ADVOCACY

Trish Klenow

Do you remember your first art sale? Mine was when I was sixteen at an outdoor art fair in my small town in Michigan. It was a simple watercolor landscape of a stump and some wildflowers, which sold for $25. I was elated! I felt valued, seen, and motivated to create even more.

Decades later, as a veteran art teacher, I see how selling art, branding, marketing, refining one’s aesthetic, and sharing it are vital parts of being an artist. At my school, we host two main events that teach students how to prepare and sell their work. These events also help fund our studentsʼ ever-growing need for consumable art supplies.

The Art Market and Artist Alley
Art Market is a large in-person and online art auction experience with live music, entertainment, food, a gaming station, and an all-ages collaborative art-making corner. Students can donate 50% or 100% of their sales, just like in adult gallery fundraisers. After paying the artists, the event funds a large portion of our supply budget.

The Artist Alley is smaller-scale and is held in conjuction with our winter choir concert. Individual artists buy “booths” solo or with a partner, with fees going to our fine arts boosters and class supply budget. The timing ensures a built-in audience, making it a natural boost for student sales.

Both events are amazing social community builders and provide real-life lessons that a classroom alone canʼt replicate. My philosophy is that art is not finished until it is shared with an audience. These events show that the visual arts are a pillar of the community. Parents, teachers, friends, neighbors, alumni, and administration all attend the events to shop, support, and celebrate student work. One of my favorite moments was when a supportive parent bought one thing from every artist!

Creativity and Business Savvy
Students demonstrate incredible marketing awareness, understanding the importance of branding, establishing a presence, and being professional. Many go above and beyond, often working months in advance to create inventory and design displays.

These experiences teach students that their art is valid, valuable, and deserving of being shared with the world.

One student built a cardboard vending machine for stickers, while others added lights and props to create retail environments. Sales success varies, but students often earn hundreds of dollars, far surpassing my first $25 sale.

I am always pleasantly surprised by what is popular—glazed ceramics that serve a function sell well, and so do bright, colorful stylized digital prints. Buyers tend to recognize and respond to what feels special and personal, and parents often have eye-opening experiences appreciating the value of student artwork.

Lessons Learned
Not every artist’s work will sell; this is often the hardest real-life lesson. Some students can go into the red after paying table fees or purchasing extra materials, and some pieces simply donʼt find buyers. As tough as this is to witness, surviving rejection can be an extremely powerful experience. Students gain resilience and walk away stronger.

Logistics
Organizing large-scale events requires an ambitious, dedicated team. We are fortunate to have incredible student leaders who are committed to service in the arts through our National Art Honor Society (NAHS). Months in advance, committees form, themes and color schemes are selected, collaborative elements are planned, and display spaces are reserved. Community partners and parents provide support through food and drink donations.

Potential artist vendors are interviewed by NAHS board members, and artists provide samples of what they plan to sell. (This is a great way to make sure not everyone is selling stickers, for example.) This provides another valuable real-life experience: students must create elevator pitches about their work. Display boards and presentation materials are critical for this.

The Art Market event requires a staggering amount of work—entering all the data into our auction site, making sure all the works are presentation-ready, well-photographed, and delivered on time, etc. But the results of student growth, community engagement, and program support make it worthwhile.

Reflection: Future Plans
After taking a year off, we are planning the Art Market again next year, this time with fewer works at higher starting prices and possibly a juried show. Students and teachers have missed the community vibe and the thrill of winning an auction as the clock ticks down.

Student Emma L. shared: “I think the best thing I gained from Art Market and Artist Alley was a sense of monetary responsibility. It allowed me a safe and supportive environment to make investments, evaluations, and overall gave me a crucial experience that I could use later!”

These experiences teach students that their art is valid, valuable, and deserving of being shared with the world. Some pieces even end up in private collections, demonstrating that sharing art can be both meaningful and rewarding.

Trish Klenow teaches at Green Level High School in Cary, North Carolina. Her work and her students’ work, as well as information on upcoming art markets and art alleys, can be found on Instagram: @trishklenow.