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Howard Alan Events Jurying

Posted by Eric Mort on August 17, 2011 at 7:29pm in Art Show Information and Discussions
I am a bit confused. I went out to apply for a number of Howard Allen Florida Shows and saw that "They are already full in the Jewelry Catagory." While I realize that it is an ongoing jury, the shows aren't until January and February. Heck, I didn't even realize that they had opened the shows up for application. I did check ZAPP earlier this summer for any of their shows, but none were listed. Do they sell out in a day, or is everyone grandfathered into these shows, and I would be better off looking elsewhere? I supposed I could apply for the jewelry waitlist, but it doesn't seem like a very good use of my money.  Anybody have any experience with this? Thanks.

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Replies

  • geri a. wegner August 22, 2011 at 1:42am
    Howard's Florida shows have gotten much better over the past several years. The quality is much more even than it used to be. While I realize that I am just going to the shows and don't have to concern myself with 5am set-ups but they are now shows worth going to. He used to have a Chicago suburban show and some of my favorite pieces are from that show. It was so much fun seeing all the Florida artists that he brought "up north".

    He does advertise and he does bring in gigantic crowds. He does everything possible but pull out the patrons' wallets. That is the job of the artists.
  • Connie Mettler August 21, 2011 at 9:50pm
    Over the years we did shows with Howard Alan now and then when we needed to fill a hole in our schedule. This would mostly be the Florida shows when we were going to be away for several weeks running from our home and studio. They definitely filled their purpose, allowing us to make money and pay bills while doing our winter show schedule. I'm betting just about everyone who has been in this business for a long time has also done a few. They are well run and he really brings in the people. There are people who only do his shows and they depend on the HA events for their livelihood. He provides a marketplace for many.
  • Larry Berman August 21, 2011 at 6:24pm
    You guys can say anything you want about Howard Alan, and you probably will. But he serves a purpose for a lot of Florida (and other locations based) artists and fine crafters who wouldn't be able to earn a living without his shows. I would guess about half the artists who criticize him have never done any of his shows, and the other half do at least one or two of his shows a year, if not more.

    This reminds me of a letter written to Sunshine Artist about fifteen years ago by a central Florida ceramicist criticizing Howard for something. After the letter ran, he called Howard to apologize because he still had a bunch of shows with him that year.

    Larry Berman
    http://BermanGraphics.com
    412-401-8100
  • Darby Gilchrist August 18, 2011 at 11:34am
    Hello Eric - I don't know how long you have been doing shows, but take the answers in this post to be a very telling cue as to how the art fair business works for promoters who jury by check.  Some people will not post their thoughts on this forum because they believe in black lists.  Others will post an unhelpful comment because they've been riding on the "been there" train and know the reality.  Bottom line - any of these for-profit gigs that have multiple shows also have favorite exhibitors who do not get juried because they are already part of the "system".   They are also overwhelmed - like all shows - with jewelry applications.  There are other shows that are really juried but all shows hold back booths for a variety of reasons.
    • Gary Haynes > Darby Gilchrist August 26, 2011 at 11:29am
      Darby, what show do you do that the promoter isn't there for 'profit'? Even non profits (Cherry Creek is a non-profit) are not there to lose money. I never here these comments about Amy Amdur or other promoters. Seems it only happens with HA shows. And the shows that I have seen and participated here in the west weren't 'flee' markets. IMHO it is standup to say that a category is full rather than continue to take application fees. Wouldn't it be great if others did the same thing?
      • Connie Mettler > Gary Haynes August 26, 2011 at 12:41pm
        So right, Gary! In recent years some art fairs have gone away because they were run by volunteers who just couldn't handle the work load any longer. Money needs to be made.
    • Eric Mort > Darby Gilchrist August 18, 2011 at 12:43pm

      Thanks Darby.

       

      I have only been doing shows for about 5 years, and I hadn't run into this issue before.  At least Howard Allen let me know that the catagory was filled, so I didn't waste my money.   I would hate to think that people are still paying jury fees to shows that have already filled up.  I would like ZAPP to have a requirement that events post the number of OPEN positions only.  I recently applied to another showin another state and was told when I inquired as to my jury score, that I did very well, but there were only 5 slots open for Jewelry that year.  When I mentioned that the show had almost 300 booths, and that seemed an awful small number of booths for the catagory, I was told that the rest were pre juried from last years show.  Had I know that I was competing for only 5 slots, I would have saved myself the 40 dollars and applied to a different event.

       

      Hopefully this post won't get me blacklisted, but we will have to wait and see. 

      • Linnea Lahlum > Eric Mort August 18, 2011 at 9:59pm
        There are many shows, not just the for-profit promotor shows, that are less than transparent about the number of openings in a category. To save your money, call, call, call, and ask questions. Prejurying, or inviting back a certain % of artists, is a very common practice, and some shows openly acknowledge that: and some do not. 
  • Larry Berman August 17, 2011 at 7:33pm
    Hi Eric,

    Howard Alan has people who monitor this forum so they may respond. But when I used to do Howard's shows, I always mailed then the application back the day it came.

    Larry Berman
    http://BermanGraphics.com
    412-401-8100
This reply was deleted.