Convention Art Shows 101 Part 3

All right, I posted two articles previously on what art show conventions are, and how to register for them. Now I'm going to focus on how to display for them.

I'll be as basic as I can, but uh... I've been doing this for so long that I may use jargon that's unfamiliar, or forget something that's just second nature to me. Feel free to ask any questions at all. I've been a professional framer for a very long time (over ten years but I'm too tired to pull out dates and add it up. I think we figured it was around 13/14 years), and displaying at art shows since 96.

Choosing your art

The first step after registering for your panels at a convention, is picking what art you're going to display. You want to make sure that you have enough room on your panel for everything AND the bid sheets. They take up an obnoxious amount of space. As a general rule of thumb, you can fit 9 pieces matted out to 11" by 14" on one 4' by 4' panel. They fit three rows of three pieces. Anything else and you may have to fiddle with it. I usually go one or two pieces over what my limit is (especially when I have odd sizes) and work it all out later. You can always keep the extras for the next convention.

Matting vs Framing

The one universal rule to displaying art is that it must be ready to hang. Ready to hang means it needs to be matted or framed, so that it can be displayed. Taping art to your panels is a huge no. Sticking it in portfolio sleeves and clipping it up? Another huge no.

Art is all about perceived value. What the buyer *thinks* the piece is worth is heavily influenced by how it's displayed. A cheap frame will look like a cheap frame, and honestly isn't worth the bother. Remember, most con goers have to *fly home*, and aren't going to want to cart a dollar store frame along with them for a printed piece of art (I've watched people pull the art out of the frame and chuck the frame before getting on a plane).An original is going to be protected and carefully cared for by the buyer to begin with, so they won't mind the added care of making sure the glass doesn't break on the plane.

Prints generally sell better when they're matted, not framed. On the other hand, originals tend to stand out a little more when they're framed and the frame helps to 'justify' the extra expense in many buyer's minds. So if you do choose to frame? Make SURE it's not a cheap frame. The frameless clip frames generally turn a buyer off like nothing else.

Types of mats

Matting is an interesting thing. You have a lot of choices when you mat artwork. You can cut a single mat, a double mat, decorative corners or just really fancy mats in general. This is also where convention art shows are WAY different from art galleries. In an art gallery, or a school display, the rule of thumb is white mats. In theory it distances the art from everything around it and forces the viewer to focus on the piece and it's meaning.

Well cons aren't that existential, they're all about showing nifty fantasy/sci fi themes that make people go "COOL!" So what tends to work better at cons is what works in your home. You choose colors that compliment and accentuate the piece. So don't feel that you have to mat in black or white, jump up and have a little fun with your color choices.

In general, pieces double matted sell more then single matted. Decorative corners don't seem to affect the average amount spent per piece... but it DOES draw attention to the pieces which is what you want. More attention to your panels usually means more sales. If you're able to cut decorative corners (and have the time), then by all means throw a few in there.

What is a double/single mat and decorative corners?

Well pictures speak more than a thousand words so... I've got some examples.

single mat
Single matting is the bare basics. I tend to only do this if I'm in a super hurry (or if I'm only paid for a single mat). It's better then nothing, but it rarely displays the piece properly. I usually try to keep my mats around a 2" width. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, but this seems to be a decent width for most images.
This is a single mat:


double mats
Double mats are the same as a single mat, except it has a small inside edge. The general rule of thumb is for a 1/4" inside mat. If you know how to cut a single mat, this is how to cut a double: When cutting a double mat, you cut your top mat first. Then put the inside piece back in, flip the mat board face down and use double stick tape to adhere the inner mat to the back of the board (make sure the inner mat doesn't overlap the outside edge of the top mat board. You're going to be measuring from the top mat's edge). Then you cut the inside edge out, and pop both center pieces out. (kind of difficult to explain without showing).

Double matting gives a piece a nice, clean, finished look and is highly attractive. Unfortunately I don't have any highly attractive photos of a double mat, so this will have to do:


Decorative edges

There are all kinds of nifty decorative tricks you can do with matting. V grooves, arrows, etc. etc. I can't show them all, but I'll give a little sample to show. I've even cut celtic knotwork in a corner, it really all depends on how much time you're willing to put into the fancy stuff. If you do a LOT of conventions it probably isn't worth it, but once in a while it's nice.



.. and if you don't know what a mat cutter is? This is my personal mat cutter. Or at least a tiny view of it.

Mat sizes

It may be easier to cut mats with just a 2" border all the way around, but you'll end up with a really odd sized outside edge. In general people enjoy being able to pop their newly purchased art into a ready made frame. So when cutting, try to cut to standard size frames.

What are standard sizes? Well... here's a list.
  4"x5"
4"x6"
6"x8"
5"x7"
8"x10"
8"x12"
8-1/2"x11"
9"x12"
10"x13"
11"x14"
12"x16"
14"x18"
16"x20"
20"x24"
22"x28"
24"x30"
24"x36"
30"x40"

There are also some odd standard sizes coming out now that scrapbooking is popular. Many people can get square frames easily now. 10 by 10, 12 by 12, etc.

Worse comes to worse, mat to whole numbers (for example 12" not 12 1/8"), because there is always the option to buy a 'frame kit'. It's a frame that you buy the length and width seperately, then put them together yourself.

Bagging and finishing

Now that you have your piece matted, you realize that it's... well... not protected very well. Sure it's stiff, but what now? Do you tape the edges all around or something? (the answer to that is no).

The only tape you should have, is a single piece of artist's tape along the TOP edge of the print. Artist's tape is a white, low tack tape that's also very low acidic (I've heard acid free, but haven't seen a package that says acid free on it). What's the big deal about that? Well have you ever had to take tape off of an old poster? Notice how the poster is discolored where the tape was, kind of yellowed? Artist's tape won't do that (at least not very much). It's also easier to peel away. It may not matter to YOU, but if you want repeat buyers, showing care for the pieces in the long run is going to earn their respect.

So you have the piece tapped in, now you need to use a backing board. PLEASE don't use cardboard. It looks terrible, and cheap. 1/4" Foamboard is usually the best stuff to use for backing board.

Finally... bags. You can shrink wrap your piece if you have access to a shrink wrap machine, but since you can't guarantee the conditions of where the art will be, changing temperatures may cause unsightly wrinkles in your shrink wrap. You want the piece to be as viewable as possible. So... to pimp my favorite place, Clearbags.com is a great place to get clear, resealable bags. They come in different sizes, just make sure you buy the right size. (for example. An 11 by 14 piece should have a bag that's at least 1/4" wider. To make room for the thickness of the mat board/foam board.)  

Print shop differences

Pieces being displayed in the print shop don't necessarily have to be matted. However it IS a good idea to at least bag them (preferably with something stiff behind them, though not necessarily foamboard). Remember, people will be handling them quite a bit.

Last minute things to remember before shipping your art off

After you have your pieces matted, it's a good idea to do a last minute double check of your panel space and to plan exactly how your pieces will be displayed.

I usually tape off a section of my floor the size of the panel I have, then I literally lay out my art in the way I want to have it displayed. Remember that if you have 2 or more panels, they probably WON'T be laying flat, so don't plan on being able to overlap pieces onto the other panels.

If you have a camera, taking a picture and printing out your layout would be good, otherwise just draw a quick diagram. Even if you're hanging the pieces yourself, it makes your set up *extremely* fast. But if you're not there to hang, having a diagram ensures that your pieces will be displayed to their best advantage. (in otherwords, not just shoved up anywhere they can fit them. Volunteers are usually extremely busy and so don't always take time to display pieces to their best.)

Do a double check and make sure all your art is labeled, and has it's bid sheet. Then pack your pieces as carefully as possible.

End

Alright. I've killed you guys with words yet again (I'm never less than longwinded, sorry). Hopefully this all helps you guys. I'm not sure if I should do anything about after con stuff, like taking down your art. Let me know if there is ANYTHING else you'd like me to write on, I'd be happy to.

And really... if you do end up showing, best of luck to you.