With less than two weeks left to submit to the 2019 Seattle Erotic Art Festival, we thought we should take a moment to entice those of you still on the fence about submitting with the effectiveness of our exhibition. One of the main elements of our mission is to facilitate the enjoyment and purchase of erotic art. Let us tell you about the ways we put art sales to the forefront of the festival.
Art Docents
The Art Docents, who wear the white scarves and are always on site during festival hours, work amazingly hard at helping your art find new homes. Our Art Docents always sell at least 28% of our exhibition art. Last year they sold 29%, and for the past 3 years they have consistently sent more than 30% of all exhibition art home with patrons. They make our festival the most productive for artists of any erotic art show. How do they accomplish this? They are always available to answer questions and easily recognizable because of their white scarves.
People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award is an interactive installation where patrons vote for their favorite pieces or art in the exhibition. Last year we discovered that patrons were using this installation to make sure they had seen all the art. The Festival Art Docents were pleasantly surprised that this installation assisted them in making art sales. Patrons used the installation to find and purchase art that they had viewed previously.
Big Red Ladder
In 2017, SEAF alum Mariah Carle, designed an interactive piece or art that would commemorate each art sale. A big, red ladder is draped in as many white light bulbs as there are pieces of art for sale. Each time someone purchases a piece from the exhibition, a red bulb replaces a white one. Over the course of the weekend, the amount of red light grows, indicating growing art sales. This installation acted as a catalyst to many conversations about art purchases. We are constantly looking for fun ways to encourage patrons to become art owners.
A Museum Quality Gift Shop
Our festival store sales are even higher and are the perfect way for artists to move prints, cards, shirts, or other merchandise. Our store is a great place to sell prints that compliment your exhibition pieces. Literary authors take note that the festival store is a great place to showcase your other books, too!
We Create and Support Art Collectors
Throughout the years, we have offered lectures on collecting art and do our best to educate patrons about art and how to be collectors. Art tours focus on helping patrons connect with the art of the exhibition. Art collectors have shared with us the information that helps them decide to purchase a piece of art. Because of this feedback we have adjusted the information that we collect in the artist portal. When you submit your art, please notice that we are asking more information about your art pieces. Edition information, notes about materials used, and whether a piece is original or unique give our Art Docents great tools to support art collectors in purchasing art. So make sure to include lots of information about your art pieces when you make your submissions!
If you have questions, check our FAQs to hopefully find the information you need. If your answers can’t be found there, you can contact our Artist Liaison.
Once you have all your questions answered, head on over to our Artist’s Portal and make sure you submit that sexy art!