Blog Post Five: Applying for Entry into the Prestigious National Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Art fairs are a wonderful ritual of expressive self. To walk through the crowds looking for that right individual piece that says, “this is me”! A person can always go to Pier 1 and Home Goods to get artistic pieces for the home, but why not pay for a piece of art this is entirely for you. In some cases, it could be less expensive than a massed produced piece of art you find at superstores. Art is for collection, to admire, to use as a conversational piece, and it’s forever.
Being a photographer, many people consider photo prints as art, and since the art world is completely saturated with AI-Generated Art, and phone photography, it can be a little tricky to stand out and have people notice your work. I have done the research and talked to a lot of other photographers. They say it can take years to be recognized as a gifted and professional photographer whom people will take seriously. Especially when doing “fine art” photography. Many photographers get into other genres to survive, like wedding or portrait photography. However, sometimes that takes them away from what they love to shoot. One way to be noticed by art collectors, gallery owners, curators, and local media outlets, is to enter art fairs. So, I decided to submit my application to the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, and I am writing this post for anyone interested in participating in an art fair, and what I learned in the process.
Art fairs are not only to sell your creative ambitions but to do so by making direct sales without paying commissions. As I mentioned previously, it’s also an excellent opportunity to meet art collectors, curators, and gallery owners from around the globe. I realize that many artists do not want to socialize with the public and would love to work in the studio or out in the field. However, “people cannot completely distance themselves from commerce, because that is kind of what makes this system work” (Nicholas, 2016).
There are other reasons why entering art fairs is a great idea. There is a connection between curators to see what’s new and trending, and networking with buyers and other artists, while motivating each other with creative inspiration. Also, your exposure while attending an art fair is an excellent marketing platform and may help get you into solo exhibitions. As a photographer, the opportunity to participate in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is one that I take very seriously. The fair is known for its high standards and quality, as it is juried selected. A panel of experts carefully reviews each application and selects the artists and photographers who they believe have the best and most unique work to showcase. An average of 450 people apply, and then there are 70 automatically exempt artists, with only 130 people to participate; this leaves only 60 new contenders to be selected. The anticipation of entering the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, held in July 2023, is both nerve-wracking and exciting. The thought of showcasing my artwork to the masses, with over 500,000 attendees, is overwhelming and thrilling, as curators and gallery owners will scout the exhibitors.
So, let's take a deep dive into the semantics of it all. First, I have never applied to an art fair before, and this has been a learning curve of research, and asking questions to other artists from a recent art fair I walked around. The Ann Arbor Street Art Festival application process is rigorous and intense, there are many rules and regulations, and I had to submit four of my best photographs and create a mock-up of my tent display (I had no clue what a mock-up tent display was and did some research and saw that some people made sketch drawings of their set-up). To apply, I had to go through ZAPP (https://www.zapplication.org), a site that enables artists to apply online to multiple arts shows through one central website. The online application process also allows artists to upload digital artwork images for jury review directly. (“About ZAPP® - ZAPPlication”) The result is that all artwork in the system is in a consistent, high-quality, digital format. The digital images are presented to the jurors of each show, and the system allows them to score online.
Then, I envisioned my work hanging, with a covered table nearby to hold boxes of smaller prints, The display must be visually appealing and reflect the quality of my work. I submitted my photos, did a mock-up drawing, then completed my application. Lucky for me, I was emailed by the artist coordinator to explain that by selecting photography as my category, I was not allowed to submit any photo manipulation prints (that would have to be another application of digital art), but only work that could be modified through a dark room. Also, my mock-up “drawing” (which I initially thought would be allowed) was inadequate to the jury's qualifications. I needed to borrow or buy a display tent as the jury is looking for artists with high skill and creativity and those with professional and visually appealing displays. I understand why. It takes time to find the right products for display purposes, and it should look like an art gallery and not a junkyard. Plus, they (the jury) want to see if you have high-quality prints and if there is enough product to sell throughout the three days of the fair.
So back to the drawing board, I had to remove one of my favorite pieces as it was a manipulated edit and change it with a realistic photo. Since I had to make a tent set-up, I made sure all my prints which were not framed or acrylic wall mounts, were prepared with backings, matting, and sleeve bags, as well as signed, and numbered for the limited edition (which is also required). I also provide a certificate of authenticity and log everything into my archive ledger for each piece. That took me four days, but it needed to be done. Next, I had to research the tents and stands that would hold my pieces to be displayed. I spoke with another photographer, and he mentioned looking at Artist Garage on Facebook, as someone is always selling displays there. I looked, and due to deadlines on the entry application, I decided to get a tent from Amazon.com. Now, just so you know, do not get a colored tent, as they can change the color of your prints, and if it's cloudy or nighttime, the tent will make it darker, and people will have a hard time seeing the image. Just a simple white tent is what all artists seem to appeal to.
Next, I needed to find strong stands to hold my work. I saw some at a recent art fair in St. Pete’s Beach on Corey Avenue a couple of months ago but forgot to ask what they were called. It took me a while, but I discovered they are called “grid walls.” They have many different styles, and I admit, I wished I went with the one that had a bottom stand to them, as when they arrived, they were cumbersome, and I was worried that they would not hold up on the tent bar. Since my tent is 10x10x10, I got 12 6x2 grid walls. With help, we set up the tent for my mock-up picture to submit in the application. It was a little dicey, as it was not very stable when hanging the grid walls to the tent bar and the photos on the walls, and I was anxious that the images might fall. But I did my best and took some pictures to submit.
A few days later, I ordered the stands, and when we set them up, it was a breath of fresh air, as it was completely stable and looked quite lovely. I also learned I had to buy a “Square” for payment. Square comes in tablet sizes and a tiny 2”x 2” piece that can connect to my phone. It takes time, but I will have to input all my prints, prices, and photos of those prints as it tracks the inventory and stores emails of new customers who purchase the prints. It’s quite the application, as it connects to my PayPal, bank account, and website and calculates taxes and averages of spending. It’s an excellent tool for the business side of retail.
Lastly, if invited to the fair, participants must purchase the space, which could be from $650-$800, and an extra $70 for a corner spot. The jury selects where each person will showcase their work, and being a newbie, one hopes you get a great location. This is not a cheap endeavor; many moving parts and expenses exist. As the saying goes, “you need to spend money to make money,” which is evident in the fairs. So please shop local and go to a fair!
As I write this blog, I await the outcome, which will be on February 24th. So, I decided to wait to publish this blog until I know, but I understand that the competition is fierce and that not everyone who applies will be selected, but I am confident in my work and my display. I hope the jury will see the passion and skill that I have put into my photography on my website and that they will select me to participate in the fair. Winning a spot in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is a tremendous honor and an excellent opportunity for any artist or photographer, as it will allow them to showcase their work to thousands of people and potentially gain new customers and even representation. I am excited to see what the future holds, and I wish good luck to all the applicants.
A few days later……...
As time is getting closer, I have been eagerly awaiting the decision of the jury, which is made up of four individuals with the task of reviewing all the applicants and determining who meets the criteria of the prestigious art fair. With the notification date approaching, I hope to receive the good news that I have been selected to participate in the fair. The wait is nail-biting, but the excitement of potentially being invited to showcase my photography to the world is worth it.
I’ve been notified……
So, I received the email and was notified that I was NOT invited to participate in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. Unfortunately, the jury never gave me feedback so I could determine what went wrong and what I needed to do to change my applications. I believe it was the verbiage I used, as I could not change it the second time, and my mock-up wasn’t very prestigious looking. I hope that was the case and not that they didn’t like my prints.
So, I learned from that experience, and I wasn’t going to let it bring me down, and lucky for me, there was another art fair with a deadline to register coming up, and it was also local. This is the Kensington Metropark Art Fair https://www.kensingtonartfair.com held for three days over Memorial Day Weekend; it was rated as one of the best art fairs in Michigan. So, I decided to wait for the outcome before posting this blog, and I got the email today stating that I AM invited to the Kensington Metropark Art Fair. Well, that put a pep in my step and gave me my confidence back, and I’m hoping to see you there.
In conclusion, I have been working hard to perfect my craft, and I am confident that the jury and the fair's visitors will receive my artwork well. This opportunity would be a huge step forward in my career, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
References:
Nicholas, K. (February 19, 2016). 5 Critical Reasons Artists Should Attend Art Fairs: https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.indiewalls.com/2016/02/5-critical-reasons-artists-should-attend-art-fairs%3fhs_amp=true
If you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you.
