The Strange Quirks of Being in the Art Business in an "Artist Community" Town

As regulars to this page may remember, this blog is published in association with the Red Dragonfly Gallery, a small independent art gallery located in the seaside town of Port Townsend in the US Pacific Northwest.

We live-- and do business-- in a lovely historic town the often bills itself as an "artist community." This is also quite a tourist destination; our local chamber of commerce estimates we have somewhere on the order of two to three million visitors come through here, every year... quite a lot, for a town of some 10,000 people!

What's It Like to Live Here?

At the gallery, that's a question we get quite a lot. People come here on vacation and fall in love with the scenery, the historical buildings and all the art and creativity everywhere. We have lots of festivals and events during the summers, so there's always something to do.

"This must be a great place to be an artist!" is the follow-up statement from many an admiring visitor... and we do our best to reply in an honest and compassionate way.

Like many things in life, not everything is obvious at first glance. Whereas we love our little town, it has its definite quirks and challenges, and things here aren't necessarily as bright and shiny as they appear.

The Challenge of Seasonality

Living in a tourist town-- especially one in the north where winters tend to be dreary, long and wet-- means that we have two very distinct seasons: "Tourist Season" and "Waiting for Tourist Season." 

Many businesses around here depend on as much as 75% or more of their annual sales to come from visitor trade, and the majority of that happens between early May and the end of September.

Now, you might be wondering if there isn't any local trade... and the answer is that there is, but the town is basically "over retailed" for the size of the local population. 

When you're in the art business-- or an artist-- that becomes especially evident. The size of the population simply doesn't need the amount of art created and marketed by 100's of artists and as many as 15 active art galleries. 

The Ups and Downs of "Artist Communities"

Artist communities can be wonderful things because there is a lot of creative talent in a very concentrated area. The sheer variety of what local creatives have to offer is stunning... and best seen during some of our outdoor festivals during the summer months where there are literally 100's of vendor booths.

The downside, of course, is that competition among artists is intense... and only a tiny handful manage to scrape out a living from art; most work full-time jobs and create as a sideline. Many of our more successful artists tend to have in common that they make things here, but sell them somewhere else.

That competition extends to the art galleries, as well. There's competition among artists to get into galleries, and then competition among galleries.

For the artists who are not yet familiar with how this kind of place works, it can lead to some disappointment. We have to remind our creative friends that even though their work is "special," the fact remains that to the average person looking to put something artistic in their home, their work may be "just one of thousands of pieces on offer," so sales are by no means a given. 

That dynamic can also be a wake-up call for those in the gallery business. It may seem like we "have it made" because we're in an "art town," but the greater truth is that whereas city wide sales of art are excellent, the individual "slices of pie" once it's all divided up can be quite small.

The Economic Considerations of Tourist Towns

When people ask us whether the local population is "supportive of art" we can only offer a conditional "yes."

One of the things people often forget is that a town that is both "a tourist venue" and "an artists colony" have some peculiar financial dynamics to deal with.

For the most part, artists and creatives don't make a lot of money, so while they may live here and give lots of vocal and emotional support... they are rarely buyers of art.

The other consideration relates to tourist towns, in general. In tourist towns, the vast majority of jobs are in hospitality, foodservice and retail, all three of which tend to be very low paying industries. Which translates to another significant segment of the population who are vocally supportive of art, but don't necessarily have the income to financially support art.

Last-- but also of significance-- is the fact that most of the town's wealthier citizens tend to be of retirement age. That means they are in a phase of their lives where they are typically "downsizing" and getting rid of things... and so are appreciative of art, but rarely buyers.

Challenging Demographics

On the whole, our town is considered a "very desirable" place to live... and we certainly appreciate being here.

The problem with desirable places is that they also tend to be fairly expensive from a cost of living standpoint, particularly as it applies to housing.

Ultimately, that's another factor that makes being in the art business challenging. According to statistics from our county records, the cost of housing is some 30% above the state average, while the median income is almost 30% below the state average... 

It makes for an uneasy financial dynamic, and explains why many properties here end up becoming loosely formed "co-ops" with 6-8 people living together under one roof.

All in all, though, the quality of life tends to outweigh the disadvantages... we just always try to teach artists wanting to move here that they must develop realistic expectations, or they will end up extremely disappointed.

Thank you for reading! Red Dragonfly is a proud member of the @sndbox creative initiative.

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.