Market days
This year, I am an occasional stall holder at a small art market in Wood Green, London (Citizens Art Market at Blue House Yard).
The first market of the year ran in mid April and it will be running once or twice a month for the rest of the year (Covid permitting); I will have a stall about once a quarter, and am already looking forward to my next market day on the 13th of June.
Until then, here is what I would say to anyone thinking about doing something similar:
First of all, one piece of advice: do it if you can!
Exhibitions, whether in person or online, are great, but spending the day exchanging with people who are looking at your work, seeing their reactions, answering their questions, is a real fun and interesting experience. You can see first hand when people connect with certain pieces, see what draws them in, and start conversations about your process and inspirations…
It will require a lot of preparation and some investment but don’t forget that most of what you might need is equipment you can reuse for other fairs and markets in future.
Stall rental fees may vary a lot from location to location, so speak to the organisers about what sales other stallholders normally get to help your decision making; if you can, visit the market ahead of time, to make sure it would be right for you and your work. I was aiming to recoup my fee and ended up doing better than that!
Think about which of your works the audience might respond to, but don’t limit yourself to it- you never know what can resonate with one person in the audience. I thought risos and cards would work well for me on the day, and brought a lot of them but decided to include a few screenprints too just in case… I was right to do so, as the screenprints sparked some interest and sales too!
Finally here is a cheat sheet of what you might need to know and the equipment you might need:
Find out the size of your stall and the basic equipment provided: do you need to bring a table, chair or gazebo or are these provided? Our tables and gazebos were provided and I brought a small camping stool. I spent most of the day on my feet but it was nice to be able to sit down from time to time.
Think about what your stall will look like? Do you want some lighting? A banner or a table runner printed with your logo? I covered my table with a grey cloth and got a banner printed, plus some fairy lights, but ended up not using the banner (nowhere to hang it) or light (it was too sunny). I don’t mind as I can keep them for other fairs but do some research beforehand!
Are you able to plug anything, or do you need to rely on battery/usb operated devices? This is very important if you are bringing lightings and also for any card devices you might need so check. If you need to bring a charger don’t forget to pack the leads you will need too!
How are you going to present your work? I displayed some prints on an easel and some laid out on the table, and had a few cards hanging from a string above my head, plus a rack that people could flick through. Other people had framed works and they looked very good too.
How will you accept payment? I got the Zettle card reader and it is pretty easy to use. Whatever you chose, make sure it is fully charged and that you can connect to it on the day ( and know how to use it!).
How will they be packaged and carried? My prints were all packaged in cello bags with a backing board, and with my label on the back; I also sourced some paper bags from a sustainable company for people to take away their purchased prints.
What insurance do you need? Even if it is not a requirement, it is probably a good idea to have some public liability insurance- you can get some cover by joining some art union or other organisations.
How will you stay in touch with customers/prospective customers? I displayed my social media handles on a printed poster in an frame, got a notebook to collect details for anyone wanting to join my mailing list (but didn’t use it much), and made some business cards out of old prints, which a lot of people took.
I also took some practical supplies: a thermos of tea, a plastic cover in case it rained, string, tape and pens, and some clothes to layer on if it was cold!
And finally the most important advice: don’t forget to have fun! People connect with you as much as with your work, so bring out your best self, and make the most of the day. Good luck!
My stall at the market