The Business of Art | Quilting Arts Podcast Episode 23

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What does it take to make a living from your art?

This is a topic about which so many of us are interested in learning. Today, Susan and Vivika take a detour from their usual format to look more closely at the business side of art quilting, specifically pricing, selling, and promoting your work. They’ve both had experience with these topics and wanted to explore them further.

Below are a few resources mentioned in the conversation

Pricing

Many quilt artists undersell their work. The US Department of Labor lists the ‘mean hourly wage’ for a fine artist is more than $30. What are some models for pricing?

Start with basing it on a reasonable hourly wage (for example $20 an hour), plus the cost of materials. Then consider other factors:

How are other artists like you pricing their work?
What is your previous sales history?
Know the market – what are other artists in your market (community) charging for similar artwork?
Your prices should be easy to find on your website. (Susan recently re-thought this.)

Keep an Inventory

It’s important to keep good records! Include every piece – name, size, price, buyer and buyer’s contact information (in case you want to borrow the piece for an exhibition). Also, if you’ve entered a piece in a show, note the dates it might be unavailable. This helps you avoid conflicts.

Keeping this inventory up to date also helps you understand and track your sales record.
www.artbusinesscom
www.artworkarchive.com
www.artistsnetwork.com

This Episode’s Quote

“Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” – Andy Warhol