Come Hither…

Today, I read in Art News that clients now want art to come to them instead of clients going to see art in person. I prefer clients to come to me, wouldn’t you? That’s not often how it works. I live in a rural small city in southwestern Minnesota. The prairie landscape has hidden beauties, including rural artists and authors. Each would prefer that clients come to their home studios, be it a shed, a barn, or a back porch. How do we get clients to our spaces?

I prefer clients to come to me, wouldn’t you? That’s not often how it works. I live in a rural small city in southwestern Minnesota. The prairie landscape has hidden beauties, including rural artists and authors. Each would prefer that clients come to their home studios, be it a shed, a barn, or a back porch. How do we get clients to our spaces?

Many outlying communities hold annual studio hops (artsmeander.com) that cover a portion of their region. These events generally run over a weekend, beginning after most art festivals are past and ending until the snow drifts form. Art lovers plan for these weekends as an autumn excursion, packing shorts and parkas, and are well prepared for seasonal surprises.

These visitors bring tourism dollars, and our small-town businesses are grateful. They also bring small budgets for artists’ work. Suggested top selling price points fall around forty to sixty dollars. Three hundred people may stop at an individual studio, and of that number, six visitors may purchase something. Often, that something is an art print, notecard, or some other reproduction product of low value.

Summer art festivals offer a path to clients where they are. Participation, should an artist receive the nod from a jury panel, will cost the artist dearly. Hundreds of dollars for booth fees, lodging and food costs, display tents and paraphernalia, marketing materials, and mileage are some out-of-pocket expenses for artists. Many are not juried in or cannot afford the incurred fees.

How do we get art buyers out of their homes and into rural art regions? Give them a reason to come hither. They may come in person, but they will likely arrive through some other means. First, they must know there is something to see.

Stay tuned.