What's the right way to think about revenue from art shows—should I just compare money in versus money out?

Treating shows like a Vegas bet—did I make more than I spent that day—is the wrong approach. As one experienced artist put it: at a show, you’re not selling merchandise, you’re buying customers. The real value comes from the collector list you build over time. You might spend a few years doing three to five shows per year, and after that sustained effort, you can emerge with a collector list that supports you for the rest of your career—potentially never having to spend another Saturday in a booth again. The immediate revenue is important, but the long-term customer relationships are what make shows truly valuable.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-07-28