The Craft Fair Booth

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By Deb Schwartzkopf

Taking artwork to market is a huge task.

There are so many choices... Which art fair, what booth, how many lights, what should signage say and more.

And there are so many things that are unchosen... Art fair acceptance, weather, location of the booth within the fair, neighboring artists, how level the ground is, where you get to park, and hours required for participation.  

When I first designed an art fair booth I had a hard time finding information or images of booths all in one place to compare to.  So, after many years of thinking about it, I have accumulated a few images to share with you.  Each image is labeled with the artist name and their website.  Please visit their personal pages to learn more about their work. And I will be adding to this collection over time!

The image of my booth is last.  I use ProPanels for the walls and ladders. I cut the wooden shelves to fit the booth ladders.  The tables and risers I made myself with my dad at his wood shop. The rugs are from IKEA. The lights are not the newest ones I have...  a better choice than is pictured is getting a track & LED track lights from Home Depot and zip-tying it to the cross bar. Less wattage and easier installation at set up.

I use a PayPal chip reader, have a mailing list on hand. The signage I use is high res images mounted and laminated on foam core board at Staple's. It is still a work in progress!  Every year presents new challenges.  And that is half the fun!

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Deborah Schwartzkopf

In 2013 Deb established Rat City Studios in her hometown of Seattle, WA. With a passion to engage and build community through clay she uses her unique skill set to offer educational opportunities. As a studio artist, she makes her own fabulous tableware that infuses life with purposeful beauty. Her artwork is recognized and showcased nationally. Deb was inspired by the guidance of amazing mentors along the way. These important relationships helped foster her desire to provide support and mentorship for the growing clay community. Her adventurous spirit has taken her across the country and beyond to build a depth of experience, knowledge, and a supportive network.

Rain City Clay, the sister-studio to Rat City Studios, opened in April of 2022 in West Seattle. This is a space for experiential group learning and exploriinig clay!

With over 15 years of experience, an MFA from Penn State, artwork included in collections (such as the Kamm Teapot Foundation, San Angelo Museum, and the WA State Arts Collection), numerous publications (including Ceramic Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, and Studio Potter Magazine), she has been recognized and honored in her career as a maker and is thrilled to be expanding the community.

Deb completed a Master’s of Fine Art at Penn State and has artwork included in numerous collections such as the Kamm Teapot Foundation, San Angelo Museum, and the WA State Arts Collection. She has been featured in numerous principal clay publications including Ceramic Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, and Studio Potter Magazine. Deb has been recognized and honored in her career as a maker and is thrilled to be expanding the clay community.

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