Hello!
Does anyone have info/opinion/suggestions for the Shaker Heights Art & Music Festival coming up in a couple weeks? I haven't done this show in at least 8 years and that was before they moved the site and changed the name.
I've been doing art shows for at least 45 years but it's still a bit unnerving going into what amounts to a new show for me. Any new tricks this old dog should learn?
Cassandra
Replies
I used to live in NE Ohio and never did this show, also many of my friends did not bother with it,either.
When I visited it once I noticed a lot of people from Florida exhibiting.
My guess is that there are enough other shows that are prob better in that area. Cain Park is around the same time, I think I heard once that Shaker Heights is intentionally put on a week or two before Cain Park.
It used to be in a parking lot- for heaven's sake! If they moved it across the street to Legacy Village- I'm taking a guess-is that where it went? Well, now you have a show in another parking lot of shopping.
I am sure the art is decent, but I think the customers from the Cleveland area are used to shows that are just more pleasant and fun to go to than a parking lot in a mall atmosphere.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I'm guessing that you want honesty, and good luck!
The last time I did the show which was years ago it was at Hathaway Brown School. Now it's part of a music festival between Van Aken Shopping Center and the Shaker Heights Country Club...set up on Farnsleigh Road.
Ohio Designer Craftsmen puts on the show and I have done the WinterFair shows in Columbus and Cincinnati for many years and very successfully. I just don't know what to expect from the Cleveland area market....I did the first By Hand show at the IX and didn't make booth fee. My jewelry is sort of in the "over-the-top" style and at the time, I felt most people were more of a 'let's not be too different' frame of mind. I guess I'll find out in a week....lol.
We may not be talking about the same show. There is a show produced by Howard Alan, which is the one that I was talking about, used to be at the Beachwood Mall Parking lot and I believe is now over at Legacy Village.Also one by ODC at Hathaway Brown. Neither show has ever been mentioned among most of the local artists in that area, and skipped by us.
ODC Winterfairs are considered good by all of us, and artists from Cleveland will travel that far, but we seem to skip these two up in our area.
did this show first time last year. easy to get in/out. lots of wonderful art. the problem was buyers -- people were walking around, looking and enjoying and not buying. the $6 items were selling but anything over $12 -- it was a struggle. our neighbor - who had been doing shows 30+ years (vs us last year was our 2nd year) - said - shoot me -- he just couldn't get people to buy. may be this year will be different!