A bit of advice on applying to craft shows

Us crafters and artists use images of our work to represent what we make in many situations where the actual work can’t be present like a show jury, selling online, marketing materials, etc. You might make awesome work, but very few people will be aware of it if you don’t have good images to represent your work. One option is to hire out your product photography, this a good option for getting really great images for show juries especially. It would probably be cost prohibitive for keeping an online shop well-stocked with one-of-a-kind or short run items though. I never went the professional photographer route myself - I’m very DIY (unless it has to do with gas lines, electric wiring or heights).

Sometimes I am just astounded by the images that some pretty darn good crafters send in to a craft show jury. I ask myself “What were they thinking?!” but I know the truth is they just don’t realize that they were shooting themselves in the foot with their image choices.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give to someone applying to a craft show is prepare your images carefully before you fill out that application. Your images are the most important part of your application! Maybe your work fits into an under-represented media category and you might slip by with marginally okay images of your work, but this is not the case most of the time. Most shows receive at least twice as many applications as spaces available, and some receive 4 or 5 times as many applications as spaces! That makes for some pretty tough competition.
If you make jewelry, which is currently a very popular craft form, then your competition is way tougher. If you make jewelry and work in another craft category as well, it is important not over promote your jewelry on your application - although some shows do require separate application for different media categories. I’m not saying to lie on your application, but if you make cool stuff that isn’t jewelry you should let the show jury know about it!

Also make sure that a particular craft show is a good fit for you - if you make Country Crafts than an Indie Craft Show probably isn’t a good fit for you and visa versa.

Here’s some updated tips that I originally came up with few years ago on
putting together Application Images for Craft Shows:

Note how the top row of images is cohesive in subject matter and color family.

What not to do!

Last bit of advice:

Always read Craft Show Applications carefully and be sure to follow directions to the very best of your ability. A correctly filled out application makes the Show’s Organizers’ and Jury’s jobs much easier. Indie Show Organizers are often volunteers (like myself & fellow RCM members) and put hours & days into putting a show together. Following directions on an application and at the actual show (if you get in!) demonstrates courtesy to the show’s organizers and your fellow crafters - which might be pretty important if you want to get into that same show next year!

Tips on Applying to Craft Shows: What Your Website Says About You

Every year around this time, Tasha posts her fabulous "do's & don'ts" guide for juried craft show application photos. Now, I don't really have anything to add on that subject because a) Tasha pretty much did a great job and b) I'm a 2-D artist and most of my work fits on a scanner, so I guess I kind of lucked out there.

But, as a show juror I more often than not will delve deeper than just the 2 images attached to the application in order to make a more informed decision (especially if I am on the fence about an applicant). This means I can sometimes rely just as much on the applicant's website as their application photos to make my selection.


Content, content, content!
Now, I am certainly not looking for mad web design skillz (though I will touch on the importance of presentation a little later). First and foremost, what I want from an applicant's website is a better idea of their body of work as a whole. This is usually accomplished through browsing through their photo gallery or online store. So, having a wealth of quality photos of your strongest work goes a long way! Blurry/pixelated photos, photos of an "oops" project, or photos of old, out-dated work are better left off your website.


Pride & Prejudice or First Impressions
OK (now that I've established that I am a big Jane Austen nerd) lets talk about first impressions. For better or for worse, not only the content of your website, but how that content is presented plays a large factor in how your work is perceived by a show juror.

Let's use a little screen-shot of my website as an example.


OK, so it is by no means the pinnacle of web design, but from the homepage you can immediately tell that my work is bright, fun, and quirky. It is a fairly simple layout, with an easily navigable set of links on the side if a potential show juror wanted to delve further into my work or to learn more about me. There aren't a lot of unnecessary text or widgets on the front page and you do not have to scroll endlessly to find links or content.

I would hope that this website tells a show juror that I am kooky and fun but also organized and professional.


Now let's look at a fake page I made to illustrate some 'don'ts.'



What's wrong with this homepage:

• crowded and cluttered, which makes finding links & content a chore
  
• badly re-sized photos (squished and low-resolution)
  
• text & personal photo would be better off in a separate "about me" page
• clip-art and other unnecessary elements look unprofessional
  
• the most important thing (a photo gallery) is not finished, so there is essentially no content to this website
  

A homepage like this portrays me as unprofessional and disorganized. As a show juror I would see this page and wonder "If she cares so little about how her work is presented on her website, what will her table display look like?"

"But Erica," you might well say "I don't know how to re-design my site!" or "OMG, the application deadline is, like, tomorrow and I don't have time to re-design!"

Never fear, my intrepid crafter! Etsy to the rescue!

Don't be afraid to use your Etsy store.
I am surprised how often applicants will list a non-business personal blog or an uninformative/half-finished website on their application, when they have a perfectly lovely Etsy store. Etsy is the best thing to ever happen to the web-design challenged. All you have to do is take great photos of nice work, and the Etsy layout will make you look like a million bucks. Don't make a show juror work to find your Etsy store. If you're at all unsure about the quality or content of your website, use your Etsy store instead.

Don't have an Etsy store? A Flickr account is a great, easy way to share lots of photos. You can even organize them into categories for all the types of things you make. (Just be sure that if you also post personal photos to your Flickr account that you organize them so a juror doesn't have to wade through 50 pictures of your cat to find your crafts!)


The Bottom Line.
Remember, a juror in an indie show will not think you are unprofessional just because you don't have your own .com! (She will, however, probably find you unprofessional if you have a badly made .com) Just because an application asks for your "business website" doesn't mean it must, must, must be yourbusiness.com. List the site that shows you off best, whether that is your Etsy shop, your craft-related blog, or your Flickr account.

Want more tips on applying to shows from people way cooler than me?

Crafty Bastards: Make the Crafty Cut
Etsy.com: Craft Show Applications Unraveled

Now Accepting Applications for Spring Bada-Bing!

Howdee Doodee, Crafterinos!*

The Richmond Craft Mafia is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applicants for our 5th Annual Spring Bada-Bing!

Check out the website for details, and fill out our online application.

*sorry, I was totally possessed by Ned Flanders for a sec there...