Washington State History Art Market

The Washington State History Museum Show and Museum Exhibition titled, "In The Spirit" June 29-30, 2008 was a little slow this year. It was competing for with The Taste of Tacoma" and it was quite warm. The Museum Exhibition was well done and had several Artist from the region showcasing their art and selling at their booths. A few collectors were on hand to purchase large works of art but the market is a far cry from larger more established art markets. This market is in its infancy and I am looking forward to seeing how this market matures when it hits it's tenth year. Next year will be year 4 and I plan on marketing this show to as many of my collectors as possible and at other markets I do. Overall, the dance performances, live music, and other activities went very well. Thanks to the help of hard working museum staff and many volunteers, the exhibition and Native Art Market went off quite well. If you get a chance, see the work at the Museum which will be on exhibit over the next month.

As an artist, my sales were ok. But, I am wanting to see the sales improve over the next couple of years. How did any of the other artists do in terms of sales? What recommendations do you have to make this a more established and better Native American Art Market showcasing the top Pacific Northwest Native American art? Perhaps low sales could be attributed to the economy and price of gas. I handed out about 500 business cards but my sales were definitely down from previous years.

Share any thoughts you have on this market.