What type of art market is right for you?

As we get a little closer to the end of winter, it’s time to start thinking about the summer market season. Are you ready for this year’s farmer’s markets and art shows?

The first thing to keep in mind is what type of event is right for the type of art you create. Would your work be a fit for farmers markets or would it sell better at a fine art show?

I have participated in both types of markets and this is what I have found works for me. 

Items that are around $35 to $75 tend to sell well at farmers markets for me. At the farmers market in Dillon for example, I sell lots of fine art prints and functional pottery. The most popular pottery items are definitely mugs, followed by bowls and planters. I also sell lots of small goods like stickers, cards, notebooks and other small items with my art on them.

Original paintings and other higher ticket art items are more likely to sell at a show that is catering to fine art. At my first fine art show last summer this lovely couple below took home one of my favorite original paintings. I had better luck selling original work at this show because customers come expecting to pay a bit more for art.

Now that you’ve thought about what types of shows you want to attend, where do you find them? 

A simple google search is a great way to find local farmers markets. For one off fine art shows I search on Cafe and Zapplication. One thing to keep in mind is that if you are an artist that creates in different mediums (like I do) you will often have to submit an application for each medium you work in. Be sure to budget for the extra application fees if you fall into that category.

Stay tuned for another post this spring about how I set up my booth at markets. What other questions do you have about selling at markets? Comment below with your questions.

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