Reflections On My First Art Festival | Tips For First Time Festival Artists | Millbrae Art and Wine Festival
This Labor Day weekend of 2024, I set up my outdoor shop for the very first official art festival. Millbrae Art and Wine had over 20,000 people come by, there were hundreds of vendors, food, kids events, you name it.
Northern California is the perfect spot for outdoor vending in my opinion.. despite the powerful gusts of wind which flew tents around, there is little chance of rain, mild temperatures, and great vibes. This was a first chance for me to say hello to those in my neighboring town in, and put my art & I out there in this setting.
If you are looking for the insider scoop on what you should expect as a fine artist or are just curious.. here we go!
Paying to play… is it worth the investment?
Before my partner & I packed full my Jeep of the goods to set up shop at 6 am in the morning, I first had to do the applying, planning, spending, and print making for the show.
With this specific festival, I signed up through California Artists which is an organization that fine artists can apply to various shows through. For the arts booths alone, they juried people in based on examples of their work, and photos of their booth set up at other fairs. Since I was a first time shower I had to sketch out a layout of my booth and explain what it would look like.
Spoiler alert: This is what my canopy looked like all jazzed up.
The start up expenses for a business just don’t make you feel good. But, to soothe my mind I counted what I had purchased, as a long term investment that I will be using for years to come. I’d rather spend decent money now in order to not have materials fall apart and to have a professional looking set up.
The large items I purchased were:
An easy up canopy, some fests require them to be white. So I got one to be on the safe side for future events.
Mesh display walls from Flourish Company. (you can mention my name for a discount over the phone!)
A print rack from Blick Art Materials.
A freakin’ sick directors chair with colors to match the aesthetic from Amazon. I was trying to go with a black accent theme, as well as some greens.
White grid walls, which I had from years prior.
A 4-foot table which I also had already.
A sign from Michaels which I DIY-ed writing my business info using a chalk marker (this will save you at least $50)
Overall, on just my booth materials I spent around 1.7k. Yeh, I know its a lot. But the art life is like that.
To me, again, totally is a necessary investment. To show your work nicely means people will look at it with respect, and now you’re all set up, and even get a hefty tax write off! More on my financial makeup soon…
Now, after the acceptance, spending, and planning, its almost time to show off what you made.
How to: Show yourself & your art in person
I really found out its a myth: since you paid for a spot in a huge art fair that a lot of people walking by will come to your booth. That is just false info baby. There were way too many things, people, and tents for everyone to even notice you as they’re walking fast trying to dodge colliding into other people.
But good news is, with the effort you put into your set up, you have the chance to have people look towards your direction in 5 seconds, and maybe stop in if they like what they see.
My top tops for grabbing attention are:
Paint or print your business details on the top of your canopy. This will help people know what’s inside. If they like art, they will notice you from yards down and be more likely to stop in. Having your name up there helps too.
Don’t be afraid to put your chair on the edge of your front entrance, talking to people by saying hi as they walk by. I love to have people see me, to know its a real person waiting for you to see what they have. Most of the time if the vendor hangs in the back then its hard for people to even want to peak in far enough to see you.
Think about doing a free little giveaway to attract eyes and new subscribers to your newsletter. I gave away a free framed print of my oil painting “Warm Sequoia Forest”. For this exchange, I gained 11 new emails. Its a start:)
Just look friendly, and smile. Show off your true self here, people can sense the fairness if you exude it. It helps if you truly take in the moment of that- these people are seeing local crafters, and it was very unlikely you were ever to meet them unless you set up shop here like you have. It is a special experience.
Featuring the DIY sign I made! I accidentally drew it upside down from the back hanger holes so I had to hold it up with that string this time, lol.
How much I made…
Let’s just say, I didn't make my money back lol. I definately spent a lot more of time, energy, and money than I gained. It was a little bit of a bummer in that moment, knowing there were so many people there that didn’t really give the chance to look at my art or offerings. However, I am not taking it personally, because at fairs which corn dogs and cotton candy are served, are not likely attracting the mood of “Lets spend hundreds of dollars on paintings”. And I get it.
I do have to admit, at my level of career and cohesion in my work, I am NOT above this level of fair. I do think I need to bite the bullet until I find my marketable niche, and heck, these types of art collectors might not be at the Millbrae Art and Wine festival at all. I may have to travel elsewhere, or do outdoor festivals related to my specific subject matter and style. But if they still serve corn dogs at the other festivals I apply to, it won’t stop me completely.
So if you are figuring out the same thing for yourself, don’t be afraid to try. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and especially being products of your soul. Overtime we will all figure it out together.
What now?
I will definitely be doing more of these, next year. Be mindful of the extremely early application submission dates for art fairs. Some that are happening in summer need you to submit your application in January. Now, I will be planning away, and making more works of art.
I am so very grateful for all my friends, and friends of friends who came out specifically for me. I know that so many just want to show support and I really am happy for every action shown by them. To the strangers who stopped in and said kind words, or even bought something, are the main reason why showing your work is so special. You can enhance someones life through something you made, and they show thanks by trading it for money. They want what you made with your bare hands.
I also get to find out which works of mine people gravitate towards. Truthfully, I am still in my exploration phase of my subject matter and style of painting, so I am happy to get any feedback on what the market of art lovers want to see from me. Of course, I semi listen to this- because making and putting out what YOU want is the most important.
I hope you are a little more enlightened on what a live outdoor art festival can feel like. And I encourage you with everything in me to be open to showing your work, if not here, then somewhere. People deserve to see what you have to created.
Feel free to comment with any questions you may have.
Best of happiness to you,
Rosalie Angelillo
