Art in the Country 2024: What we learned

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Art in the Country 2024: What we learned

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Written By: Belinda de la Mare

We came, we saw and I wouldn’t say we conquered in terms of sales, but we definitely learned a thing or two!!

To be part of, what has been named “KZN’s premier art exhibition” with 4000 art lovers coming to view and just on R1,5 mill in art sales, was an exhilarating experience.
I loved being part of a stand of artists, being able to talk to one another, share experiences and wisdom, appreciate one another’s work.  Share with people who understand the hours of slog before producing a finished piece and ogle some of SA‘s finest artworks and just general chit chat getting to know new artists from around the country!!
I would say that overall, it was a very positive experience, what with Henriette having a long conversation with David Johnson (bucket list item) and Les reconnecting with loads of Howick friends, we went home with our hearts full, but not so much our bank balances!!!

Now, I recognise that it’s not all about the money, but, we all know how rewarding it is to actually sell a piece and put some moola back in the art kitty!!!
So, when all was said and done, the three of us reconvened to hash out what we had learned and how to navigate the next Art in the Country with a few more red dots to our name.

This is what we know for sure:
1) Lighting. The marquee is large and the windows do not allow enough light in to illuminate the pictures. We thought our LED lights which we positioned on the ground, would brighten up the stand, but in hindsight, it was not enough. While we were packing up, we hung a couple of pieces on a well-lit neighbouring stand and it was obvious that we had underestimated the value of proper lighting. The difference was staggering. Ours had been a dark corner and had not done the artwork justice.

2) Education, especially with regard to the miniatures. They were definitely a showstopper. Artists and aesthetes alike poured over them admiring the skill and detail but no one knew what to do with them. They also didn’t know the history behind them. This crowd had not seen them before. We spent a lot of time talking about them, explaining where the idea came from and where one would display them. I think once they have been there for a year or 2, people will get the hang of them. Also, the drawn medium needs some airtime. People need to be educated regarding the quality of materials we use, the length of time that drawing takes as opposed to painting and drawings as investments. Next time we will do a framed write up explaining things to interested people.

3) Prints. Our work was expensive compared to a lot of the work there. To overcome this challenge, we decided to include prints and smaller pieces so there are more affordable options. Also, the frames add a significant cost to our work so we are going to try unframed pictures for next year. We have a couple of good ideas for hanging unframed pieces.

4) Identify individual artists. We all exhibited under the Drawing Guild banner but this meant that people couldn’t find us as individuals when they looked through the program. A number of visitors looked for Lesley but couldn’t find her. Next year we should have a list of artists who will fall under our banner and whose names will appear in the program and on the stand itself.

5) Youth Tier. Target schools, invite schools and speak to the art teachers with regard to getting younger artists involved with Drawing Guild.

Looking back, I am so grateful to be an artist with the Drawing Guild. I was proud to represent us and thankful to the Guild for paying for a stand. There is enormous potential for our Guild to grow and many people took information leaflets.

I adore dry media and look forward to growing as an individual and as part of this group. Being an artist is not much of a team sport, but being part of the Guild allows us to strategize together, mutually respect one another and their work, thrive on the comradery and create bonds that go beyond the exhibition.

True beauty comes from the spirit of community, and that’s what we are!!!
Happy drawing……until next time

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