Artist, photographer, entrepreneur shares her marketing expertise

WEBSTER — “Really connecting with a piece of art is what gives art its true meaning.”

It is also what motivates a customer to buy it. And after all, isn’t that the purpose of creating art, beside the intense pleasure and satisfaction it brings the artist?

That is the crux of Rachel Jane Fiedler’s philosophy, which she will share with local artists in “The Art of Sales” at her Burnett Area Arts-sponsored class and forum on Saturday, April 20, at the Northwest Passage Gallery.

“As much as we don’t like to look at it this way, our art is a ‘product,’” explains Felder. “We are passionate about our art and want it out there for people to enjoy, so how do we make that product marketable?”

Fiedler, a Minnesota native, began pursuing photography as a child. Receiving her liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota, she started a two-year apprenticeship in 2017 with a well-known professional photographer.

In 2015, she started her own business for personal fine art photography, earning awards for her work in Minnesota and New York. She participated in art fairs across the country and worked with galleries in Arizona and Minnesota, as well as with individual artists across the country, developing compelling visual presentations, effective merchandising strategies, media campaigns and special events that significantly increased sales and profits.

While thus engaged, Fiedler was inspired to teach fellow artists her marketing techniques to help them increase sales, and that is what she will share in her April workshop.

“One of the biggest mistakes artists make is not keeping up with their social media. Frequency and timing are critical,” she notes.

Some of the topics she will cover include types of sellers, different buyer types, sales techniques, best use of social media and more. The session is from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer forum; it is open to all area artists. There is a fee. To sign up online, visit burnettareaartsgroup.org/classes.

The Northwest Passage Gallery is located 1 mile south of Webster, just off Highway 35.