Finding your artists

This is easier than you might think. Dedicated craftspeople are serious businesspersons who are always on the look out for new venues in which to market their wares. They have their favorite shows they do year after year, but inevitably they have empty weekends to fill. This might be because a long running show ended, because they had a bad experience and want a new venue, or simply because your show just sounds so much more promising. In my experience getting artists applications is not the problem - narrowing them down is. I have never produced a show where I did not have to turn away several artisans - not because they were no good, but because my capacity was maxed out! This is why we must have wait lists.

Public Domain photo courtesy Byways.org

So where do you find these artists? One method is by trolling. Attend a few shows and scope out the artists you like. Pick up a flyer or business card from them. Then mail them an application packet for your show. This method has a distinct advantage: you have already "juried" their wares! So you have a pretty good notion that your prospects are mostly in line with what you are looking for. You must still vette their wares and get a list of what they will be selling in the application. You'd be surprised how often things can change from one show to the next. That nice lady selling violet soap last week just might show up with stick-on tattoos this week. Always get a firm list of what will be sold at your show and hold them to it.

Other ways to attract artists is to place ads in the paper, notices in local crafts publications, Craigslist, flyers in crafts and fabric stores, radio ads, posters, listings on online newsgroups and trade sites for fairs, festivals and carnivals and of course you can ask - never hurts to ask - other producers if you can rent their mailing list. Maybe they will, maybe they won't.

You can also utilize social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Do a search for local crafts persons in your area. This is easy: Google keywords related to crafts styles with your area in the search. "fiber arts Denver" for instance. Works great, you may have to sort through some unrelated hits, but you will get viable leads. Then you just contact them and pitch your show.

You will inevitably get inquiries from the home-party sellers. Avon, Party-Lite, Mary Kay, etc. If you are doing an arts and crafts fair the answer for them is a solid "No, sorry, handcrafted goods only." If you want to do a trade show, then do a trade show and allow them in, but do not call it a arts or crafts fair because it is not. Their very presence makes it a trade show by definition. They are "vendors" not "artisans."

 There is a huge difference between "Artists" and "Vendors." 

"Vendors" do not belong in an arts and crafts fair unless they are selling food. Period.

So go forth, find those artisans and put on that awesome show!