Open Studios Part 2
Episode 89 : Open studios part II
Following on from last week's episode Laura and Peter continue their discussion about Open Studios or Art Weeks events. Whether you are just starting on your art career or are established in your practice opening up your studio space, or joining a group of other artists in a shared space gives you the opportunity to show your work and your techniques to the public, especially the people who live around you who may have no idea about the artist who lives in their midst! More practical advice on things you should do and things you shouldn't.
For anyone listening on Friday 11th June 2021, both Laura and Peter will be opening their studios over the next 2 weeks as part of Bucks Art Weeks: www.bucksartweeks.org.uk for details of opening days and times. Bucks Art Weeks is the open studios event for artists and makers in Buskinghamshire, just to the north west of London, England
The Show Notes…
Marketing your open studios is essential for getting people to come and visit you. When considering marketing possibilities, everything from leaflets, social media posts, adverts in local paper or parish magazines are all worth considering – just remember for long print deadlines.
Keep marketing constant, building up to, throughout and even after the event. It’ll keep people informed and it will show them that you care. Remember not everyone who follows you will be able to visit you in person so try and give them the experience or feeling of them visiting with
Make things clear: from clear arrowed signage to your studio to clear labelling of your work (including pricing) try and make things as clear and as transparent as possible. When placing signage around your local area do check the rules on how and where to put them.
Have something for visitors to take away: they may not be a paying customer today but they may well be tomorrow (or next year!). Have leaflets or business cards for people to take away to think about you or remind them of you at a later date. Merchandise like greetings cards or prints also allow people to invest in you, no matter how small the price.
Make sure you play ‘host’ to your visitors: Make sure you’re there on time, ready to welcome everyone and try and engage with everyone who visits. That said, try and read the difference between a visitor who wants a quick-browse and doesn’t want to be hassled to a customer hanging around wanting to learn more about you and your work.
Manage your expectations: Not everyone will love your work or relate to you, Just remember to be patient, kind and keep calm, try to find a point of contact. Consider it all good practice for confidence building and other events.
The Takeaway…
Laura & Peter are great fans of the Open Studio system. We hope you will give it a go if you can - and if you do, our top tip is to really commit to the event: enjoy the ride and expect your audience to grow over time.
This Podcast is sponsored by Michael Harding Colours. For more information about Michael’s colour range or to find a retailer near you, please visit www.michaelharding.co.uk
