Will Anyone Show Up? 10 Ways To Entice People To Your Open Studio or Pop-up Market

There are so many different events and obligations pulling on our time that it makes sense that you might wonder if anyone will show up for your art event. It being free is no longer the biggest draw. You know it’ll be worth your audience’s time if they swing by the studio but how do you convince them? 

People need a solid reason to leave their house and unplug from their usual routines. Having a fun experience is one of the reasons people go out and explore the world. If you’re hosting an open studio or pop-up, what can you do to make your event feel like more fun to your audience? 

Not sure?

No worries. Here are ten ways that you can entice people to show up to your open studio or pop-up market. They’re all a lot of fun for visitors and the ideas that feel best will be fun for you, too. 

10 Ways To Entice People To Your Open Studio 

1. Artist Talk

This is a great way to enliven what might be a quieter/slower open studio time when you schedule it at a specific time. For example, tell people in advance that you’ll be sharing the little known inspiration for your work at 10 am on Sunday to get them there when there’s usually fewer visitors. 

2. Demonstrate a Technique

Give a demonstration of one or two very specific techniques you use. Show where you use them in your art. Examples might be how to paint a ribbon-like line, or how to paint a beautiful color gradation. What’s one small thing that you do that people might like to learn about?

3. Try-it-out Table

Work with clay? Allow visitors to make temporary coil or slab structures. Crop your photos in camera a lot? Let visitors use the golden grid. What technique would be fun for visitors to try? 

4. Photo Booth

Create a unique photo booth that is in alignment with your art. For example, you can blow up a photo of one of your pieces and make it a selfie station. You paint flowers? Paint some big ones, cut them out and use them as selfie props. What if you created a huge cut-out for people to poke their heads through and have a photo taken? Silliness like this can be a lot of fun.

5. Tool Test

Have visitors test your tools so they can feel what it’s like to hold that wacky looking clay scraper or how heavy that grinder is.

6. App Love

Know a special feature on your iPhone? Show people how to use it! Know how to draw in ProCreate or Illustrator? Show people a little of how to do it!  

7. Kids Table

Have something easy for little kids to do so parents can enjoy your work while the kiddos are entertained. 

8. Sub-event

Co-work! Do you illustrate or paint plein air? Invite your audience and fellow artists to come by between 3-5 pm to co-work on art. How about a 15 minute group photo shoot “walk” in your studio space or on your block? When guests they come back, everyone shares their results. 

9. Delicious Food

If you tell people you’ll have food at your event, they’re more likely to come to it. Especially if you tell them that you’ll have your favorite brie and crackers or some other amazing sounding food that you’d have at a party. It can be fun to treat your guests to a nice snack and it’ll feel like a party if you do. 

For example, tell your guests that you'll be bringing out whatever food and beverages that are still available at 4 pm on the last day of your open studio as a great way to end with a party atmosphere! Or host a coffee and donuts morning party for the early crowd. 

10. Give-a-Ways

Create a give-a-way for those that show up and sign up to your mailing list. You could give away a piece of art, a Starbucks card, art supplies or anything else that sounds like fun to you. Or just make a fun freebie for visitors. Maybe a free print that you were experimenting with and happen to have multiples of or free buttons with your art on it. It doesn’t have to be big to be fun.

Next Steps

What 1-2 ideas above sound like fun to you? Pick what resonates most to you. Pick something that sounds like fun.   

Now, how can you apply those ideas so they’re relevant to your artwork and studio practice? Once you’ve decided on one (or two) great reasons to for people to show up at your open studio, how can you relate it to your work? Can you use the same color palette as what you use or the same images, etc.?

Promote it!

Now that you’ve created a really compelling reason for your audience to visit you during your open studio or pop-up, share it on social media and email it to them so they can put it on their calendar and plan to be there for the party. 

If your event is part of a larger, organized event like, see if the organizers can feature your studio and the fun thing you’re doing. If you’re buying an ad in your open studios guide, put the fun reason to visit that you just thought up (see above!) in the ad. 

You’re Ready!

These ten ways to entice people to your open studio or pop-up art market will help you get people to your event so can sell more work, connect with people more and have a lot of fun. Creating a really intriguing excuse for people to visit you will catch the attention of you audience and when they show up for your open studio, they’ll feel like you threw the party just for them.

You can do it! I’m cheering you on!

Got something that really worked for you to encouraged people to show up to your event?

Help another artist out by sharing it in the comments. It may be the inspiration they need to feel excited about their open studio or pop-up market and get more people to visit.

Cheers,

Kate

Three Sneaky Ways Social Media is Killing Your Event

I'm all for inviting people to my events by way of social media. It can be a great way to get the word out and generate excitement for the upcoming opening reception or open studio.

BUT, there are a few sneaky problems with it.

1. You're inviting people and they're not getting the notifications.

Facebook and Instagram are curating what you see in your newsfeed so if you create a post inviting people, many will never see it. Thank you "helpful" algorithms.

2. They see your invitation, are excited and then totally forget about it.

Maybe they aren't sure if they can go so they're waiting to find out if it fits their schedule. In the meantime, your event isn't making it to their calendars. And, for most of us, if it's not on a calendar, we can't be reminded about it. And, we totally miss out on the fun event.

3. With it being so easy for people to become exhausted and frustrated by their experiences on social media, more and more people have gone analog and are no longer on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. This means that the people you want to come to your event may not be on social media! Or not on the same platform as you!

There is an antidote to this.

Send them a real invitation.

Yes, a card they can hold in their hands. A card that they can put on their fridge. A card that can brighten their desk. A card that they can show to others.

We've expanded everything we can do by all of the awesome digital tools we have and I LOVE it. But I also love getting a card in the mail.

Yes, there’s a cost to having postcards printed and mailing them. The flip side is that they're very effective. If you send an invitation with a beautiful image of your work on it, your friends will feel like they're being invited to something important because you went above and beyond by creating and mailing nice invitations to them.

How to Use It:

• Mail it to your collectors!

• Mail it to designers and gallerists that you'd like to come to your event.

• Carry a stack wherever you go and hand it out to people you run into. When they ask what you've been up to, you've got a great invitation to hand them.

• Leave a stack at the gallery where you show is going to be.

• Leave a stack at any other places that make sense like nearby coffee shops or restaurants.

• Go door-to-door and leave one for each home near your studio inviting them to your event.

If you don't have addresses for people, ask them for their address and tell them you're sending them an invitation. This is a great opportunity to say hello and reconnect with your collectors, supporters and those that you want to invite to your art event.

Your next steps:

1. Design your card. Keep it simple with an image and the relevant details about the event.

2. Have your card printed. You can print through a local shop or a company online that will mail it directly to you.

3. Address, stamp and mail the cards.

4. Pass out cards wherever you go.  

5. Re-use the image you created for the postcard in your emails and on social media.

Two Tips

1. Look up the sizes for postcards to make sure you don't have to pay extra postage for say square cards.

2. Studies have shown that if you write a personal note **by hand** on the cards, they're more effective. Here's an example of what you might write:

"I hope you can make the show! It'd be great to say hello in person! -Your Name"

One thing I love about this is that it's a great tool for when you're feeling too shy to talk about your work. It helps to have a physical card to hand to someone so you can much more easily say, "I'd love it if you can make it to my opening."

Going old school like this can pay off by getting the right people to your event because you're personalizing your invitation. -Your collectors, gallerists, designers, your artist community and new faces will appreciate the hold-it-in-your-hands invitation. And you'll feel great connecting with people this very genuine way.

Hit reply or leave me a note in the comments to let me know if you’d like to make a postcard for your next event. OR, tell me what's holding you back from creating a real, hold-in-your-hands invitation for your next opening or open studio event?

With much love and gratitude,

Kate