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Art fairs provide major opportunities for artists and galleries to increase exposure, gain connections, extend learning, expand promotion and add experience.
Not solely is exhibiting at an art fair an item to add on the resume, it’s also an enriching experience that allows for doors to be opened in extraordinary ways.
Whether you are a seasoned professional with years of exhibiting experience and countless shows under your belt or you are just being introduced to the concept of displaying artworks at fairs, Art Vancouver has a space for you.
Below are our top reasons why you should not just exhibit at an art fair, but why to exhibit at Art Vancouver’s international art fair.
Exposure
As Western Canada’s largest international art fair, attendees and galleries from around the world are in attendance to discover art of all kinds, including yours!
Displaying your works at Art Vancouver will allow you to get more exposure and, in addition to increasing the likelihood of selling artwork, will augment the chance you get noticed by galleries and get invited to show at other occasions.
Exhibiting at an art fair is like selling lemonade at the beach on a hot day; you’re perfectly positioned to sell art to your target audience.
Connections
Even if art sales are difficult, the connections made at art fairs are invaluable on their own! Think about it—it’s pretty hard to access collectors and art buyers in any other regular setting.
Exhibiting at your own booth near other like-minded artists and galleries, plus being surrounded by people in the industry, will help you make connections in the art world and will empower you to network with other artists, galleries, collectors and professionals.
Oh, and leveraging your connections to make sales doesn’t hurt either!
Promotion
Although Art Vancouver hosts over 100 artists and galleries per year, we are very focused on ensuring each exhibitor gets their own highlight on our website, social media and annual catalogue.
Included in the price of a booth space is promotion before and after the show, a chance to be featured in event marketing material and priority for exhibiting at the Art @Bentall Gallery in downtown Vancouver.
Learning
Participating in Art Vancouver helps you get in touch with fellow professionals, which can lend to new partnerships and inspiration for your business. In addition, the event is specifically curated to be full of growth opportunities!
Events include Art Talks, where a panel of experts discuss current art trends; Art Masters, where you can watch some of the best creators produce art live in real time when given only one hour; and a Speaker Series where exhibitors share their expertise for 15 minutes to all in attendance. There are endless opportunities to learn!
Experience
Exhibiting at Art Vancouver is no small feat! It’s a very noteworthy achievement to have art on display to over 10,000 guests at a highly regarded art fair.
This isn’t only an accomplishment to add to your portfolio, but it also allows you to learn from your participation by observing what exhibits seem to be doing well in terms of foot traffic, sales and experiences. The feedback you receive will prove to be valuable down the road in your career as an artist.
Attending any art fair has its benefits, but with Art Vancouver offering multiple learning opportunities, attracting an international audience and being equipped with a team of professionals focusing on year-round promotion of artists and galleries, participation at this prestigious art fair is always a good idea.
Written by Michelle Day