Displaying at a festival
 

I am entering an art festival this coming summer and a studio tour in the spring. I noticed last year when I went to these exhibitions that most of the artists had made their displays in which their art hung - to fit in a 10 x 10 space. Does anyone have suggestions in how to either make a display or where I can at least buy one? It would have to be able to support my artwork on both sides for hanging.

Melissa

There are lots of companies that make walls and other fixtures specifically for art shows. Off the top of my head I can't remember the names of them, but I'm sure a quick web search would get you quite a few listings. They can be quite pricey.

I did a very big outdoor show last fall (and got a $7,000 commission from it!) I just displayed half a dozen framed paintings on easels, under a white 10'x10' canopy that I bought at a local camping store. I had a few banners and signs made for the sides of the canopy, at Kinko's. I had a card table covered with a floor length elegant table cloth on which I put my portfolio and business cards.

I also did a painting demo for the two days of the outdoor show, which got a lot of attention. It also let me get quite a bit of work done on the beginning stages of a commission I was working on.

Next year I might spring for some more expensive booth fixtures but I haven't decided yet.

I have built several displays, but I had the most success with the last one for a 10' x 10" area. It is made of black 1/4" PVC material. I had the plastics company hot bend four sheets in the center so that they would stand on their own. I love it. I bought some desk clamp goose neck light fixtures, removed the bowls and furnished them with small display spot lights to give them the petite look. I removed the clamps, drilled holes in the PVC, and used the existing nuts to mount the lights on the PVC. It is ideal, easy to set up, and very attractive.

Light fixtures= $5.00 ea
PVC = $40 each
Bending fee = $25 each panel

A beautiful display, Lon. Can you post more images of details of your space?

Thank you, Michele. I am home today, but I will post some snapshot close-ups tomorrow evening after work.

Here are several shots. You can see that I have made an enclosure with a third hinged PVC board. I can store art, brooms and canvases here. They are latched and locked. The doors make these two sectons harder to move. If you need portability, these doors need to be removable.

The above shows the simple and inexpensive lighting, and the vinyl lettering. I like to fully explain my services. It is really funny - people come up and ask me what I do - even with the signs!!!

and . . .

The red lettered sign says, "Now offering free demonstration pose." I sell most of the demonstrations I do. It allows me to be politely assertive.

I use my empty drawing board for a closed sign which is covered by my drawing pad when open. I have used bent 1/8" gray PVC for skirting around my drawing table. It works very well, cleans easily, and looks good.

I picked up a display cabinet from a store which closed and covered it with adhesive vinyl. Here you can see additional PVC skirting in front of the shelves on the ends which slides out and stands on its own. It is easy to bent the 1/8" PVC over a broom handle with a hot air gun.

I store all kinds of stuff behind these skirtings.

I have my own sign shop equipment which I utilize for my vinyl lettering. I created this insignia from an idea I have had for a long time.

I use a double drawing table so that I can slide the drawing board easily side to side rather than ask my inexperienced model to move. I use a curb at the bottom to stabilize my arm.

The lamp you see on the table is the same type as those used on the kioske, only it is a desk model. I just removed the hood and base retaining the goose neck.

Malls are usually very hard to please, so it behooves an artist to really have a neat and tidy appearance in an open studio such as mine. This is my only studio. I do all my work here, even my painting, which you see on an easel which I painted gray to match my new motif.

Another option is to investigate buying professional art panels. There are a couple of options out there. The best artist display panels, IMO, are Pro Panels - http://www.propanels.com/

I have panels that are an aluminum mesh - not as nice as the others, but they are light and they break into two pieces each allowing me to pack them into a car trunk with the seat folded down.

Lon, thank you so much for those images and explanation. It all looks terrific. I can see you've been very inventive, too.

Michael, can you tell me where you got your mesh panels?

Thanks!

Sunshine Artist
 

I've been looking into showing art at outdoor festivals, and found that the magazine Sunshine Artist addresses all aspects of the outdoor (and mall-based) art market. I love this magazine! I get a ton of information from the articles, the reviews of various festivals, and not least, the advertising. Check it out online on www.sunshineartist.com. I got a subscription, and I'm a satisfied customer!

Michele:

The company is Graphic Display Systems. Here is their contact info and a pic of the panels:

Graphic Display Systems
308 S.1st St.
Lebanon, PA. 17042-5427
1-800-848-3020
717-274-3954
FAX 717-274-2710

If you intend to display your art in outdoor shows, you will want a canopy.

I have a Caravan Canopy and I love it. They can be a pricey investment, but they are worth it. I did a four day show in the mountains of Colorado last summer and it rained and hailed EVERY day for like 2 hours each day. The canopy was rock solid and did not leak a drop. I have sides that zip up too so I could completely close it off at night.

Here is a shot of my canopy from another show:

Thanks for the info, Michael. I like how you've clamped lights onto the top of the screen.

Yea, that worked out great! I went to Office Depot and found clamp on desk lamps. They have a core pin that sticks into the clamp on base. The pin is narrow enough to stick into the open top tube hole of the panel side.

Wow. Thanks for the information and Lon your display looks great. I am a graphic designer majoring in Advertising so I'm not worried about signs, business cards, brochures, etc. but I had no idea about how to display my art or what to even hang them on. This has given me some great ideas and options.

Melissa, check out the link (posted earlier in this thread by Catherine Muhly) for Sunshine Artist magazine. They have lots of online articles, some of which list suppliers and contact info for free-standing walls and racks on which to hang paintings.

Michael,

Years ago I bought panels from Graphic Display Systems and found the system to be very useful since you can add panels endlessly in any direction with the right combination of base supports. You suggest that they have panels that break down into two pieces yet the photo looks like they are still full panels unless they are stacked and my monitor doesn't show that to be the case.

Jim:

Yes, mine at least break in the middle into two pieces about 3.6ft by 3ft each. Mine are older as I bought them from an already established artist, so they may have changed the design but I hope they would not have eliminated that feature - it is really great!

In the picture above, you can see where they separate in the middle for stacking and transport.

Michael,

Is there a certain weight you can hang on the panel displays? My artwork ranges from fairly large to small. I ordered a catalog from the company you had suggested too. Thanks.

Melissa:

I believe these panels to be very strong. The largest work I have hung on them is a framed 24x36 painting on 1/4 inch masonite (heavy thing) and it held just fine. You lock the panels together at the top with a pin and the bases are fairly wide. I have hung multiple framed originals with no problems.