I have been approached on a number of occasion to put my work in a number of cafes and have never really got around to getting the work on the wall.
I know a number of photographers who have gone down this route and haven’t actually yielded any real benefit and in a number of occasions it has ended up costing the photographer money for printing and framing.
One example, recently I was asked if I would be interested in delivering ten framed A3 prints to a venue for a sixth month period. I would have to cover all the costs, delivery and insurance and the cafe would take 35% percent of any sales.
[quote pos=”right”] I am opening this post as a discussion. I got cafes to buy and consume coffee, I don’t imagine I’d ever end up buying a piece of art while I am there ? [/quote]
The cafe wouldn’t be marketing the fact the images were on the wall they would simply offer decoration for the sixth months and if any sold I would yield 65% of the sale. Any unsold photos would then have to be collected at the end of the season.
I haven’t ruled out providing the photos my problem lies with the cost of the product. When you consider the equipment purchased, the time taken to capture the image, process it. The time and cost of printing and framing also eat into the 65% income if any actually sell.
Have you had success using cafe galleries or is the concept an easy way for coffee shops to have a rotation of art work on their walls for their customers enjoy while they drink ?
I would love to hear what you think. Perhaps this has been a great way for you to get your artwork out there ?
Share your stories.
In the end all exposure is good.
The bad, the time it takes & money to frame the work and put it together. Use the chance to promote your website too.
That being said Ive never been approached and would love to put my work in a coffee shop.
Sold a couple of cyanotypes at a coffee shop, but that was a one night show thing, not a long term hanging.
Always seems to be a shot in the dark, that some coffee lover will happen to want to shell out for anything other than coffee.
Was sitting in a restaurant in the Netherlands this week, which had art (paintings and photographs) on the wall. I said to my companion, “Wonder if anybody ever gets up from their meal and says, add that painting to my bill?” Unlikely. Like you said, the cost of mounting, framing, etc. Having photos in a restaurant doesn’t seem to have the benefits of photos hanging in a gallery.
Yes, it costs money to frame the work, but one has to spend money to make money, and once the work is framed you have some leftovers so you don’t have to have it all redone every time.
I worked at a very high end audio shop in Ann Arbor where a local artist had on display some of his photographic work. People actually did ask who had done the work and wanted to find out a bit more. Having said that, only one picture off the wall had sold in the 1 year time that I had worked there, but it did generate exposure and discussion.
David Choe started in an icecream parlor or at a hairdresser, dunno which one it was exactly, but it turned out rather good for him.
As an amateur/hobbiest photographer it was a mini-dream of mine to be able to hang work it a coffee shop or cafe, as I know full well that the likelihood of ever having a solo show in a gallery is slim to none. So, after the semester ended (I’m a professor), I did some research on how to have one’s work hang in a coffee shop or cafe. I found An Investigation into the Coffee Shop/Gallery Business on The New York Foundation of the Arts web site:
“Coffee shop/galleries can play an important role in the careers of most artists–often a coffee shop will be the first venue to show an artist’s work. In doing so, they provide artists with the validation of seeing their work hanging on white walls, and, as Wojo pointed out, an audience that is far more diverse than the one attracted to posh galleries. Coffee shops can also promote work through sales and exposure.”
The article says the way to go about it is just to ask. Seemed easy enough. So, I decided to make a printed portfolio using Blurb and though I still have no illusions that the images are going to win contests at 11×13 with a hard cover it looks and feels excellent. The idea was that I would bring the book with me to various cafes that I go to near where I live and see if they would be interested.
Long story short: the owner first place I went to, Wherabouts Cafe in Newark, DE, invited me to be their first featured artist with enough wall space for 25 – 30 prints (a local shop quoted me $70 per 18×24 image, printed, matted and wood framed). There will be a gallery-style opening. And, the owner and I hope, this begins a new cafe tradition for the cafe: featuring local artists and contributing to the exposure of local artists in the Newark region.
If something sells, great. If not, great. (I’ll have holiday gifts for the next 5 years.) I’m just excited to be asked and to see a mini-dream come true.
You may or may not make money but the point is to find/create/nurture your audience. Find good cafes and strategically invite gallery owners whom you would like to be represented by. Or plan events to introduce potential clients to your work at the cafe.
Yes, it’s expensive to mount a show. Make the smallest size that you can and offer to provide larger prints in the promo materials. Offer a percentage of sales to the baristas to sell your images.
Don’t sell the frames, just make the investment once and sell prints only. Reuse mats, frames etc. and keep your costs low.
Lots of people who would never go to a gallery will see your work, and you might find an audience.
Here in Portland (Oregon) the cafe-gallery is pretty common and we have a few fine ones that actually work to promote the artists they feature – those that don’t are really just looking for some free decoration for their walls. If you manage to sell something, that’s a bonus, but unless they are actually promoting you, I wouldn’t be cutting any sort of deal where they take such a generous percentage of the potential profit.
Yes, it is their space, but you might just be providing them with some eye candy they like and don’t have to pay for themselves. If they really want you, have a connection to what you are doing and want to sell your work, that’s another matter. Just know who you are dealing with and what you expect to get out of it. Never cut a deal that doesn’t allow you to remove the art work whenever you want – it’s your work, not theirs.
Good luck!
I have several friends who have used cafes for displaying photography with a similar proviso where the cafe didn’t market the photos. If you do take this opportunity it is vital to have each photo with contact details and the fact they are for sale. Surprising but some people only looked and didn’t realise there was a brochure at the door! They have used several cafe galleries but as yet they haven’t sold but the cafes gained the decoration.
I also know people who have had success and know I found a person who could frame pictures (not photographs at that stage) for me from their display in a cafe. The cafes I know which have loyal customers have often attracted sales whereas another friend has a prominent display offered in a well know Bank window every 6 mths or so has yet to make a sale or contact.
I have sold sewing pictures from display although completely different from photography I always framed my pictures which I feel added to the attraction even though cost are higher give the work to create the picture. Photography frames wouldn’t be as lavish although with having to cover insurance etc I think I would do a lot of ground work to see what type of customer interest there would be. The only outlay I had was my framing and I wasn’t dependant on selling (sounds odd but it’s true)
It would be good if you could leave contact cards to see if there was an interest in your photos online before taking the expensive steps.
Good way for emerging artists to be seen. I’m speaking now from my experience as an artist’s partner. (He is not a photographer but a painter.)
Learn how to frame and mat your own photographs – save tons of money ($70 per piece is a LOT!). Look in the Jerry’s or Blick catalogs. Post prices with or without frame. It doesn’t pay to get really cheap frames – they look tacky.
Make sure the place has good lighting. No sense putting up pieces where no one can see them. Offer to help the owner learn about lighting if you know anything about it.
Don’t be afraid to ask as Bill Wolf talks about. We once went into a new restaurant that was lovely with lots of empty wall space. My husband approached the owner since he had just completed a set of paintings that we thought would work well there. He ended out curating shows at the restaurant every month and we would hang the shows in exchange for a meal (and at least one free plate – it was a tapas place – each time we went).
One day the owner called and said, “I sold your paintings.” Bob said, “Which one?” and the owner said, “All of them!” Turns out the guy had never bought a piece of art in his life but had just built a new house and could see these pieces there. Now, that’s never happened before and it’s unlikely to happen again, but…you never know when you can change someone’s life.
Lots of things to consider. The printing and framing costs can be a burden but there are ways to minimize that as mentioned here.
Thanks for t information!.
If you have the opportunity take it as long it is a reputable business. I have had my work on display in various locations in my area and I get booked from my work that is displayed. If you go the fine art route you can always print on canvas or stand out mounts so that you don’t have to worry about frames. Just a thought.
I’ve displayed in a coffee shop with great success. I chose a theme that was relevant to the area. I printed only live music photos specifically shot in local venues. I also chose images of bands that I knew were popular rather than my own favorite shots.
I printed the photos myself, as well as framed and matted them. Total cost was about $400. I easily made it back and even though the display was taken down 6 months ago people still ask about prints. I actually sold one on Friday.
Another key is to keep the prices affordable. The biggest mistake I see artists making is overpricing the art. Keep in mind the clientele of the venue. The place I displayed is mostly patronized by hipsters and college students. They’re not the most affluent crowd.
You must also realize that this isn’t necessarily a profit making venture, but a marketing strategy, keeping your prices down to a reasonable level will encourage more sales. I spend a lot of time in cafés and I most often hear people talking about the ridiculous prices on the art, and I usually agree.
Some of my unsold prints from the show were donated to special causes to be raffled off as well. I donated a photo of Motorhead to be raffled off to help a local band buy a new tour band when theirs was stolen. When they needed photos for their new album, guess who they called? That print that cost me about $25 to make landed me a $750 gig with more on the horizon.
I guess it really depends on the location and the potential traffic seeing your work. 10 framed prints is a pretty big out of pocket expense though, especially when you’re not guaranteed any reimbursement. The most I’ve done was four 11×14 prints framed. They were on display in a busy downtown cafe for 3 months, didn’t sell any of them though.