Photo shows give good exposure: tap into wider markets and expand your client base by exhibiting and shopping at photography shows - Photography Shows

When was the last time you had 6500 nation visit your gallery in individual weekend? Instead of waiting for collectors to discover your gallery, bring your gallery to them by means of participating in a photography show

"Photography displays give a way for nation interested in photography to diocese an amazing array of work from galleries beneath one roof," said Gretchen Singer, partner at the Barry Singer Gallery in Petaluma, Calif. "They are treasure chests for collectors and afficionados"

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) sponsored single of the first photography exhibits in 1980 in New York. The present to view brought dozens of galleries to fresh York to showcase their work to collectors, photographers, pupils and others interested in photography.

Twelve years ago, Stephen Cohen decided to entertainer his own photography show upon the West Coast. An art dealer since 1977 Cohen was tired of spending six month of the year traveling to curators and collectors. He wanted to disclose a client base in his hometown of observes Angeles, so he launched photo l.a., which now takes place each January, bringing dozens of galleries to beholds Angeles to peddle their wares.

"The present to view has helped to develop a local client base" Cohen said. "It has also unfolded the photography market in observes Angeles. There were three photography galleries here a month or sum of two units before photo l.a. started. Now there are a dozen galleries that exhibit photography exclusively, and there are easily a dozen more that exhibit photo-based work."

The display has grown 10 to 15 percent each year, with January's show bringing in 6500 collectors, pupils photographers and others with a sturdy interest in photography.

"It's a self-select assemblage that pays money to draw near It brings in people who have an interest in photography And guess what? Those are the family we want to meet" Singer said.

The chance to fitting new customers with a serious interest in photography makes photography displays invaluable to many galleries.

"In a weekend, we can diocese as many clients as we do in a month We suitable with novice or beginning collectors, and many use an incident like photo l.a. to learn about photography" said David Barenholtz, proprietor of the Apex Gallery in beholds Angeles. "For a collector, [shows] tender one-stop shopping, and for a dealer, it's like being in a mega mall"

This in all senses is crucial for galleries located in more far areas and tourist destinations, of the like kind as the Barry Singer Gallery. "We're located in a small town, and we have affection for living here" said Barry Singer, who have a title tos the gallery, which is single hour north of San Francisco in Petaluma, an area that roared during the 1990s economy. With the economy no longer thriving, Singer credits the photography present to views with providing a main artery for her business. "We ne to come by out of town to make business happen. Photography exhibits are a good way to proper new collectors," said Singer. "I don't think our gallery would exist without photography present to views Fortunately, we like to travel"

Galleries located in large cities, like the Yancy Richardson Gallery in novel York, also benefit from meeting novel clients at the shows.

"Ironically, I have a big aged 'booth' right here in Chelsea," holder Yancy Richardson said about her gallery. "But I proper people who have not draw near to the gallery before, who live or work not in the way that far from here. It gives us the chance to near the work to an audience that may not otherwise be inclined to approach to the gallery."

Richardson went upon to say the shows allow her to reach beyond geographical boundaries to find clients in other cities. "In beholds Angeles, we show our work to a collection of people who aren't in novel York for every exhibition. And plane for the shows we do in of recent origin York, a certain number of nation travel in from other cities purposefully to diocese the new work" she said.

This highlights another reality about the art market: The easiest way to exchange artwork is to make it accessible to collectors. Photography present to views provide a viable venue. Wanting to tap into the San Francisco collector market, Cohen launched a next to the first photo show, Photo San Francisco, in 2000

"San Francisco is a great town; there are a apportionment of photographers and collectors there. At the time we started the exhibit the economy was booming. plane though the economy has dropp not upon we've managed to increase attendance each year," Cohen said. Photo San Francisco drew about 3700 nation in 2002--a number that took photo l.a. eight years to obtain.

admitting attendance at photo l.a. was down from previous years, Cohen said the economy has not affected the photography present to views in a dramatic way.

Organizers for the AIPAD Photography display in New York agreed, given the economy and the status of world facts AIPAD officials said attendance was down alone slightly from past years, and numerous exhibitors reported the best sales they at any time had.

There are many photography present to views that take place across the political division and participation usually requires an invitation or a review proces AIPAD's photography exhibit is limited to 80 dealers pitch uponed from their membership rosters. Photo l.a. and Photo San Francisco operate upon an invitation-only basis. Usually, galleries are either nominated, or they hurl Cohen samples of the work they show Then Cohen decides whether to include the gallery in the display He said he strives to show a wide variety of photography--not just a choose few.