Assumes an artist has existing success, so they only want people who already don't need them much, unlike YC which often takes on people with no existing business.
I know a lot of artists. None of them make 50K off their art. 10K is amazing.
So hmm.
There are a tons of these throughout the US, depending on weather and time of year.
Some examples: https://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/west-coast-art-fair...
Top-of-line, you can make quite of bit from these + commissions that come from them. Though turning a significant profit is a lot harder.
> I suspect you are advocating that artists become performers, entertainers or sales people in addition to the 'making art' bit.
Yes on the sales part. Making art without selling it won't get you much revenue.
Yes, there are galleries or co-ops that in theory can do your distribution...but in practice that's very fickle.
It would be like applying to YC on the basis that you’re good at computers and a lot of people call you up to fix their Windows installations. That can be a profitable skill, but it’s not what YC is looking for.
We don't want artists who don't need us much. Artists always have needs that they can't, or shouldn't, be handling for themselves. Even the top 1% of artists get services and support from their galleries or their own full time staff. But bridging the gap between starting to earn good money and being able to afford a qualified staff is very difficult, and it's the pivotal point in an artist's career where they may find themselves stalled because, with every new project, there are logistical needs that distract them from finding the next opportunity, or creating new, ambitious work.
We are working with artists who have achieved great traction but are not yet at the point where they can hire a full time studio director, etc.