Selling Original Oil Paintings & Prints at Art Shows with Chris Abigt

Art shows can become a full-time business, but making them work takes much more than setting up a booth and hoping the paintings sell.

Oil painter Chris Abigt and her husband travel throughout the Midwest, doing up to 18 shows a year. Their success comes from carefully choosing which shows are worth applying for and planning well in advance.

For Chris, a successful show means looking beyond sales. Booth fees, hotels, travel, and other expenses all factor into deciding whether a show is worthwhile. She also has to keep inventory and reproductions stocked throughout a busy season.

Behind the scenes, Chris and her husband divide up the work and operate as a team, making sure everything from preparation to sales runs smoothly.Building an art business around shows requires strategy, planning, and plenty of work behind the scenes. The booth may be what customers see, but the real business starts long before the show begins—and continues long after it ends.