You can do more with your art than you know. Below is a list of some traditional and unique opportunities to seek out for selling your art.
1 - Traditional Galleries - we know this, everybody wants a piece of this but there aren't enough galleries for all the artists out there. If you go this route, remember that traditional galleries take up to 50% of sales so price accordingly and never undercut your galleries by selling lower to clients of your own.
2 - Vanity Galleries - these are galleries you pay to participate with. They do not represent artists but only rotate exhibitions. Most are juried and do group shows but occasionally you can get a solo show. Some of these are fabulous marketers and sellers while others are not. These are becoming more popular each year.
3 - Online Galleries - these too, are becoming increasingly popular. There's no need to ship your work to the gallery, which saves you money but also means your studio is still cramped:) I'm always skeptical of these because there's no way to meet with the seller or know if they are selling digital images behind your back.
4 - Online Art Shows - these are different than online galleries. These do not represent artists past the art show. It can be a one time deal or if the show is popular, you can participate more often. Sometimes there's fees to enter and sometimes they are free. I've often sold one of 3 or 4 images in a show, and sometimes sold out.
5 - Art Fairs - Another "pay to play" option. Local art fairs are much more convenient and less expensive than doing ones you have to travel or ship art to. They can range between putting your work up on white walls and looks super professional, to having to set up your both at a market with buyers looking for smaller, affordable options, they can walk around with and take home that day. You need to be prepared to take money in a variety of options and also in some cases have unique display options that you have to set up and take down.
6 - Festivals - similar to a fairs, but occurs during special events with a variety of booth sellers, not just other art sellers. These are great because there's less art competition, but also have similar clientele that wants to purchase small take away items. You need to be prepared to set up and take down your own booth, sometimes bringing your own tent, tables, chairs, displays, bags, etc. Painting live is always a good way to draw people in.
7 - Tradeshows - Very similar to professional art fairs where you get white wall space! Like Festivals, the variety of vendors means less competition to you, and also brings in clientele that may wish to purchase future commissions or work with you for their own business opportunities. Participate in tradeshows that match your art. For example, if you paint flowers, you can participate in garden or interior design shows. If you paint women, you can participate in tradeshows that are geared for women. If you paint cars, go to car shows -etc.
8 - Online Platforms - These are different than online galleries. They don't represent artists and don't market for you. These are platforms like, Etsy, Artsy, Saatchi, Redbubble, Zazzle, etc. There are so many artists and makers using these platforms that you can easily get lost. It's rare that you will magically be found and sell a ton of stuff. Your work gets pushed to the top of the search engine when you start selling a lot but you need to be constantly marketing and directing traffic directly to your space on these platforms.
9 - Your own website - I mean, if you're already directing traffic to a site like Etsy, why not just set up your website as a shop and direct traffic there. That way, you can have people also peruse your website, and possible sign up for an e-newsletter where you can have direct contact with past buyers.
10 - Newsletters - If you have a large list of subscribers and you consistently put out newsletters (doesn't need to be spammy), then you can sell directly your fans and past clients. Building up your list can take time, but there's lots of ways you can get people to sign up - that's for another blog post.
11 - Pop up Spaces - you can create your own pop up gallery! Find space rentals and just set up your own solo or group show! You need to market this like crazy and be prepared to take a variety of money options, but it can be done. Just make sure that the rental space won't eat up your budget too much.
12 - Open Studios - sometimes known as Art Crawls. you often need to pay a fee to participate in order to get your location, or the location you partner with, on the map for people to visit. However, if you have your own private art studio, like your garage or back shed, you can market your own open studio as little or often as you want. "Rare opportunities" are great marketing ploys.
13 - Artist Collectives or Associations - Artist collectives can have studios you can rent and participate in group open studios, or else they tend to get together and show in various places if they don't have a communal space. You'll need your own way of accepting tender.
14 - Competitions & Juried Exhibitions - winning money is still receiving money for your art. Sometimes you even sell the art. Plein air competitions are very successful and I personally have participated and sold art this way. Juried exhibitions are similar in that you are competing for a spot in the exhibition. If you get in, you may or may not sell you work.
15 - Cafes, Offices, and other Business - I have sold some art through restaurants with whom I have a good standing partnership with. I also have friends who sell through restaurants. Some business will let your take all the sales just so they can have rotating decor, but others will take up to 30% commission. It's better than galleries this way and also brings in more of the general public than galleries do. Find a popular, successful, high end business and you should see some success.
16 - Auctions - I don't know too much about this so here's a link for more general info https://www.myartbroker.com/collecting/guides/a-guide-to-auction-v-private-sale-commission-fees . That said, some artists set up their own Auctions through their websites, social media or other creative ways.
17 - Art Rentals - Interior design companies, staging companies, movie sets, public galleries....are all options for potential income. One of my favorite examples is from "The Maiden Heist", where three men want to steel a famous painting of a women. This painting is by Jeremy Lipking called "The Lonely Maiden". It was actually specifically created for this movie.
18 - Fundraisers - Usually, you don't make money directly from a fundraiser, but you do get donation receipts that are good to use for taxes. It's also really good for PR and can get some commissions or other purchases after the fundraiser. And it's always good to raise money for a cause that's special to you.
19 - Online Marketplaces - Yup, Facebook, Kijiji, Craigslist, Ebay, Pinterest, etc., are all okay ways to sell art. I have sold a handful through Facebook Marketplace but be wary of the scammers and spammers. If possible, it's always best to sell local so you can meet with the person or deliver personally. If you can, be aware of the scams than happen with e-transfers and Paypal.
20 - Cold Calls - if you're comfortable doing this, you can reach out specifically to high end business to try to sell your work. Why? Because it can be a write off for their taxes. Or, if you start working with interior designers, they can stage your work in a home and sell the work with the home. This works well for Home Lotteries, but they are looking mostly for generic commercial work. Try to reach out to businesses that reflect your style.
21 - Licensing - If your work suits merchandising or illustration, you can sell images to companies like Spoonflower, Walmart, Target, or any company that prints images onto merch to sell (like Wineries - adding your art to a label. Or record companies, putting your art on album covers). Just make sure you know a thing or two about licensing agreements. If you have an agreement that last indefinitely, you can make royalties forever. It can be a decent passive income during slow art sales too. Creating illustrations for books, magazines, posters, advertising etc, will require similar contracts to collect royalties.
22 - Commissions - Once people see you, and get to know you a bit, they may reach out for a commission or two! Commissions can be both stressful and rewarding. Clients can get really picky which is the stressful part, but you get full profits!
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