One positive after a horrendous series of events is being forced to get back to the passionate basics of creativity that compelled me to leave a secure science career to become a freelance editorial and architectural photographer in Boston. That lasted about three expensive rent payments before I moved back home to Pennsylvania where I grew that auspicious start through several business models to a ten person ad agency over 25 years. Then I outlived forty-two clients by 9/11 before taking what I thought was the best of three opportunities in 2003 and relocated my family to Texas.
Oops.
We enjoyed the Tex Mex food, if my belt size was any indicator, and the Ft. Worth Zoo, Science Museum, art galleries and downtown art fair. The career-wise and lifestyle bar fell somewhere below sea level after a hit and run in a Lowe's parking lot, and the $4,400 online identity theft of my personal account that was traced by Bank One back to a vendor cheated by my employer; the FBI agent laughed since $25,000 was their minimum to investigate and the Ft. Worth(less) police were too busy waiting in line at the donut shop to bother despite my not being able to buy a bottle of water for my kids' survival with everything locked up. Giving credit where it's due, the security guard at the bank stayed well back during my loud discussion with the branch manager who allowed a 9 month old debit slip for $183 to be the basis for a $4,400 online withdrawal; the bank manager did, reluctantly, give me the information about who and how, and the Ft. Worth police did stay away after my irate suggestion that I take care of the issue myself. It was resolved by me by the following day with no injuries, and before their donuts were digested.
Combined with an occasional vacation visit to galleries or fairs in the Northeast/New England, that experience moved from the back of my life-damaged mind to the front to the point where I have actually started the very early stages of (again) becoming an artist. The current value of my $30,000+ of film equipment and ad agency printers, now nothing more than costly outdated paper weights, along with forced early retirement, prevents me from investing in the most basic start-up materials (printer/tent) for my new goal of creating exhibition photography and digital art for art fairs. So, I'm keeping busy by going through 30 years of highly edited photography files and scanning images I think may be suitable as fine art. That, and feeding apples to the deer that visit daily; and cat food to the raccoons on the deck and trash to the skunk, all of which visit daily in our Pocono Mountain yard.
Unlike the armadillo that tore up my shoelaces in Columbus, TX, while minding my own business, more or less, the four bears I met in our yard since crawling back home to Pennsylvania didn't attack. Things are looking up.
Comments
Shows, the Art Fair Source Book seems to be the one publication most agree will let you know what is out there (not cheap tho).
The study and preparation, the presentation is important, as is getting off to a good start. The choice of venue is critical, you want the first shows to realy get your enthusiam ramped up.
What you do to start, and what you look like 5 years later will be quite a contrast, but the whole experience is something to behold.Hope you pull the trigger
While I have done these traveling circus' for over 6 years I am still a newbie at heart.The learning curve is something to behold, this life is not for the weak of heart or budget. Figure it will take the better part of $10K to get started for display,inventory, a means to haul the mess. If you have not started, Larry Berman's artshow forum on yahoo is an excellent resource for getting up and running. Suffice to say, there are lots of mistakes to make and life is easier when you avoid the ones others have made.
My perspective is as up front as I can be, filtering out the bitching and moaning so common thru out the circuit by artists (too many photographers, too many jewelers, crap spot, crap weather, etc) instead give my take on the people behind the art, the practical aspects of the show, and what we did manage to sell. Most would rather not say,and I respect that but I think it does give an additional element to judge the show with.
I love the people in Texas, as well as the barbque. Politics don't bother me, as I find those folks on the conservative side of the fence to be more open minded than their liberal counterparts .The weather I can do without, and while most of my family is there (me being a native Texan) I need the change of seasons to feel at home.
Sounds like you would be a good fit for the traveling circus, and maybe one of these days we will cross paths. Mark