East Bay Open Studios + Directory of East Bay Arts

ARTIST EVENT TOOLKIT

Overview
Event Promotion & D.I.Y. Artist Marketing Tools
Networked Artists Promotion // FREE Ads
Event Calendar
Preview Exhibition
Preparing For Your Event
Business Resources
Online Gallery and Artist Web Pages:
Artist Feedback

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPEN

Early Bird Deadline: Tuesday, December 18, 2012, midnight

Artist Registration Deadline: Friday, February 15, 2013, midnight

Overview:

ABOUT EAST BAY OPEN STUDIOS

Established in 1979, East Bay Open Studios is the largest art event in the East Bay. Produced by Pro Arts, East Bay Open Studios includes a Preview Exhibition, a benefit Preview Party, artist workshops, online gallery and maps, networking events for artists and the annual Directory of East Bay Arts. East Bay Open Studios enables artists at any stage in their career to get their work seen by art patrons, curators, other artists, business leaders, community leaders, and art enthusiasts. After over 30 years, East Bay Open Studios brings over 60,000 visitors from all over the Bay Area to local artists studios to see the best contemporary art being made in the region.

The Directory of East Bay Art is published and distributed in conjunction with East Bay Open Studios, and extends the reach of the event and providing a year-long reference guide for artists throughout Alameda and Contra Costa County. The Directory includes:

• Artist Listings: Full color listings of participating artists with maps to studios
• East Bay Arts Index: Comprehensive list of local arts organizations, galleries, venues and artist groups
• East Bay Arts Calendar: 12-month arts calendar of significant regional art events

Together, the Directory of East Bay Arts and East Bay Open Studios serve as essential resources for artists to cultivate new audiences for their work.

Event Promotion & D.I.Y. Artist Marketing:

Between January and June Pro Arts promotes East Bay Open Studios through the collective marketing efforts of sponsors, media partners, businesses, participating artists and advertisements in local media. Additionally, artists are encouraged to promote their studios through additional grassroots efforts.

MARKET YOUR EVENT WITH INTEGRITY

Your marketing efforts build the success of the event for all participating artists. To ensure the integrity of the event, all announcements of any kind (postcards, fliers, e-mails, and posters) must include the East Bay Open Studios logo (see eps link below under LOGOS) and the following promotional statement:

LOGOS

Open Studios event logos provide instant visual identification for print and online marketing.

PURCHASE A DISCOUNTED DISPLAY AD

Individual artists who participate in East Bay Open Studios have the opportunity to purchase discounted artist ads in the Directory of East Bay Arts.

Discounted Ad Rates for Artists
1/16 Page Ad	$125
1/8 Page Ad	$200
1/4 Page Ad	$400

All discounted artist ads are: 1.) Available to promote registered artists only; 2.) Subject to Ad Placement Terms

Directory of East Bay Arts, L-R: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008

SIGNS, SIGNS, SIGNS!

Make it easy for visitors to find your studio! Effective signage contributes to wider public participation which benefits everyone!

• Are your signs in key locations, such as major cross-streets, in your area? Visitors will drive a couple of miles if the signage is visible, and easy to follow!
• Is your studio entrance obvious from the street? Use posters, signs, balloons or banners to lead visitors to your door!
• Do your signs benefit everyone? Create signs from your studio to a neighboring studio. At the end of a studio visit refer tour-goers to the next studio nearby.
• Avalaible for Pre-Purchase: East Bay Open Studios Outdoor Lawn Signs, $11 each

Networked Artists and FREE Ads:

Incentives for networked artist!
To encourage artist networking and community building Pro Arts is offering FREE ads in the 2013 Directory of East Bay Arts. All participating artists are eligible. Everyone benefits: larger audiences, more support, more sales potential, and more resources for successful Open Studios.

How to qualify:
At the time of your registration for Open Studios include your group/neighborhood/network in the entry listing. Groups may be based on location, neighborhood, media, affiliation, shared interests - it's up to you! A minimum of 5 registrations with the same group name qualify for a free 1/16 ad. Ads are upgraded to 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 page based on the number of registered artists in the network.

Please note that artists must identify their network at time of registration. Upgrades are not available. For more info about network groups, attend Workshop: Sharing Space and Artist Networks, Saturday, January 19, 2013, 2-3pm

FREE Ad Size	Number of Networked Artists
1/16 Page Ad	5 Artists
1/8 Page Ad	10 Artists
1/4 Page Ad	15 Artists
1/2 Page Ad	30 Artists
Full Page Ad	50 Artists

All discounted and promotional ads including individual artist ads and networked artist ads are: 1.) Available to promote registered artists only; 2.) Subject to Ad Placement Terms; 3.) Free Networked Artist Ads must reasonably identify each participating artist in the group.

Event Calendar:

Saturday, January 19, 2013, 2pm
Workshop: Sharing Space and Artist Networks
A workshop that provides a structured forum for artists to connect to other artists. Topics include: Building and connecting artist networks, and matching artists looking for studio space with artists that have space to share for this year's East Bay Open Studios.

Saturday, February 9, 2013, 2pm
Workshop: East Bay Open Studios 101
An introduction for first-time East Bay Open Studios participants and those wanting a refresher course. Topics include Preview Exhibition, Directory of East Bay Arts, online gallery, prepping your studio & more.

Friday, February 15, 2013
Deadline: Artist Registration

Saturday, March 9, 2013, 2pm
Workshop: Market Your Studio for Success
This is a special opportunity to learn how to make East Bay Open Studios a personal success. Meet other participating artists who have successfully promoted themselves and their neighboring artists. Topics include: Event promotion, studio preparation, publicity and more.

Saturday, April 20, 2013, 2pm
Workshop: Installation and Securing Artwork
An introduction to installation, hanging artwork, and security for public exhibition.

Friday, April 26, 2013, 11am-7pm and Saturday, April 27, 2013, 11am-5pm
Artist Installation: East Bay Open Studios Preview Exhibition

Tuesday, April 30 through Sunday, June 9, 2013
Preview Exhibition

Friday, May 3, 2013
Preview Party: 5-7pm; Artists' Reception: 7-9pm
Preview Party Artist Ticket: $30 Artists' Reception: FREE
Exclusive VIP reception for the East Bay Open Studios Exhibition. A formal and festive evening with live music followed by a free reception for friends and family.

Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 2013, 11am-6pm
East Bay Open Studios Weekend I

Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9, 2013, 11am-6pm
East Bay Open Studios Weekend II

Tuesday, June 11 through Friday, June 14, 10am-5pm and Saturday, June 15, 11am-4pm
Artist Deinstallation: Preview Exhibition
Artists must present photo ID to retrieve the work. Your work will not be released to anyone other then yourself unless prior arrangements are made. Artworks not picked up by the last day of de-installation accrue a $10 penalty per day for a maximum of 5 business days. After 5 business days all unclaimed artworks are considered abandoned and may be sold to recoup penalties or donated to community partners.

Preview Exhibition:

Artists participating in Open Studios receive a 16" x 16" x 4" exhibition space in the Preview Exhibition at Pro Arts' downtoan Oakland gallery. As well as installing art, artists may leave cards for distribution in the card rail and two back-to-back 8.5” x 11” pages for the Artist Book. Page content may include an artist statement, resume and images of your work.

Artists wishing to learn more about the Preview Exhibition are encouraged to attended the workshop Installation and Securing Artwork, Saturday, April 20, 2013, 2pm.

Preview Exhibition Key Dates:

Installation: Friday, April 26, 2013, 11am-7pm and Saturday, April 27, 2013, 11am-5pm
Exhibition Dates: Tuesday, April 30 through Sunday, June 9, 2013
Deinstallation: Tuesday, June 11 through Friday, June 14, 10am-5pm and Saturday, June 15, 11am-4pm

Download PDF Standards for Exhibited Work

Preparing For Your Event:

• Invite your friends, family and neighbors to come by your studio. A key to building a following is to begin with your personal community.
• Make sure to get contact information of visitors. Have a guest book or two in strategic places. Or conduct a raffle. Use the Official Pro Arts Sign-In Sheet
• Have artwork, prints, or gift cards if appropriate for sale. Souvenir items (priced under $20) such as postcards, bookmarks, magnets, etc. allow visitors who may not be able to afford higher priced artwork a chance to buy from you.
• Consider the risk of theft or damage of your artwork when showing your work in public, even in your studio. Small work, such as small sculpture, ceramics, or jewelry may be more vulnerable. Please assess the risk of your work and take appropriate precautions.
• Plan to follow-up with any buyers to encourage further sales.
• Don't be discouraged if attendance is slow! You never know what might one day turn into that big sale.

Whether this is your first time showing or you are an East Bay Open Studios veteran, it's important to remember that there are many outcomes to successful Open Studios events. It can take months, or sometimes years, for that person who saw your work in the Preview Exhibition, noticed your image in the Directory, or stopped by your studio to make the decision to buy your work. The important thing is that you continue to make and show your artwork, keep in touch with the people that are interested in your work, and stay positive. Your peer artists are a great resource for support and feedback. Stay connected to Pro Arts and your peer network of artists.

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Business Resources for Artists:

Starting A Business

• Download Starting A Business
• Oakland backs Business
• Alameda County Small Business Development Center

Square: Credit Card Processing

• Square is an electronic payment service that allows users to accept credit cards through their mobile phones, either by swiping the card on the Square device or by manually entering the details on the phone.
• There is a rate of 2.75% per swipe, no matter the card.
• For more information visit squareup.com

Online Gallery and Artist Web Pages:

Registered artists receive a web page visible via the Online Artist Gallery on Pro Arts' website. Web pages can be updated anytime throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to promote your work and drive traffic to your own website.

Web pages include:

• Artist listing
• Artist statement and CV
• Up to eight artwork images
• Dynamic map

Login to Expand Your Artist Page

Download PDF instructions for editing your Artist Web Page

2012 Artist Web Pages L-R: Jessica Joy Jirsa, Maj-Britt Mobrand, Kate Phillips, Jenny Balisle

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Artist Feedback:

"As a newcomer to EBOS I was pleasantly surprised. I am off the beaten track a bit in Alameda but had 18 visitors on Saturday and 30 on Sunday. Saturday was mainly close neighbors and random people out for walks. Sunday was mainly people with the Pro Arts booklet doing art tours.

"A group of nearby artists (including me) met before the event to socialize, enjoy a potluck, and exchange info. It was a lot of fun, though it didn't result in much practical aid. What I appreciated was meeting the other artists, though. We've agreed to meet again. I think this kind of group within a group (Pro Arts & the event overall) is an excellent idea."

"This year I've met a majority of people who had never been to the building where my studio is (the Sawtooth Building in Berkeley). I had asked people how they decided to come to the building and the repeated response was either that they had picked up the guide or had been to the Pro Arts gallery' to see the show and then picked up the guide. I am thrilled that they were using it and saw that they had marked artists of interest. I even saw that one person had circled my work and chose my studio as a destination."

"This was my first Open Studios, and it turned out even better than I expected! About 35 - 40 people visited each day (and only a few were friends of mine). Many commented on my paintings or asked me questions about how I created them, etc. It was a lot of fun, as well as a learning experience. I began to see my paintings in new ways through the eyes of others. I sold one painting (to a friend), but since this was my first time doing Open Studios, I was really not expecting to sell much."

"This was my first art exhibit so I was very nervous at the start but the opening night was so much fun that I completely forgot about being nervous and concentrated on talking with people about my work!! By the end of the night I had sold 3 pieces and this alone has inspired me to continue with my quest to create more paper art. Thank you for this opportunity to display my passions and also instill similar passions in others."

"Going into this event for the first time required a lot of preparation and teamwork. After hearing stories from other artists I decided to do more grassroots promo to ensure a well attended event in order to sell some art. So after 6 hours of total waiting time the crowd poured in throughout the course of the weekend! We had visits from art lovers, neighbors, friends & other Pro Arts artist totaling for the weekend 23 visitors and $2400 in art sales."

"I got a lot of traffic as a result of people seeing my images in the artist directory and the Pro Arts gallery. However, I suspect I would have gotten more if my image was not at the top of the highest wall in the gallery. I would encourage you to find a way so that there is not an (orphan) set of artists whose work is so difficult for all but the most dedicated observer to see."

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