Navigating Art Fairs and Exhibitions: Pro Tips for Established Artists

There is a funny thing that happens when you get to a certain point in your art career. Suddenly, it is not just about making the work anymore. It is about showing it. It is about handling logistics. It is about navigating conversations with collectors and galleries. It is about reading a contract carefully enough that you do not accidentally sign away your future rights without realizing it. And if you are stepping into the world of art fairs and exhibitions, you probably already know the stakes feel a little higher every time you say yes to a new event.

I remember my first serious fair like it was yesterday. I had done small local shows before. Some coffee shops, a few regional calls for entry, a co-op gallery that rotated artists every few months. But the first time I applied to a professional art fair, with a jury fee and a booth cost that made me think twice, I realized this was a different kind of ballgame. You are not just hanging work on a wall and hoping someone strolls by. You are building a temporary world for your art. You are creating an experience. And you are doing it alongside dozens, maybe even hundreds, of other artists who are just as serious about their work as you are.

So today I want to dig into some of the things I have learned over the years about navigating these spaces. Because if you are heading into an art fair or a professional exhibition, especially one that involves collectors, galleries, or networking opportunities, there are a few things that can make a real difference not just in how you show your work, but how you feel at the end of the event. Less exhausted. More connected. More in control of your own career.

First things first: your booth or your exhibition space needs to feel intentional. Think about it this way: your art is the main event, but the way it is presented frames the entire conversation someone will have with it. It does not have to be fancy. It does not have to involve expensive rented walls or custom signage. But it should feel thought-through. I always recommend doing a mock setup in your studio space if you can. Tape out the size of the booth or gallery walls you will be using. Set up the work as if you were actually there. Walk around it. Notice where your eyes naturally go. Notice what feels crowded or confusing. Give yourself permission to rearrange a dozen times until it clicks. Sometimes you will be surprised which pieces need breathing room and which ones can anchor a wall.

Another small but huge thing: lighting. If you are doing a fair where you are responsible for your own booth lights, do not skimp. Seriously. Good lighting can be the difference between someone seeing your piece at its best and someone squinting at it, trying to figure out if that green is supposed to be that shade or if it is a trick of the terrible overhead bulbs. I usually bring at least two clamp lights with daylight-balanced bulbs as a backup, even if the venue says they provide lighting. You never know when a light will go out or just not hit your booth the way you hoped.

Now let’s talk about the other side of the table. Literally. You. Standing there. It can be weird, being the artist and also the salesperson and also the person who has to make conversation about your own work without sounding like you are pitching a used car. I get it. It feels uncomfortable at first. Here is what has helped me: instead of thinking about selling, think about storytelling. You are there to share the why behind your work. Why you made it. Why it matters to you. Why it might matter to someone else. You do not have to launch into a monologue every time someone stops to look. In fact, please do not. But being able to say something real, something you actually believe, about your work when someone asks about it makes a huge difference.

Collectors are not just buying a painting or a sculpture or a print. They are buying a story. They are buying a piece of your creative journey. They want to feel connected to it. They want to take that story home with them. When you are genuine about what drives you, people can tell. You do not need to memorize a script. Just know the heart of what you want to say.

Another thing that gets easier the more you do it but never quite disappears: handling negotiations. If you are at a fair that allows direct sales, be ready for people to ask if your price is flexible. Some fairs are more formal, with red dots and no haggling, but plenty of others leave room for conversation. My rule of thumb is to know in advance where I have flexibility and where I do not. I will sometimes offer a small discount if someone is buying multiple pieces. I almost never discount a single piece unless it is a large investment work and the person has been seriously engaging with it. You do not have to say yes to every offer. And you should not feel guilty for saying no. Pricing your work fairly and consistently builds long-term trust.

Speaking of pricing, make sure your price tags or information sheets are clear. Nothing kills a sale faster than making someone have to guess whether they can afford your work. I like to keep it simple: title, medium, size, and price. If you have prints or other lower-cost items, keep them neat and easy to browse. I learned the hard way that a cluttered table makes people feel overwhelmed. One or two small bins or racks work better than piles of prints sliding around everywhere.

Networking is another huge part of fairs and exhibitions, and honestly, it is one of the most valuable parts if you lean into it. You never know who is walking by. Sometimes it is another artist who wants to do a collaboration. Sometimes it is a gallerist looking for new artists for a future show. Sometimes it is a collector who does not buy that day but remembers you months later when they are ready. I like to think of networking at these events not as a way to "get something" but as a way to build genuine connections. Bring your business cards. Bring postcards with a few pieces of your work and your contact info. Have an easy-to-remember website address. And when you meet someone interesting, jot a note down after they leave if you can. Trust me. Three days into a fair, all the conversations start to blur together unless you help yourself out a little.

One small but important thing: if you are selling work directly at the event, have a clean system for taking payments. Square readers are pretty standard these days, but make sure you test yours before you go. Have a backup plan if the WiFi is spotty. Some artists I know have a payment QR code linked to their PayPal or Venmo account taped to their booth for quick scans. Whatever method you use, make it as smooth as possible for your buyers.

And finally, take care of yourself. These events are exhausting. You are "on" for hours at a time, talking, standing, smiling, answering questions, keeping your energy up. Bring water. Bring snacks. Wear shoes that are actually comfortable. Take breaks when you can. Even just stepping outside for five minutes of fresh air can reset your brain enough to get through the next wave of visitors. And after the event, give yourself a day to decompress if you can. You earned it.

Over time, you will get better at reading the flow of a fair. You will know when it is time to rearrange your booth mid-day to keep it fresh. You will know which conversations to invest your energy in and which ones to gracefully step away from. You will get better at feeling when someone is a serious collector and when someone just wants to chat about how they "used to paint a little in college." All of it is part of the process.

The thing no one tells you early on is that fairs and exhibitions are not just about selling art. They are about building your career in a very real, very tangible way. Every connection you make, every collector who follows your work, every gallery owner who remembers your name, every artist you swap stories with — it all adds up. You are planting seeds. Some will grow immediately. Some will take years. But if you show up with your best work, a little strategy, and a lot of heart, you are doing more than just showing your art. You are building a future for it.

If you are getting ready for your next show or fair, I am cheering you on from here. It is not always easy. It does not always feel glamorous. But it matters. Your work deserves to be seen. And you deserve to feel confident showing it.

Let me know how your next event goes. I would love to hear about it.