‘Jigs and jelly beans’ – my first art fair

When I say my ‘first’ art fair, I’ve been to dozens of fairs as a visitor and have worked at a couple as part of the fair team, but this was the first time ‘on the inside’ – with an artist stand. I’d love to be able to claim the title of artist, but sadly I can’t; I was there as project manager and support for the talented Valeria Duca, in what is the first step in an exciting collaboration between us.

Valeria (to state the obvious) did all the painting and framing (from her studio in Norway), whilst I took on the organisational aspects of the fair, from the initial application to exhibit at the fair and all subsequent correspondence with the organisers, to managing the logistics of transport, accommodation, ensuring we had correct insurance, acquiring a card machine for payments and all necessary materials/tools for hanging, wrapping and labelling. There is a lot to plan and think about, even down to the minutiae of how best to display business cards (turns out wall-mounted holders are great space savers).

After a very early start and a 4-hour drive in treacherous conditions, we arrived at the venue – thankfully in one piece, but more importantly so was the artwork. Setting up took a few hours and included an emergency run to Screwfix and special permission from the organisers to use a hammer and nails…valuable lesson learned: always go armed with a full toolbox, regardless of what items have (or in this case haven’t) been communicated on any checklists or instructions. It’s important to get the hanging layout right from the outset, and for the stand to draw viewers in for a closer look we needed to consider spacing and the right balance of colours, themes, etc. Only when we were completely happy with the result did we head to our Airbnb for a much needed cuppa and quick turnaround for the Private View (rendered even quicker by the inability to retrieve the apartment key from the lockbox by the front door…).

Crisis averted, we arrived with a couple of minutes to spare, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Visitors started to flow in and the atmosphere was vibrant and energetic. Although tensions can run high in the lead-up to such an event, you wouldn’t know it from looking at the artists/organisers at the PV, or indeed throughout the weekend, as they brace themselves with smiles and positivity for whatever lies ahead. Because of course, art fairs – or more specifically the success of them for individual artists (or galleries in the case of gallery fairs) – can be unpredictable, and this unpredictability has artists on tenterhooks. One never knows how many people will walk through the door, and how many of those will like your art, and how many of those who like your art actually love your art, and how many of those who love your art, actually love it enough to part with their money to take it home. Particularly in this current climate (I need not say more).

Something I have witnessed a lot over the last year or so is how enduring the artist community is, and how wonderfully supportive they are of each other – something I felt even more as I stepped into their shoes and became ‘one of them’ for three days. I met some incredible people, with some inspiring backgrounds. They all rooted for each other and shared each other’s highs and lows – the moments where you feel tired and a bit dejected, to the buzz and excitement of making a sale (something which thankfully Valeria and I got to experience when we sold two paintings on the final day). It was the jigs and jelly beans that got us all through…bopping along in tandem to a lively jazz number suddenly emanating from the speakers, on a sugar rush from the bucket (yes an actual bucket) of sweets kindly donated by a neighbouring artist. Thank you Helena!

All in all, it was a great experience and one which gave me some valuable takeaways. Most importantly, and to my delight, it hasn’t put me off the art world! To the contrary; I’m inspired, revved up and ready for my next project. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to Affordable Battersea, where I’ll be doing some (hopefully fruitful) networking. Maybe see you there!