Hello. I need to choose between two art fairs on the same weekend in February: Boca Raton Museum of Art OR Mount Dora Arts Festival. I believe both are independently operated. The Boca fair is in one of those Main Street-inspired new shopping centers, and Mount Dora is, I'm quite sure, in a real downtown. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these details.)
I'm an acrylic painter doing mainly representational work of dresses and dress forms. My clients are typically female, and my price point is reasonably low.
In the end I'd like to go to the fair best suited for my work, but other considerations/points include:
- I'm staying in the Miami area this winter, so Boca is obviously a lot closer.
- I have a free place to stay in Mount Dora.
- I'd rather be in a real downtown than a shopping center.
- Load-in/load-out isn't a big deal for me because all my stuff fits in a Jetta wagon.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Lisa
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Hello All! I was looking for some info on the Boca show run by the museum and I came across this thread. Did you try Boca? Did you return? If anyone else who responded has been to the show in more recent years I'd love to hear some feedback if you have any.
Thanks!
Suzanne
R. C. Fulwiler > Suzanne ReedDecember 3, 2014 at 10:40am
Last year I did both shows because they were on different weekends. This year I'll be in Mt Dora.
I skipped applying to Boca because of last year's experience which I wrote up here:
The Boca Museum show is a very nice venue. Not really a shopping center, but a very upscale manufactured downtown. The museum is at one end, along with a small open air ampitheater where they put on concerts with name entertainment. All of the booths are along Mizner Blvd, facing the stores, with a broad walkway. There is a large park-like median, with fountains, pools, sidewalks and plenty of room for storage. The staff does a pretty good job getting the show together, but sales can be spotty. I've done this show for the past five years, but this year I'm headed to Ft. Myers, for a change of pace. I'm hoping that's not a mistake as I like the Boca show people, and contrary to what many say, I've found the Boca folks are generally more polite and less bargain-hunters than say, Las Olas.
Load-in at Boca is early Saturday morning, and is pretty much controlled chaos. You do want to be on the main street (Mizner Blvd) rather than the little spurs, if that's an option. There is free parking a couple of blocks away, or paid parking near the show. Both areas can take trailers; RVs need to get to the paid parking and nab a spot early as possible on Friday. The load-out is equally chaotic, but in the ultimate scheme of things, not horrible.
Mount Dora has a lot more attendance than Boca, and it's the only show in the immediate vicinity, whereas Boca has many shows in the winter. But the Museum show is probably the nicest venue, the best run and has the best reputation. Some buy/sell does creep in however, I've not seen it. Some of the nicest artwork in Florida comes here though, so depending on your market, you might do well here.
Your Boca experience mirrors mine. But, if it is going to happen this is the place to be.
I've met the Fort Myers people, Barry, and you are right. They are really working to make this a good fine art event and if you're heading to Florida that might be the best place to be on that weekend. They have been active with the NAIA and really "get" that artists are important to make their event successful.
Barry Bernstein said:
I've never done Mt Dora. I've done Boca periodically over the years. It's hard to get a reading on the Boca show because from year to year my results have been radically different. One year, Boca was great and the very next year it was not so good. I'm not just talking sales but attendance, etc. The last time I did Boca, two years ago, it seemed a little too casual, like ho-hum another art fair, yawn! Between the two, I would probably do Boca, just because the potential is there to do well. I walked the Mt. Dora show, a few years ago, and I was not impressed with the crowd. However, only you know where you fit in best. This year, I am doing.... Ft Myers. I don't know how good I will do, but, I really like the excitement and effort of the committee. I get the impression they are trying to make this show one of the better Florida shows. Of course, I don't really know this. It's just the vibe I get from the people who run it.
I've never done Mt Dora. I've done Boca periodically over the years. It's hard to get a reading on the Boca show because from year to year my results have been radically different. One year, Boca was great and the very next year it was not so good. I'm not just talking sales but attendance, etc. The last time I did Boca, two years ago, it seemed a little too casual, like ho-hum another art fair, yawn! Between the two, I would probably do Boca, just because the potential is there to do well. I walked the Mt. Dora show, a few years ago, and I was not impressed with the crowd. However, only you know where you fit in best.
This year, I am doing.... Ft Myers. I don't know how good I will do, but, I really like the excitement and effort of the committee. I get the impression they are trying to make this show one of the better Florida shows. Of course, I don't really know this. It's just the vibe I get from the people who run it.
There are pictures on the Boca Art Museum website showing last year's festival. The location of the festival is very nice and there is a lot of parking for the customers. It is not your typical shopping center, it almost looks like a town itself. I have to admit I haven't seen it in the daylight but I went to an outdoor concert there. In one of the pictures is the artist that does the lifelike sculptures, (Marc something, maybe) and he usually only does high quality art festivals if that is any help to you.
I am assuming that is the Feb 6 & 7 art festival. Keep in mind that that is Super Bowl weekend in South Florida so there is a good chance there will be lots of extra tourists in the area. And the SB doesn't start until 6 pm so that won't prevent people from attending an art festival if they want to. (art festival and superbowl, my idea of a perfect weekend!!!)
I also second what Connie says. I would expect you might be able to sell more expensive work at Boca, but if you merchandise with smaller unframed work, Mount Dora would be the ticket. But my experience is between ten and fifteen years old.
Ah, okay, Lisa. That Boca show. Of all the Boca shows this would be the one worth doing. It is the one that has the best reputation with the clientele. It is long running -- used to be a really great one! Oh, well, sorry about the "used tos."
We only did Mount Dora once, selling handcolored black and whit photos, all originals, and there was no competing with the color Florida imagery, whereas as at other locales we could sell it. Not as sophisticated a group of patrons as you are likely to meet at Boca.
Lisa Hartmann said:
Hi Connie.
Thanks for your thoughts on this -- and thank you SO much for starting and maintaining this website. It's such a great resource.
The Boca festival is run by the Boca Raton Museum of Art, which is located in the shopping center where they hold the art fair. I'm pretty sure they're running it independently without the help of a promoter.
Thanks for your thoughts on this -- and thank you SO much for starting and maintaining this website. It's such a great resource.
The Boca festival is run by the Boca Raton Museum of Art, which is located in the shopping center where they hold the art fair. I'm pretty sure they're running it independently without the help of a promoter.
Replies
Hello All! I was looking for some info on the Boca show run by the museum and I came across this thread. Did you try Boca? Did you return? If anyone else who responded has been to the show in more recent years I'd love to hear some feedback if you have any.
Thanks!
Suzanne
Last year I did both shows because they were on different weekends. This year I'll be in Mt Dora.
I skipped applying to Boca because of last year's experience which I wrote up here:
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/boca-museum-show-the-sh...
Mt. Dora isn't a perfect show, but aside from set up and tear down it is pleasant. I wrote up my experience from a few years ago:
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/mt-dora-the-other-sho...
Good luck.
Load-in at Boca is early Saturday morning, and is pretty much controlled chaos. You do want to be on the main street (Mizner Blvd) rather than the little spurs, if that's an option. There is free parking a couple of blocks away, or paid parking near the show. Both areas can take trailers; RVs need to get to the paid parking and nab a spot early as possible on Friday. The load-out is equally chaotic, but in the ultimate scheme of things, not horrible.
Mount Dora has a lot more attendance than Boca, and it's the only show in the immediate vicinity, whereas Boca has many shows in the winter. But the Museum show is probably the nicest venue, the best run and has the best reputation. Some buy/sell does creep in however, I've not seen it. Some of the nicest artwork in Florida comes here though, so depending on your market, you might do well here.
I've met the Fort Myers people, Barry, and you are right. They are really working to make this a good fine art event and if you're heading to Florida that might be the best place to be on that weekend. They have been active with the NAIA and really "get" that artists are important to make their event successful.
Barry Bernstein said:
This year, I am doing.... Ft Myers. I don't know how good I will do, but, I really like the excitement and effort of the committee. I get the impression they are trying to make this show one of the better Florida shows. Of course, I don't really know this. It's just the vibe I get from the people who run it.
Best, Lisa
I am assuming that is the Feb 6 & 7 art festival. Keep in mind that that is Super Bowl weekend in South Florida so there is a good chance there will be lots of extra tourists in the area. And the SB doesn't start until 6 pm so that won't prevent people from attending an art festival if they want to. (art festival and superbowl, my idea of a perfect weekend!!!)
Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
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http://JuryImages.com
412-401-8100
We only did Mount Dora once, selling handcolored black and whit photos, all originals, and there was no competing with the color Florida imagery, whereas as at other locales we could sell it. Not as sophisticated a group of patrons as you are likely to meet at Boca.
Lisa Hartmann said:
Thanks for your thoughts on this -- and thank you SO much for starting and maintaining this website. It's such a great resource.
The Boca festival is run by the Boca Raton Museum of Art, which is located in the shopping center where they hold the art fair. I'm pretty sure they're running it independently without the help of a promoter.
Best, Lisa
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