(Click here for a larger view of the gallery display featured in the preview image.)

Excitement is in the air with my biggest convention of the year just around the corner – DragonCon!  I have a gallery display in the Art Show, as well as prints in the Print Shop this year.  I thought you all might enjoy a look into how I start prepping for such a big event!

1.  Think of Your Audience

There are many different kinds of conventions in my area, from anime cons to literary cons.  Before I decide what to take to any convention, I think of who is in attendance.  DragonCon in the past has proven to be a high traffic event that’s attended by not only younger audiences, but older audiences and art collectors.  

Chances are higher that audiences at this event will invest in a more expensive framed piece than at other events I’ve had experience with that are geared more towards children and young adults.  For these other events, I might stock my gallery bay with more matted prints instead of framed originals to present a wider range of prices that aren’t stacked entirely towards the higher tier of pricing.

DragonCon’s Art Show also historically has Fantasy Art that extends into the Imaginative Realism and Fine Art vein, which means it is friendly towards Fantasy Art that leans more towards Mythic and Folkloric tones.  I guessed these trends based on my own experiences with attending and selling at the show and seeing what has been displayed in the Art Show in the past.  

You might also consider emailing a convention art show’s Art Director to see what they think does well at a show, since they usually have access to sales stats and first-hand insight.  Getting a sense of what’s displayed in the show and what kinds of buyers attend can be helpful beforehand!  When in doubt, attending a show first to get a feel for it before investing is a good idea.

2.  Plan the Space

Next, I always like to make a mockup in Photoshop for any gallery bay I put my art in so that I can make the most effective use of the available space.  Most gallery spaces I have experience with are hung on pegboard or grids.  

When in doubt, ask the Art Show’s Director what your space will be like, as this will affect how you prepare your images for hanging.  Peg board, for example, works better with framed pieces that have wire strung across the back which will more easily catch the hooks that protrude from the wall.  Grids will also require images to have more breathing room because of the larger space between where display hooks can be placed.

I personally don’t like to cram my bay too full of artwork.  Every piece needs breathing room, as well as room enough between the pieces to allow for bidsheets and other signage.

Planning ahead of time and knowing how much art you’ll have in your space also allows you to buy everything well in advance and all at once so you can make the most of any bulk discounts you might get with bags, backing, and prints.

I use gray and black outlines around the images in the mockup to represent the mats and the frames, respectively.  This helps me get a more accurate sense of the presentation of each image and how it will look in the space, especially if I have unframed images or different sizes in the mix as well. 

(NOTE: For those new to my work, the blocks that say ‘mask’ represent where I’ll be displaying the matching masquerade masks that go with the paintings.  They are displayed on head forms with 9×12 inch backing.)

As for how I settled on using these particular images in my display, I went with images that have had the most positive response online and whose more fantastical elements I feel will fit in nicely with DragonCon’s crowd.

PROTIP:  Also, speaking as someone who has agented for other artists, having a visual layout provided with the work if you’re expecting someone else to hang it is a godsend!  It saves agents the trouble of having to figure out how to make everything fit when you only have a limited amount of time to get the art hung. 

3.  Promo Space

In addition to showing off the art, I also like to include promotional material (represented by the gray shapes in the mockup), such as business cards and banners with additional information.  This additional information includes, for example, a graphic on the middle panel letting people know that I will also have prints available in the Print Shop and a little map of where they can find this location.  

This is especially important for this display since I won’t have a table, making the Print Shop the only space in the convention where customers can buy more affordable prints of the original pieces displayed in the bay.  I’ll also be using this promo space to let people know about my YouTube channels where they can watch me create my paintings and masks.  

I’ll be printing this promo signage myself on cardstock paper with my Epson Artisan 1430, which makes decently sized 13×19 inch prints without me having to special order something vinyl for a more permanent solution (which I may do in the future).

The gray blocks marked as ‘cards’ are where I’ll be displaying 6 pocket business card holders filled with business cards. It’s important for customers to have a takeaway item so that they can remember to look me up later after the show, especially when I don’t have a table where I can gather their information.

PROTIP:  The card holders I have start out as clear plastic wall hangers. I alter them for display on pegboard by using a self-adhesive photo hook to convert it into being able to hang on a peg.  I also print off a graphic on cardstock paper and tape it to the back of the holder which makes the holder stand out more from the dark pegboard, while also providing more valuable promo space that you can easily change out for any occasion.

4.  Other Finishing Touches

Description Cards.

If I have time, I also like to include description cards for each piece to give viewers more information. For example, I could share the prose that goes with each of my birthstone Ladies or something about their creative process.  If you’re in a pinch, you could use cardstock to create these cards.  Pearlescent cardstock is especially eye-catching!

For a more professional museum quality look, you could display these descriptions on blocks of mat board or foam board so they have a raised appearance.  You would cut the blocks to size first, then print the text off on clear adhesive labels, which you then cut to size and stick on the blocks.  I use masking tape in a little roll attached to the back of the description blocks to adhere them to the pegboard.

Sold Image Placeholders.

Another final touch you might consider are Sold Image Placeholders.  When a piece sells, most shows will put a piece of tape or other simple placeholder with the word ‘sold’ on it to represent where a piece might be missing from your display or they might do nothing at all, leaving a big gaping void in your display.  

If you want to get fancy and are able to personally attend to your display, you could create image holders representing your paintings.  These placeholders let people know what they’re missing, as well as provide additional promo space where you can plug your website or other information.

I created my placeholders by printing them on cardstock and laminating them with self-laminating sheets so that they would last a little longer for use in additional shows.

Here are some examples of placeholder sheets:

Battery Operated Lamps.

A lot of shows have abysmal lighting where your art sits in very unflattering shadow.  In the past, I’ve used battery-operated LED lamps that sit on top of the panel (or can be taped there temporarily).

Questions?

I hope this look into the method behind the convention madness proved useful!  How do you plan your convention displays? Do you have any tips not mentioned here?  Share in comments!

– Ang