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Promoting Your ART!
by Lynda Sappington
Okay, so you're a fine artist, fine craftsperson, artisan, whatever. You make all this nifty *stuff* -- what do you do with it? Eventually, you'll run out of room to display it at home, and at some point your spouse/ parent/ significant other is going to wonder why you don't try to recoup some of the costs of producing this *stuff.* What do you do? You figure out ways to sell it! That's what this column is for. You can help by sending in:
Tell us what worked, what didn't, and why. You can also help your fellow artists by sending us your opinions on the following:
We're all in this art business together, and we can be a great help to each other. Email us at artfaces@aol.com. Share your stories!
Kay Robbins (NewKay) has sent in a story to get us started:
[I read in the paper that] one of the realtors in Myrtle Beach, SC, has a thing going where they use their nicer listed homes for sale as "galleries." They invite local artists of their choice to hang art in the homes. The original art really makes the homes look nice and occasionally the buyer will purchase the art that has been chosen by a decorator and is just the perfect piece for that certain spot.
One of the ways to move your career ahead is by getting your name known. You can accomplish this in numerous ways. You can donate to a local art auction or to an auction benefiting some organization that fits with your specialty. For instance, I do equine art, and have donated work to Pony Club and other equine groups' auctions. Watch your local newspapers for announcements of local restaurants and colleges looking for art to decorate their buildings, or for show announcements. Join a local art association, or a national or international one in your specialty. These associations usually provide information on upcoming shows and on venues to display your art, complete with contact info, as well as hosting shows themselves. When you win an award or get juried into a prestigious group or show, send out press releases saying so!
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Whenever you have an "accomplishment" in your art career (such as getting your work seen online via AFAP), you can send a press release to your local papers, to magazines that are involved in your specialty, to regional publications, etc. For example, if you've designed and created a trophy for a specific horse show, send press releases to every horse publication, every horse show organization (in that specialty), and every art publication that is open to your kind of work (I, for instance, wouldn't send a press release about my sculpture to a watercolor magazine.) Think about your choices of press coverage. Always include a contact name and number (yours, if the article is about you!). Always include a good clear photo, and color photos are usually fine even for B/W reproduction. It's best to contact the publication to find out what kind of image they prefer to receive. If you send them an excellent photo of something that really strikes them, it could land on the cover! So be sure your photos are as sharp, clear and well-lighted as possible!
This article is just the tip of the iceberg, something to get you started thinking in a self-promotion vein. Please send in your ideas on marketing and self-promotion. We can learn a lot from each other!
Lynda Sappington is an equestrian sculptor and the Editor of ARTVoices.