It’s a different world this year (in oh so many ways), and our current economy can present challenges for artists. Art is, after all, a discretionary purchase; my dealers have told me that people will come in, admire a painting, then say “oh, but think of our investment account”… and leave.
So what’s an artist to do?? When the going gets tough, the tough get creative! It’s time to share stories here about ideas we have, what we’ve tried, what works - and help us all stay afloat to rise with the tide when the economy recovers!
Herewith, let me throw some things out to get the conversation going:
- Studio sales: In December, I held a “Studio Archives” sale; I’ve done this about every 5 years or so - invite a lot of people, have a party, have small/old/experimental things available at very low pricepoints. This was the first time in Montana. It’s great fun, too (though prep can be exhausting!)
- Local publications: …can offer possibilities for placing your images. There’s a small newspaper called “Rocky Mountain Rider” that is printed monthly and shows up in tack shops and feed stores around here. A while ago I contacted them about using my art; they did so happily, one of my rodeo pieces was on the Nov 08 cover, and a woman called me about a commission as a result.
- eBay: Susan Fox (as mentioned in a prior comment) has tried selling some small originals on eBay. She has positioned these as ’studies’, to differentiate them from finished gallery pieces.
- Social networking: Susan and others have also mentioned online social networking as a means of creating awareness of your work.
- PoD: I’ve tried the PoD (print on demand) route with RedBubble, and am frankly underwhelmed with that; it’s a cheap and poorly compensated form of self-licensing. However, I’m not putting the time into the social networking that RB encourages, either.
- Go where the money is: economies in other countries are slumping, but not all, and not all as much as the U.S. I’m working on creating a presence in Canada (lots of oil money there). One of my galleries just made a multi-piece sale (including one of mine) to collectors in Indonesia.
OK, this should get us started - let’s hear the ideas! Roll ‘em!
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