Preparing For Your Open Studio

Publicize Your Open Studio Event

Download these pre-formatted square and banner graphics to promote the EBOS event

Download these pre-formatted IG graphics to promote the EBOS event

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Email

• Send out e-blasts to the people already on your e-lists with details about your weekend event, the Opening Celebration and special events. 

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Website

• Place a banner on your personal website landing page with the EBOS dates and times.
• Pro-tip – Use the formatted banners provided at the button above!
• Many of your own followers and fans will come out to the event specifically to visit with you. Let them know it’s happening and this is an opportunity to acquire more of your art for their collection.

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Social Media

• Post frequently about your event on Instagram and/or your Facebook pages and tag @eastbayopenartstudios so that we will repost
• Post or tweet about your event to specifically get people out to your event.
• Post videos of your artwork in process and your studio to get people out to your event and to learn about your studio.
• Follow @eastbayopenartstudios Instagram and Facebook pages and comment and repost.
• Our Instagram hashtags are #EBOS, #EBOS2023, and #EastBayOpenStudios2023

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Hyper Local Promotion

• There are many different publications and websites that you can add your event to. Some listings are even free. This will give you additional exposure during the event. Facebook and NextDoor are great resources.

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Participate in the Spring Salon Exhibition

• This is a great opportunity to interface with the public, promote your weekend event and to enjoy the celebration with other participating artists.
• Details can be found on the Salon Exhibition FAQ’s page.

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Marketing Assets and Signage

Create your own postcard or a flyer, including the EBOS logo, to mail or pass out to your friends and contacts before the event.

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Use the Printable Signage

• The signage templates have white space to add your address or location. Download to customize or print out and add the copy by hand.

Please post signage only on the days of your event. You don’t want the public to be knocking on your door before or after the event has taken place.

• Please be sure to remove your signs immediately after your event is over. You are legally responsible for your actions, so please post and remove responsibly and in consideration of others.

• Post them on your house, on your studio door, on your building, in your driveway, street corners, on sandwich boards, etc. and where ever you feel is suitable to guide people your way.

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Catalogues and Guides

• Guides available after November 1st
• Each artist will receive 20 printed guides for your personal use, to share with your visitors or distribute within your community. If you need more, just ask at the distribution location or email us at [email protected]
• Check in at the reception desk or cashier and let them know you are an EBOS artist and you are picking up your printed materials. Check the websites for open hours before you go:
  • Alameda, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru Street, Alameda, CA 94501
  • Oakland, Flax Art and Design, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94612
  • Oakland, Studio One Art Center, 365 45th St, Oakland, CA 94609
  • Berkeley, Sawtooth Building, 2547 Eighth Street, Susan Brooks Studio 24a, Berkeley, California 94710
  • Berkeley, Nielson Arts Gallery and Custom Framing, 1545 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, California 94707
  • Richmond, Clay People, 623 S 32nd St, Richmond, CA 94804

Please do not take printed materials if you do not intend to use them. Allow us to distribute them to other artists and business

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Open Studio Best Practices

Be Ready to Open at 11am

• Many people show up right at the start as they begin their tours and OFTEN people who come to these events show up last minute as they rush to get to their last stop on time.
• You may stay open as long as you like, but the official hours are 11am – 5pm.
• Sales are made last minute and you don’t want to cut yourself short by closing up too soon.
• Please read the terms and conditions for details.

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Be Professional

• Always be professional even if you do not consider yourself to be a professional artist.
• Your open studio event is the time to be focused on your guests and selling, educating and/or promoting your art to them.
• If you plan to have family and friends around during the event, just be sure that they also behave in a professional manner.

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Demonstrations and Special Events

• Consider sharing your gift with the public by having a studio tour or demonstrations.

• Make sure children (and adults for that matter) can’t get near any chemicals, machinery, sharp tools, etc. Please use common sense. You are legally responsible for the activities in your space.

• Have a helper with you so that you can demonstrate while they sell your art to the public.
• List your demonstration or special event on the Events Page and we will promote them. Provide the details on the form below.

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Have a Variety of Work Availableors:

• There will be a full range of visitors from all walks of life coming to this event from underpaid students to wealthy investors.
• The more you have to offer the public, the better – in terms of range of artwork and prices.
• Some people will have a $20 budget and others may have $20,000. People are never looking for the exact same thing. Be ready.

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Payment Methods

• Determine your preferred payment methods; Cash, Credit, Venmo and PayPal Purchases, and be prepared with change, wifi and a fully charged phone or ipad.

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Be Prepared to Package/Wrap Sold Work

• Be ready to make sales and have people walk away with purchases.

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Know Your Sales and Shipping Preferences

• Be ready to help clients with information about packing, shipping, taxes, etc.

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Common Sense Safety

• Be sure to keep your valuables tucked away and clear from doorways. This includes your artwork, of course.

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Guestbook/Mailing List

• This is a great way to build your mailing lists and email lists.
• Have more than one guestbook in key places such as at the front door when they are on their way out and/or next to where you are sitting so you can point it out to them.

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EBOS Best Practices Webinar September 2022

Featuring Artists Fernando Reyes, Jan Watten and Susan Brooks, along with Calder Anderson, Mark Gebhardt and Jean Marie Durant