Display systems

Hi Everyone,
Well, I just wrapped up my first show and I learned some very valuable lessons. I didn't sell a thing, but no one did at the show. They advertised an art show, and a craft crowd arrived... go figure. Anyways, I need to figure out a better display system. I thought I had a decent idea by using painter's easels, but that was frought with peril within 20 minutes of setup and the first bit of wind came along. So, I know there's panel systems and whatnot out there. Can anyone recommend something for someone like me who's on a tight budget? Are there any do-it-yourself plans maybe? If you've done it yourself (successfully), I'd be interested in hearing about the concept you followed.

Thanks!
Kier

Hi Kier,
Well, I hope some creative types have discovered a "cheap" way to do it? Unfortunately, after picking all the art faire brains of the folks I knew, I found that if you want a PRO look, along with durability, and light-weight portability....it all adds up... If you are a handy workshops type of person, you could make your own..If you are email me and I will give you all the details and advise I can....
Otheriwse, I personally had to payUP as I an not a handyman.....
The "craft faire folks" I made sales to by stocking smaller prints, magnets and greeting cards..
I hope you have a good "weight system" to hold down your tent in the wind?
Looking forward to hearing the replies and drop a line if you are handy

in gratitude,
Nelcha

www.propanels.com I found this on the internet, but decided to build my own display system so I can't vouch for it. If it comes out okay I'll post pictures when I'm finished.

Hi Kier,

Yeah, I've even had a few juried art shows that pulled a ZERO, and then this year, the same show was one of my highest so far.

You have quite a few options for display. Easles do not work. The cheapest is probably metal grid wall panels that you can pick up from display fixture companies from around $15 dollars a panel. The are generally 30" x 72" and are put together with black zip ties and can be draped with fabric to "hide" the grid.

You will probably hear about these on the artshow photo group. I saw your post there too. Try searching the yahoo home page, there have been tons of messages about that subject. It gets repeated so much, people get tired of answering it.

Ronald Frazier has an article on some he built:
http://ronfrazier.blogspot.com/

Larry has information on the group's website site about professional panel vendors, as well as most of the other things needed for artshows.

I built my own, similar to the Flourish mesh art panels, though they weren't that cheap to build, probably about $300 or so. I used outdoor nylon mesh and conduit.

I've been using propanels and like them. The panels are inside a tent so I don't have to worry about wind, but anything that is outside needs to be secured (guess how I learned that lesson!).

I actually tried something a little different at a recent art show. I brought 3-4 framed works (photographs) for which I diplayed on small metal table eisles. I had one large image done as a cover wrap on canvas as my "show stopper" to grab people's attention. But what I really thought worked well (and was different) was utilizing our 17 inch Apple LCD flat screen monitor on the table hooked up to my laptop. I then ran a 2-3 minute slide show including about 60 of my best nature images on the screen and just looped it. It was a great way to engage people, draw them in and establish a rapport (while hopefully building up to a sale!) Needless to say I was the only one to have such a show and I think it really helped me stand out. No, the monitor is not necessarily cheap, but it sure saves you time and money that would be spent on printing and framing so many images (not to mention the hassle of transporting so many framed works and putting them up.)

thanks for the info everyone... i think i'm going to go with the gridwall panels. although since i have an indoor show this year, i'm not going to do the setup where i line the tent walls, but rather set up a freestanding cube in the middle, and i'll use cable to attach a weight in the middle... thanks again!

I don't know which of the grid panels she uses, but a friend has found a novel use for them in larger booths. She assembles them into a triangle, which makes a really stable column, then hangs prints on all three sides for folks to walk around. One or two of these in the center of a booth, along with tables and more panels around the sides makes a really professional looking booth with lots of display space.

I have been researching www.graphicdysplays.com Does anyone have any experience with them??

Thanks

Hey all, I think I've found a good price gridwall supply. They seem to have some good options compared to most companies I've found.

http://www.fixturedepot.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=40&Click=23&gclid=CP-zu_XFvI0CFSWQGgodfX9tLw