For the first time, we will be staying at a nearby campground during an art show. You artists/artisans who do this--could you give me some pointers?? I'm not a stranger to camping, but this could be a special challenge, I think. http://janetglatzmaineart.com
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Hey Again!
More tips and pointers-
for multi day shows- get specific info from the show coordinator/director about security, show hours etc. I, personally, arrive about two hours before the show opens on the second day, just to get my cash out area set-up again, and make sure there were no issues with my displays overnight. If there was no security, I remove the jewelry from the booth at night, so have to set it all back to rights again. It also allows other Artisans to visit with you, check out your Artwork and shop, and allows you walk the show, enjoy your coffee, latte etc. while you do. Even if other artisans are arriving, you get the chance to network with them. It also lets you see the show from your customers perspective, and plan contingencies for certain issues like visibility, foot traffic pattern and flow, etc.
It's work, but fun, too! Most of all-enjoy!!
My husband and I used to camp near A & C shows in WNY, the kids were young and it was a really great time. It all depends on if you are a "happy camper", and the location and the weather. We even did Columbus Day weekend shows, which could include "snow". In those years we packed a lot chili makings and Peppermint Schnapps & Hot Chocolote, which we kept hot behind our exhibit. These were large shows at State Parks. The summer shows we exhibited in were in the Finger Lakes and we usually wore our bathing suits under our shorts and took turns taking a dip while the show was on. We loved it as opposed to motels....We did have a 16' travel trailer which slept 6, and either a Dodge Maxi Van or a Pickup truck for the display and pottery. Good luck I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Wow, does sound like you have a great time! We're camping this weekend in Mystic CT, near the ocean. Not used to such tightly crowded campgrounds, but we'll make do. It's only for one night. Sounds like a great idea about taking a dip in the pool whenever you can. Gonna be a hot one. It's a lobster festival, too, which will be nice.
We've also found that camping near our shows can lead to great socializing opportunities. We have a few shows a year where we find ourselves hanging around our campsite in the evenings with 2-10 other artists friends, we bring a portable propane grill and somehow that always attracts a crowd! Everyone's happy to contribute to the potluck and happy to not be eating show food.
Great points, yes I agree, the artist and craft persons we met on the show circuit became our friends and we would share all kinds of information on shows and also just enjoying the company of people with similar interests, making a living from A & C. We would look forward to seeing the same friends and making new ones each year.
Sounds wonderful! Hope we can connect with some fellow artists. Being from Maine, we'll be pretty much strangers to the area. Thanks for your reply!
Another option to check out is if the campgrounds allow you to store your trailer, even for just a few hours. It's been a long time since I camped, but I've known campgrounds that had a "parking lot" for trailers. I met one artist at a show that did several in the same area and just stored her trailer between shows. If they have a storage lot, it's probably cheaper than a nights stay.
As far as leaving stuff overnight, check with the other artists in the show, and with the organizers. If they have security, ask them to be specific. I know one show told an artist they had 8 security guards, but didn't tell him it was only one at a time. He lost 3 paintings! Other than that, most of the artists leave their work up around here. Jewelry is different. It can walk away without it being obvious to the security.
Thanks for the tips, Dave! I will check on that for sure.
Thank you, Ruth. I had wondered about check out times vs. end of show times. But sounds as though you don't experience many problems. Do you leave your stuff in your show tent overnight?
Janet - we're jewelers so we do not leave our products in our booth overnight.
Regarding checkout times, depends on the campgrounds. In general if the campground is primarily a weekend destination vs. a tourist location we can leave the trailer until we're done loading out on Sunday, if it's a tourist destination they generally want us out of there. In some cases we've paid through Sunday evening for the camp spot just so we could come back and hook up the trailer after load out, we have a couple of shows where it's cheaper to pay for the campground than to pay for parking within a city, especially when we're trying to park a 50 foot truck/trailer combination. 3 of our shows we're able to camp really inexpensively at the local fairgrounds and have no problem waiting until 6 or 7 Sunday evening to check out. Ask questions in advance and you can usually determine what will be allowed.
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