I am getting ready to set up a tent display for an art show. This
is my first one and I am looking for suggestions, ideas,
precautions, display case ideas. Any and all help will be
appreciated.
Thanks Joe
Hi Joe,
Besides all the responses you will get here you may want to check
out the artmetal site and see if you can access their archives. We
had a really long rather exaustive conversation about this last
year. Lots of good advice from the experts. Just search for
artmetal and it usually pops right up on Yahoo.
Karen
Karenworks@mediaone.net
I am getting ready to set up a tent display for an art show. This is my first one and I am looking for suggestions, ideas, precautions, display case ideas. Any and all help will be appreciated.
I will suggest that you have WATERPROOF sides (in case of rain)
and weights of some sort . . . you can’t pound stakes into concrete
. . .(sometimes the shows aren’t held in grassy areas) . . . other
than that I’d love to see everyone’s suggestions too!
I am getting ready to set up a tent display for an art show. This is my first one and I am looking for suggestions, ideas, precautions, display case ideas. Any and all help will be appreciated.
Joe,
You can spend a fortune coming up with a good display
(unfortunately, I did) until you find what works for you based on
looks, marketability of your product, and ease of set-up (this is a
BIG one). If you have time, the best thing to do is visit several
good fine art shows and take notes of other displays, ask artists
what they have most trouble with in their set-up. Look carefully
at backdrops, display cases/stands, check-out/payment areas, booth
colors, storage, and protection of your product from theft and
weather. Talk to the artists and make sure they understand your
notes are on display and not their product (some people get a
little hyper about assumed plagiarism). Also, talk to people
about the brand canopy they use. They run from $100 - $1500 and
the cheap ones will cost you a lot more in the long run. Start
with a minimal display until you have more experience so you don’t
waste time, money, and frustration. Email me off line if you want
more info, I’ll be glad to share what I’ve learned over the years.
Nancy
We do a lot of shows. from experience -ours and observation over
the years- don’t get a cheap tent if you are serious about doing
shows. hjomeowner type yard/shade tents do NOT hold up. ball bungee
types look tacky in addition tp being hard to seal out rain. We use
an E-Z up ( brand name ) they have several levels of quaility, it
is well worth the extra to get the top of the line. I have seen
the lesser quality tents colapse in a mild wind or buckle under
collecting rain water. There are other brands available - look for
a high roof with good support and slope for rains and wind. sides
that have zippers to connect are also a good idea instead of just
tying. We use canvas bags full of gravel or sand as weights for
concrete areas but prefer stakes when on grass as they provide more
security in wind. think about your choice of color too. white and
blue are extremely common custom colors don’t cost much more - do
you wnat to blend in or draw attention to yourself. (we went with
custom on the belief that people would look to see why we are
different - if the people aren’t there they can’t spend their money
with you) . The pop up tents like E-Z up are soooooo easy to set up
versus stick type tents the time and effort saved have been well
worth it also. well good luck.
Here is what I did to make some great weights for my tent:
Got 3" PVC pipe cut 18" Lengths. Bought eye bolts that were about
5 inches long with the bolts on them. Used heavy cardboard and
duct tape to close one end. Poured concrete even with top,
inserted eye bolt with bolt still attached near bottom. Held the
eye above the concrete with a stick and waited for them to set.
I use bungie cords through the eye and top corner of tent and they
really work great!!!
I am getting ready to set up a tent display for an art show. This
is my first one and I am looking for suggestions, ideas,
precautions, display case ideas. Any and all help will be
appreciated.
Joe, What kind of work do you do? When I first started out, I
bought a secondhand tent from a fellow artist and a secondhand case
from a jeweler friend. I used a draped table. When I realized
that shows were the way to go for me, I invested in some nice
showcases (I got some oak ones from O’Brien Manufacturing), a
professional countertop, halogen lighting, carpeting, and the whole
nine yards. Last year I got a top of the line tent for outdoor
shows (cheap tents have a tendancy to not withstand the elements
very well). If you get a chance to go to any shows before yours
comes up, visit booths and try to find elements about them that you
like and might work with your jewelry.
Good Luck!
Wendy Newman
In regards to buying a tent for shows you might want to keep in
mind that some shows will only allow white tents. I wish I had
gotten a tent that I could put an awning on the front of.
Sometimes the jewelry gets so hot from the sun that you can’t touch
it. Shade is crucial. Good luck. - Deb
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the info. I have looked at the metal arts archives but
have not been able to find anything on this topic. I am going to
research more…anymore info you can share. Your thoughts on the
tent are appreciated…some things I hadn’t considered.
My thoughts on my displays are to be light weight, secure and be
able to use the packing boxes for something…i.e. chair or table.
Do most shows have electric available.
Where are you located? I am in Houston.
Thanks for your help
Joe
Birdwalk@U-C.net one improvement in looks, put a pvc cap on one
end fill with concrete put a predrilled pvc cap on the other end
with your eyebolt sticking out. nice an neat no concrete showing
no dust or chipping from concrete.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for the info. I have visited shows and have some ideas.
I guess I was hoping there was some magic answer to quick easy,
cheap cases! I do silver and 18k work. Sorta pricey so I need a
nice display. You can see my work at
www.expressionswithmetal.com. I am from Houston, TX. Do you
ever show in this area? Any shows that you can recommend? What
kind of work do you do?
Thanks again
Joe
Got 3" PVC pipe cut 18" Lengths. Bought eye bolts that were about 5 inches long with the bolts on them. Used heavy cardboard and duct tape to close one end. Poured concrete even with top, inserted eye bolt with bolt still attached near bottom. Held the eye above the concrete with a stick and waited for them to set. I use bungie cords through the eye and top corner of tent and they really work great!!!
I did a similar thing…but I also bought lead shot and added it
to make the weights even heavier. I also have some of the
weights from old window sashes at a junkyard…they are helpful
and small for their weight.
karen from the midwest
Got 3" PVC pipe cut 18" Lengths. Bought eye bolts that were about 5 inches long with the bolts on them. Used heavy cardboard and duct tape to close one end. Poured concrete even with top, inserted eye bolt with bolt still attached near bottom. Held the eye above the concrete with a stick and waited for them to set.
I use bungie cords through the eye and top corner of tent and they really work great!!!
I was next to a watercolor artist who has been doing shows for
20 years. He saw me hanging my PVC weights with chain and told me
that using bungie cords or chains was pretty risky. He said he
had seen many canopies get blown away using bungie cords or
chains as weight attachments and went on to explain the physics
of hanging weights from chains and especially bungie cords. I
can’t begin to impart the physics reason, but the short and
definitely very un-scientific reason not to use them is that as
the canopy rises and falls from strong winds, the bungie cords or
chains evidently begin bouncing with energy and may, in fact,
increase the possibility of the canopy taking flight. He uses
tie-downs to attach his weights making sure that the full
poundage of the weight is resting firmly on the ground. Maybe
someone more versed in physics could give a better explanation.
I now use tie-downs and have noticed that the canopy does seem
more stable in high winds than it did with the chains.
Nancy
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA
Hi Wendy, I’m curious about your cases . . . do they fold
flat??? Do you have a truck or a van that you transport your
set-up in? What did you do for walls (warm weather- when you
don’t need the waterproof sides???)
Thanks in advance!
Hi, here’s another improvement. Try using sand, instead of
concrete to add weight inside the pvc If you fly you can avoid
weight and sand is always available locally. Or water for that
mater.All you need is a screw fitting available at the hardware
store where you purchase the pvc. Just an idea.
Do you mean “tie downs” as in ropes into the ground? What about
on concrete and other hard surfaces? or maybe I don’t know what you
mean by tie down…
Thanks
Deb Dresler
I wish I had gotten a tent that I could put an awning on the front of.
I just bought an archtop canopy last year. It cost me about $900
delivered with all the extras, but it is truly wonderful! The
awning gives me about 18" of extra space in the front and it has
cool side vents. My old tent was the bungee type and it let rain
and wind in as well as looking unprofessional. This one has sides
that zip on and roll up if it’s hot and you don’t need them
Wendy Newman
ggraphix@msn.com
Hi, this is actually Karen, but I’ll tell you about my cases. They
are 2’ x 2’ oak cases with slanted glass tops and a flat 5"-6" wide
top. The back of the case opens and locks. I might suggest finding
a woodworking program or going to a store that sells quality woods,
not a lumberyard and asking around to see if anyone is interested
or knows anyone who is interested in making them. My legs are
great!(oops, I mean the legs under my cases) They are the same size
as the cases, but taller of course. They hinge in the middle on
opposing sides and fold flat (about 5") to fit in the van. Actually
if you are in the midwest the guy I worked with will build them to
spec for you…but I don’t think he ships.
Karen in the midwest U.S. My crocuses are opening!
Thanks Nancy. Point well taken. I can kinda understand the
physics thing. By the wind and elastic, you are basically
assisting the loft. I will use some type of cord and tye to
ground. Thanks again!
Thanks why I love this board.
Joy from Illinois
Birdwalk@U-C.net We had the same problem with the jewelry
getting hot. On our cases we added a lift to the lid so we could
open them at little from the back to allow air circulation - it
helped a lot.