Art Show

Many conventions have art shows. This is most often like an art gallery set up for the purpose of displaying genre related art. This art can vary from from jewelry, to large or small sculptures, up through automobile sized objects or wall sized tapestries. The majority of pieces are typically paintings and drawings, most sized less than 20 x 30 inches. Often the art is for sale.

What’s an art show?

It must contain art. Everything else is optional. The art is usually for sale by written bid and a voice auction, though neither is required. Art shows at conventions usually consist of work by many artists, obtained from the artists (or their agents). Most of it is for sale and sales are usually handled by the show. It may be original work, prints, or both. There is seldom any much editorial control. Other types of shows – beyond the scope of this article – include theme shows or historical retrospectives.

Art shows are labor intensive before, during, and after the convention (hundreds of staff-hours for a medium size show). Why have one at all? Even standard “convention type” art shows vary in their purpose. Some common reasons for having an art show include:

1. You just like seeing art. A good reason on a personal level, but not convincing to the convention committee.

2. Prestige. Running an art show will enhance the prestige of you and your convention. However, this requires a good art show. A bad art show is worse than none.

3. Audience draw (i.e., other people like seeing art). Having an art show will draw more people to the convention. This is a major reason conventions hold art shows ("the audience expects it" is the same reason in reverse). This also requires a good art show.

4. Make money. Alluring, but many art shows don’t make enough to cover the cost of their function space (it’s hard to say how many, because few conventions publish their budgets or allocate the cost of function space back out to the individual functions). On the other hand, achieving reasons 1, 2, and 3 at no net cost is good.

see also (forthcoming): Art Show Financial arrangements Art Show Timetable Art Show - Who should run it? Art Show - Rough size estimate Art Show - Coordinate with Convention Committee Art Show - Budget Estimate Art Show - Policies and far too many more These reasons may determine whether you hold a traditional "show", an exhibit, or an "artists’ alley"; how the art is sold, and what you allow in the show. (see Art Show types)

Your customers

A convention art show has three sets of customers to satisfy. In order of decreasing obviousness, they are artists, buyers, and convention. They want different things and you must satisfy all of them. Fail to keep any of them happy and your show will fail.

The art show requires artists. Without artists, you have no art and nothing to show. You must keep the artists happy. But you can't please them at the expense of the buyers. Artists won't display work if no one sees and buys it. All the money for the show comes from buyers. The show receives money from artists, but this money is built into their prices - they pay because they expect to receive the money back from the buyers. No buyers means no artists.

The convention provides the buyers. It expects to gain something in exchange, which could be money, publicity, audience draw, or prestige. It wants the art show to make the convention look good. It may or may not care how the show is run – as long as it’s run well. It does not want to hear complaints or lose money. If the convention decides it no longer wants the art show, you won’t have one.

What each customer tends to want:

Artists: many buyers, not too much art = good sales per panel. At least, decent sales for good prices.

Buyers: much art and few buyers – or at least good selection and reasonable prices

Convention: large show can make them more money and is a bigger attraction – if there is space and it doesn’t cost too much

Artists: high sales for self

Buyers: bargains and selection

Convention: high overall sales (even if they don't take commission)

Artists: speed and convenience

Buyers: speed and convenience

Convention: minimize expenses

anyone who wants to reformat the three lists above into a table form is welcome to do so

Requirements

An art show can absorb a nearly infinite amount of labor. There will always be something else that might be nice to do, if only you had more help. But there's an essential minimum without which you shouldn't run an art show at all.

Financial

• Art shows require space. This generally costs money.

• Panels and hanging hardware cost money.

• Expenses for mailing, printing, and consumables.

• Money paid for art must be passed on to the artists and may not be diverted for other purposes. If you can’t guarantee this, don’t have an art show.

• For most shows you should have insurance. [someone want to write an article on insurance?]

Time and help (and money)

These are to some extent interchangeable. With lots of money, you can arrange for as much time and help as you need. As cons seldom have lots of money, they will instead ask you to minimize the time the art show uses its room. How much time you need depends on how much help you have. One person working alone can set up a huge art show - but it would take months. A well-coordinated army of 500 trained art show staff could set up the same show in an hour or two. When setting the function space schedule, conventions may assume that there will be plenty of help for setting up the art show. This does not mean there actually will be. You must ensure that the time allotted corresponds to the amount of help that will actually be available. You must also limit the size of the show to what you have staff and time for.

(Many more links to follow.)