How many art shows should a first-time artist or photographer do per year to get meaningful results?

When starting out with smaller shows or markets where overhead is lower (perhaps $100 booth fees versus $800-$1,200), aim to do at least five or six shows a year. This allows you to factor out variables you can’t control like weather and figure out which shows are good. Not all shows will perform well, especially early on, so doing multiple shows gives you enough data points to learn what works. It’s similar to advertising - you can’t judge success from just one attempt. You need three to five shows to build momentum and learn the trade craft.

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Asked by a photographer interested in starting art shows · Answered by John Kennington · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-11-22