I am a newbie to art fairs. There are so many different options for display, and i'm struggling with the best route! I love the pro-panels, but they're to pricey for a full-time college student like myself. I'm also fond of the mesh panels, however, I really don't like the see-through aspect. I think it looks much sharper when there is solid background behind the art. I would make my own panels using grid walls or things of that sort, but I don't feel I will be happy with that (to cluttery). Anyone have any advice on a sharp display for minimal cost??
By the way, I will be selling photography and have several large canvas and framed pictures that will be hanging from the walls. So, it will need major stability.
Also, is there anyway possible that my art could hang directly from the frame of an ez-up canopy? My questions is not how good that will look or professional (I could pull that off); my question is how sturdy the canopy is with all the necessary weights, and how much weight can the ez-up canopy hold?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
-Maxine
Replies
If you want solid fabric try sunbrella outdoor fabric ( it comes in firesist ask for a certificate when buying). The Showoff canopy system uses it with hooks and the holes disappear so you have flexibility in hanging. I don't think that the ezup will support hanging framed art without additional support. Good Luck
I saw a really clean looking set up a few weeks ago where she used white louvered closet doors around all three walls. She found them on clearance. Using large S-hooks, she was able to easily adjust where she hung everything. Bulky to pack though...
For years I have been trying to figure out a way to hang the ornaments I make. This year I got an idea, I purchased two of the three panel room dividers, black wood with the white material behind them. I then attached 200 cup hooks one on each space in the top half of the divider. Now I can hang an ornament and it is framed by the black outline of the wood on each space. Best part it they fold up and are easy to carry and very light weight. The two of the together form one wall within my tent. I have sold more ornaments this year than ever before. I had been using the grid wall sections, these dividers give a nice framed background for each piece.
Here it is!
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/tent-questions
There was a long discussion here recently started by someone asking the same question about hanging his art work on the frame of an EZ-Up. I'll see if I can find it for ya!
Keep in mind the EZ-up is designed to protect you from the sun and rain…it is not designed to carry the weight of other things. That being said, if you are looking to keep cost down and you tent up I would suggest investing in the stabilizer bars for the EZ-up. Once you have these you can use the mesh panels to hang your work. If you don’t like the see-through look of them you could use a fabric or the side walls of the tent on the outside. . Getting all you need to do an outdoor show can be expensive. Another option would be to see if someone here is selling a used tent…that might save you some money.