A trend that I have been noticing is that the "model" for the big shows (by that I mean the 300+ artists shows) overall is down and heading further down. Coconut Grove/St. Stephens is the latest. It seems shows that were staples...Ann Arbor, St. James Court, and Coconut Grove, once celebrations for visual arts, aren't attracting the buying power they once did. The competition for the limited dollars is far too great for the number of qualified buyers. Perhaps some categories might do well but for 2-D, these shows seem to be way off.
If that wasn't bad enough, the app and booth fees for these shows are escalating.
Personally, I have enrolled in a 12-step program that is helping me not push the "pay" button on my Zapplication shopping cart for events that feature more than one show. Oh yeah, sure I fill out the form and all..I just pull back before hitting the "pay"button.
Thoughts???
Comments
Brian, are you in the Scottsdale Arts Festival this weekend? I was waitlisted, which was exciting to me as a newbie, because I'd heard such good things about it and that it was so hard to get into. One of the things I noticed on their website is that they have the categories and samples of the artists' work up ahead of time. A really nice touch, and different from the shows I've been in so far. It seems like they actually wanted to promote the artists who were juried in, and it helps show the quality of art in the festival.
i really need to use spell checker but i was in a hurry...sorry
The fact is that most (not all) are not "shows" at all and have very little to do with promoting the art of the participants, they are businesses and their goal to to make money, period. Their attendance falls of as money gets tighter so they raise booth fees taunting statements of various BS of how successful a show it was last year. Successful but for whom, seldom the artists. I do my work because number one I enjoy it. My prices are what they are and will stay for I am not a flea marketer and do not dicker my prices. I have not ever held the thought that I could actually make a full time living doing this. I also refuse to attend any show that wants more than $4.00 a square foot for space and absolutely none that have the audacity to add an extra fee for electricity. These guidelines keep me at shows that I enjoy and allow me room to make a profit. So if you buy in (in this down market) to a show that charges square foot rates higher than a Trump Tower office space, you probably are going to be unhappy and worse praying to break even.
geri- That show is amazing and one of a kind. It's mid-range at about 250 artists but is very hard to get into. No other show in AZ can compare to that one either by sales or quality. The other big shows still get artists from around the country, as the smaller shows tend to only attract local artists. Therefor artists that do this as a hobby, not a career.
If all your big festivals are as wonderful as Scottsdale was about 6 years ago, I can understand that. I didn't feel that Scottsdale was overwhelmingly big then, how is it now? I have never bought so much at an art festival as i did there and packing and shipping it home cost me over $200. Sure was fun though.
I think it definitely depends where you are located. I'm in Arizona and the big shows are the only ones a real artist will do. There are LOTS of smaller shows around but they bring the "hobby" artists selling low quality jewelry and 16x20 original paintings for under $100. No thank you!! I have tried these smaller shows, booth fee's being around $250 and never again. Big waste of time and usually will be lucky to break even.
Another comment on the photography: I believe you are right about that. Everyone thinks they can do it and now that they can print on canvas, a lot of people are using their own photographs on their walls, rather than those of professionals, or rather than hanging paintings. My giclee printer makes the lion's share of his profit through this.
Good insight on show size from a collector. You are right, though: promoters could care less how we do, for the most part. There will always be more artists the next year to take our places.
Thanks, Geri. You're such a great supporter of the arts. We all wish there were more like you!
I have said it before and I will say it again--the one who doesn't lose money at a show is the promoter or organization. Artists take all the risks.
I like a show with around 180 artists but that is because my favorite media seem to have the fewest numbers of booths at a show and i need that many booths to have any variety in glass and ceramics.
Also the footprint of the show is small enough to remember where a booth is and get back to it. Also gives me enough time to walk through twice and marvel at how I managed to miss so many booths when I thought I had seen them all.
Carol is probably right about 2d art as gifts. It is more personal than any other medium except jewelry. People are much more style specific with paintings. Don't have any idea about photography other than everyone thinks they can do it themselves thanks to photoshop and Iphone apps.
(Carol's work is fantastic, I have two prints that are wonderful.)
With very few exceptions, I agree with what everyone has said here about BIG shows. It is simply too much for the public to process, for one thing. Plus, they are like snowballs that keep getting bigger and bigger because it doesn't matter to the promoter (even if it is a municipality or museum) whether we make money or not: if they have 300 artists they make money. The bigger and the longer established, the more we are likely to see those "zombies" - glassy-eyed, chewing on their corn-on-the-cob, walking past like we are zoo exhibits. "Hey, Melinda - let's go down to the art show today. It's free and the food's good. Heard there's some good bands too." As for large vs. small. I discovered during the "recession" that I couldn't paint small enough to fit the wallets of people with no disposable income. So I started painting larger and larger. Guess what? People with plenty of disposable income also have big houses with big walls. That said, Paul Flack is right: 2D is a very hard sell, no matter what the size, and I'm not sure why that is. I have a theory that 3D and craft is less intimidating and easier to give as gifts, but that's just a theory.
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