Sell yourself: Tips for up and coming artists

I want to be a famous artist. There is some irony in there somewhere, maybe because several artists have either said it or hoped for it at some point. There are some cities that draw artists with the same desire. Unlike some artists who move enmass to larger cities in hopes of garnering a more knowledgeable, wealthier audience, I have decided to stay where I am, small town East Texas. I am twenty-six and I started exhibiting when I was eighteen. Several exhibits, portraits, and commissions later, I do not regret my decision to stay in small-town East Texas. I think I have made quite of an impressive resume for myself without ever living in one of the cliche cities of artistic relevance. At the age of nineteen, I became a gallery represented artist but most of my sales came outside fo the gallery. I later found out that the gallery owner did not have my best interest at heart but that is for another hub. This is simply a blueprint of what worked for me.

Network. I come from a family of entepreneurs. Some good and some very bad. One thing I learned is to not be afraid of shameless self promotion. I would hand out business cards at a wedding, but a ball game yes as long as my favorite team wasn't playing. I wasn't and I am still not afraid of rejection. The worse thing that anyone can say is "no interested". For those of you who may be wondering, I have pulled out my portfolio at a baseball game and made a few sales of unframed monoprints.

Poor man's advertising. As a struggling artist there are not many of us who can afford to pay for traditional advertising. However, if you know any business owners they can advertise for your. If you know anyone that has a hair salon, barber shop, restaraunt, daycare, or any business that has customers hang your work there. You never know who will see it and what they may be willing to pay for it. I have a friend who is a jeweler and the same person willing to spend seven thousand dollars on a watch band will spend a few hundred on a family portrait. My advertising strategy was to paint a picture of my friend, the business owner, and hang it inside of her store. That has brought a lot of business my way.

Donate. Another way to get exposure is to donate to charitable auctions. This is new to me also. I recently donated three pieces to two charitable auctions and one sold to a local lawyer. I didn't get any of the procedes from that piece but the lawyer now owns several of my originals. Not too bad.

Hit the pavement. I have had shows in Houston, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Atlanta, and Little Rock. I have never been in any one of these cities for more than two weeks. I have been apart of several group shows because I have parked in art districts in major (and some not so major) cities, and walked from gallery to gallery. I did get quite a few rejections and blow offs. Had I given up, I never would have made it to the galleries that said yes.

Make art. For the typical show, group or solo, an artist should have anywhere from twenty-five to sixty complete works I usually work large so I wouldn't need as many. There is not point in making all the effort to get gallery representation, or an exhibition and not have any work to sell or be shown. I would advise any artist to have at least 30 complete works before trying to get either. It is hard to create with the excitement, fear, and adrenaline that comes with every new show.

I am an artist and I want my work to be seen. I may not live in what some would consider a major art market but I am creating my own relevance. I am creating the context in which my work is seen and I am getting out there. Slowly but surely, word of mouth is spreading and I can make work on my own terms. As for my future, I will keep you posted.