Art Festivals in the San Francisco Tri-Valley

Making money by selling your art is hard work, but can be done.  Of course, to do this, you should get your work before the viewing public. This can include solo or group shows at venues from across the gamut including local coffee houses to traditional galleries to group shows put on by local art associations.  It also includes arts festivals complete with booth set up under canopies.  

While various ways of selling your art offer both advantages and disadvantages, in this section, we will talk about art festivals, specifically setting up your booth to create a professional, positive vibe so you have a successful show.

Art Festivals run the gamut, from large professional organizations that produce one or more art shows a year, to the smaller, local shows that are put on by local art associations, mostly through the efforts by volunteers, who work together to help their fellow artists and promote the visual arts in their area. Professional organizations can charge several hundred dollars for a booth space while shows put on by a local organization charge between $35 to slightly more then $100.  While the professionally run shows can draw large crowds, the art association shows can also bring in the crowds, especially long established shows, that are supported by both the art associations and local businesses.

In the San Francisco Tri-Valley, the older established shows put on by local art organizations include ‘Art in the Vineyard’ supported by Wente Vineyards and the Livermore Art Association (LAA), ‘Art Under the Oaks’ sponsored by Alden Lane Nursery and the Livermore Art Association and ArtWalk, supported by the Bothwell Art Center.