The Craft Fair Booth

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!

Deborah Schwartzkopf

As a studio artist, she makes fabulous tableware that infuses life with purposeful beauty. Deb was inspired by the guidance of amazing mentors along the way. These important relationships fostered her desire to engage and build community through clay. Her adventurous spirit has taken her across the country and beyond to form a depth of experience, knowledge, and a supportive network.

In 2013 Deb established Rat City Studios in her hometown of Seattle, WA. RCS is her home and personal studio, as well as, a creative space for multiple studio members working independently. In 2022 she opened a sister studio, Rain City Clay in West Seattle. RCC is a community art center focusing on experiential learning through ceramics classes of all levels.

With over 15 years of experience, a Master’s of Fine Art at 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.

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