Hosting an Art Festival
by Anne Kupillas.
For the past two years, I have co-chaired an annual art festival in Orange County, and have enjoyed the experience immensely. I’ve also participated in the festival as a showcasing artist, and have learned a few things about both hosting a successful event and showcasing and selling my art, as a participant. Lastly, in my past career, I coordinated and hosted many big events for clients, and now I regularly hold many of my own art shows and plein air events. I hope this article is helpful for those individuals, art clubs or community organizations who are considering throwing an art event for the first time.
TEAMWORK
It’s impossible to put together a large event with several moving parts alone – and also, it would be no fun! Put together a committee of people who can contribute brains, heart and muscle (ideas, energy and effort), give them clear instruction on their roles and how you will support them. Then let them do their thing! Being micromanaged is no fun. Make sure that you check back in, though, and let your teammates know that they are on the right track. Your main role as a chairperson is to keep all the plates spinning, and then to make sure the curtain opens on time.
IT STARTS WITH A VISION
Defining your art event’s theme, concepts and goals is critical to its success.
Begin by drafting a prospectus that clearly states the theme of the exhibition, how it relates to your artwork or art club’s mission and membership. This will make it easy to understand what the show is about, which will make artists want to enter it if it fits where they are in their artistic journey. Your prospectus should also include specifics about the dates for entering, any costs to enter, when to drop off artwork, if there will be awards, if there will be a reception, and information on how sales of artwork are to be handled. Dates may have to change once you find your space, so prepare to be flexible -- but the vision and timeline you’ve drafted will keep you on course.
Your vision can also drive your budget. For example, if the vision for the show is that it will be the largest showcase of the year, then it will make sense to allocate a significant amount of your available funding or fundraising efforts to the budget. Make sure to allow for flexibility within your budget and get all the necessary approvals from your partners well before you spend any monies.
PROCURE A SPACE
It’s all about finding the right partner(s), not just the right setting. Your space will showcase your artwork, sure, but it will also highlight your connections in the community and potentially in the art world.
Make sure to consider how well-known the space is. Does the public know this space and what it stands for?
Is it easy to find, what kind of foot traffic does it get, what kind of parking is available, and who visits it regularly? Is it indoors or outdoors, or both? Your space may be in a public works building or park, or in a private or commercial space. Each of these kinds of spaces send different messages about your show and command different audiences to start off with. Make sure you get to know what your co-hosts (if any) will expect from you and what you can expect from them, in terms of contribution, both financial and other. An MOU (Memo of Understanding) is a helpful tool that will clearly define who is responsible for what aspects of the space and event, potentially including expectations about things such as co-marketing, security, and sharing costs.
Regarding the space, make sure you measure – knowing how much physical space you will have to showcase the artwork and also have a welcome table, signage and so forth – will also ensure success, and will help you determine how many artists and artworks you can accept, while at the same time being OSHA compliant.
PLAN PLAN PLAN
I can’t stress this enough: Plan each aspect of your event out. The last art festival I hosted including 5 separate events under the one week-long festival. Some of them required judges, awards and prizes; others required instructors. Some were indoors and some were outdoors. Make sure you know where each event will take place within your larger space, map it out and write the details up. Maybe you will need more help than you originally thought! In any case, you should understand your vision for how each event will go, and then what supplies you will need. If you have an outdoor awards reception, will you need a microphone and a power source? Will you need additional lighting? One thing that I find helpful when I start solidifying plans, is to create an internal checklist, or sub-checklists in the case of a multi-event festival. Project planning software can be a huge help in creating timelines and checklists that cross reference.
This is also a good time to finalize your budget. Once you know what’s required, you can add various elements to your budget. Your budget could potentially include:
Income:
- Registration Fees
- Cash Donations
- Sponsorships
Expenses:
- Space Rental or Land use permit
- Entertainment – music, food and alcohol
- Awards & prize ribbons
- Office supplies: labels, clipboards, etc
- Fees for instructors, demo artists, and judges
- Marketing & Advertising – flyers, posters, feather flags, design and printing costs for postcards or a mailer
- Advertising – local or social media-driven ads
- Photographer / videographer
- Credit card fees
- Event Insurance
- Equipment rental (lighting, AV etc)
- Liquor license, bartender fee – if you are planning to serve alcohol at your event
As much as you can research and estimate costs ahead of spending any money, the more on target you’ll be with your budget. But be flexible –you may have more or fewer registrations than you anticipate. In that case, you will bring in more monies, but you may have to spend more as well, for additional prizes, food and so on. Building in some flexibility into your budget and having an agile mindset will help you be successful - financially - at all times.
MORE PLAN!
Once I have secured a space, developed the vision, and budgeted for the event, I write an external prospectus. The prospectus establishes clearly what the event is about and what the guidelines and deadlines are for participating artists. Will they need to drop off their artwork at a specific place and time? Is there a cut-off date to register? Will the event be a competition, and if so, what are they competing for (cash prizes or donated art supplies)? How are artists expected to frame, back and label their artwork? The more details you provide in the prospectus, the better. Remember that artists have many options throughout the year as to where to show their art, and they want to align themselves with an event that fits their brand, goals , and bandwidth. Be clear with expectations and make it uncomplicated to participate!
Once you have disseminated or posted the prospectus, don’t stop there. Keep communicating! Stay in touch with registered artists regularly on the lead-up to the event. Give them opportunities to ask questions. Events I have hosted have often included posted FAQs or Q&A sessions on Zoom, which can be recorded for ease of access), which have been very helpful tools and learning experiences, not only for the artists but for me as well, as I have learned through the questions that have surfaced.
SUPPORT THE ARTISTS
Giving your participating artists the tools to be successful is so important for the success of the event! You may have pulled it all off without a hitch, but if your artists feel disappointed, then you didn’t do a good job. Set expectations early and often, give artists a chance to ask questions about the event, and provide them with tools to do well. Tools may include:
- Assigning new artists a mentor to help them prepare well for the event
- Hosting a free workshop for participants on how to professionally frame their artwork
- Giving the artists opportunities to participate further, such as volunteering with aspects of the festival or to do a demonstration during the event
- Creating marketing collateral, both paper and digital, and tips to the artists on when how to get these pieces out to their fan base of collectors, friends, family and social media followers
- Sending out reminders of important dates, such as cut-off dates to submit artwork
- Giving the artists tips on what types of artwork (size, subject, etc) has sold most or been successful at winning awards at previous shows. For example, I always analyze what sells, after each event I participate in. You can learn a lot about what sells (and what doesn’t), and that is super helpful for me for the next similar event I’m in. After hosting one big weekend art show and analyzing the sales, it surprised us all to learn that artworks that had the name of the place in the title were more successful than paintings with vaguer titles. Who knew?! Something so simple may have a huge impact.
FUNDRAISING
Sponsorships can do more than give you prizes to award. Sponsors can be very valuable partners in terms of adding clout and visibility to your event. In the best case, a sponsor will align with your mission, give you valuable feedback and ideas, and support your event financially, with either cash or in-kind donations. Don’t know much about how to gain sponsors? There are many articles on the web about how to go about fundraising (and I read many of them when I first started out). But my top tip is to find a volunteer who is a real people person and assign that person to the role of fundraising on your committee. “Connectors,” as I like to call them, are not afraid to talk to strangers, they connect the dots on who-knows- who in the community, and they view asking for money or other donations as a win-win. Which is it! I would also recommend starting your fundraising early, as it takes time to secure sponsors. Many organizations earmark their funds early in the year; schools generally hit up local businesses in January, so don’t wait or your local pizza place may already be committed elsewhere. For an art event, local art supply stores and framing businesses are natural places to start, but also try to identify some art-related companies that are less close to home, such as national or international partners.
PROMOTE
To bring in attendees, you will need to market the event. There are many low-cost ways to do so, including press releases to local news organizations, creating signage, using social media, getting sponsors, artists and local art businesses involved. You may want to consider a social media ad or local ad placement, or even a larger ad spend in an art magazine, depending on your budget and vision. AAA may advertise your event for free, if you get it to them early enough to put in their local listings.
Your attendance will likely come from a variety of sources, including regular visitors to the space, walk-by traffic, artists’ mailing lists (their own collectors, friends and family and social media followers), and your own organization’s supporters. Think about each segment and how you can capture their attention. For example, if your event is outside, you may want to invest in feather flags to call attention to the upcoming event. You may want to drive attendance using a targeted zip code mailing through the post office, sending out an eye-catching postcard or brochure to bring in locals from the surrounding neighborhoods. Do you have a strong mailing list of your own? Does your partner have a mailing list that you can work together to take advantage of? Consider each avenue.
HAVING A FUN (AND MEANINGFUL) EVENT
You have your vision for the event. Now you need to make sure people have a great time. Whether you are providing refreshments, entertainment, or activities - or all of the above - these will all add to the enjoyment factor, rather than just showcasing art on the walls. The art will bring them in, as the main attraction, however, these extra things will ensure they stay longer and feel a part of the event. Some things you can do to make your event fun and meaningful:
1. Food – whether it’s complimentary or for purchase -- people tend to get hungry and thirsty. Do have something for your artists to eat, if they are showcasing throughout the day, and provide water or access to a water fountain if your event is outside.
2. Music – can really add atmosphere. Make sure that you can talk over the volume, especially if artists will be connecting with potential buyers and making sales.
3. Activities - for kids and families to do – such as a scavenger hunt or art classes, really makes an event meaningful.
4. Other – a raffle prize to capture names and emails, a membership table, or a “crowd’s favorite artist” award can all make people feel a part of the event. Even something as simple as “hello my name is” nametags can increase engagement and make visitors feel welcome.
5. A welcome address or well thought-out remarks at an awards ceremony, can go a long way towards making your event meaningful to all who attend. Let them know why you put the event on, how it connects to your mission as an organization, and don’t forget to thank your partners and sponsors, and of course, thank your guests for coming.
Additionally, support your volunteers and artists throughout the event by checking in with them. Answer questions, let them know how attendance and sales are going – spread the positive vibes!
NOW THAT YOUR FANTASTICALLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT IS OVER
Make sure to send thank yous to all who helped make it a success, including sponsors, judges, press partners, participating artists, and if possible, attendees. A special thank you note -or better yet -a thank you party to all your volunteers may be in order. Those professional (or amateur) photos and videos you took during the event? Why not send some as part of your thank you missive– especially to your sponsors, who will love to see the event in action, especially if you can showcase their involvement. While you’re at it, why not make a reel and post it to your organization’s website and social media? Don’t forget to take down your signage and store it, submit expense receipts, and take down the registration page on your website – small things that are easy to forget in your post-event glow.
Finally, an analysis of the event will help you sort out what went well and what to replicate for your next event, as well as where you may have undershot or forgotten things. Again, sharing highlights will be most welcomed by your partners in the event, and can help spotlight its success – ensuring next year’s event.
Post Script: as someone who has both organized events and participated in them, I have some advice for participating artists. I hope you find it helpful.
- Read the prospectus early and often – especially if you are doing more than one event. Remind yourself of the particulars of this particular event. Not all events are the same – the way you are required to back your paintings, or label them, may be different from event to event, as may other requirements.
- Get ready early – don’t wait until it’s too late or until you stress out. Maybe create your own checklist!
- Know your Audience – subject matter, size, pricing, labelling all matter
- Promote the event to your fan base! Don’t rely on the event to bring in people who love your work, you already have a list of folks who do, so use it
- Plan your space - create a visually captivating display
- Be a good team player – volunteer to help if you can, follow the rules, support other artists
- Have fun!
