Tufts Blogs

One of my favorite things about how artsy Tufts students are is the number of art sales and arts and crafts fairs that pop up across campus. It’s a really fun way to see what your peers are up to and support your friends, but it’s also genuinely educational, offering a practical introduction to pricing, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

At first, putting a price on your work can feel strange. What is it based on? Do you factor in hourly labor? Materials? Marketing costs? Events like the SMFA Art Sale, the Sidewalk Sale, and arts and crafts fairs hosted by the Asian American Center, Tufts Community Union, Sex Health Reps, and others are great places to start figuring this out. They’re also complemented by support from the Career Center, professors, and upperclassmen, who can be incredibly helpful when you’re first navigating these questions.

The SMFA Art Sale is the big one. It’s huge—thousands of works, hundreds of artists—and it brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the broader Boston arts community in a more professional setting. It introduces students to something closer to a gallery environment. Typically, galleries split proceeds with artists 50/50. That’s true for non-students at the Art Sale, but it’s a softer introduction for current students, as we keep 75%. The portion that SMFA retains goes toward financial aid for current SMFA students.

From the student side, it’s also often the first time your work has to stand on its own—without the structure of a critique. Or, more accurately, with you explaining it, but in a less academic, more conversational tone. It becomes about how to talk about your work with someone unfamiliar with your process, background, or body of work. You learn a lot about networking and about shaping a clear, cohesive artist statement or elevator pitch.

Outside of the Art Sale, all these smaller opportunities end up being just as important, like the various campus arts and crafts fairs and the Sidewalk Sale. These tend to be lower stakes, which honestly makes them the best place to start. There’s usually no vendor fee, lots of familiar faces, and an environment that is warm and supportive. You can experiment a lot too, bringing work you’re unsure about, seeing what people respond to, even changing your table setup halfway through.

All in all, there are so many opportunities to sell your work and learn how to navigate being an artist-entrepreneur, or just to see what your peers are making and support them by bringing a piece of it home.