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any indoor summer show in sw florida?

Posted by Ellen DeVita on April 1, 2011 at 10:22pm in Art Show Information and Discussions

The season here in sw florida is almost over, except for a mother's day weekend show.  Has anyone had experiences with any local Christmas in July type shows?  I don't want to sit idle from May- September, but cannot travel too far. Somewhere between Naples and Tampa is my area. Thanks for any input.

 

 

 

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Tags: florida, indoor, shows, summer
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Replies

  • Alison Thomas April 4, 2011 at 6:55am

    The problem with Florida in summer is that all the snowbirds are gone and they are the people with most of the money.  Also everyone is at the beach or inside.  I did a very nice show which doesn't seem to be around any more in August in Clearwater that was inside.  It was very well juried and there was a lot of great artists there but there just weren't any patrons that time of year.  One important thing to consider for an indoor show is that you may be inside for the show but you are unloading from the outside and the heat outside makes that really difficult.

     

    Buy-sell = Buy in bulk, usually from some other country, and sell individually for a profit.

  • Arlene & Bob Carey April 3, 2011 at 4:42pm
    There's a little outdoor gem not too far from you in August I believe.  Check out the Caladium festival in Lake Placid, Florida.  Although we've never attended, we've seen many positive reviews on various sites and in "Where the Shows Are".  Other outdoor events include a few ACE shows, but the few summer ones we walked  to do a look-see were not very well attended and then there's the heat.  We haven't checked lately, but festivalnet.com may also have some indoor listings.  Out of state there is a pretty decent indoor show in Gatlinburg (a day's drive from SW Florida), which you can apply for the whole show or segments, plus ya can't beat the mountains in the summer to get away from the Florida heat.  The last Bucklet show we walked in Jacksonville last summer (Christmas in July) was a joke.
    • Ellen DeVita > Arlene & Bob Carey April 3, 2011 at 7:54pm
      Thanks. I will look into it and give feedback.
  • Lin Glore April 3, 2011 at 7:47am

    Hey, Ellen,

     

    I'm a full-time Florida resident, too and have bumped my head against that same wall.  I've never been able to find anything in the summer that's worth going to.  Nothing.  Nada.  What I finally ended up deciding is to save my pennies and make a trip out of state once a month.  There are a number in the Carolinas/North Georgia/Tennessee area that are a day's drive, and really, once you're packed and in the car it doesn't make too much difference if it's 4 hours or 9. . .

     

    I looked at your website and seriously doubt you'd do well at a Buckler show unless you feel like you'd do well between battery candles and chip dip.  Their application indicates that handcrafted gets priority placement, and that may be the case.  There was so much "mass produced" in the one show I actually walked that I didn't see a single booth I would have considered handmade.  Many of their shows actually combine scrapbooking suppliers, craft suppliers, etc., with their crafts.  It's great if you're looking for a Country Craft event, but I wouldn't recommend it for your jewelry.

     

    • Ellen DeVita > Lin Glore April 3, 2011 at 12:30pm

      Lin, Thanks for your input. You saved me a fee and a wasted weekend. I sort of suspected the country angle.

      Appreciate your help.  I'll continue to search for a local venue-it sure looks like a good opportunity for some air conditioned promoter.

  • Alison Thomas April 2, 2011 at 6:48am
    There are the Buckler shows but they are very low-end with lots of buy-sell.
    • Ellen DeVita > Alison Thomas April 2, 2011 at 8:37am
      Alison, Can you explain what you mean by buy-sell?  I've never been to a Buckner show- What sells?  I'm priced below $35 for most of my pieces. Do they get traffic?  Any input is appreciated. Thanks.
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