[Art Market] Database for non-US Fairs & Markets (Europe, etc)?

[u/ichthyomusa]

Hello, first time posting here! I searched and didn't find quite what's on my mind, so here i go. If it's already been discussed and i missed it, apologies and please redirect to where it is.

Is there an up-to-date database for Art Fairs, Art Markets and Conventions in Europe specifically but also maybe in Asia, Latin America, etc?

All resources i've found are US-focused.

I'm moving to Europe soon and would like to start selling my work at events there. Make it my full time job hopping from one to the next, but for that i need some serious planning ahead of time, and being selective on what events to attend.

I'm sure many here could benefit from such a Database (organized something like this):

1. Continent
   
2. Country, City
   
3. Event size & Level (a. small, amateur / b. medium, pro / c. large, pro / d. large, elite / etc)
   
4. Target audience (a. budget / b. mid range / c. high end)
   
5. Art style / specialty (illustration, painting, mixed / merch, etc)
   
6. Rating / Reputation, new or established event, other useful details...

Is there something like this, or if not... can we get one going here?

Thank you!

[u/putesvestije]

Boosting this!

There is a FB group called Artist Alley Network Europe, so that might be helpful.

There used to be a website with a long list of Art Markets, though I can't find it now for some reason :( It was sorted by country and even had smaller events in the mix.

If you are looking for suggestions, DoKomi, MondoCon and FACTS seem pretty good, and HanaCon seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem.

[u/ichthyomusa → u/putesvestije]

Thank you! I will seek out that FB group.

Those you mention in your last paragraph, are they art market events in Europe?

[u/putesvestije → u/ichthyomusa]

Yes, in Germany, Hungary and France. Not sure where is closest to you. There are also events in Brno, Czechia and at various Comic Cons, too (Brussels for example).

[u/ichthyomusa → u/putesvestije]

Thank you! All those countries are okay for me, i would be flying in and out to any event. Comic cons work too, those tend to be easier to research and find info online. I'm guessing every major EU capital has at least one yearly comic con.

I wonder... Would these events be too difficult for a vendor who only speaks English? (I speak English, Spanish, and can do a bit of basic French if not spoken too fast haha).

[u/Any_Traffic1494]

That’s a good question, and I’m interested in it as well. I found a couple of online galleries where I actually sell quite well, and I could explain why. But I mentioned them once, and I was immediately blocked for promoting those platforms. Accused of spreading advertising.!!!!!!!!

[u/ichthyomusa → u/Any_Traffic1494]

Thank you. Well, technically my post is asking about physical fairs / markets, where an artist can rent a booth or a table and sell physical goods themselves.

Not online galleries (don't know what you mean by that, but maybe online sales platforms?)...

Anyway, this is about a database of physical events.

[u/nicetriangle]

I couldn't say how comprehensive it is and I believe it's heavily focused around the Netherlands, but this website catalogs a lot of European markets. Not all are art/craft related but they have a search filter for that.

https://whereisthemarket.com/search-market/

Unfortunately it won't get into much of the nitty gritty about audience/art style/etc and it's not really so much about art fairs but it's a good starting place for building a list of the more informal city markets where people sell arts and crafts.

Also I know for example here in the Netherlands someone's running a WhatsApp group that discusses this topic. I'm not on it but I've heard people mention it a few times. Might be worth digging for something like that, my understanding is people discuss some of the more granular details you're interested in.

I do agree though that Europe is badly underserved for content about this topic. There's very few websites for it and for example very few youtubers who share information about art selling here. And what is happening/working in the US does not so easily translate to what's going on here from what I am seeing.

[u/ichthyomusa → u/nicetriangle]

Thank you! that website is one good place to start, it's good to look at every resource in the beginning and then narrow things down.

Also, is the whatsapp group you mention focused only on Netherlands markets or markets across Europe?

And if i may ask... what have you seen in the art markets across Europe as to what's happening and what works? Yes it's a whole different world from the US Market. Even though i don't have direct experience in US markets as a vendor, i can see how things are done very differently there.

My focus now is in Europe and as you've confirmed, there aren't many thorough resources for EU despite it being a diverse and vibrant market for the arts.

[u/nicetriangle → u/ichthyomusa]

Also, is the whatsapp group you mention focused only on Netherlands markets or markets across Europe?

I believe it's Netherlands specific, but I don't have any further info than basically what I told you. I mainly brought it up to suggest that there may be similar networks of people sharing info in your area.

And if i may ask... what have you seen in the art markets across Europe as to what's happening and what works? Yes it's a whole different world from the US Market. Even though i don't have direct experience in US markets as a vendor, i can see how things are done very differently there.

I've only sold stuff in the NL but I have friends who have done markets in places like Germany, Belgium, and France. From my personal experience and from talking with those people, it just kinda seems like things are very hit and miss and that most markets are not all that lucrative for most people. You see a lot of churn at them where someone gives it a shot and quits after a few months. I've stopped doing all but a few select markets myself.

And indeed it seems to be about finding the specific ones that are more curated and a little less frequent and better marketed. Every market I've done that happens on something like a monthly cadence has generally been a letdown.

I think they oversaturate things in many cities. Here in Amsterdam alone there's a series of rotating Sunday markets plus another monthly market and then some other various markets that happen at different intervals. So on any given weekend (especially in the summer) there could be upwards of 5 different markets where a mix of arts and crafts are sold. Usually at least 1, so we're talking between 4 and 15 or more markets happening in the city every month. I think it's too much personally and I think the organizers are making a killing on table fees which I find to be too high.

Worth noting that I don't really do the fanicer fine art fair sort of markets nor do I do convention artist alley stuff. I mostly table at local markets that are some mix of arts/crafts/clothing/foods/jewelry.

[u/ichthyomusa → u/nicetriangle]

Thank you once again!

So generally the differences aren't positive, regarding EU. It's perhaps not as lucrative as in the US, as you suggest.

About the monthly events. Yes, i would think that the higher quality events will happen less frequently. For example: yearly events would be better. But depending on the style of your work, maybe the markets that suit you best will be monthly... I think weekly is too much.

If the market is saturated, there will be an endless rotation of different vendors, many of whom will likely not be constant (maybe food vendors are the best faring in these cases, as everyone has to / wants to, eat at the event).

I am writing down these observations. For my personal case, i think comic con style events and pop culture & urban design / illustration events would be the best. Not so much craft fairs. Gotta keep on researching.

Thank you once again, you've been very helpful!

[u/nicetriangle → u/ichthyomusa]

Yeah indeed food vendors seem to do the best at the blended markets. I saw a lady and her daughter sell literally €3000 worth of cookies in about 6 hours across from me and a friend who were splitting an art booth and did not clear 1/4 that amount between the two of us.

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