Stained Glass artist is DESPERATE need of booth ideas!!

Hi - been lurking here for a while and finally decided to join!!

I am a stained glass artist from Upstate NY. My partner and I are in this business for a living. We do about 30-35 shows a year, as well as a brisk wholesale business. This year, we plan to snowbird to Florida.

A lot of the shows we are looking to do are with Howard Allen. And this has got me really thinking about our display.

Now, we are NOT fine art. We could be, but the business model that is working for us right now is 75% suncatchers ($10-$40 range), and 25% large panels ($100 and up). But I really need to up the ante with my booth. I believe our booth is why we got rejected from a really good show this year.

Our booth display is something I have struggled with for the last 3 years. I finally got it to where I liked it. Then i talked to a high end art show guy who offered me some contructive criticism. And now I hate it again!!

I have looked EVERYWHERE for booth display ideas for stained glass. All the art show boards, flickr, google. And all I found was one.

Does anyone know of a place to find examples of a stained glass booth?? I really want to get into some of the better shows, and I feel our booth is holding us back. I have a professional photographer I work with, so I don't think it's the photos. I think it's the booth.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!!

Thanks for all the replies!! Part of the problem is a) I am at shows almost every single weekend. and b) there are only about 4 stained glass artists (including me!!) in the area. I don't really GET a chance to see any other stained glass artists, and the other 3 I encounter, I like their booths even less than I like mine. I am probably the most active stained glass artist in the area I work in. That's why I was hoping someone might know of photos of some other booths.

I did, however, see a booth idea at our show this weekend. And it was someone selling goat's milk soap, of all things!!

And I love the idea of the big panels up front, instead of in the back.

Another question: If I stage a booth shot in say, my backyard, a certain way and use that as my jury photo. Then i make MINOR alterations when i set up, will that get me in trouble?? When i say minor alterations, I mean hanging things differently ie panels up front for the jury photo, then having them hang elsewhere when I set up. I would use all the same racks, etc, just switching the location of the product. Do they walk around with booth photos to check??

@ Larry: our product photos are decent. I have them cropped to include almost no background. And they are backlit with indirect light, and hanging in front of a white background. Kind of like my avatar. I then adjust the color with photoshop, as it NEVER seems to get the true color. But I checked your website, and I may be calling on you anyway!!

Replies

Larry Berman July 11, 2011 at 5:50am

Like Connie said. If you're looking for visual Ideas, get out and look at what successful artists are doing. The artists whose booth you want to look at are too busy to post on a forum.

Besides needing a better display picture (as everyone who's not in denial does), what do your individual jury images look like? Does the creativity in your work come across without any distractions?

Larry Berman
412-401-8100
http://BermanGraphics.com
- Debby Zutant > Larry Berman July 11, 2011 at 6:58am
  
  Thanks for all the replies!! Part of the problem is a) I am at shows almost every single weekend. and b) there are only about 4 stained glass artists (including me!!) in the area. I don't really GET a chance to see any other stained glass artists, and the other 3 I encounter, I like their booths even less than I like mine. I am probably the most active stained glass artist in the area I work in. That's why I was hoping someone might know of photos of some other booths.
  
  I did, however, see a booth idea at our show this weekend. And it was someone selling goat's milk soap, of all things!!
  
  And I love the idea of the big panels up front, instead of in the back.
  
  Another question: If I stage a booth shot in say, my backyard, a certain way and use that as my jury photo. Then i make MINOR alterations when i set up, will that get me in trouble?? When i say minor alterations, I mean hanging things differently ie panels up front for the jury photo, then having them hang elsewhere when I set up. I would use all the same racks, etc, just switching the location of the product. Do they walk around with booth photos to check??
  
  @ Larry: our product photos are decent. I have them cropped to include almost no background. And they are backlit with indirect light, and hanging in front of a white background. Kind of like my avatar. I then adjust the color with photoshop, as it NEVER seems to get the true color. But I checked your website, and I may be calling on you anyway!!
  - Connie Mettler > Debby Zutant July 11, 2011 at 8:51am
    
    Debby, glad you picked up an idea this weekend. Your booth shot does not have to be exactly how your booth will look in the jury photo. Heaven knows, I've seen beautiful booth shots on the beach with palm trees behind them, photoshopped ones with the booth floating on that was shot maybe on a cyclotron, etc. Most people are always trying to make their booths look better and are always thinking of new ideas on how to make it more appealing to buyers. At a show this weekend on Saturday an artist had been hit with a terrific new idea for display and set her work up differently on Sunday. Shows are not going to match your booth image to your actual display. The important thing to remember though is that you not be misrepresenting what your work looks like as that is what will get you in trouble.
    - Debby Zutant > Connie Mettler July 11, 2011 at 9:04am
      
      Thanks for the reply!! I wouldn't be misrepresenting my actual work. Just making small changes to where I hung what. I usually hang the large panels on the side of the booth. I was thinking to hang them in the front instead for the photo. It'll be the same panels, though.:)
Connie Mettler July 8, 2011 at 2:11pm

Off the bat, Debby, I'd suggest you go to as many art fairs as you can and see what the others are doing. Definitely it needs to really showcase your more upscale pieces and not the suncatchers... even if those are your bread and butter.

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