Article: Marketing Your Art #12

Tools that can really help an artist but won’t break the bank by SKC

When you’re first starting out – OR- even if you’re a seasoned professional, using some tools to make the management of your career simpler is SO important. Thanks to the constant improvement of digital technology and the internet, these tools are constantly changing, being added and improved and not too infrequently the cost of such tools has decreased as well.

I’ll cover a small group of tools nearly every artist (no matter their medium) will find useful in the promotion and organization of their artwork.

Your E-mail Mailing List
Every artist must maintain a mailing list which includes people who have bought from them before, those who have expressed interest, but may not have made the leap yet into purchasing artwork as well as friends, family and the local and regional media. As your list grows over time, you’ll find it more difficult to manage with whatever personal email program you use. Most email providers have limits on the number of emails you can send out in a given span of time, and if you ignore those limits you will soon find your account frozen. It can get quite frustrating.

Why not consider an automatic mailing list management system? There are plenty to choose from and prices can range quite a bit from one to the other. One such site is http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/ which has some of the best prices I’ve seen to date, as well as an automatic opt-in web-form that you can place in your blog or website. It manages all the additions as well as anyone who wishes to unsubscribe as well as allows you to organize your contacts into unlimited groups. The system also features an HTML wysiwyg (What You See Is What You Get) editor that allows you to design emails using the benefits of HTML without having to know the code.

Using a mailing list manager list is organized and legal (there are anti-spam laws that everyone must follow). Some providers are:


Your Mailing List Provider (http://www.ymlp.com/):
Best Bang for your Buck

• Accounts start at $0 for your most basic features and go up to $5/month for unlimited subscribers
• Tracking and reporting of click through and open rates
• Wysiwyg HTML editor
• Automatic opt-in HTML web form
• Easy to import/export contacts
• Allows you to schedule email campaigns
• Archives old messages

Constant Contact (http://www.constantcontact.com/):
• Free 60-day trial (monthly costs are slightly higher: $15-$150 per month)
• Provides ability to do online surveys as well as HTML emails
• HTML email templates available
• Archives old messages

I Contact (http://www.icontact.com/):
• Import/Export of contacts
• Email templates
• Scheduling
• Tracking and reporting
• 15-day free trial (annual prices range from $107.46-$7,549.20)

Printed Materials
All artists need printed marketing materials in order to make the first impression with gallery owners and potential collectors. Additionally, many still promote using the traditional postcard via USPS method (which in itself can be expensive just due to postage alone). Starting out, you might think the expensive and flashy postcard companies advertized in glossy fine art magazines absolutely must be the right move, but think again. There are countless internet-based printers available now with extremely competitive pricing that output high quality products. In addition, they provide simple online templates for those looking to completely create their own designs as well as downloadable Photoshop and Illustrator templates for the do-it-yourselfers.

Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com):
Check with your art friends prior to making your first purchase because often they will have access to “exclusive” sale pricing and by simply forwarding such an email, you too will gain access to the special discounts. This printer provides a bevy of printing services, so by all means investigate and consider what needs you may have. Once you purchase from them, you will receive notice frequently for special sale pricing. Each printer offers slightly different sizes for each product and may or may not offer custom design as well as snail mail campaign management. Shop around and find the best deal for your needs.

Postcards:
4-color, glossy postcards start at 50 individual printed cards for the cost of shipping (with special pricing access). For 500 the cost rises to $120 plus shipping, but still, that price is far more reasonable than the glitzy postcard printers advertized in expensive art magazines.

Business Cards:
4-color, matte, premium stock business cards begin at 250 individual business cards for $1.99 plus the cost of shipping (an incredible deal). Should you want more than that, you’re looking at very reasonable pricing.

Overnight Prints (http://www.overnightprints.com/):
This printer also features very competitive printing prices that will help you keep your bank account intact. Upon request, they will send you free samples of their printed products.

PS Print (http://www.psprint.com/):
They offer quality printing, fast turnaround and mailing services for very competitive prices.

FREE Templates for Online Web-Galleries
Just recently I was notified of a FREE Flash template system. These templates are NOT for commercial use, so please do keep that in mind; however, if you wish to use them to display your artwork (prices omitted) you will find them to be elegantly designed and user friendly to your visitors.

Free Picasa Flash Templates: http://www.paulvanroekel.nl/picasa/

Additionally, for those of you using Photoshop CS4, you no doubt also have Adobe Bridge, which will elegantly and easily automatically create flash galleries of your images (and upload them to your website for you). Find out more about the capabilities of Bridge CS4 from Pixel Perfect’s webcast: http://revision3.com/pixelperfect/cs4/

Or from John Nack’s Blog: http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2008/11/bridge_cs4_outp.html

TALK BACK: There are plenty more options out there for thrifty marketing. If you have some tips to share of your own, certainly don’t be shy. What tools do you use for your own art marketing?

Article: Marketing Your Art #11

Selling art in hard times by SKC

Many of us are wondering how the economic downturn will affect our art sales. Prices for supplies continue to rise, while demand for the finished product appears to be growing smaller and more fickle. This is the time to consider what motivates one to purchase artwork. True collectors may be seeking an investment, or a complimentary piece to suit their current purchases. Those seeking some décor may simply be drawn to color and composition. And still others may be dipping their toes into fine art buying and may not have the experience or gusto to be investing heavily in originals.

Each of these three groups—Serious Collectors, Décor Buyers, and First-time/Beginning Collectors— approaches purchases differently. You may choose to focus on one group of buyers OR all three, but there are several things to keep in mind if you do.

Serious Collectors:
These buyers are less likely to be badly affected by the economic downturn. To them, fine art is another investment, and if purchased correctly will pay off down the road. While they do not appear to buy artwork on a whim, they know what they want and when presented with the opportunity to acquire the piece will do so swiftly. These buyers tend to buy high-end, museum quality works and if they are seriously interested in a specific artist, may even be motivated to purchase maquettes and sketches.

The artist who wishes to attract this buyer is gambling that their artwork will be desirable to the collector population within the vicinity of their artwork. If they are correct, this can pay off handsomely. Sales may be slow, but the final purchase price of the artwork easily covers the cost of materials and marketing.

Décor Buyers:
Those seeking home décor enhancements aren’t necessarily looking to make an investment into original artwork. For these buyers, high quality prints may be more attractive especially in a down market when they may be on a tighter budget than normal. The simple cost of printing, embellishing, matting and framing such prints can make their sale cumbersome and less profitable.

I have found through personal experience that décor buyers will often want to specify matting and framing for their clients or selves and would rather benefit from the value of purchasing simply the print itself. If you feel you need to provide assistance, you can note on your website or with your galleries, that you will be pleased to offer matting and framing assistance at an additional fee upon request. This way, you allow those who wish to buy prints alone, the less expensive option (and you also save yourself money in time and supplies which can add up quickly!).

Further, if you hold NO inventory, you are much better off in a down market. Consider connecting yourself with a high quality printer, such as White House Custom Color (WHCC.com) or IPrintFromHome.com, who do giclees, photographic prints, prints on metallic paper, etc. When a purchase is requested, place your order with the professional print company and either “drop ship” the order directly to the client, or ship to yourself (WHCC offers 2 day shipping to the artist for FREE) sign the prints, make embellishments, etc., and then re-pack and send the artwork to your client. I use this technique on my web venues. It makes the sale of prints more profitable, especially when compared to matted or framed prints which move much slower.

First Time Buyers/Beginning Collectors:
These buyers are extremely motivated by initial impression and emotional connection to a series of work, the artist, or a single piece. They tend to shy away from large purchases and will occasionally remain loyal to a small group of artists or a single artist. While their purchases may be infrequent, they will likely be consistent.

Often they find artwork on their own without a buyer and will be somewhat shy in negotiating price. This type of buyer is looking to purchase originals, but may not have much in the way of expendable income. For them, it is best to provide value for the price. Consider offering smaller works exhibiting the same style, color pallets and mood as your larger pieces. Should an experienced buyer see these smaller works, they may purchase multiples, while these first-time buyers will see an opportunity to make their first small investment into artwork they truly believe in.

As you did with décor buyers, you may want to offer your works framed and unframed. This allows the buyer to feel they are getting a very fair price (how many times has someone tried to negotiate the price of artwork sans frame in your experience hoping for a better price?) and can match the framing to their current tastes.

All of these tips will work well in a gallery setting or in your online blog/portfolio website. Providing the option of framing/mounting helps us to avoid reducing the price of our artwork while offering a lower cost to our buyers. If you would like to sell prints of your work in a gallery setting without investing in inventory, consider creating a simple print book. You can list all available artwork, with sizes available for each print and a simple key for pricing that can be switched out as needed. Make the book look professional and clean. You could use a simple small white binder and print the pages yourself or choose to design the book and have it printed and bound locally or by one of the many online printers such as www.lulu.com, www.whcc.com, www.blurb.com, http://www.qoop.com.

Article: Marketing Your Art #6

Using the Internet to Your Advantage by SKC

As an artist, you will have to become visible in various venues and formats for example, newspaper articles, galleries, special events and of course online. Getting your work online and visible is not nearly as difficult as it once was. Not long ago, you would have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a custom website to be built. Add to that the cost of paying someone to update the site for you on a regular basis. Alternatively, if you had tried to take on the task yourself, you risked creating a messy broken site, with all kinds of issues with load time and functionality. Add to that the cost of buying the software required to build your site (or taking a class to learn how to hard-code).

Today there are so many great options out there for artists to take advantage of. Templates are becoming a very common and very usable option, making the step into website ownership a much simpler and more streamlined one. This gives any artist (photographer, painter, sculptor, etc.) the ability to have the appearance of a custom site dedicated to their craft. No more do artists have to learn HTML or software to maintain control of their websites, and no longer do they have to beg friends and family to help them get set up. In the past I heard plenty of horror stories of even paid designers who created websites and later abandoned the artist or took ages to update their pages.

Many art-related templates even include storefronts that allow artists to sell prints and originals fairly easily using a simple basic PayPal account. One template site that has been recommended to me by a number of photographers and artists is bludomain.com. They have a lovely selection of templates that are fully editable and carry a number of excellent features.

You can find alternative template sites by google searching for “editable flash templates” or “editable portfolio templates.” One such site is flash4layouts.com. Always compare features and pricing (long term after initial set up fees) before making your final decision.

A Note about Domain Names (Your Web Address)

Many artists will choose to use their full names. This is a great idea if it happens to be available. Using your name makes it easy for collectors, friends, or even gallery directors to remember your website address. If your full name is unusually long, or has been taken already, it is time to start thinking of some alternatives.

You can search for unused domain names by going to almost any web hosting website. Take godaddy.com for example. On their first page you’ll see a space to type in your desired domain name to see if it’s available.

Play around with different descriptors and creative ways to say the same thing. Pull out your dictionary and thesaurus.

Ideal Domain Names:

1. Are short and easy to remember
2. Don’t use hyphens (this-name.com)
3. Use the .com extension over .net, .biz, .org, etc.
4. Read well as one single word with no spaces
5. Don’t mimic the name of another well known site
6. Shouldn’t cost more than $9 per year. If the name isn’t immediately available, don’t back order it, move on to a different option.

Online resources:

• www.bludomain.com – fully editable flash templates, hosting, shopping cart, etc.
• www.flash4layouts.com – editable flash templates
• www.godaddy.com – inexpensive domain name registration, hosting, email, and very basic non-flash website templates.

Next week we’ll talk about alternatives/additions to portfolio websites.

Article: Marketing Your Art #5

How to price your artwork by SKC

One question that has come up time and time again, especially among artists new to marketing and exhibiting is how to price their artwork. There truly is no single way to approach this issue that would apply for every artist, but perhaps the most reasonable is to “charge” an hourly rate as you work and add on the cost of your materials and expenses.

We all know that size doesn’t necessarily equate to effort. I often found in my larger works that the piece took me less time than something half the size, yet something even smaller, say 6” or under, took almost no time at all. The key is to make sure that you get paid for the time you put into a piece. Using the hourly rate method will help you do this.

In addition, whatever hourly rate you pick needs to take into account the subtraction of sales commissions from exhibition venues. So for example, let’s say you have a piece that took you 10 hours to complete. Let’s compare three possible price points.

10 hours at $15 is $150 (plus expenses)
Subtract your typical gallery commission 40% and you walk away with $90 for your time or roughly $9 per hour.

10 hours at $40 is $400 (plus expenses)
Subtract your typical gallery commission of 40% and you walk away with $240 for your time or roughly $24 per hour.

10 hours at $70 is $700 (plus expenses)
Subtract your typical gallery commission of 40% and you walk away with $420 for your time or roughly $42 per hour.

There is no limit to what you can choose to charge per hour. We’ve all heard stories that it will always be your highest priced piece that sells first. Or that if you want to move your work, in the beginning, it has to be priced low. I don’t believe there are any hard and fast rules here. No one knows better than you do, just how much effort you put into your artwork.

If you are still unsure if the rate you have in mind results in a “reasonable price,” you may want to research galleries locally and online to see what the average price is for a piece similar to yours. The price will vary greatly between artists depending on their establishment in the art market, desirability and even occasionally by their locale (although the Internet is helping to break that down).

Be sure that the hourly rate you charge results in what you comfortable with for your time and effort. Don’t forget, that as an artist you are also spending a great deal of “non-billable” hours marketing yourself. So, not only are you putting hours into the actual work of art, but you are also spending time seeking out venues, preparing exhibitions, creating your marketing materials, managing your inventory, etc. Be fair to yourself. You should absolutely never end up giving your time away.

Pricing No no’s
Regional Pricing
I touched briefly on the idea that artwork is valued differently depending on where it hangs. This concept is fading away as more and more artists present their work online and in a gallery with an online presence.

Consider your buyer. You’re working to foster as many artist-to-collector relationships as possible. One part of that equation is that your buyer has to feel that they are getting a fair price for your work, the same price anyone might pay. If because they live in a metropolitan area, you offer them the price of $1200 for a piece, but your gallery in small town in Ohio is selling the same work (or similar works) for $800, you are playing a very dangerous game. Should that buyer find your Ohio gallery, the best case scenario is that you lose the sale and never hear from them again. Worst case is that you lose the sale and they end up posting online or sharing with a large number of friends and acquaintances that you have shady business practices.

Different venue, different retail price
The idea of using the same pricing follows through for all exhibition venues (regardless of their commission), so that each gallery gets a fair shake and all your potential buyers and collectors see that your artwork holds the same value. If you offer a higher retail price to one gallery over another, and they find out, you risk losing that gallery and facing serious backlash. Galleries can be extremely protective of their artists. With the right gallery, you can gain a great deal of exposure, collectors, sales, and even additional venues and exhibition opportunities. In this way, they are your business partners, so treat them as fairly as you wish to be treated yourself.

Selling wholesale or near wholesale to buyers directly
Some artists will offer buyers their artwork for less than they are selling for in galleries and exhibition venues. In this way, they hope to build that buyer into a collector. Absolutely, your buyer will feel they are getting a special deal, and no doubt they will come back directly to you for future sales (therefore cutting out the middle man). This may sound great on the surface; however, consider the venues you use to gain exposure and initial introduction to your artwork. Going behind their back and making the sale after the exhibition closes essentially leaves them unpaid for their time and effort. Understand that many gallery owners are well aware of each other. If you believe that you can safely undercut galleries and continue to find exhibition opportunities, you may find yourself sorely disappointed.

In general, you should always adhere to the golden rule. Treat your buyers and those who help gain you exposure as an artist as fairly as you would wish to be treated. Absolutely everyone has to be paid for their efforts and of course that includes you.

Talking points:
What system do you use to price your artwork?

(To comment: click on the small word "comment" below, type in your comment and type the verification letters in the space provided. If you don't have a blogger account, click on "name/url" or "anonymous," then click to post it. That's it... let's hear what you think.)

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Article: Marketing Your Art #3

From time-to-time Brevard Art News will feature supplements on specific topics. The first series, thanks to our guest author, is great advice on marketing your art. This is the third in the series. I'll publish the articles weekly... Enjoy. This week's issue of Brevard Art News follows this article...

The Artist’s Press Release by SKC

Being able to assemble a well-written and engaging press release is critical when you’re promoting your own artwork and events. Even if a venue tells you that they publish releases for all their events, don’t leave it entirely in their hands. It may be tempting to step back and let them do all that work, but there are a number of reasons to also do your own promoting:

1. No one knows your work and motivation better than you do.
2. Having two releases out to the media for a single event is better than one.
3. Your media contact list may include writers/publications that the event’s doesn’t.
4. There is no way to know how well they market their events.

A good press release will land on an editor’s or writer’s desk just when they need a good story most and provide them everything they need to write a story. The press release will entice them with an interesting title, clever perspective on something fresh, and contact information for follow up questions.

Press coverage is like free advertising and often is more effective than buying ad space. Despite the fact that more people are getting information from television or the Internet today, there are still many people who read local newspapers (especially in our area). The number of people that a single article will reach out to is significant, so don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Look at your organized media contact list and determine if there are any writers whom you can contact personally with a phone call and or personal email with your release attached. Often if you have participated in a few events prior to holding your own, you may have had an encounter or two with the local press already. Be sure to include those you’ve interviewed with before on your list, and once you have your press release written, contact them personally to ask if they would be interested in covering your event. This is no time to be shy.

Write Your Press Release

Be sure to have all your ducks in a row (date, event, location) before you begin. A well-written and informative press release will open up doors for you and often will work magic all on its own.
You want your press release to read like an article; this way, if it lands on the desk of a particularly frazzled editor who needs a little something extra to fill out the page, the editor can just copy and paste exactly what he or she needs from it. In any good press release, there are four main components:

1. Contact information
2. The title
3. The details
4. The story
5. Location and contact details

Contact Information

Be sure to include your contact information at the top of your release. When you provide this information, you’re inviting the press to contact you for an interview or to clarify any information. I also include links to where high-resolution promotional images can be downloaded for printing alongside the article and any additional links or information that may be helpful (such as your portfolio website should you have one). If you cannot upload images to your hosting site or aren’t sure how to do it, select one image that represents your event well, and send it along as an attachment. If you are attaching the image in an email, be sure that the file is no larger than 2 MB but is still large enough to print. If you are mailing a paper press release, attach a high quality printed copy of the image. A good size for emailing and printing is 4” x 6” at 200 dpi.

The Title

Every good story comes with an attention-grabbing headline. Think about what will make your event unique and try to incorporate that into your title. Keep it short and to the point.

The Details

Provide all the essential details for your event (title, artist name, gallery name, location and time) in the first paragraph. That way, if this is the only text that gets used, you can be sure that everything someone needs to know to attend the event is there. Keep this part of your press release brief, but make it interesting.

The Story

Now that you’ve drawn your readers into your event; it’s time to give them a peek behind the event, and your motivation. How did you come up with the idea? What’s the goal of your event? These are likely questions a reporter may ask, and answering them in your press release gives reporters a running start. Include quotations from event participants and any additional information a reporter may find helpful.

Location and Contact Details

In your final paragraph, include details about your location. If you have set up a website for your event, include that here along with a phone number for more information.

Here’s a sample press release:

News Release: For Immediate Release

Contacts:

Gallery Owner, John Smith: (555) 555-5555
JohnSmith@DowntownArtSpace.com

Artist, Melissa Smith: (555) 555-5555
MelissaSmith@thisisourevent.com

Event Website: http://www.thisisourevent.com/
Event Images for press: www.ThisIsOurEvent.com/Press

###

“Understudies”

A Deeply Expressive Breakthrough Digital Exhibit

[Anytown, FL]—“Understudies” is the title Melissa Smith has given her latest series of work to be featured at the Downtown Art Space, at 1234 Any Street, Anytown. On Friday, April 7, the opening reception will be held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. and features an artist’s talk and open discussion with Melissa. The reception is free and open to the public. Her striking work will be on display from April 1 through April 30.

Melissa Smith, an Anytown-based artist, uses her computer to explore the amalgamation of sensual female forms and rugged natural or man-made textures in her latest works. “These combinations are a response to current issues, daily struggles, and an exploration of identity,” says Melissa, describing her creative motivation. Certainly not your typical area artist; her striking finished images evoke deep emotion and can be described as sensual, quiet, and brooding.

"Her work brings something entirely new and fresh to the gallery,” said owner John Smith. “We felt it was important to showcase such a standout talent among the community and show our patrons the distinct perspective this artist brings to her work.” John went on to say that while he feels the work is heavily charged with emotion, the delicacy of detail and sheer beauty found in her clashing images will provide “something for everyone to fall in love with”.

The Downtown Art Space is artist-owned and -operated. The gallery is located in the historic Old Anytown Riverfront area of Anytown. The gallery telephone number is 555-555-5555. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information visit us online at: http://www.thisisourevent.com/.

# # # (end)

As you can see, the press release is very much like a true article. Give the writers a solid head-start in writing about your event and you’ll make their job easier. Good writers will often favor those who can provide timely, well-written releases, so it is to your advantage to use this tool efficiently and frequently.

Some examples of when to send out releases to the media:

• If you are participating in a solo or group exhibition (this includes even outdoor shows).
• When you plan to do an artist’s talk, demonstration, or instruction.
• If you win an award (corporate collection, local, or national award).
• When you are planning or participating in a special event or have made an artistic donation to a cause.

Talk-back question of the week:

What local media outlets do you feel give the most exposure to our area artists and cultural events?

(To comment: click on the small word "comment" below, type in your comment and type the verification letters in the space provided. If you don't have a blogger account, click on "name/url" or "anonymous," then click to post it. That's it... let's hear what you think.)

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Article: Marketing Your Art #2

From time-to-time Brevard Art News will feature supplements on specific topics. The first series, thanks to our guest author, is great advice on marketing your art. This is the second in the series. I'll publish the articles weekly... Enjoy. This week's issue of Brevard Art News follows this article...

Getting Up the Guts and Getting Out There by SKC

Once you have your Q&A lists together and you’ve reviewed and studied them, you should be ready to start branching out and creating your business connections.

Some of the first business relationships you will foster are those with the local media and press. Because many of them require a great deal of lead time for news and events listings, you will want to make your press list up-front and have it ready to go. Identify the major and minor players in your area. This may include local arts magazines, major newspapers, community newspapers, university newspapers, local television and radio stations, community bulletin boards, etc. Call each one on your list and ask them who you should address your press releases to, what format they prefer them in (email/fax/snail mail), and how far in advance they need them.

This is a fairly easy task – no intimidation required. The media representatives you call will be happy to provide you the information. The “worst-case scenario” would be that you get a local reporter on the phone who wants to interview you for an article, and well, that’s not bad at all. Once you have gathered the information together, put everything into a simple spreadsheet or list and keep it handy. If you’re computer savvy, assemble a digital contact list in your email software to make emailing your releases and announcements quick and easy.

The next business relationships you’ll nurture are those within the local arts and exhibition community. You will want to consider possible venues for your artwork locally. It is always recommended to check these locations out in person to make sure:
1. They are easy to find.
2. Are open regularly and always at least during their published hours.
3. Have ample parking (big issue if you hold an opening reception).
4. Appear to be in a vibrant area with plenty of area businesses to keep potential patrons nearby.

You may wish to start off small and build your way up by approaching local coffee shops, book stores, libraries, cafes, and hangouts at first. Once you have a list of possible venues you would consider showing at, call each one and ask to speak to the owner or manager about the possibility of hanging your artwork.

This is where you may get your first tinge of butterflies – remember the Q&A list! The owner may ask you to describe your work, what medium it is, what size, and what it looks like. If they are receptive to having artwork in their place of business, ask if there would be a good time to come by and show them your pieces.

Inquiring by phone may seem like the most intimidating step (how do you describe in words what you do?), and in a lot of ways it is. But setting up appointments is half the battle; the next step is to get there on time, look professional, and show a nicely polished portfolio of your work. The people you are meeting with may like your work and they may not. Perhaps your work fits perfectly with their business aesthetic, or perhaps not, but be prepared for either possibility. Rejection is a major part of the job – it doesn’t mean that people don’t like you personally, or even necessarily that they don’t like your work. It may come down to something as simple as a case of bad timing. So whatever you do, don’t take it to heart. Not everyone will love you, but it’s very unlikely that anyone will actually dislike you, either.

Once you have your first venue, you will want to let people know. If you’re fortunate enough, you will have an opening reception. Make sure to announce the event to your media contacts with a well-written press-release, let your friends, family, and artwork admirers know that you’re showing your work and where, and start the process of promotion.

When it comes to exhibiting and promoting your artwork, there are so many little details. Next week we’ll look at the nitty-gritty details of writing a good press release and what to include with it to help create buzz for your work in the local media.

Talk-back questions of the week (click on comment and let’s hear what you do):

How do you personally go about finding an exhibition location? What is most important to you when looking for a venue?