PITTSBURGH — At the height of summer, art markets across the country are as lively as ever. The foot traffic is strong, the booths are full, and shoppers linger to browse handmade jewelry, pottery and original paintings. But increasingly, many are leaving with smaller items — a $4 — instead of investing in larger works.
“It’s going slower,” said Kayla Kaminski, a Pittsburgh artist who sells her work at local art crawls and the I Made It Market. “Not less traffic, just less sales. People are browsing, connecting, taking business cards but when they do spend, it’s usually on the smaller things.”
Kayla, said her stickers, offered at $4 each or five for $16, have become her best sellers. The trend has rippled through her network of artists as well. “I’ve asked other artists, and they’re noticing it too,” she said. “People are making more small purchases.”
The shift reflects both economic pressure and changing consumer habits. Inflation-weary shoppers are still eager to support local artists, but often fail to realize that they can do it without spending a dime! Supporters of local artists can follow their work on social media, reshare their posts, and tell their friends about the artist’s work.
“Supporting an artist isn’t just about buying the big piece,” said Desiree Vuocolo, founder of LocalGood, a Pittsburgh-based platform that promotes artisans. “It’s engaging with them on social media, sharing their story, or choosing them over a big-box store when you can. Even a like or a comment makes a difference for visibility.”
That visibility can be vital. For artists, a single post boosted by a handful of followers can put their work in front of hundreds more potential buyers. And for customers, the intimacy of connection being remembered at a booth, or hearing an artist acknowledge them online, can be part of the appeal.
Kayla recalled a recent Lawrenceville art crawl where a passerby stopped to say hello. “They didn’t buy anything, but they said, ‘I saw you a few weeks ago, and I really love your stuff,’” she said. “That made me feel important. It goes a long way.”
Art markets have long been a patchwork economy: few artists rely solely on their work for income, instead balancing multiple jobs, family responsibilities and, in Kayla’s case, graduate school. But that patchwork mirrors what many buyers are doing, too, finding small, meaningful ways to keep local art alive.
“It’s not easy to go it alone,” Ms. Vuocolo said. “But if people love handmade and love meeting artists at shows, they need to keep showing up even if it’s just for a sticker.”