Showing posts with label Art Group. Show all posts

Monday, January 26, 2026

Post 603: Selling Your Art Part 3 - Sell the Artist

Selling Your Art Part 3 - Sell the Artist

How to sell your art online or in person is what nearly all artists ask about at some point. This blog post is part 3 of the 3 part series on Selling Your Art.

See Selling Your Art Part 1 and Part 2

Nitty Gritty on How to Sell Your Art

NO ONE is searching for you or your art, your website, your art show.

YOU must be the one to get your art "out there" so that it can be seen and potentially purchased. No one else is.

UNDERSTAND your niche and style of art to build your understanding toward who your potential clients are in order to get your art in front of them and to TALK about your art.

How to Sell Your Art: 4 Things Art Buyer Really Want...

Now let's take a look at the actual how YOU can sell YOURSELF.

There are art spaces where your art must speak for itself - sort of. The art gallery or exhibit you have your art in is run by staff and you are not physically there except perhaps on the day of the art reception. In this regard, you will or should be actively promoting your art on display on social media, local event avenues, friends, family, art followers, etc.

Ask other artist where they were successful, what platforms they used, what art shows are good to attend, what typically sells at those shows and galleries.

Then there are art shows, popup art shows, group art shows where you are on stage. Your vendor booth is when you are the person tapped to make the sale. Have a gander at this video:

Sales Tips for Live Art Shows by ArtsyShark Carolyn Edlund

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wi82l2w5Mw

This is an excellent watch for ALL PWAS Members!

Notice all the tips...

1. Greeting

2. Be prepared to engage

3. Listen to them

4. Ask questions

5. Place item in their hands (a little tougher with a painting, any ideas with this one?)

6. Include everyone in their party

7. Eye contact!

8. Child with party? Bubblewrap diversion

I would add to stand up when people come to your booth space. AND Stay off your phone. Create a script for yourself so you can reference it, memorize it. Many of us are not outgoing, so we need the help in speaking with people so we can make the sale. These tips work well with individual artist shows as well as art group shows.

See Lessons Learned at an Outdoor/Indoor Art Show

"I certainly have not the talent which some people possess, of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done." - Mr Darcy. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Important to Remember: people do not always buy artwork because its the greatest artwork in existence. They may buy artwork because of the artist. The buyer and artist have built a relationship, a connection.

Budget-Friendly Art Market Tips & DIY Display Hacks for Art Panel Walls

From Cassie's Colorful Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jkFX8XbhdE

Some great tips all around - after all, the reason you are doing to show it to sell, right?

10 Rules to Selling Your Art at Art Fairs and Events by Dave Makes Things

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJanejEdsJI

Art Ideas Toward Making Income

Although the artist's ultimate goal may be the creation and selling of the own original artworks, there are other ways for the artist to earn income to support their art career. The sale of original artwork is a one-by-one process but these other ideas may offer ways to generate income as well. Do remember, some of these ideas will require a LOT of traffic, followers, and extensive marketing, as always - do the research and find what will work for you and your skills.

Teaching art classes and workshops.
Create and sell online courses.
Craft fairs, art markets, farmers markets, art festivals, art or gallery walks, art crawls - wherever you can connect with a variety of people, collect emails, get feedback, test products, and more.
Streaming / livestreaming your art process.
Sell digital downloads and templates.
Art commissions for pet portraits, family portraits, murals, and more.
Networking with someone writing a book that might need an illustrator, or write and sell your own art books, art guides, or e-books. Think book covers, cook books, children's books...
Offer limited edition prints and/or look into print-on-demand products.
Art merchandise customized with the artist's designs - mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, puzzles, and more.
Have extra space? Rent out studio space to other artists.
Offer graphic design services. Create a logo for someone, business cards, or flyers for a fee.
Offer private art lessons.
Be a live caricature artist, a face painter, a paint and sip artist.
Apply for artist residencies.
Licensing your artwork for commercial use - get royalties.
Sell NFTs or digital art tokens.
Build a membership site with a subscription fee presenting exclusive content.
Monetize your social media, newsletters, blog with sponsored content, affiliate links, ad revenue, and more.
Crowdfunding
Apply for art grants for an art project.
Feature "art sales" shows with square foot shows which are 12x12 artworks, each artwork priced the same and market the show extensively.
Go to your local gift shops and boutiques, that may sell local art.
Try selling at gallery gift stores, museums.
Watercolor greeting cards
Offering your artistic services such as:

An art show or contest Juror or Judge.
Art talks, event speaker or panelist.
A photographer - not only the weddings but think about offering your art group members professional photos of their artworks for a reasonable fee. Set up photo sessions on a scheduled basis for specific sizes, certain number of pieces - whatever works for you. Once you have the equipment set up, its a great way to move through the process before moving to the next size of artwork.

See more:

10 Practical Networking Tips for Artists to Boost Career

16 Creative Ways to Make Money as an Artist (That Actually Pay the Bills)

Follow-up When Potential Buyers Show Interest

Another part of selling is following up when someone shows interest at a show, through email, through a DM.

How do you followup when someone sends an inquiry about your artwork? Do you have a process to followup with them?

Let's say someone emails or DMs you on how much your artwork is. Don't get nervous, don't panic, don't justify your prices. Don't say too much. No excuses like 'because of this or that'. If you panic, your potential buyer may go silent. You'll be listening to crickets.

Instead: Have a followup process where you will be calm-cool-clear-collected.

Step 1: You will confirm to the buyer that you received their inquiry. Confirm what they are asking about - which piece, which service, which size.

Step 2: Very calmly and very clearly give them the data they requested.

Step 3: Now, you will add just one "trust detail". Say something like, "This piece is available now, and can be shipped within 2 weeks."

Step 4: And we can make the next step extra easy for them by saying, "Would you prefer local pickup or shipping?"

Step 5: Finalize by closing the loop with, "I can send an invoice and hold it for 24 hours."

Something like this gives you and the buyer a framework that is clear.

This video below, is a very straight forward look at art selling.

10 Tested & Proven Ways to Sell Your Art as an Artist (Complete Guide & Honest Overview) by Contemporary Art Issue (CAI)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDFEXtoMOyU

ART TIPS:

Dress to impress is as important as always even when its terribly hot. Look professional!
Your attitude is so important. A happy artist with energy will help to sell.
I do suggest going down the rabbit hole for a period of time when researching how to sell art and your art business. There are so many great videos and art tip suggestions that you can learn so much from, and a ton of tips on this blog too!

The Art of Selling Art, Selling You, Selling Higher Priced Art

Alternatively, there are schools of thought that say in order to sell your art and to sell it at a higher price for the professional and established artists is to:

Find your target audience by posting you with your artwork with high quality photos and videos TALKING ABOUT your art - NOT trying to SELL it. Speak directly to your ideal Buyer.

Develop the script for each artwork saying WHO it may appeal to and why.
Do NOT send potential Buyers to a website link.
Always answer your DMs when someone asks about the price.
Post at least 3 to 5 times per week on your social media. Be genuine.

Build a communication line to the potential Buyers and a developing a relationship with them directly when they ask how much it is or what else you have. Be engaging. Ask what they love about your artwork.
Build perceived value by:

NOT offering the art merchandise that many artists do.
Don't offer any marked down pricing.
Have at least several high priced artworks that are extra large, running $5000+ and pose them in a very clean, very professional environment with YOU in the pictures as well. Build trust.
If a person says that those artworks at that level are unaffordable for them, show them the 'more affordable' pieces that you have, say 16x20 and 18x24 medium to large range that are under the 5K. Perceived value.
Close the sale - learn the scripts and tactics to make the sale.

Let's face it. If your followers and people commenting on your social media posts are all other artists, you are not selling to them. They are trying to sell their own artwork. Finding your Buyers and moving toward making them repeat Buyers is the beginning of your marketing plan. As with anything, its up to you to learn the process of selling in order to sell well.

For Further Reading

Selling your artwork is very hard, and yes - I heard that "Duh!" Each of us will need to find what works best for each of us, our families and obligations and the period of life we are in. Nonetheless, knowing what we are getting into before we spend too much money or become discouraged means to not only create the best possible artwork we can, but doing the homework to learn how to make the jump into the art world as wisely as we can.

14 Best Places to Sell Art to Make Money - Etsy, Redbubble, local, Saatchi Art, Zazzle, Artfinder, Soiety6, eBay, Shopify, gift shops, coffee shops, farmers' markets, social media

14 Best Websites to Sell Art Online | Commissions, Marketing, and More - marketplaces, print on demand platforms, ecommerce stores

Top 10 Tips On How To Sell Your Art - Your story, website, show sold art, new venues, cohesive brand, SEO, social media, local shows, prints, positivity.

The Art of Selling Art: 10 Ways to Sell Your Art: A Beginner's 2025 Guide - Optimize Portfolio, Social Media, NFT & Digital, Print on Demand, Collaborate, AR, Participate, Email, Commissions, Voice & Visual Search

How to Sell Your Art - Six Successful Artists Share Their Tips

18 Platforms for Artists to Sell Their Creative Work Online in 2025

Art that Sells - Understanding What Makes Art Marketable - researching trends, target audience, more

Did you like this post? Learn something new? What tips do you have to share on selling your art? Drop a comment below and Follow this blog.

Selling Your Art - In Person Part 1

Selling Your Art - Online Part 2

Selling Your Art - Selling the Artist Part 3

Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

pinterest-site-verification=3ad32cc9cfeae507ba5a382d62fcee17

Monday, January 12, 2026

Post 598: Selling Your Art Part 1 - In Person

Selling Your Art Part 1 - In Person

How to sell your art online or in person is what nearly all artists ask about at some point. There are artists that want to make a living or to earn extra money. And some artists that are of the attitude "if it sells, it sells". And there are artists that perhaps are more private about their artworks - holding on to their works and barely showing what they do. Let's lean more in the direction with this post of putting what you create out on a shingle.

This is a three-part series on Selling Your Art that will be published on Mondays, January 12, 19, and 26, 2026. Please follow this blog so you don't miss any art tips!

Prince William Art Society at Arts Alive 2021, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas, Virginia - Photo by Donna Liguria

Where and How to Sell Your Art

Doesn't it all begin with research and discovering what may work for you, your budget, your goals, and how much work you may want to put into your art career? We could probably also include the title "How to Sell More Art" as there may be ideas that haven't been implemented in our repertoire too.

You can sell in person.
You can sell in a gallery.
You can sell online.

OK, but that's just the beginning of the research you need to do. And tell you what, you are not going to walk up to any gallery space, artwork in hand, and thinking your art is going up right then and there. (You name it, we've seen it.)

You will need to have the art inventory to substantiate what and where you can have your art hung.
You will need great quality photographs of all your artworks - to show your body of work and to submit art to shows.
You need to have your art reasonably priced (for the level of career you are at) so that it can sell.
You will need to have shipping materials on hand if you are going nationally or internationally with your sales - to get it to them.

If you are just getting off the ground, you have a lot to learn, but the point is - begin.

Selling Art in Person

Artists can sell as an individual artist on their own and/or they might sell their artwork being a member of an art group. And no one says to only join one art group.

Art can sell at craft and art fairs, festivals, vendor shows, farmers' markets, exhibitions, fundraisers for churches or community fairs.
Art may sell via an open studio - hosting your own art event.
Artists might partner with an interior designer, a hotel, a hospital to show art.
Sell art at a gallery, an artist-run gallery (Co-Op), non-profit gallery/exhibition space. See Art Shows, Art Galleries - Showing Your Art.
Some libraries, wineries, restaurants, coffee shops, gift shops, area businesses allow for local art to hang for a period of time. Be aware of spaces where your art is more free decor for them than promotion for you.
Sign up to volunteer to help at the art space as a docent, artist-on-duty. Actually, THIS is one great way to sell to the art show or gallery visitors. Well, let's say, 'sell without pushing the sale'. Once you identify yourself as one of the artists showing, they always ask "where is your art?"
Enter Calls for Art, Calls for Artists. See Call for Art
Engage in local community business meetings, local community groups for opportunities. Networking with other people/artists around you has potential for collaboration or brilliant ideas!
Cold Callings - Email Targets - Find who your direct contact person is for your proposed art show. Find ways to get people excited about your upcoming projects and present them with ideas - to benefit them as well as you.

There are options and decisions to make for selling your artwork, but many of your best options will not be free. There are entry fees to enter art shows, join art festivals or fairs, and commission fees when artwork does sell, as an individual artist or as part of an art group.

Art Festival Fees - vendor booth space can vary greatly for the typical 10x10 foot space.

Local small fairs can be $0 - $100 for a spot (a table) or space
Community Shows $25 - $300 for a weekend space
Mid-Range Art Events can run $2,000 - $8,000
Major City Art Fairs $10,000 and UP

Art Call Entry Fees to submit artwork can be $10 -$20 per piece, or $25 - $50 for 3-5 artworks. Every show is different and it is imperative to follow each show's requirement directions or themes.

Research the internet for "Calls for Art near me". Search for and follow various Facebook art groups, galleries, etc to find the local art events in your area and get on their email notifications.

Bookmark sites like:

Art Groups charge a fee to join, even if they are non-profit art groups. Prices vary and some may allow you to check them out in person at their meetings before you commit to joining. See about Art Groups.

Art groups go by various names and the most typical keywords to look for are:

art society
art league
artists alliance
art club
art group
art guild
arts council
photo club
art network
women artists
watercolorists

Commission Fees are often 30-35% but can range up to 60% at an exclusive gallery. Commissions are charged when your art sells and is deducted from the price of your art before you get the remaining amount. So if your art is $1000 and the exhibit charges 35% commission, your check for the artwork sold is $650.

As you can see, the price you charge for your artwork, is greatly effected by not only the cost of creating your art, but where and how you are selling it. See Art Pricing.

There must be a side note here: Submitting art to an art show does not always mean that you are accepted and granted the opportunity to show, whether you paid a fee or not. Read about Art Show Judge and Jury here. And I must include the link to Artwork Rejection.

For individual artists entering art fairs and displaying their art, that artist will need to have the right equipment for the particular event to show your art and to make sales. See How to Art Show.

Tent, display walls, tables, a chair.
Point of Sale system (POS)

A person can do plenty on their own to sell their artwork, but I would recommend researching your local art groups or organizations near you and find an active and lively group of artists you like, then join and become a participating member. Joining an art group gives you opportunities that as an individual you might not have had. Your participation could allow your entry to a gallery or show, or give a less expensive entry point to be a part of the art event, as well as access to the necessary art equipment. That doesn't include the potential learning experience offered by your fellow artists in the group.

The main thing is to show your artwork so that it will sell, and that starts with:

Step 1: Build your art inventory. You will need a body of work to show (online and offline). This is on top of any art development artworks created while developing your style.

Step 2: Build a web presence. This can include an artist website (a shop window), your social media, an art group showcase or art gallery listing on the art group's website.

Step 3: Plan how you will have people find and know about your Step 1 and 2. This is marketing and promoting. Sharing your work, defining your target audience, having realistic goals, building a strong online presence, exploring platforms - are all a part of the puzzle pieces.

Step 4: Jump in - after you've learned more about what you are specifically jumping into.

Selling Art Prints

Selling prints of your original artworks is often the bread and butter in art sales. Don't overlook this selling point! Not everyone can afford a $500 or a $1000 artwork, so a $25-$50 art print of your artwork still gives the Buyer a way to support you. See Prints and Framing

What's Your Story?

An engaging story about your artwork is interesting to the people that you want to sell to. They want to know why you created it, the story behind the canvas. What was your art process, what are your values, what were you feeling, thinking, and more. Potential clients want to get to know you and you'll need to build their trust so that they will want to buy from you.

And the story is a major part of the content, the keywords to help you be found on the internet. Artwork title, size, medium, framed or not, price, are all well and good but it is not enough. Build your art story and post it. And be ready to tell it.

From Prince William Art Society Member Zee Berrios on Selling Art

Advice to help sell art work

There are many ways to price artwork. The one I use is hours invested X amount of price per hour + materials.
For most of us, painting is a pleasure, a therapy, a healing process, a way to relax, a hobby, something we like (or love) to do... it is not a burden, it is not a "got to do", but rather a "get to do". For others it is a need, a way to survive, (they might want or have to do). This also may affect the way you price your work.
Some people even price their work by size, (height X length). And, even some suggest to sell for how much would it take to divorce yourself from the piece you have just created.
Only in one exception did I sell something for "How much would it take to divorce me from a piece." (It is a piece I would actually like to buy back).
Photographing your art and publicity lets the world know it is available. Getting into as many shows possible is a must, but it requires to loose profit or add the commission payment to the exhibit venue.
When working on commissioned art, ask for half of what you think the final cost of the art piece will be. (many of us have been burned by not doing this). If the buyer bails, out you won't loose your investment.
Keep the unsold work packed and ready to deliver if there is interest in buying the piece afterwards.

From Zee Berrios

Titled Ilukunya. ("jump" in Maasai), it is part of the "Dance" series.

Its price is $1,350.00. It is 20" X 24", acrylic on canvas.

Things I see artist do that I would advise they should not do

The number 1, for me, would be .. don't frame your work if it is work on canvas. Many times, the buyer will throw away the frame because it doesn't match their furniture or decor. Your investment is lost.
The second would be to commit to a commissioned painting without getting a 50% down payment of your estimated cost.

For Further Important Reading:

Volunteering - about art groups, volunteering and gallery worker training

Display - learn how artwork is expected to be prepared for hanging

Art Inventory and Tips - keep track of your art inventory

Did you like this post? Learn something new? What tips do you have to share on selling your art? Drop a comment below.

Follow this blog and watch for Part 2 of Selling Your Art Online on Monday, January 19, 2026.

Selling Your Art - In Person Part 1

Selling Your Art - Online Part 2

Selling Your Art - Selling the Artist Part 3

pinterest-site-verification=3ad32cc9cfeae507ba5a382d62fcee17

Saturday, August 3, 2024

Post 482: Getting Your Art Out There: Social Media, Your Art, and Your Art Group

Getting Your Art Out There: Social Media, the Internet, Your Art and Your Art Group

Does an artist need a website? Does he or she need to be on social media? Most artists just want to paint! What do you say? Or would you rather just be out there pounding the pavement trying to get your art into a gallery? How about an artist co-op?... Let's explore some artist promotional options.

Social Media Today

We've all seen it. Go to a restaurant and at one table a family are having dinner, yet all four are holding a phone, their fingers are flying, scrolling, commenting, liking and sharing. Or a table with a few friends sitting together, yet all of them have out their phones in hand and doing the same. Their food arrives and they barely set the phone down to eat!

Photo by Timothy Hales Bennett on Unsplash

Wouldn't you think that they would be discussing what is going on in each other's lives and around them?

Cell phones, perhaps a necessary evil in some ways, yet... how about social media to promote your art?

Although being on the internet and on social media has its issues - it is where most everyone in the world goes to for information. From "Where is the closest coffee shop" to "Things to do near me", to laughing at all those goofy cat videos, most of us use the internet every day. We just ALL need to manage and balance our time wisely when it comes to social media to avoid going down those "rabbit holes near me".

And on the internet, this is where many art lovers go to find out more about the art culture near them, the art shows they might attend, and the types of local art talent, art classes, galleries and creative opportunities available on their side of town and where they might go visit. Social media is where artists can build a following and let their followers know what they are working on and where their next show is.

- I see a social media presence as imperative to showing your art to the world. There is time involved - yes. But the costs can be very low if not free. Schedule some space in your day and/or week and stick to it when you develop your strategy.

An Artist Website of My Own

Every day at an art show, the gallery we are in, or an art meeting, we meet artists that will show us their art on their phones. This is great, we enjoy seeing their artwork. But do they have more than a gallery on their phone?

Artists that want to make art sales should have a website (and business card!) these days! The act of having a website online for your art is the equivalent of leasing a building space to display your art in your home town. The big difference (other than cost) is that the website address (URL - or link) can be seen worldwide while someone needs to walk through the door of the rented space.

Advertising that you have an art space - even on the internet means that it is up to YOU to find a way for people to find YOU. The artist will hand out those cards for someone to learn more about what they do and the internet is about linking to what you do.

Artists have many options in creating an online presence with their art store. There are options for free and low cost, and many are easy to set up, while others do take some skills. Knowing coding is beneficial but not necessary. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for", but honestly, there are some good options without knowing any computer code.

Depending on what you want to get out of your art business will determine how far you want to go to have people discover, admire and to buy your art.

Having an online presence is especially important when handing out your business card (which you should have as well), so that someone knows where to go online to check out your art.

See Vistaprint Business Cards

- I can't tell you how many times I've been asked for a specific artist's business card, and the artist doesn't have one.

Often, when entering art shows, the artist is asked to enter their website URL so that the jurors can see and learn more about them too.

I see having a website of your own with your name, like https://donnaliguriaart.com, as all important for an art profession/business, but at a minimum, having an art presence on something like the Prince William Art Society's Showcase page is a way to have a low-cost presence option. Check the options available to you in local art groups. https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/artist-gallery

An Artist's Social Presence

Part of the process while getting your website built, is getting your social presence started. This gives you places (links) to post your signs or flags leading people (and Google) toward your website (link). The internet is all about links connecting. The more links that connect to you, the hashtags #, the mentions @, likes, comments, sharing, etc - the better connections to find you and your art.

I've been calling a social presence as the Big Five - the places to be as far as social spots, and they are:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

...and TikTok would make it the Big Six to many...

There are others but these have been where the bulk of people are. These are where artists are found, their fans and followers are and how they communicate with each other. There are art shows and events, invitations, and so much more - AND ideas!

Your social presence in many of these sites most typically start with your friends and family building as your initial fan base. Consistency is KING in posting, and there are ways to help. As with anything, the research must be put in to find what works best for you, your style of art and where your potential clientele are.

See Explore the 11 Best Social Media Platforms for Artists - note that Facebook isn't listed here, and I find that interesting. Also see Mastering Social Media for Artists: Strategies to Gain a Competitive Edge

How to Create an Artist's Successful Facebook Page

How to Use Instagram to Become a Successful Artist (8 Proven Strategies for Art World Success)

My Art Group Online

As stated above - go where the people are - on the internet, and in your local art culture right around you. Find the art groups and art shops and do the research to understand the fee structures, opportunities, volunteering requirements - everything. Find the group(s) that will work best for you and the time you have but honestly, not just how they benefit you but how you can be a benefit to them. Remember give and take?

Research keywords: art group, art society, art guild, artist community, arts center, art council, art alliance, art league, art cooperative, artisans, art creatives...

I see it as it is everyone's job in an art group to spread the word about the art group. This is no "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". I help promote my art group, the Prince William Art Society, which helps bring attention to the entire art group, the art shows we do, the fun we have, the good we try to do in our local community, and more. By helping PWAS, it helps me too. What do you do to help?

When I post something, it goes out to my friends and family. I do not reach YOUR friends and family - your fan base on your own social sites, unless you do the likes, shares, etc.

By YOU helping to share, like, comment, reposting YOU are not only helping the art group, but helping yourself, especially when you can additionally add your links and your own hashtags to a post as well.

For the Prince William Art Society, adding hashtags like those listed below are ways to help tag and search for more info about each hashtag.

#PWAS #PrinceWilliamArtSociety #PWCArt #pwasartstore #SupportLocal #virginiaart #virginiaartists #PWASOnlineArtStore #PWASArtGroup 🎨📸🖼🖌and if it is more about me, I'll add #DonnaLiguria #DonnaLiguriaArt

Take advantage of your art group's opportunities in the way of committees, art shows, volunteering and what is available on their website. Joining an art group, the artists can build connections, partnerships and collaborations that help open new avenues to you that perhaps you hadn't even thought of.

For the PWAS members, there is an Artist Showcase which is a personalized artist page for an annual $25 fee.
There is also a PWAS online Art Store where all members are welcome to show one piece of artwork for sale. Additionally, there is a private Facebook PWAS Chat group for members only where art discussions, polls, sharing of art news and show opportunities are posted. If you are not online, you miss out.

Art Galleries, Artist Co-Operatives, Artist Collectives

Getting art into art galleries may depend more on the scale of gallery you are shooting for and where. Smaller town and city galleries may be far easier than the big city spaces...but like most things it depends on you and your talent, your drive/goals and the 'who you know'.

See How to Get Your Art in a Gallery: A Step-by-Step Guide

Art Galleries, like a "vanity" gallery, tend to take a higher percentage of the art revenue sold. The expectations of an art gallery would be the professionalism in presentation, operations, quality...etc.

There are many Artist Co-ops in most communities and being cooperative means that all artists have to work, distributing the labor evenly and fairly.

"An artist cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an autonomous visual arts organization, enterprise, or association jointly owned and democratically controlled by its members. Artist cooperatives are legal entities organized as non-capital stock corporations, non-profit organizations, or unincorporated associations. Such cooperatives typically provide professional facilities and services for its artist-members, including studios, workshops, equipment, exhibition galleries, and educational resources. By design, all economic and non-economic benefits and liabilities of the cooperative are shared equally among its members. Cooperative members elect their board of directors from within the membership." - Wikipedia

See Should You Consider Joining a Co-op Art Gallery? and Start a Co-op Gallery: 8 Tips

Artist Collectives are "An artist collective or art group or artist group is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims. The aims of an artist collective can include almost anything that is relevant to the needs of the artist; this can range from purchasing bulk materials, sharing equipment, space or materials, to following shared ideologies, aesthetic and political views or even living and working together as an extended family. Sharing of ownership, risk, benefits, and status is implied, as opposed to other, more common business structures with an explicit hierarchy of ownership such as an association or a company." - Wikipedia

Of course, the grander an art district and the art culture is in your area, the more artists are vying for wall space in the locations and shows advertised. And in some of the art spaces, you will need to apply and go through a selection process to be included, while also paying a monthly fee and volunteering. Explore all of the art options available to you and how the traffic (foot and car) is around said spots.

Art Fairs

Art Fairs and Popup Shows can be a good way to sell your art, but the time and work involved, the equipment needed, and many other details including vendor fees and the weather can make and/or break the artist/show. Also, having a helper or an art partner with you to share the work may help with the "solo or duo" art fair. It's a lot of work, but many artists do quite well.

Or being in an art group at an art fair means that your art showing space may be smaller, you'll also pay a commission, and you will need to help setup and take down, but workload and costs are minimized/shared. The art group may have their own tent and equipment, lessening your start up costs.

See How to Art Show and Lessons Learned

Nonetheless, a social media presence and a website are still quite beneficial in the promotion of the show you are attending so that all your family, friends and followers will know to come visit you.

As said earlier, all of it is building links, connections, doing the research, exploring your options, trying this thing or that, and finding where you fit. What works, what absolutely does not, not only where your art sells, but where do you LEARN MORE at, and hopefully have fun too?

The main point is - start somewhere. Today.

What would you add to the points I have here? What works for you?

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows and our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm.

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Post 436: PWAS Feb Meeting and "Job Fair"?

PWAS Feb Meeting and "Job Fair"?

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) is the largest and oldest art group in Prince William County. Begun in 1971, the membership numbers have fluctuated greatly over the years and a ton of talent has flowed through our group. And the types of art created is VERY diverse as well. The group meets on the 4th Monday of the month - January through November and is open to the public to attend.

Monday, February 26, 2024 Meeting

For this meeting of the PWAS members, it began with the business side of what we're up to, with all of the wonderful updates from the Board, new art shows, events, interactions and plans. Following that, various other committee or group leads gave their updates. The difference in this meeting was obvious though, from the start. Various tables were scattered around the room with a Table Topic card.

A typical PWAS Meeting, from Jan 2024

Program Relationships, Table Topics and Members

The program directions for the meeting was for the members to move around the room enjoying snacks and beverages provided by our Hospitality Committee. (Thank you!!) The members would stop at a table and speak with the "Committee Conversation" Facilitators sitting around the room at the 6 tables. The tables were labelled as follows:

At the Planning Table was Elizabeth Stathis

At the Pop Up Events and Hospitality Table was Sandra McClelland Lewin and Penny Shaw

At the Publicity and Marketing Table was Donna Liguria, Larry Burch, and Nicole Fisher

At the Education/Workshops/Classes Table was Tom Payne

At the Programs/Scholarship Table was Emily Hawes

At the Grants Table was Mark Murphy and Connie Huebner

The members would go around the room speaking with each person, much like a Job Fair. Not only do we get to know members better while they share what they do, but we meet the new members. Discussion included what the table topic is, what the members skill sets are, and would they be interested in volunteering in that area of interest and join that committee.

In order to GROW we need each member to pitch in and help in any small or great way they can. Absolutely, our members come from all walks of life and are made up of artists aged 18 and up. Some have families with children and some have high stress jobs and some are retired (yippee!!). We understand that and hope to find where various members are comfortable finding a place to plug in.

I'm sure the members, as they went from table to table and listened to the projects we have planned for the future, got a sense of where PWAS wants to go, to become known in Prince William County and be the art presence we know we are - which in turn benefits the entire Prince William Art Society membership.

PWAS Interim Treasurer Mark Murphy and Co-Secretary Connie Huebner led the Grants Table Topic which is a very important part of any nonprofit art group. Recognizing the various grants available, the tracking of deadlines, the writing and proof-reading are all a part of this Table Topic.

PWAS Member at Large Tom Payne is with PWAS President Elizabeth Stathis, Anna Gatling and Scott Elliot. The Table Topic was art education, work shops and classes - which could be for the public OR for the PWAS membership. A part of this group is not only taking part in attending art educational experiences, but giving and teaching these classes. Tom recently sent out a poll with a couple of questions to get feedback on areas of interest for the members to help target the wishes of the group on workshops.

The Member at Large is also the go between person of the PWAS membership to the Board - so if there are questions, concerns, ideas and suggestions, the membership is encouraged to contact Tom to (anonymously) relay the data.

PWAS Vice President Sandra McClelland Lewin and Hospitality Committee member Penny Shaw discussing PWAS Events and Hospitality with Richard Tyler and Mark Clifton.

PWAS Events covers a lot of art territory but probably the PWAS member group art shows, popup shows, juried and nonjuried Calls for Art and Artists and developing these shows are of the highest interest to our members. It is definitely at these art shows that PWAS members can submit and offer their art for sale.

PWAS Hospitality includes everything from the monthly member meeting snack and beverage provisions to managing art receptions.

PWAS Members enjoying the Hospitality Committee's snacks and beverages. Yum!

PWAS meeting at Tall Oaks Community Center on the corner of Hedges Run and Cotton Mill Drive in Lake Ridge.

PWAS Program and Scholarship Committee Chair, Emily Hawes talking shop with Mr. Gates, Evelyn Chatters, and Rosemary Schatz. The annual Jewell Pratt Scholarship is one of the projects PWAS manages, and is named after our original PWAS member Jewell Pratt Burns. She is very dear to PWAS.

PWAS Social Media team Nicole Fisher (Facebook) and Donna Liguria (PWAS Artistry Spin Blog) speaking with Robert Dew. Larry Burch, the PWAS Webmaster, is not pictured.

Publicity, marketing, promotion, the PWAS website, the PWAS Blog, and Social Media is a very large umbrella Committee and necessary part of any nonprofit art group.

From writing a Press Release to posting messages on Instagram and everything inbetween - managing getting the word out online and offline, in print and on target - Publicity has a lot of avenues both paid and free to push PWAS news, announcements, partnerships, showcases, art classes, art shows and any other art events.

PWAS President Elizabeth and Vice President Sandra

PWAS Members Mingling

PWAS member Nicole Goble and Co-Secretary Bettie Sperty

PWAS members relationship building with a purpose. It is our belief that by working together as a team toward a common goal, we build these friendships and participation within the group to get things done!

If you missed this meeting, you can always find out more and/or sign up for a PWAS Committee here.

Mark, Robert, Penny and Donna

A big thank you to our official PWAS photographer, Otis Stanley, who took all of these great photos - recording for the PWAS history - and the internet - what a great, fun, and marvelous team this art group is. I know I have made some great friendships and learned so much from all of these talented folks.

And of course, the last picture from Otis...

Who was wearing these kicks?

We had a fun and different meeting this go around. Many of our meetings feature guest artists showing what they do, which are always so good. We've covered how several different artists do their watercolor painting, mixed media, oil painting, digital art, abstract painting, traveling art, so many GREAT topics! Many of these guests are well known in the NOVA area. Future programs will also offer topics of interest spoken from the membership directly including the art business and more. Miss one meeting, you may miss the one you were most interested in!

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Otis Stanley

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership