How To Sell Art Locally And Make Money In 2025

Are you ready to find out how to sell art locally?

While selling online is the way to turn your art endeavor into a profitable business, marketing paintings at the local market has its advantages, too.

After all, there is more than one way to make money as an artist!

Learning how to sell paintings for a living is a long and complicated process that requires knowledge of online and offline marketplaces.

Today, I’ll tell you plenty about selling your art locally:

Where can you find the best places to sell artwork locally?
What’s the best way to market your paintings offline?
Valuable tips and ideas to sell more art locally.

Where Can I Sell My Art Collection?

Assuming that you see your painting activities as more than a hobby, let’s consider the options to turn your work into a lucrative art business.

Considering every second person is trying to earn online, offering your art on the web is probably the first thing that comes to mind.

Quite frankly, trying to sell artwork online is one of the best strategies these days:

There are countless opportunities to reach an enormous pool of potential buyers online.

With the rise of Social Media, getting your paintings on the largest social networks is worth the effort.

But what about your local area?

Can you receive a decent amount of money for a painting if you sell it to someone who doesn’t live on the other side of the world?

Yes, you can get a pretty good deal for your artwork even if that piece finds its buyer without having a place in an online store.

That’s what I’ll teach you to do in this article.

Do You Want To Learn How To Sell Art Online?

Where To Sell Art In Person?

Quite frankly, giving you a concert answer to that question is not something in my abilities.

Depending on your area of residence, the local art communities will vary in many ways.

Still, that won’t stop me from sharing tips and ideas to help you successfully market your artwork locally.

Have a look at all the places that will assist you with selling your work to a local audience:

Art shows and exhibitions
Supply stores
Local Library
Galleries
Coffee shops
Retail shops/boutiques

Now, let’s start covering the marketing process you’ll go through while working with each of these places:

How To Sell Art Locally: Step-By-Step Guide

Let me show you what to expect when you try to sell your art in each of the above-mentioned local places.

Make some room in your day because we have a lot to cover:

1) How To Sell Art On Shows And Exhibitions

Marketing an original artwork at local shows and exhibitions is a two-step process:

First, you must connect with an art group or society willing to direct you to good places to sell your work.

Second, you’ll need to ask that group how to sell your art specifically.

Typically, local exhibitions concentrate on a particular art form – that might be painting, sculpture, etc.

Needless to say, the artwork you’re planning to sell should fit with the centerpiece of the show.

Even if it doesn’t, you’ll have the chance to connect with like-minded people and art enthusiasts who may help you market your work on another occasion.

2) Supply Stores

It might be hard to believe, but a local art supply store is often a suitable place to gain insights while researching how to sell art locally.

Find some time and go to most art supply stores nearby. During your visit, check their bulletin boards and announcements.

Individual artists can find information about upcoming meetings of art clubs (or different places) where they’ll have the opportunity to introduce their original pieces.

That strategy will work for the library, print shop, and other public places in the local scene.

A bonus tip: if there is a local art council, don’t hesitate to contact it and explore the opportunities it provides to market your own work. I want to put so much emphasis on that since any emerging artist should know about it.

3) How To Sell Paintings To Local Art Galleries

Many of you are probably afraid to contact a local gallery and ask it to display your art for sale.

If you’re a newbie artist, that process might seem too intimidating. Be that as it may, you should overcome your fear and do it anyway:

While local galleries prefer to feature works of well-known and successful artists, that doesn’t mean there is no room for you.

Do some research first to give yourself the best chance possible to see your work in a local art gallery. Find a gallery where your artwork will fit naturally – you never know when joint exhibitions might happen!

What about online galleries? I’ll be the first to tell you that online galleries offer a great opportunity to reach a broader audience and find many potential customers.

Are you an art store owner, professional photographer, or another visual artist? Assuming many of you are, consider selling original wall art or art prints on these online marketplaces, remote galleries, and Print-On-Demand sites:

4) How To Sell Your Art In Coffee Shops

Do you live in an area with many colleges and art schools by some chance?

Hopefully, you do because that’s where you might stumble upon a local coffee shop that happens to appreciate a good piece of art and your hard work.

Get your art portfolio all set, and let the conversations begin!

Online research is not enough to help you find the kind of coffee shop that will accept your artwork.

You’ll have to walk around a lot until you find what you’re looking for.

What other local businesses or public spaces can help independent artists succeed with their marketing efforts in a small town? I suggest trying your luck at local art fairs, gift shops, and even cotton festivals!

5) How To Sell Art Locally To Retailers

As you can probably guess, finding a local retail store or boutique to offer your art is another example of creative ways to market your art.

By all means, a retail shop owner will be far less interested in buying your art than an art coffee shop owner.

Can you still convince them that investing in your art is a good idea, though?

Well, you might, if you go to the meeting on time, express yourself professionally, and leave an impression that is impossible to ignore.

Tips And Ideas To Sell More Art Locally

Prepare Business Cards

I can almost see most of you rolling your eyes:

Who still uses business cards nowadays?

Well, you might have a point in there. Considering most artists sell their work online, using business cards becomes irrelevant.

However, this article covers selling on the local market, which involves one-on-one interactions and building relationships within the local art scene.

Bringing business cards when you meet local business owners will allow them to connect with you if they decide to showcase your art. You never know who you may leave an impression on while participating in community events or taking art classes to improve your skills in a short period.

Build Relationships With Local Galleries

First and foremost, don’t get discouraged if a local gallery refuses to display your painting for sale.

Instead, create a relationship with people who own that gallery (or another place of similar business in the local art market).

Who knows what might change in the future and when your artwork may join the art pieces already displayed in a few months or a year?

Building personal connections is a great way to place yourself in a position to reach a wider audience. It won’t happen overnight, though – you better have more than a limited time to devote to this strategy.

Connect With Other Local Artists

how to sell art locally connect with other artists

Yes, networking is a thing online and in the local art community.

Creating relationships with a large number of artists is essential for the success of your business. It’s probably the first step to take when building the foundation for your art venture.

Sometimes, that’s how you’ll meet a potential buyer, so don’t underestimate this strategy.

I can’t think of a better way to participate in the local community as an artist and share your creative process with like-minded people. Being social at the next art festival you visit is the best way to connect with fellow artists or interior designers.

Host Open Studio Events

Are you still wondering how to sell art locally? Here is the only way to get more people from your target market to come to you:

Hosting an art show and inviting potential buyers into your studio space is one of the various ways to showcase your latest artwork. There is no need to invite the local media – the visitors will spread the word on your behalf!

Work On Your Portfolio

Many artists don’t think of a professional portfolio as a part of their marketing materials. Hopefully, you’re not one of them:

While selling art in your local area offers many opportunities, the web provides even more.

Building an online presence is a great place to start developing your art business. The Internet will allow you to market your work to a much larger audience than any auction house or local gallery.

I already mentioned the best websites and online platforms where you can list your art for sale. Feel free to expand the selling process to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Meanwhile, create an art portfolio if you don’t have one. Your portfolio should be the best place where your target audience and potential buyers can see your top work.

Where should you place that portfolio? Here is your answer – on your own website!

How To Sell Art Locally FAQs

What’s The Easiest Way To Sell Art?

Currently, the easier way to start selling art is by launching an e-commerce shop on platforms like Shopify.

Another easy option to sell your artwork is to market it on sites like Etsy.

Where Can I Sell My Art?

Many online platforms will allow you to list your art and make online sales.

The most popular ones are:

Amazon
eBay
Etsy
Society6
Saatchi Art
Fine Art America

Where Can I Sell My Art Without Fees?

Nowadays, most platforms that let artists display their works charge fees for the service.

However, some sites will let you offer your painting without any fee, like ArtPal.

How Do I Sell My Art For Beginners?

Before you begin offering your art for sale, you’ll have to have to do a couple of things that will help you build a profitable art business.

For example, you’ll need to pick an art niche, identify your competitors, and choose a marketplace to sell your art.

Also, you can launch an online store to upload all your artwork and price it accordingly.

Creating multiple sources of income while selling your art will help you sell paintings for a living.

What Is The Best Site To Post Art?

Right now, your art will have a good chance to sell if you post it on any of the following platforms:

DeviantArt
Behance
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook

What Kind Of Art Is In Demand Right Now?

Quite frankly, any art can be in demand if you find a way to present it to the right customers.

Still, some types of art tend to sell better than others.

Artworks in demand are paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures.

See Also: What Art Sells Best?

Time To Wrap

That is all I have for you today about how to sell art locally.

Hopefully, this article will help you make more art sales while you offer your work to local businesses and establishments.

Do you have any questions on the subject?

Is there something the article doesn’t make clear?

Ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer your questions soon.

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