This page will be updated as we gain more information - we are in the process of talking to potential venues we know about.
Open Studios Brochure
Last year we engaged with a distribution company who added our Open Studios Brochures (still available as a downloadable pdf and featured on our Bookcase in page turning software) into major supermarkets across the county; people were very excited to see our Brochure with most of them being picked up within 2 weeks of being placed in the supermarkets. This year we hope to repeat this success, but leaving distribution slightly later. This was a very successful way of distributing the brochures but it did cost us money so we are already starting to find advertisers who can help offset our costs.
Area Coordinators will have your allocation given to them, plus other marketing materials and promotional items you order - these will be available for you to collect at your area meetings. Each participating artist will have 30 brochures to distribute themselves.
To help promote our OS brochures - please post a photo of you with your brochure on social media, using #HertsOpenStudios and #HVAOSBrochure so we can repost these.
Join in with other Members at your Area Meetings
Area meetings take many forms. They help you make the most of this opportunity – from supporting first-time participants to distribution of materials and planning local events. You can harness the power in your area to improve visibility and encourage members/ visitors: liaise with schools/colleges (contact needs to be made before they break up), integrate publicity and maximise your efforts, share ideas with fellow artists, devise a local art trail for visitors so that they see as many artists as possible in your area, plan your local library display to attract visitors, plan any local Taster Exhibitions or specific local events.
Local publicity is vital to make sure as many people as possible know about your Open Studio event. You are jointly responsible for this, together with the other artists in your area. Herts Visual Arts put considerable effort into marketing, but overall success is also dependent on local marketing effort. You can also coordinate marketing effort across area borders. Look out for information in emails, on the web site and on Facebook.
What else makes a successful Open Studios?
Access Our Hints and Tips Members brochure, which has some things you might like to consider when getting ready for Open Studios and planning for your own event: HVAF Bookcase, a downloadable pdf is also available at the bottom of this page.
Open Studios Promotional items
Please use our pavement branding - displaying at least one strip of bunting as a minimum. Pavement branding/bunting help people find your venue easily particularly those unused to the area you are exhibiting in including those on an Art Trail. First time participants receive a strip of bunting Free of Charge with delivery/collection by agreement between the artist and the relevant Area Coordinator.
Bunting, Correx Signs and PVC Banners can be purchased from HVAF from this website. Please visit www.hvaf.org.uk/artists/promotional to order/pay for your promotional items. Please be aware that postage and packing is now included in the purchase price.
Downloadable yellow signage
Smaller yellow signs (that you can print at home) are available to download from this page.
Downloads
Download files below.
Images
Download images below. Click on an image to view the full-size version, then right click on the full-size image to download it.
