A Site for Emerging Artists
Posts tagged strategies
Perseverance and Results
Dec 9th
Guest blogger Jacqui Hawk shares how she visualized and created success this year. Through giving and sharing, she received a bounty in return.
By Jacqui Hawk
My blog is full of posts about charities I have supported this year; The Painted Bra Art Project, which went viral on Facebook, Trees for Life in Edinburgh which I also attended and joyfully brought me together with my father whom I recently found after 42 years! Another very special post was “Paying it Forward,” a post about Jack Burke and Joey Middlemiss – two little boys each challenged in different ways, but connected with their courageous hearts and spirit and the paintings I did for each of them.
Many artists feel that charity events are ultimately not a win/win … I appreciate that you have to be selective! The ones I have given to have personally given back to me threefold. Artists could perhaps negotiate a 50/50 split of the silent auction profits if they find themselves doing a lot of fundraisers. The goal is to give quality art and raise a lot of money to achieve these goals. I believe it has to be a fair arrangement.
In January of 2011, I had a clear vision of my success and tried to visualize what that looked like and work towards it. I have been dedicated to painting every day. I get up early and paint for an hour before work and then paint for 2-3 hours in the evening, juggling a full time job at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. Managing my time - life as a Corporate Project Manager has helped me keep on task, stay structured and achieve goals.
I took part in 21 events this year (gallery exhibits, solo shows, and fundraisers) This clearly helped raise awareness for my art. When I google my name now, there are about 30,000,000 more than last year.
I invested in a new website. This is very important I believe. Being one in a sea of thousands on a third party website was not for me. My goal in 2012 is to build my own “shop” on my own site.
I embraced Facebook, and created a Facebook business page where I organized all my paintings for sale, sold, etc. I network with a lot with artists all over the world on Facebook and Twitter, many of whom are becoming great friends. I make sure that I’m very visible in the art world on Facebook, and I am totally inspired by the amazing work I see being created. I make a point to share the work of artists I love; they also do the same for me and so the energy and momentum builds.
I network and collaborate extensively with other artists, especially those whose styles are very different to mine; great things can happen! Because of this, I receive many invitations to join other artists in new gallery opportunities.
An example of this is “Art Reach,” a collaboration between St. Joseph Hospital and six artists to “harness the healing power of art.” I painted a huge 6 x 6 ft canvas in the dark during the terrible October East Coast snow storm by candlelight.
I am a member of several art associations, and this year I became a regular artist member of 263 Art Gallery in Nashua. This gave me a lot more exposure. I intend to widen this net next year. I went through a huge attitude change this year. Every time I felt like giving up because I came away from a show where I sold nothing, it made me dig deeper and deeper and become so much more resilient – and I enjoyed 33 sales this year! You recognize those moments as a ‘turning point’ in your artistic journey. It’s not a race, and success is different for everyone. I intend to pay my art dues, showing up at my easel every day because I love what happens in those magic moments.
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Boost Your Business – Get Some Press!
Dec 5th
By Carolyn Edlund
Courtesy Barbara Jean Lloyd
One of the best ways for artists to gain visibility is to get the media to help promote them. Put together an attention-getting press release, perfect your pitch, and get ready for some great results. Here’s how to get started:
Tell Your Story – People are always interested in fascinating stories, and as an artist, you can give them one. Put lots of thought into writing a well-composed, succinct but compelling story about your work, your background, your inspiration, your philosophy, etc. Use your best images to make the story irresistible. The purpose here is to create a buzz. Keep the story short and to the point (300-500 words at most), making sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors.
Create your press release – Press releases should be written in third-person with an understanding that the reporter needs a hook to write a great headline. Check this article for tips on writing one, plus a press release format you can also use.
Interviews are even better! Although you’ll want to send out press releases, getting interviewed by a reporter or blogger is even better. Do your networking on LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+ to connect with bloggers, writers, reporters and other media people. Make connections both nationally and in your hometown, because you will want to appeal to both. To find local media people, do a city search on Twitter, and follow them. As you communicate and build rapport, you are in a better position to get those interviews.
Become a source – Subscribe to HARO, where you can pitch to any reporter needing a source for your particular expertise. Customize your pitches when you respond for a higher chance of getting some press exposure.
Looking to guest blog? Target popular blogs which cater to the audience you want to reach. It’s best if you break the ice by being a subscriber, commenting on and sharing their blog content on social media. Rather than starting a long conversation to ascertain whether you can submit an article, send the blogger an email with an article which is ready to go. You may be surprised, but many times bloggers need material and are willing to use your story. Just make sure it’s not “me, me, me” but an entertaining, useful or compelling read of real interest to their audience.
Want to get your product featured on national TV? If you are ready to take your story and your product to a national level, check out this article on Preneur.net about pitching your work. You will have to have a very professional website, and be able to deal with a huge traffic surge when your work goes on air. Good luck!
Have you gotten great press? Please share your techniques, and link to the article!
Find out more about Barbara Jean Lloyd's artwork by visiting her website.
Interview with an Art Show Promoter
Dec 1st
Jodie Woodward
Jodie Woodward is the owner and Show Director of the Virginia Beach Surf Art Expo. Each year she promotes the show and its artists by producing a calendar featuring their work. She agreed to give her viewpoint on the current state of retail shows and how artists can better market and sell their work.
AS: What mistakes do you see artists making in marketing themselves?
JW: Here’s a pet peeve of mine. Artists who have unprofessionally made websites are not doing themselves any favors. They should invest in a web designer if they don’t have the knowledge on how to create a website. There are plenty of freelance web designers out there – they are artists of their own trade. This is your electronic showroom – it’s that important!
I go to a lot of art shows to meet and find artists who meet the criteria for my event. If I am following up with an artist at a later date, and directed to their “contact page” from their website, it really bothers me if I have to fill in the blocks and give my info and then they will contact me. That’s defeating the purpose. I am the one trying to make the contact and can’t because they don’t have an email on their website or on their business card. Artists – actually anyone doing business – should be as accessible as possible for potential sales. What if a buyer is interested in purchasing their art? It doesn’t make sense.
AS: As a promoter, what are you doing to create visibility for individual artists, and also educate them on how to sell more work?
JW: To feature an artist, we select one person who designs the poster art and Official T-Shirt of the event. This creates a marketing profile for the individual artist. We continue to use their theme in our print advertising and event signage. We have a huge 15′ high x 35′ wide scaffolding where the artist’s work is transferred to the scrim that covers the scaffolding.
If I’m working with a new artist, I suggest they subscribe to Sunshine Artist Magazine. That trade publication really helped to get me on my feet. It’s a great resource. I still subscribe to this day and enjoy reading it and seeing what other shows are up to. I also recommend that the artist know about Etsy and Facebook. To be prepared for the event, I suggest that the artists have items for sale in every price range. You have to be accommodating for every customer in this economy.
AS: Do you know any success stories of artists who went above and beyond to create a lot of buzz and improve sales of their work?
JW: What comes to mind are the artists who set up demos and paint at my show. People really like that and it motivates sales when they see how art is made. Not everyone can do that, it’s hard to stay focused on creativity and sales. In addition, the artist we select as the Official Poster and T Shirt design gets a lot of buzz as well. Being a surfing event in conjunction with the Virginia Beach Surf Art Expo along the boardwalk, we are capable of really blowing up this artist’s work that is very visible, due to the event signage is on a huge scaffold . It’s a focal point of the event. I love how delighted the artist is when they see their artwork at such a large scale.
AS: In this tough economy, exhibitors are critical of shows in general and concerned about their sales. What is your viewpoint on the current state of shows, and what have you found to be effective in gaining attendees and driving sales?
JW: Event attendance is down and so are sales nationally. We are all working twice as hard for less money. Economies are cyclical – we are just in it deep right now, but I am grateful that I can promote art in a beautiful setting with the Atlantic Ocean as our backdrop.
I’m fortunate that my event is in the heart of a resort town that has a substantial marketing budget and Memorial Day Weekend is one of the most promoted weekends as it launches the beginning of the summer season. The Steel Pier Classic & Surf Art Expo is held on this 3 day holiday weekend at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, so there is built in tourism traffic. The City of Virginia Beach resort and tourism department loves our event as it gives the tourists more to do. I showcase the local artists who live here – so that tourists can take home something handmade and remember their visit with a beautiful painting or artifact.
We also honor our military on Memorial Day Monday with a Paddle Out Ceremony and a moment of silence. A paddle out is when all surfers – children, parents, anybody who has a surfboard – takes a stemmed flower with them as they paddle out into the water and form a circle. We conduct the ceremony to remember those whom we have lost, and to pray for those who are fighting for our freedom. This is a very special part of our event.
We get a lot of tourists, although our attendance is 80% local. Surfing is a stong family event and there are surrounding neighborhoods that support us. Surfing is an art, several of my artists are surfers…..surfing, surf art…….it’s my passion to put the two together. There is something spiritual about the ocean that I’m drawn to. This is my contribution to the arts.
8 Steps to Jump-Start Your Art Career
Nov 27th
By Carolyn Edlund
I often speak with artists who are frustrated, and sometimes not pleased about how their careers are going. They are looking for guidance, suggestions, or representation. This is totally understandable. It’s tough out there, and can be very discouraging and confusing, particularly if you’re going it alone. Eventually this leads to one very important and unavoidable fact – the bottom line.
The absolute bottom line is this:
Like it or not, if you are an artist and you want to make a living at it, you are a businessperson. And – you’re in marketing and sales.
A lot of questions come up. “How can I find people to buy my work?” “Should I try to find a rep?” “Why doesn’t my work sell?” or even, “I’m not sure what to do, or if I’ll make mistakes, and so I freeze and do nothing.”
Quite often, I go over specific steps with clients to help them understand what they want out of their art career and how to get there. Here are eight basics to get focused and jump-start into action:
- Make a plan. Define what it is that you want to do. Write down your plans, in general and then more specifically. Is it realistic? Are your goals too narrow, or too broad? Write a five-year plan. Where would you like your career to be in 2016?
- Define what you need to do to get there. Who do you need to meet? Where do you need to live? What steps lead up to your goal? Read extensively on how the business of your future career works, and how the successful people got there. Get very clear on the circumstances you will have to create to make it work. Decide if your perceived goals will fit your lifestyle, and your level of ambition. If not, redefine what you really want. That’s perfectly OK. Your goals belong to you.
- Break it down into bite-size pieces. It can be overwhelming to think that you have to find a prestigious gallery or start giving your own workshops if you’re just starting out. Work backwards from the goal, writing down each step in the process, to what you can do today.
- Take action now. Do something every single day to move your art career forward. It may be placing a phone call, improving your website, finding a great photographer to shoot your portfolio, or making a To Do list. Cultivate this habit, because it’s something you are doing for yourself, and it really matters.
- Be willing to adjust. Perhaps you are running into roadblocks, or circumstances are changing. That five-year plan isn’t written in stone. Adapt and get creative with new plans.
- Don’t do it alone. Get a mentor, take a course, surround yourself with people who believe in you, and participate in your community.
- Be willing to pay those people you need to make your business work. Delegate tasks to avoid being overwhelmed. Hire a bookkeeper or accountant, get someone to clean your house while you are working, have someone watch your children so that you have studio time. You might need marketing assistance, a coach or a website designer. You could actually save money by paying for services which would eat up so much of your time that you cannot create.
- Don’t give up. If you think it can’t be done, then you’re right. Persistence is the most important factor in making your plans a reality.
You knew when you started that it wouldn’t be easy, but you also know it’s worth the hard work. Basically you need some talent, a plan, an understanding of how business and commerce works, and a lot of effort. Working toward a defined goal with a specific road map is much more productive than having a vague idea that you want to be “successful”. Successful people didn’t get there by accident, and they rarely made it overnight.
Do you consider yourself to be a successful artist? How long did it take? What’s your best advice for other artists who are starting out?
The Great Asheville Arts Experiment
Nov 23rd
Brennen McElhaney
Painter Brennen McElhaney launched Asheville Artists, a new website promoting the arts in North Carolina near his hometown. He describes how he benefits his own business as well as other artists in a community approach to marketing and promotion.
It all started when I secured the domain name AVLarts.com.
For those of you not familiar with Western North Carolina, ‘AVL’ is the common abbreviation for Asheville, NC, which in addition to being where I live has a well-deserved reputation for being an artsy city.
I decided to make a website that would be the go-to informational hub for the visual arts in Asheville – by listing comprehensive directories of local artists and galleries, and publishing an events calendar of art show openings, open studios, gallery walks, etc.
In short, I set out to create a valuable local arts resource.
The website launched on November 15, 2011.
AVLarts.com is clean and simple in design and invites the community to suggest artists, galleries and events to be added.
There is no fee to be listed. However the directories are curated (by me) in order to be valuable and comprehensive, but not exhaustive.
It is also important to me that AVLarts.com be uncluttered, so there are no banners or advertisements.
Sounds like a lot of work. What’s the catch? Where’s the payoff?
Connections.
This project has the potential to position me as a valuable asset for local art-lovers, artists, galleries and those who plan art events — all the people I want to connect with.
After being on-line for only three days, I’ve already made some solid connections.
My plan is to maintain the website for a year and see what happens.
I’m going forward with the philosophy that ‘if you build it (and promote it) they will come.’ I believe that giving back to my community in this way will be well worth the effort by introducing me to people I want to know.
Am I crazy? I guess we’ll see.
Featured Artist Leah Jay
