Nov 17, 2022
Artists Sunday, a new artist-focused retail holiday, looks like it is picking up steam in an already crowded calendar of holiday shopping days and its organizers hope to make it the most profitable day of the year for local artists.
The event launched during the first year of the pandemic and now features a lineup of around 4,500 participating professional artists and 500 non-profit organizations nationwide, according to a press release. The holiday takes place on November 27, the day after Small Business Saturday and the day before Cyber Monday.
Customers are encouraged to shop for the work of local, independent artists and utilize the #ShopArt hashtag on social media. Paintings, pottery, jewelry and textiles are some of the products customers can expect to find available for purchase from participants on that day. Businesses are encouraged to host special items from local artists to take part in the holiday.
This is not the only recent retail initiative designed to promote interest in independent artists, with partnerships between major retailers and local creators popping up nationwide.
Meijer in late 2021 put out a call for local artists to submit their work to potentially appear on products sold in the stores in 2023, according to a WKBN report. The contest asked that applicants create art based around one of a few different categories celebrating cultural events. The two winners in each category will receive a $5,000 prize and will be able to choose a non-profit organization with which to share 10 percent of the proceeds of the sales from the products on which the art appears.
The new Starbucks Reserve location in the Empire State Building will feature and sell curated merchandise created by local artists on its first floor, according to a press release.
Local business-focused shopping holiday Small Business Saturday has also been trying to expand its reach this season, CNBC reports. American Express, which founded the holiday in 2010, recently partnered with TikTok ahead of Small Business Saturday to provide small businesses resources to reach customers on the platform.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: Should regional and national chain retailers consider partnering with local artists for Artists Sunday? How can retailers manage such relationships and promotions without seeming inauthentic?
“I see this as a win for the customer, the artists and the retailer.”
