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Events

Art Biz: Event Promotions

11/16/2018

2 Comments

 
Before hosting an event, I always get nervous.  But when Brent and I meet with visitors at his open studio for the bi-annual Fitch Open House event, I only feel happy.  Much to my relief, I genuinely enjoy talking with visitors who are familiar and some are new faces.  The studio isn't mine, it's Brent's, and I wouldn't be able to work in a space like his.  I think that might just be the secret to why I don't freak out before activities at the studio.  I can just let go of that control and enjoy that it's a unique place of creativity which is my pleasure to live in vicariously (and briefly) through Brent.
Picture
Meeting in Studio Holland Art on open studio night

Event Promotions

We recently hosted an open studios event which proved to be our favorite one to-date. Since 2014, Brent has participated in the festivities. Then he increased his visibility in 2017. Finally, we started planning the event together in 2017 which has proven to be beneficial to the turnout and follow through.

I'm going to spare the reminders about the need to create an event, be timely, creating a buzz, etc.. This article addresses our event specifically rather than a "How-To Get People to Attend Your Event". Maybe a different article in the future will share those reminders.


What had improved that made this event better? From my perspective, this event had several promotional factors at play.
1. The community leans forward when it comes to cultural events
2. Studio Holland Art's online/social media presence improved
3. Kudos to an organized art community

Quick showcase of art that left the studio

Imagined Landscape, ©2001 Brent Holland Charcoal on paper behind layer of resin 36" H x 108" W + frame
Still Life in Astoria ©2001 Brent Holland, oil on canvas
Still Life I ©1998 Brent Holland 48"x36" Oil on canvas
River-to-River ©2017 Brent Holland, open edition prints available for $39.
Studio Plants in 2.5D ©2018 Brent Holland, open edition artwork available starting at $150.
Studio Plants in 2.5D in happy hands

Back to event promotions

1. The community leans forward when it comes to cultural events

Mainframe Studios is a new nonprofit model for providing permanent affordable workspace for artists based in Des Moines, Iowa. Each first Friday night of the month,  they invite the public to discover, create and connect with artists who work in the space.  Starting in 2017, each month they host a uniquely-themed evening that is free and open to the public.  They call it, you guessed it, First Friday Open Studio.  This is a novel idea for Des Moines and has been gaining traction as the community leans forward to embrace the arts.

2. Studio Holland Art's online presence has improved

There's no denying that Brent and I put a substantial amount of energy into the studio’s online presence over the past six months. This started with a website revamp...new images, new flow, better experience. Next, Brent engaged with his community on Instagram and Facebook more than ever. Finally, I've set the groundwork for a content library on Brent's blog which will aide in all forms of communication with his audience.
check out Brent's blog
Picture
--Click to SHOP SALES--

3. Kudos to an organized art community

Brent is a creator. So if other artists are like him, then artists are NOT the same people who love to organize events, promote themselves (and others) or invest time in activities that pull away from coveted time for studio practice. So a special appreciation must be given to our organized art community who does just that. There are more of these alliances than ever in Des Moines, but a special call out to Art Beacon and West End Art.

My favorite tools lately

I've been experimenting and having fun doing it!  

There is so much to read online about the best marketing tools for a small business.  I'll go into more detail in future posts.  So for now, these are my favorite resources that have made my job better.
Picture
1.  E-commerce: Shopify, Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook buyable posts
2. Web: Weebly  Use my referral link and you'll get 10% off when you subscribe to a paid plan.
Referral link: https://www.weebly.com/r/4H0B7W
3. Design: Adobe Spark & Canva
4. Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube
5. Subscription: MailChimp, Privy
You might think that taking quality photos would come naturally to me or Brent, but it's an area where we both need to improve.  I'm excited to invest in some hardware for our phone cameras this season.  Then we will dive into the Adobe Suite to produce professional images of Brent's artwork in the future.  

​Keep an eye out!

Measuring success

Okay! I know I need to get more detailed about tracking in this area. So for now, I'll share that we saw over 400 visitors in Brent's 25'x13' studio, which would be about a 50% increase in foot traffic over the previous event. We each held separate conversations continuously throughout the three hours of the events. I did not even have a sip of alcohol until 9:00...there just wasn't time. No metric available to this, but an obvious note on engaged attendees. Thirdly, we increased volume of sales by 500% and increased sales by 306%.
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I hope you enjoyed this article and gleaned some ideas from it! This is not an exact science, so trial and error is expected. As much as Studio Holland Art wants to expand audience reach, we're excited to share specific details of our experience with hopes it will help another creative small business get to the next step in their dream. Please feel welcome to comment to add to that forum. Where are you in your journey? What's working? What's not? ​​Thanks for reading!
ERICA ABELL-HOLLAND
​
​erica@studiohollandart.com
MARKETING PARTNER
STUDIO HOLLAND ART



2 Comments
https://tutuappx.com/ link
11/16/2022 11:00:15 pm

Attend your association's annual conference. It's an excellent way to network. Conferences include job fairs and a chance to connect with potential employers.

Reply
Vidmate link
11/16/2022 11:01:06 pm

Request help in finding a job. Professional associations often have job lists that other members provide.https://vidmate.onl/

Reply



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  • SHOP
  • Art Services
  • Artist
    • How it's made: Splatter
    • Iowa Arts Council Fellow
  • Blog
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  • PORTFOLIO
    • 2019 - Present
    • 2016 - 2018
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    • 2002 - 2005
    • 1998 - 2001