Hi Everyone,
Every show I struggle with how much to remove overnight. Up until this year I took my fused glass pieces off of the stands but left them on the shelves (unless the weather looked bad overnight). It let me set up in 30 minutes or less for day 2 or 3 in a show.
I have heard tales recently of people having stuff taken out of their tents (even those that were zip-tied down) overnight recently and as a result I have made a habit of packing down all the merchandise and putting it back in my car overnight. Needless to say this makes me the last artist to leave on Saturday night and the first one to show up on Sunday.
I could take a compromise stance and put the glass back in its boxes but leave the boxes in the tent, that would take less time because I wouldn't have to pack them as well.
Any thoughts? What do you do (jewelry doesn't count - I expect jewelers to always remove their merchandise overnight).
Replies
At the shows I do, I would say about 80% just zip the sides and go. The only exceptions are of course the jewelers, and those with fragile items will take the necessary precautions.
Most of the promoters I work with provide overnight security.
I am from Alberta. Every outdoor show I have done requires a complete tear down every evening. The street or grass must be completely bare. We then return in the morning to set up again. Our shows are very different than the ones I read about here on AFI!
The other thing that is incredibly relevant here is the show you are at. I had such a bad week at my last show and so little sleep that I left my......CASH BOX...sitting on top of my table in my booth. Because the security is so good at the show and the neighborhood so nice I wasn't nearly as worried as I would have been at say Bucktown or in Evanston along the Chicago lakefront. Morning Glory is in downtown Milwaukee but their security is great! It's an artist run show so if serious weather isn't predicted almost everyone except the jewelers leaves their stuff.
In Bucktown I once had my bag of empty bags stolen overnight, in Evanston I'll take everything out of there too...even the chairs.Ask the artists around you at the show who have done it before what their experience is and then weigh whether or not you'll be able to sleep at night against your hasty departure. There are times either decision is a good one.
In addition I would reconsider the zip tie thing on your tent. I once had my tent sliced open with a knife because it was zip-tied shut. It's not like a zip tie is really going to stop anyone and a new side wall isn't cheap.
It is amazing how much we don't think about. I actually left my wallet in a box at 57th Street overnight (Chicago for those who don't know). I live over an hour away and didn't realize it until I was home. I crossed my fingers and was thrilled to find it in the morning.
Wow. And I thought I was the only one who takes everything out at night.
I am a painter, all originals-no reproductions. I agree with the person who mentioned wanting to sleep well on Saturday night :)
And if you want a horror story: I was across the sidewalk from a artist who left everything in her booth over Saturday night. A drunk apparently managed to fall, roll into her booth, knock some display down, and ralph all over the rest of it. Yeah, show staff came to help her, but it was definitely all down hill from there.
We need to remember that no matter how much we pay for those little white tents, none of them are brick and mortar.
I take down my digital collages and slip them into bubble wrap envelopes in Rubbermaid bins, which are hidden under the table, behind the covers. This helps to keep the moisture out and protects them from sticky fingers. However, if I am worried about security, I schlep the bins to the car and lock them up overnight.
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