Hello everyone,
I am new to this site, and it seems to be a great one. I have already found some really useful information. Now I'm looking for opinions on these lattice walls. I've been doing small art markets and music festivals in the New Orleans area for about 5 years now with mainly just showing my skateboard art. But I've been doing some new art lately with my pencil work and I am starting to do nicer, fine art shows thru zapplication. And I plan to move in that direction. I currently have Flourish Mesh Walls that look really nice, but that's about where it ends. I'm getting tired of the lengthy set up and droopy sections when I hang heavy stuff. I made a 4 foot wide section from vinyl lattice and a wood frame (picture attached.)
Lattice Pros: Seems like it will be easier to set up. No droopy sections. Taller than mesh walls.
Lattice Cons: I'm not crazy about the look. They will have to ride on the roof of my car, where my mesh panels fit inside my mazda5. And not crazy about the look, again.
So my question is: Will this make my display look less professional than my mesh panels?
In the picture is just half of one wall and my plan is to build the rest (3 full walls) if I decide I like the lattice.
So do you think this will look tacky and hurt my chances of getting into nicer shows?
Thanks in advance.
Jeffrey St. Romain
Replies
Thanks for all the info. I just made a prototype carpet panel that looks like it is going to work perfectly. And the price for the whole tent is actually under $200! I will share a photo and the process when I'm finished. Thanks again guys!
"Bottom line is that if you want to be a professional, you need to invest in your business with professional equipment and displays"
This is true, but you don't have to give an arm and a leg for professional display. I have been using hollow core doors for over 10 years. Repaint when needed. They are solid, easy to build, durable and around $25 for a 3' wide door. Simply paint, hinge 3 together in back, (Always do this on site) make 2 triangle fasteners for the back top places where walls come together (use hanger bolts). Weights are not needed as you can bungee the tent to the walls. Sounds horrible i know but can be done rather tastefully with some thought. You can leave out the back center door if you want access to behind booth and clamp a cross piece to tie the 2 side together. Call me if you want more details. 770- 547- 8671 ( Jerry) There are many variations of this and can be a few problems putting together in wind, unlevel ground, but It works well for myself and many others. BTW, I don't think Howard Allen would approve of this setup. Anyone know this for a fact?
I hang on s hooks placed in holes i drill as needed. there are better ways to do this i'm sure, but my door setup has been accepted to The Plaza, Cherry Creek, Ft Worth and other top shows. Attached is photo, I will change the colors this year.
painted booth - Copy.jpg
Creative Energies Co which makes Lite-Dome canopies sell a mesh panel that fit the frame of their canopy. They can be adapted to other canopys and possibly even an EZ up which it looks like you have. They are inexpensive, look decent, and fold up without having creases. . I used them for some years before I could afford Pro Panels. It might be worth looking into as your nice work should not be on the uncomplimentary lattice.
Jeffrey, if you already have mesh panels but they look "droopy", that can be solved by getting horizontal stabilizer bars that attach to the bottom of the tent. Then attach and tighten the snaps to the bars to tighten the panels.
I have propanels and mesh panels. I use a mix in my booth. Get some covers for the mesh walls, they look great, and don't hang your work from the mesh walls but from a hook from the top bar, no more drooping. They make them at flourish. I had them make custom ones for me that go all the way down the wall that fold up for storage. They come silver, but I just spray painted them black to go with the fabric.
Jeffery, your drawings look amazing. I am also not a fan of those lattice panels. Your work deserves better. Many people have posted photos of their booths on her. You should be able to find them by searching for booth shots in the search bar.
Good luck.
Hi Jeffrey, First, your artwork is fabulous! If you like those lattice panels because of weight, ease of use, etc. I would suggest covering them. I've used 'car carpet' from 'Big Lots' in many of my differest displays over the years. It comes in rolls in and works with velcro. You could stretch in over the face and staple in the back for a clean, professional look (from the front). You could cover the backs, too if you wanted a double sided panel. Then you could use velcro 'hooks', or drapery hooks to hang your work. It's about $8.00 a roll (can't remember the size)and I've seen it in black and gray. You may want to 'tweak' your design to have them fit inside your vehicle.
The others have suggested not using lattice panels. I used those years and years ago. I was at a nice show in Chicago and another photographer pulled me aside and gave some good advice. He said my work was very good, but my booth looked like something from a craft fair that tie-dyed T-Shirts and cheap belts would be hanging from. I ditched the wooden booth (the thing looked like a gazebo) and went with an inexpensive booth with a flat sloping roof and using rubber covered wire shelving for the panels. Every time I upgraded the appearance with a better tent and eventually the propanels, sales always increased. You'll sell at the level you project, Save yourself a lot of money and time and go for the best you can.
Check the search tab for DIY panels or some other combination such as homemade panels. There are several good forum posts with pictures of how to build your own carpeted panels. I've given directions on a set that a friend made using 11x2 furring strips, 3/4 inch foam insulation, and carpet from Lowe's. All you need is a staple gun, a saw, and electric drill. And a good weekend.
Stay away from the Lattice panels, I've been there and done it, and it's a waste of money. I've also got about $300 worth of 16" vinyl clad wire shelving 8 feet long that I wasted money on. Those are still sitting out in my storage locker for the last 7 years. I thought carrying those guys would take up less room in the van. That was the only thing that worked with them. It took way, way too long to put them together with zip ties. In any event, they're a dead item as no one uses them for display walls any more. The competition is at a more professionalized level.
Your frames are close to what the friend of mine used for his. The difference was that he extended the vertical members about 4-6 inches above the top cross member so they could be zip tied together and to the tent frame. Figure out the spacing for the middle cross bars, so the 4x8 foam sheets don't have wastage; I think it was 4 feet and 2 feet, so you would cut several 4 feet x 2 feet strips of foam, and then cut a few into 2x2 sections for the ends. All the scrap then is just a bunch of little 1 inch or so strips. The foam can be held in place with Duct-tape. If you use 2 foot carpet runners, you could get by with covering one side only. Otherwise use the 12 foot carpet split into 6 foot widths and wrap it around the entire frame and staple the sides securely with a few at the top to keep it from sliding.
I agree with Larry. Your art is too nice to have displayed on the lattice walls. You do good work and it should be showcased accordingly. I think this could be a problem with juries. Have you considered investing in Pro Panels? They are very much worth the investment IMO. They have a KD or "knock-down" version that are designed to fit into smaller spaces/vehicles. Or you could try covering the lattice with a carpet or even fabric. There are a lot of creative ways to make your own very professional looking display. Best of luck to you!
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