my relief too, once the sun came up and I got some food in me I began to feel way better. The day improved as well once people flooded on by. I was hoping to sell a little more than I had but it was enough that I think I will try and vend the event again. I do think that maybe my art was a little “weird” for a large majority of the crowd. I had one lady pass by saying “This is the stuff of nightmares”. Which I can already tell there will always be some people who have to voice their distaste.

Event 3

The 3rd event was Arts On Fire in Great Falls Montana. This event is a very art centric one. They have tons of artist booths and art activities for people to do. People who come to it are there to see, experience, and purchase artwork. The only downfall is that it is only about a 6 hour event. Not even a full day. But the booth only costed $60, which I felt wasn’t bad at all. This event went great though. Start to finish. I really wasn’t nervous for this one and again I had help and company all day long. I sold a handful of originals, prints, and stickers. We also got to talk to a handful of other awesome artists. Overall my sales were pretty decent and I will %100 be going back to this event in the following years.

Take away

This year has been a great learning experience, and I met my goal of doing 3 art events this year! I will actually be doing one more small one in November too, so I will be surpassing my goal! A few things I learned though:

Events that are not vendor or art centric probably are not the best idea. People are there to spend money on other things and you are a secondary expense for people that most didn’t plan for.
A crowd can be big but not yield many sales. It might be the location, type of event, or just not over all your target market. In my case I think a lot of people for the second event where looking for much more “Montana art” and not so much weird monster art.
The will always be a couple of people that have to voice their dislike for your art. Some people don’t have filters.
Don’t judge people until after you get a chance to talk to them. I had a lady staring at me from across the path who looked disgusted and then she aggressively marched right across the street and into my booth. I thought for sure she was about to say something negative. Instead, she pointed at one of my big paintings I had hanging up and she said “this painting is absolutely amazing! It caught my eye from way over there! It just pops and really draws you in! I love it so much!
A card reader is a must! And actually I need to make a sign outside my tent saying I take card. It’s amazing how many people don’t have one at these events and the large majority of all my sales came from people realizing I take card!
Bring water and snacks and have an extra person to help if possible so you can use the bathroom!
Your friends and families are often your biggest supporters.

Future Plans

Next year I want to do at least 6 events! I think I may do the Chokecherry festival again and the Arts on Fire. As for the other ones, I know there are some bigger multi day ones in spring and fall that are pretty art centric. Also, I have been hearing about some really decent Ren Faires people have suggested to me which would be cool. I would love to expand what I offer too if possible. Add shirts, zines, more sculptures. Maybe even some other products. We will see though. It all takes time, energy and money to make enough things to sell. I have a lot of untapped resources that would allow me to make some really cool things, but I just need to figure out what those things are and just sit down and design them. My hope though is that by doing events it will get my art out there more so I can reach a sustainable income sooner.

Art Vending