10 Art Show Display Ideas

These art show display ideas show you 10 terrific ways to show paintings and prints in your craft fair booth.

How do you set up an art fair booth?

There are plenty of options.

You can hang paintings on grid walls, or make DIY display panels with shutters. An art display easel can be a good choice to highlight a special painting. Small and mid-sized pieces can stand out on well-styled shelves. And art display stands and boxes are great if you want to entice shoppers to browse your art prints.

Check out these 10 vendor booth photos for simple art show display ideas you can use whether you're at an indoor or outdoor show.

1. Get Noticed With Paintings Displayed Outside Your Booth

Creating a display that will draw in customers should be a top priority when you set up your art fair booth.

Displaying paintings outside of your booth is one way artists can stand out.

The paintings displayed on the outside walls of the portable canopy in the booth pictured above will definitely help this artist's work get noticed.

Keep in mind, you'll need to have permission from show organizers to set up outside of the standard 10x10 booth space. If you need to stay within that space, you can hang your most eye-catching paintings on the outside walls of your craft tent to draw in customers.

2. Feature an Eye-Catching Painting on an Art Display Easel

An eye-catching painting featured on an art display easel is another way to attract the interest of passing shoppers.

Be sure to choose an art display easel that's heavy and sturdy enough to safely support your painting, particularly if you're setting up at an outdoor art show.

3. Hang Art on a Grid Wall 

Grid wall panels are an excellent addition to all kinds of craft displays. They are portable and flexible, allowing you to set up your display in a variety of configurations.

Gridwall panels are also a smart solution when you need to display artwork without walls at indoor and outdoor shows.

The booth above shows two large paintings displayed on a grid wall at the entrance to the space. This setup is an excellent way to attract shoppers, but do remember, you must have approval from show organizers to use any area outside of your standard 10x10 booth space.

4. Make DIY Display Panels With Shutters

A collection of shutters can make excellent DIY art show display panels. They are easy to transport and can be a great solution for hanging smaller paintings when you don't have walls to display your work.

You can paint your shutters white to blend into your tent and side walls, or choose a color you use in your company branding.

If you use fairly light-weight shutters, be sure to attach them to your tent frame or anchor them securely, particularly at outdoor art shows.

5. Use Chain to Display Artwork Without Walls

Chain secured to your 10x10 canopy frame is another way to display artwork without walls. Do be careful to avoid suspending very heavy items with chain. Don't make your tent frame support more weight than it can handle.

6. Arrange Smaller Items on Shelves

Portable display shelves provide a simple solution for displaying smaller items. The setup pictured above is inviting for shoppers who want to come in and browse.

Grouping several smaller items together can help them make a stronger statement. The artful arrangement of several coordinated prints on three closely grouped shelves creates a cohesive larger block that draws attention more effectively than a single small print would.

7. Show Art on Picture Ledges in Small Spaces

If you don't have space for standard sized shelves, consider using floating picture ledges to display your prints.

A different approach to styling the shelves is used in the booth above. A variety of sizes of prints are arranged on ledges, but the colors used in the prints still work together to form a cohesive look.

8. Use Painting Display Stands That Encourage Browsing

The painting display stands placed at a strategic spot on the outside corner of this booth space encourages passing shoppers to stop and browse. It makes the work more accessible and will draw more customers into this artist's booth.

9. Display Prints in Boxes or Crates

Boxes or wood crates are another option if you have a lot of prints to display. This booth appears to be custom made, but you could achieve a similar effect with some well placed wooden crates.

10. Display Smaller Items That Feature Your Art

Along with larger paintings, many artists sell smaller items, like jewelry or cards, depicting their art. Offering these items can be a smart way to offer options to shoppers who love your work but need to stay within a smaller budget.

If you need to display smaller items that feature your art, have a look at other categories of art show display ideas, such as photos of jewelry booths or other accessories to find solutions to display other items in your booth.

10 art show display ideas.