Prince William Art Society (PWAS) is a group of local artists in Prince William County in Northern Virginia dedicated to an appreciation of the visual arts and fine crafts of local artists and this is their Blog, Artistry Spin. Find information about and by PWAS, our events, our Scholarship Program, our artists, our art shows and exhibits plus much more. Many of our artists display art at locations all around Prince William County, Manassas and beyond.
The PWAS Artistry Spin Blog is happy to post the PWAS
Members art shows and events, individual or group shows every month.
Each PWAS Member is welcome to send me info of any art event they are
showing in, if you let me know some details... hey, it is FREE promo for
your show! Let's see who has a show coming soon for you to check out!
Go see the shows!! Tis the season for some art shows, so the PWAS members should be filling up their dance cards!
PWAS Member Donna Liguria
I've applied to several art shows but its a question for a couple of shows on IF any of the artwork is selected by the jurors. I've applied to these so far:
1. 75th Annual Fredericksburg Fine Art Show at the Dorothy 408 Canal Street, Fredericksburg, VA Friday, March 20-22, 2026
click on a photo to enlarge
2. Spring Art at the Mill at 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood, VA Art selections and delivery takes place in March but the show itself is April 18-May 3, 2026 https://www.clarkehistory.org/art-mill.html
3. Annaburg Manor 9201 Maple Street, Manassas, VA has a deadline of March but the show itself is April 24-26.
4. I'm also giving the Teravarna Online Fine Art Gallery a try this go around, at https://www.teravarna.com/ for the Animal Show deadline Feb 28, 2026. We'll see how that goes.
Samples of what I submitted around town:
Lightning Strikes 12x24
African Violets in a Terracotta Pot 10x10
Koi Pond 1 11x14
Mahogany Humidor 8x10
Bluebells by the Banks 12x16
As always, the artist pays the fee then sits and waits to hear their fate.
PWAS Member Katie Keller Dugan
I just heard this week that three of my pieces were
selected to be in a Crossroads Arts Alliance Show at Sunshine Ridge.
The show is called Art: Uncorked. Mandy Powell also has a piece in the
show.
The show runs from March 7- May 17
Opening reception March 7 2-4PM
Closing reception May 17 4-6PM
PWAS Member Mark Murphy
Potomac Valley Watercolorists (PVW) will be hosting their "2026 Online
Members Exhibition" from March 1 - April 30, 2026. In this exhibit you
can view a wide variety of high-quality art created with watercolors and
other water-based media. Please visit the
PVW website at: https://www.potomacvalleywatercolorists.org
PWAS Member Bettie Sperty
Yep- 'tis art show season! As for me -
Some of the pieces that will be showing up in some places:
Pink Gladiolus 8”x10” oil
Row Your Boat 20”x20” Acrylic
Sunset on the Bay 10”x10” Acrylic on wood panel
Hugh Manatee 10”x10” Oil on wood panel
1. I will be the featured artist at Montclair Library from March 20- April 27th...
The Montclair Library Show- I have been invited to show my artwork at the Montclair Library on the
Montclair Art Wall from March 20th-April 27th. This exhibit entitled
“Welcome to my World” will feature a variety of my pieces done in oils
or acrylics and most will have my usual bits of shine and shimmer. Stop
by the library to take a peek!
*All local artists can apply for a solo show at the Prince William
Libraries. I arranged my exhibit by contacting Delwyn Elizabeth directly
at the Montclair location. 2. I have a piece in the “Joy”, Falls Church Arts show running from February 28-April 12th.
The Falls Church Arts “Joy” show will be on display from February 28 -
April 12th. This is a juried show and I was very happy to have one of my
pieces accepted into this show. The Falls Church Arts shows always
feature a great variety of artists and artworks and are well worth
visiting and entering. I know of two other PWAS members with artwork in
this show - Sandra Lewin and Donna Liguria.
3. I
will also hope to have *a piece or two* at the Creative Brush “Wonders
of Nature” show from March 21st - April 30th. Reception Open House is
March 21st 11:am-5:pm. **That show is not juried until March 14th so I
don’t know which pieces or how many I’ll have in. Creative Brush “Wonders of Nature” show - this show at the Creative
Brush Studio location in Manassas runs from March 21st- April 30th. This
show is a juried show featuring artwork by artists who have either
taken classes or are studio artists at Creative Brush. This is a
wonderful show to see because it is right in our own back yards here in
Prince William County and also introduces you to so many of the local
artists. The reception on March 21 is a casual, all day, drop-in event
with snacks and a chance to chat with some of the artists. I’m waiting
to see if my pieces are selected for the show, but I’ll definitely be
going to the reception myself!
4. I’ve submitted artwork to a couple of others but have to wait to hear if accepted. You know how that goes!
PWAS Member Lizzy Javier
Here is the information for one of my spring shows.
Lizzy B Javier is proud to display her "Ocean" series in a solo exhibition at the Ashburn Gallery.
Where: Ashburn Library
43316nHay Rd.
Ashburn, VA 20147
When: March 1 - April 30/2026
PWAS
Members - You need to send me YOUR art show list toward the end of each month to be posted FOR the next month. Dec for Jan 2026,
Jan for Feb...etc. I can't promote you if I don't know what you are up
to! Be sure to include all the necessary info!
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
"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
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.
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)
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
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
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).
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.
The PWAS Artistry Spin Blog is happy to post the PWAS
Members art shows and events, individual or group shows every month.
Each PWAS Member is welcome to send me info of any art event they are
showing in, if you let me know some details... hey, it is FREE promo for
your show! Let's see who has a show coming soon for you to check out! Some great art by some great artists!
PWAS Member Zee Berrios
The next show in the Prince William area that will show some of my pieces will be in the Manassas Central Library at 8601 Mathis Avenue, Manassas from Feb 3rd till March 3rd. It will showcase pieces from various
series. Other confirmed upcoming shows:
Aug, 2026 - (solo show) The Dance Series, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts,
813 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Nov - Dec, 2026 - (solo show) The original Natives Series,
Manassas City Library, 10104 Dumfries Road, Manassas, VA 20110
PWAS Member Kwaku Ofori Yirenkyl
My solo exhibit at the Montclair Public library from Jan 21 to March 19th, 2026.
PWAS Member Otis Stanley
PWAS member Otis Stanley is exhibiting in a Veterans Art show in conjunction with the Arlington Artists Alliance.
PWAS
Members - You need to send me YOUR art show list at the end of each month to be posted FOR the next month. Dec for Jan 2026,
Jan for Feb...etc. I can't promote you if I don't know what you are up
to!
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).
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.
How
to sell your art online or in person is what nearly all artists ask
about at some point. This is the second in a three part series on the multiple ways for artists to find art opportunities for getting their art seen and sold.
Art Show photo by Ken Meardon (a past Prince William Art Society member)
Here
is where doing the research seriously comes into play. There are plenty
of people that have success with various art selling platforms and
there are probably even more artists that do not. Any of these platforms
can get quite expensive if you launch into something head first and
don't know what you are getting into.
With
the increasing turn to selling art online, the internet has become a
very busy place. There are tons of fine artists, craft artists,
painters, photographers, sculptors, and digital artists in every nook
and cranny at every career stage and every style and genre.You'll need
to clearly articulate where and what you do to find your best fit.
Hard
work? Yes. There are some ways to make life easier like scheduling
posts, so research art tips, tricks, hacks, money saving ideas and
suggestions to make what you can easier but as always, being consistent
is key.
A Professional Website
Do
you need a website? It is generally considered that a professional
artist should have one. This is your personal store front, your main
source where people go to learn more about you. Keep it clean, keep it
simple, clearly show your artwork.
About quality images for your website:
Show your art straight on (NO background, trim the image)
Show from different angles
Take close up shots of the art showing details
Have shots of YOU with the art
Show the are in a different room or two so that the viewer can imagine it in their own environment.
It
is important to remember that on the internet Content is King. Content
Matters. Keywords and Key phrases are how you find information online
AND how people find information about YOU. An image without TEXT is a
dead end. Thus, you must provide text as well as images.
On Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X / Twitter, TikTok, and perhaps YouTube
Artists
might use Facebook Marketplace to sell art or via their own website.
Some artists use social media as a feedback platform and places to post
upcoming events. Involve your viewers in what you do so that people get
to know you and always provide links to your main storefront, for
whichever platform you may use.
Create a consistent plan that you can stick to and manage when posting content. Create a schedule and post with purpose.
There
are many of them with a variety of services, pricing, ease of use - you
name it. Ask around what other artists are using, their opinions, and
success rates. As always, updating and working your information is a
daily, if not several times weekly, hands-on art task toward selling
your art. Here are some choices:
Amazon,
Etsy, Shopify, Fine Art America, Saatchi Art, eBay, ArtPal, Artfinder,
Society6, Redbubble, Artsy, Singulart, DeviantArt, Artplode, ArtStation,
1stDibs, ArtSpace, Kooness, Artistics, Artsper, UGallery, Pictoclub,
Rise Art, Zatista, Artmajeur, OpenSea, SuperRare, Mintable ... to name a
few.
New ones come in and some fade away. As always, do the Research, research, re....
Have a Newsletter
Create
and send out a periodic newsletter. Collect emails and schedule your
time frame (at least quarterly, if not monthly). Your fans can opt-in to
receive your content and opt-out if they change their mind. The
potential is toward building a loyal and supportive community fan base
that want to learn more about you.
Be genuine, start simply, offer exclusive content.
About Blogging
Talk
about what you are doing, how you are doing it, what you have new, what
you are working on. Write about your inspirations, your studio, your
tools, your upcoming projects and shows. The blog is a subset, a link on
your website. Share your blog with your social media to help promote
content. See Tech Series 4: The Blogging Story
Being Online
Consistency is a MUST, you will need to do something everyday to promote your art online, some how, in some way, even if in only a small way.
Look into QR Codes perhaps vs. Business Cards. Personally, I like have a card with a QR Code AND using QR Codes as well. See Artist Documents - What Do I Need?
Remember
that online on social media, the algorithms change. This means that
although you may find your art sales may be going well at some point,
when the website platform makes a change, you may see a shift in your
sales one way or the other which might then trigger adjustments. Nature
of this terrible beast.
How to Actually Sell Your Art Online : FREE Strategy for Artists - Studio Wildlife
Obviously, becoming an artist and trying to sell your artwork can be looked at as a daunting, if not expensive path to take. Start off small (if need be) and look for so called "free" or less expensive art opportunities, have a budget, and build your career. Talk to more experienced artists, follow blogs like this and always be learning.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
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.
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