Thanks you Connie for your warm welcome. I know that I will learn from others and be able to share my ideas and thoughts that I might have with them. Looking forward to a rewarding time here.
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Hi Kathryn and welcome aboard! I'm from Australia and finding this site a wonderful resource and so interesting, even if I am from the other side of the world!
Kathryn Looby > Annette PiperJune 18, 2011 at 10:20am
Wow, planing any art shows on this side? What's it like down under for shows?
Annette Piper > Kathryn LoobyJune 18, 2011 at 6:26pm
Oh no Kathryn, I'll just stick to Australia for shows - but we're babies on this side of the world when it comes to them! I can pick up so much information on how shows are run over there, tips and tricks that I can use in my own set ups and more...just got to think outside the square!
Shows here are mainly a mix of art-craft, there are very few fine art ones - fine arts stay very much in the galleries. Many shows don't discourage buy/sell either -they're really 'markets' trying to increase their profile. I was at one a couple of years ago and there were only about 5% that were NOT buy/sell. Consequently, many think everyone is buy/sell and are surprised when they find out your goods are made by you!
There are a few limited edition/ one of a kind shows but they're few and far between ... and Australia is a BIG country to get around!
There has been a recent push towards 'handmade' shows. This can be good and there is one in Canberra (Australia's capital) that is drawing quite a following and is juried. But there are still a lot of tea cosies, children's headbands, fabric bookmarks and so on that give it very much a craft feel. But we've got to start somewhere, I guess!
If I lived in a bigger centre, I'd be tempted to organise a show myself, and then think what a resource AFI would be!
Hello Kathryn and welcome. I am glad you have joined us here. I have to tell you that your metal work is inbelievable! I looked at your website and your work is like nothing I have ever seen before. It's exceptional work.
I hope you enjoy our website and all the information that we have here to help artists. Hope to see you around the forums, too.
Jacki B
Kathryn Looby > Jacki BilsborrowJune 17, 2011 at 8:39pm
Thanks Jacki. This was something my mom taught me, just as her mom had taught her. I didn't even know it had a real name until I attend a show and another artist commented on the repousse work I did. Wow it had a name. I love to work with copper mainly and work on various thicknesses so that I can create small to very large pieces.
Kathryn Looby > Jacki BilsborrowJune 17, 2011 at 8:32pm
Any time on the border stuff. Been going to the US for 12 years now and still have new things to learn each year as they keep changing the rules on me.
Kathryn it is so nice to find another artist joining us from Canada. You are most welcome here as you have information that will be helpful to others crossing the border to the US who have questions about that "sticky" border crossing.
I run the art in a show in Port Huron, MI, and I had an artist cancel recently because she couldn't figure out how to bring her art into the country.
Also, we are always looking for events where you think artists from the US might find it worthwhile to travel in your direction. I have a new page at www.ArtFairCalendar.com to showcase the Canadian shows. Lorie MacDonald has been helpful in finding resources for that and I'd really appreciate your suggestions to improve it.
I look forward to meeting you here online and at an art fair in person some day.
Kathryn Looby > Connie MettlerJune 17, 2011 at 10:48am
Love to help when I can. Most of my shows are in the States and I have just started doing some of the Canadian ones. We have moved from Nova Scotia and there were not that many quality shows there accept the one run by the Art and Craft Council of NS. I love that when you go to a show in the States, you don't have to run the gamut of buy and sell (well in most cases). You also have many different categories for your shows; Fine art, Fine Craft, Art and Craft, etc. I also have been attending Celtic festivals in the US for many years. A wonderful time for all and have had really good results as I do a lot of Celtic images in my work. I like that I stand out from the buy and sell & imports at these shows, which seem to help my sales. Some of the shows even have an artist area that are priced lower for us and usually in the main section as most of the attending population are very excited and interested in their history. Hope we will meet in person soon.
Replies
Oh no Kathryn, I'll just stick to Australia for shows - but we're babies on this side of the world when it comes to them! I can pick up so much information on how shows are run over there, tips and tricks that I can use in my own set ups and more...just got to think outside the square!
Shows here are mainly a mix of art-craft, there are very few fine art ones - fine arts stay very much in the galleries. Many shows don't discourage buy/sell either -they're really 'markets' trying to increase their profile. I was at one a couple of years ago and there were only about 5% that were NOT buy/sell. Consequently, many think everyone is buy/sell and are surprised when they find out your goods are made by you!
There are a few limited edition/ one of a kind shows but they're few and far between ... and Australia is a BIG country to get around!
There has been a recent push towards 'handmade' shows. This can be good and there is one in Canberra (Australia's capital) that is drawing quite a following and is juried. But there are still a lot of tea cosies, children's headbands, fabric bookmarks and so on that give it very much a craft feel. But we've got to start somewhere, I guess!
If I lived in a bigger centre, I'd be tempted to organise a show myself, and then think what a resource AFI would be!
Hello Kathryn and welcome. I am glad you have joined us here. I have to tell you that your metal work is inbelievable! I looked at your website and your work is like nothing I have ever seen before. It's exceptional work.
I hope you enjoy our website and all the information that we have here to help artists. Hope to see you around the forums, too.
Jacki B
Kathryn it is so nice to find another artist joining us from Canada. You are most welcome here as you have information that will be helpful to others crossing the border to the US who have questions about that "sticky" border crossing.
I run the art in a show in Port Huron, MI, and I had an artist cancel recently because she couldn't figure out how to bring her art into the country.
Also, we are always looking for events where you think artists from the US might find it worthwhile to travel in your direction. I have a new page at www.ArtFairCalendar.com to showcase the Canadian shows. Lorie MacDonald has been helpful in finding resources for that and I'd really appreciate your suggestions to improve it.
I look forward to meeting you here online and at an art fair in person some day.