We applied to this show primarily out of admiration for the professional way the show organizers handle judging and show management. The jury process is open, scores are sent to every applicant, including any jurors comments. The committee strictly enforces the rules against buy/sell, insists that your booth set up look something like your booth slide, and goes out of their way in every respect to make your show experience a good one.
Food and music are well separated from the artists, art quality is good, the weather could not have been better, and there were good crowds both days. But it seemed no one was buying. At the end of each day, we monitored the crowds leaving the show and no more than one in ten was carrying a package.
We are at a loss to explain this. It is easy to blame it on the current economic situation, maybe our price points are too high, perhaps there is no ready explanation. We likely will not reapply, we spent more than twice what we took in, and that is a shaky way to earn a living, according to riverboat gambler Bret Maverick. (old black and white tv series for those under 40).
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In these days there no way to know what show will be good or bad. A good last year could be the worst next year. The best thing is to pick up shows that you have the best odd. You need to at least three shows per month to do well. You know that one of the three will be bad. You need to see the entire season and see what happens.
In my take Broad Ripple is a good show. If you can do it again. We are a year or two to be out of this mess. Just hang in there. Keep expenses down and cost of living down. Keep producing more work. Keep listing for ideas.
I was also at Broad Ripple and had a similar experience. I was just getting over illness and spent most of the weekend under a shade tree away from the booth, so I didn't have much interaction with customers. But there are 2 things I can add. 1. The weather was extremely hot. 2. The admission fee was very high - I think $15. To me, that's high enough to discourage spending on artwork. Some exhibitors around me expressed this opinion to one of the show people. His answer was that this was their only opportunity to raise money for the art center and, look around, there are lots of people here. I think that the people running the shows tend to look around and see all the white tents and the people in the aisles and think that they are successful. They lose sight of the fact that the show is NOT successful unless the exhibitors also make money.
BRAF has had actuarial studies done to see what the maximum point is that they can charge patrons and artists alike before they see diminishing returns. While this is their sole fund raising, it has raised some discontent among some artists. I did the show for about 12 years in a row until they changed criteria in judging, and I've failed to get in for about the last 12 years or so. One of the first years they released scores, and in particular scores in the specific categories, I was shocked at how badly I was rated. I was knocked down on craftsmanship of the work. Say what? I never figured that one out. At the time I was picking up ribbons at several different shows including a major one at Wells Street. Yet I was next to last out of 67 photographers. The year before at BRAF was the best show I had ever done, so go figure.
For several years I didn't bother to enter, and just started the last several years to apply again. The only thing that is helping is that the scores come up each year, so maybe in another 20 years, when I'm 84, the scores will be high enough that I get back in. BTW, the first time I did the show they were still on the parking lot over the canal, no one had tents, and art work was leaned against the curb. Fancy high tech was having a folding table.
Sorry you had a disappointing show Linda and Jim. Just not your market obviously.