Sometimes these words conjure up a cluster about to happen. Other times it may mean that everything is going to be okay. For us artists, especially those that do art shows and/or exhibit our work, it could be both.
With that in mind, I am going to give you a glimpse of how I plan. Be prepared to laugh, shake your head in amazement, or think that I have really got it together. Or all three.
Usually in December of each year, I look through my Excel file of shows I’ve done over the year. I see how they went as far as earnings. If I think it was good, I will mark them down as tentative for the next year. I also go through art fair calendars and magazines (Sunshine Artist is a good one) to look for possibilities. I also add them to the tentative list after reading through the application process and determining they may be a good fit for me.
I then go through my calendar and put down all the dates, being careful not to double book myself for the same weekend. I have heard that some artists will do this on the assumption they may not make the cut to one of them. I do not like to do that, but that’s me. As an aside, I did book two shows on the same weekend last year. One was in Illinois and the other in Indiana. The closest one was just a Saturday show, whereas the further was a three-day event. I thought I would just split my resources and do both. Luckily for me, the one-day show cancelled, and I was able to do all three days at the other one.
With all this done, I then go through each show and think about what would sell best at each, based on what I sold previously, and what others were selling. I put that information in my notes for referring to when the event gets closer.
Lastly, I start applying to shows as soon as the applications come out. I also mark this on my calendar. I’ve been burned in the past by missing a show because I thought I applied when I really didn’t.
For this process, I use pen and paper for my notes, Excel for tracking show information, and my online calendar for putting down the dates. I use Cozi, but you can use Google calendars or whatever you prefer. Just make sure it can remind you of upcoming events.
I also have a wall planner, which I just started using. I am already thinking of going to a three-month planner, or at least get another one-month planner. Right now, I am using it for gallery shows as I live in the Midwest, and outdoor shows are in the warmer months around here.
As you can see from my scribbles, I have several deliveries to make in the next few weeks. Only one of these are a solo show, as the rest are shows I’m exhibiting in.
Seeing this on my office wall helps me stay on track for ordering inventory for shows and galleries, as well as any other events coming up.
I would like to hear how you plan. Drop a line in the comments.
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