Tell us a little about Art Expo and your
role?
Art Expo is a celebration of all things art. An
exciting new event set to showcase Australia’s most promising names in art and
a new wave of emerging artists under the one roof, together with a host of
other visual art activities
Andrew Adams with Sarrita King and
Keith Murphy from Dreamtime Elements
What are the five words
that people would use to describe Art Expo?
Diverse, Electric,
Entertaining, Vibrant and Hands-on
What was the purpose on starting your Art Expo
Event and how has the concept come about?
I worked for a
number of years in a commercial gallery and in that role I attended a number of
art fairs as an exhibitor. At each of
the events I loved the concept and the camaraderie of the exhibitors and was
blown away by the diversity and talent of the artists represented.
On a number of
occasions, whilst working in the gallery, we took clients to artist’s studios
and on site to watch artists paint en
plein air, and on each occasion it was a revelation to the clients to see
the methods and processes involved to create a beautiful work of art. I believed this concept could be expanded
on, so in 2011 I approached Expertise Events about holding an Art Show. The business MD Gary Fitz-Roy was interested having
previously explored the concept. Sydney
Art Show was the result with the first show at Darling Harbour in 2011. In 2012 we expanded under the banner of Art
Expo with shows in Brisbane and Sydney.
We have not categorised
who can be involved and this is amongst the reasons we have been shunned by a
number galleries. Increasingly there are large numbers of
independent artists who are unable to gain gallery representation, due to the
demise of so many commercial galleries in recent years and there are artists who
choose not to exhibit through the gallery scene preferring self marketing and
driving sales through art shows and client interest back through their own websites. Art Expo has morphed into a forum where
artists are able to exhibit their artwork in a cost effective way and gain
access to a client base they would not otherwise be exposed to.
In our ideal
world galleries will also embrace Art Expo as a concept in marketing and
promoting the artists they represent.
When an audience is coming to look at and buy art, why preclude yourself
from the possibility of making a sale or meeting new clientele. A lot of people are intimidated walking into
an art gallery for the first time, Art Expo levels the playing field and
creates a more relaxed and less intimidating place to meet gallerists and
artists alike.
How many show do you do in a year?
This year we
have run a show in Brisbane and Art Expo Sydney begins on the afternoon of
Friday 21st of September and continues over the weekend of September
22 and 23.
We have received
very positive feedback from a number of our exhibitors and we are currently
working on the schedule for 2013 with shows anticipated in Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne.
Brisbane Art Expo 2012
What are the most common issues that relate to
artists who
come to see you?
The majority of our exhibitors are seasoned professionals
when it comes to art shows and have a wealth of experience. Those taking the plunge for the first time
generally have questions about marketing themselves and gaining the best
advantage from exhibiting.
Through Expertise Events we are fortunate to have a
proactive MD Gary Fitz-Roy with more than thirty years of industry experience. Gary provides exhibiting tips through a
monthly newsletter and also sharing his knowledge in seminars held throughout
the year. These are free for our
exhibitors to attend and provide and great ideas and achievable concepts to
implement that help make the most out their exhibiting.
Tell us more about your services that you
provide to the Art industry?
We provide the most cost effective means of showcasing
artworks in front of thousands of art lovers, the opportunity to build a data
base of future clientele and creating sales opportunities into the future. We have teamed up with Graeme
Stevens from Colour in Your Life in promoting and highlighting the vast
artistic talent we are lucky enough to have in Australia.
Tell
us about your process for working with clients / exhibitors?
Firstly
finding artists, generally on the web but also through referrals, contacting
them and chatting about where they are with their art and wether exhibiting is
something they had contemplated. It is
about building relationships and providing a sounding board. I have been an exhibitor, I have bumped in,
stood all day smiling and answering questions, I have talked and talked and
talked to show visitors to get a sale and afterwards bumped out again. I understand what it is like to be an
exhibitor and I am trying to make it as simple a process as possible.
What advice can you offer to
artists who are looking for art event to exhibit their art?
Call me !! Exhibiting at an art show creates an
opportunity to get their artworks out there in a market place in a cost
effective manner. Having your artworks
out in the public domain creates opportunities that you don’t get sitting at
home waiting.
Do
you have a book that you would like to recommend?
I am a Ken
Follett fan with his historical series having just done a Follett-a-thon with ,
Fall of Giants, The
Pillars of the Earth, World without End. In the
realms of art I have re-read Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy a few times too. Maybe I just
like fat books...
Where
do we find your services? (list office, links websites & contact personnel)
andrew.adams@expertiseevent.com.au
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