The ArtShow: Fine Art Street Galleries

Tents: are open sided and measure a healthy 10' x 10' with a head clearance of 6'9" at the valence and up to 7' underneath the tent proper. They are a shade of Royal blue and are opaque to provide excellent shade without a colored cast to your work. The tents are located on sidewalks and will be heavily weighted down. We recommend bringing a tarp or plastic to put over your artwork in case of sharply-angled rain. View the manufacturer's details about our Enterprise II tents.

Recommended Supplies: Following is a list of items we strongly recommend you bring along:
sharp knife or scissors, a spool of twist-ties/wire/twine or lots of medium size cable ties ("zip cords") to secure work to grid panels and the grid panels or other hanging structures to the tent frame, medium and jumbo binder clips for securing unframed pieces and table-top items (incredibly versatile item!), wood shims for any uneven ground, a portfolio or binder with plastic sleeves for displaying samples or paperwork (like price sheets), a small card table, clear plexiglass to cover table-top displays you don't want touched, cheap tarp or large plastic sheets to cover your work in case of rain.

For your own marketing purposes bring: a few smallish signs with your Name, City and State to hang from the tent valence or leg pole for identifying yourself as something other than "Tent #5", (e)mail sign-up sheets or a guest journal for anyone expressing interest in your work or career, lots of "take-aways" like business cards or brochures preferably with an image of your art work, a cellphone for communicating with the Main Tent, and last but definitely not least, do try to bring someone to help you with set-up, allow you to view the work of your fellow artists, and for not being dependant on tent-sitter volunteers who may be unavailable in order to deal with more urgent matters.

Registration: In Amherst, if you arrive via Route 9 and turn onto S. Pleasant, you will see the beginning of the ArtShow at the Common green. Stop at the Artist Registration Table located at the yellow shack. You will be greeted by a badge-wearing volunteer who will register you and provide a Welcome Kit that includes a map directing you to your assigned tent and parking slot. Your parking slot will be either immediately next to or very close to your tent, and in all cases you will at least be able to unload right at your tent. Tents will be set up and waiting for you. Please arrive with sufficient time to assemble and set up your rented equipment by our opening time of 10 a.m. To register and get materials, come to the registration table between 7:30-8:30 a.m. or the Main Tent among the show tents thereafter.

Overnight Security: will be provided on Saturday but will be limited to a few people and some increased police patrols. In Amherst, the Police Station is one block away from the heart of downtown where the show is located. We do not recommend leaving your work overnight as this is not a fenced in area and there are no guarantees against theft or vandalism, however unlikely. Consider having your work covered by homeowners insurance. We are trying to make breaking down Saturday night as pain free as possible by providing volunteer help and free parking spaces immediately next to your tent.

Set Up/Break Down: The tents will all be set up for your use at about 7 a.m. and any rented equipment will be delivered by 7:30 a.m. We recommend arriving no later than 8 a.m. in order to set up your display equipment and install your artwork for viewing by 10 a.m., the official start time of The ArtShow. The official end time is 6 p.m. on Saturday, but if you have customers feel free to stay though you may have to break down by street lighting. On Sunday at 5 p.m. you can begin to clean your area and disassemble the rented equipment to make available for pick up. While you are not required to pack up and leave, you must be out from under your tent by 6 p.m. for tent and grid display pick up.

Towards the final hours of the show, someone will come to your tent to make sure all is well and to gather your Artist Survey or ask some questions in order to ensure we better serve artists in the future. PLEASE indulge them for a few minutes as this is a crucial aspect in the development of this annual "fine art street gallery." The Artist Survey contained in your Welcome Kit plays a vital role for the success of this project since everything is designed with the intent of providing the best service and opportunities for you and your fellow artists. We need your feedback to ensure this works for you.

<> Recommendations for Success: Please keep in mind that the ArtShow is not strictly a venue for commerce, but also a "street gallery" and we are actively marketing to art professionals and patrons. We have a more than $100,000 promotion budget and with your participation and talents, this "fine art street gallery" idea can attract the attention of those scouting for talent to commission, patronize, display in corporate offices, or represent at galleries. In the our first year we saw impressive success for artists in each of these areas and a considerable number of artists have written to tell us that their exhibition lead to subsequent sales, commissions, or gallery invitations. Our judges for the annual Selected Works show will also be circulating during each weekend. To maximize your chances for success, both with potential customers and with career-development exposure to art professionals, we recommend bringing a diversity of styles, media, pricing, and a few of your most impressive pieces whether for sale or not. We recommend pricing all your work so potential customers are not required to ask. Consider bringing framed items and some smaller or unframed pieces for display in a bin or portfolio binder so people can flip through your less expensive work for impulse purchases. You might also make available at your table one or two photo album-style portfolios to demonstrate your commissionable or other work not available at the ArtShow. Bring anything and everything viewers can take with them, such as business cards, color postcards, or brochures. Although your acceptance to the ArtShow includes a virtual portfolio on our website, you should consider developing at least a basic website with email before attending so people can communicate with you or be reminded of your work through online images; and have the URL prominent on all printed materials. A guest book or mailing list sign up sheet is critical, something we feel strongly enough about that we even provide a few sheets in your Welcome Kit! Most important is to be friendly and welcoming, feel free to engage people about your work and how it is produced, and if someone keeps returning toa piece during the show let them know that you ahvr sxome flexibility on pricing or framing if that's the case.