I received the site map for the Columbus Art show yesterday and was amazed that they have placed 100 artists booths on the bridges over the river! And this is a show known for bad wind! Haven't they heard about the year Des Moines tried doing this? Why don't shows ever ask for input from artists? Any artist could tell them that water = wind. I have been going round and round trying to decide if I want to try this show (I've never applied before) and I think the site map has decided it for me. I can weight my tent, but not my work. The idea of tents over the river may sound pretty, but seems a nightmare waiting to happen. At least to me.
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Oh HELL NO! On a bridge- INSANITY!!
I would avoid this show like the plague. I live on the coast of Maine, been here all my life. Do shows at the ocean beaches and by the lakes, and rivers every year. You are correct Water= WIND. On a bridge you get Vortex winds, side winds etc. Brilliant place to put canopies!!! This tells me that this show does NOT care about the Artisans at all. I would request a spot on the street or refuse to do the show!
Nothing says art festival experience like working for the Tournament of Roses parade. Atleast we know that all the food vendor carts will be able to pass under utility lines and any overpasses.
I'm still cynical about festival promotions since CGAF but based on the new guy's experience, art is going to get the short end of the stick.
Floats going down the bridges may be more attractive than stiltwalkers but they take up more room.
I remember the first year of the Des Moines Arts Festival. They announced that they would be placing artists on the bridges over the river and how gorgeous it would be. I called the director (Mo Dana, at the time), and asked what they were thinking. First it was, it's not that windy on the bridges. Then it was, we're going to rent wind baffles (huh?) to cut the wind (that doesn't exist).
Long story short, the opening night of the show, the evening news was filled with video of artwork and canopies floating in the river, artists hanging on to their canopies with one hand and artwork with the other, and other nasty scenes.
It was gorgeous.
I wasn't at Des M. that first year but certainly heard all about it! I loved kidding Mo about her idea whenever I would see her at other shows. She always had the grace to look embarrassed.
I am not in the show this year, but the 15 years or so that I did it, I loved being in the center of the Town Street Bridge. This is old news but I went for the festival's tent...not as tall as mine or as bright ,but their problem to weight. And did they!!! 55 gallon barrels filled with water. Loved that spot , the people went by your booth twice! This is several years ago , but just sayin'.
I don't do this show anymore so I can talk freely. In their FB letter, the show claimed they moved it back to the original location along the river because the patrons asked for it. This is not exactly true. Most of the booths were indeed along the river. Half were on each side of the river but the prime spots were on the side parallel to High Street. That is where they put the sponsor and the food booths. Some years they had booths on the bridge, but only to connect the booths on both sides of the river.
Their solution to the wind problem was to outlaw EZ-UP canopies. If they did their research they would know that the high end EZ-UP is one of the most secure tents on the market. By outlawing the EZ-UP they are saying that it they have no liability if your tent goes into the river. It's all your responsibility.
If you ask any artist that did the show in the 90's, they will all say that the wind was strongest on the bridge. That's all I remember about the show. Well, that's not all. I remember that the show closed at 10PM and most of the restaurants in the area stopped serving at 9PM, so, it was hard to find a place to eat. I don't know if this is still a problem.
Janet lamented that the shows never ask for input from the artists. This is always the case. On the other hand, you who are doing the show have an opportunity. You can voice your opinions loudly and strongly. If enough of you are uncomfortable about being on the bridge, perhaps you can get them to change the layout. Force them to listen to you instead of complaining about it. They do have a FB page. Btw, there are a few people who they have silenced by removing their posts and banning them from posting, ever again. If enough of you who are in the show, speak up, they can't ban everyone from their FB page.
I keep playing a scenario in my head. There is this jeweler who is set up on the bridge. A customer accidentally knocks a ring off the top of a display after trying it on. The ring rolls on the bridge and because the bridge is curved, the ring rolls right off the bridge and into the water. Is the show going to have divers on hand to dive into the river to retrieve the ring? OK I know this is a silly example, but, why have the show over water where if you drop something or knock over a box of pottery, it has a chance of ending in the water and is gone forever. This makes no sense to me.
They better be right with their assessment because if there is a bad storm or high winds, they are going to have a mess on their hands. Why risk it? This is what I don't get.
Love having you here, Barry. Not only do you speak with a lot of authority and experience you also make me laugh. Thanks for today's.
-- yes, I always hate that when a show closes late and there is no food in sight!
We all have memories of unhappy circumstances on the bridges in Des Moines and Columbus. Nevertheless I have learned that the new show director, who of course is hired by a Board and answers to them, has serious event production credentials as he has worked on the Tournament of Roses Parade for over 20 years. I also know some artists request to be on the bridge because it is the connector between different areas of the event. So what artists have to do here is weigh their options. Do the show? Don't do the show? On the bridge? off? Best wishes to all.
Some years back, the show did have many artists on the bridge. It was considered by many to be “the” place to be. It looked too risky to me, so I never requested it. Booths on the street were windy enough. Then someone was electrocuted on the bridge (in a freak accident shortly before the show) and the bridge was shut down as a display area. A side street perpendicular to the main street was used, which was very unpopular.
I have not been there since the show left the riverfront, but I do wonder how this will work out.
There have been some pithy comments about this on FB; apparently some artists who posted unfavorable comments on the Columbus art festival FB site not only had their comments deleted, but were blocked from posting anything more. (one of them is a cousin of mine, so I got this first hand) The fair has a long explanation of the new siting on its FB page, and concludes that artists have loved being along rivers ever since the good old days in Florence and Paris!
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