So the Holiday Rawkshow is over (thanks so much to everyone who came out and supported).
It was something I was happy to be a part of. Was it a success overall? Yes, was it a success for me personally? Yes and* No. It was a mixed bag. You might be asking why.
I normally don’t show a lot of work which is something I would like to change in 2018.
When I got the invitation to the show, I had mixed feelings. Historically, I never really liked sharing my work in public. I decided I was going to change that this year, and take on the challenge of getting out there and sharing my work with the public. Here are a few hilights of what happened when I did.
Wins:
The show had tons of people and was well attended as advertised:
Lots of times I go to an event where the promise of a huge crowd is part of the billing.
Then it turns out it’s little to no people show up. This time around though the turnout was really fantastic.
The organization as set up was top notch:
The staff and team was well organized and provided superior service. It was unlike anything
I had experienced before. We had semi-weekly calls, they were available constantly for questions. Additionally anything we requested was for the most part granted. They really went out of their way to make us feel cared for and welcome.
The variety of art was vast, it was a true showcase of varied art talent:
The event had visual artists, fashion, hair, makeup, jewelry and other types of performing artists.
It was was a wide array of talent and was super impressive to see.
My set up was pretty easy, and I was easily able to transport all of my work:
Unlike printing and brining physical pieces of artwork, I was able to easily set up and take down my work via portable projector. Using a projector instead of brining physical pieces made the event a lot more user friendly. No more lugging physical pieces of work, or storing extra work in my studio. Now I can bring and show as many pieces of work as I want, and it only takes up the space of a small shoebox.
Learnings:
(Here are some things that I learned by showing work at the Holiday show this year for next time)
An assault on the senses:
A holiday showcase is just that: a showcase for all types artists, and as a result there is a lot of conflict for people’s interests. So when a person comes and is assaulted by many sights and sounds, they may be overwhelmed and not know where to look.
A lot of people, not a lot of space:
The issue with projecting against a flat surface is the projection can be obstructed is there is not enough room to show work. At first I was able to project easily against the makeshift screen that I had created (made from a hung up white sheet). However the more people entering the space, the less and less people were able to see the work until no one could see anything.
Once the music started it was a total wash. There was no designated space to show work, and instead it became part of the background noise after a while.
Lack of engagement with people:
Because the space was so overrun with attendees, there was no room to actually engage with people who were curious about what I was showing. I was not able to speak to folks directly and could not talk about the work, or share business cards, etc. I mainly shared work, with the people who came to the event to support (family and friends). Which I appreciated.
Sales? What Sales?:
My strategy this time around was to hand out business cards to anyone interested.
Again, a good strategy in theory, but not in practice. I found that people come to a holiday event like this one, looking for cheap deals. They are less willing to spend money on a piece of art for hundreds of dollars. People become tight fisted especially around the holidays.
So all in all, I am super glad I did the show, but will think about doing a more visually oriented show the next time around. One focused on visual arts and not a mix of a bunch of different art types.
It will be easier to show work, and less fighting for people’s attention.
p.s.
