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This was the 38^th annual Smokey Hill River Festival where there are separate fine art and craft shows associated with a music festival. This was the first year I participated in the Craft Show at this event in Salina, KS. Salina impressed me as a typical Midwest city complete with “small liberal arts college”, tree lined streets and lots of early 20^th  century houses.

The event has the reputation of being one of the best of Midwest art/craft shows with attendance in excess of 70,000 and $500,000 in sales.

COSTS/AWARDS

Fine Art Show: Jury/Booth: $30/$275

Awards: 1 - $1500 purchase; 10 cash $500-$1500

Patronage: art patrons pledge to spend $135,000 in the Fine Art Show

Craft Show: Jury/Booth: $30/$325

Awards: 5 cash $300-$500

Patronage: $0.00

You can chew on this for what it is worth. My wife described the Fine Art Show as “edgy”.  I saw it as sort of “Cherry Creekish” with higher price point work than that of the Craft Show.

SET UP/TAKE DOWN

Set up was easy with a hoard of orange-shirt school kids.  I was a bit puzzled by Security at Mulberry St. Bridge allowing music goers into the park at 4:30pm but not allowing artists to enter and park for unloading until 5:00pm.  Some artists were allowed in earlier as they were parked and ready to unload, but this was not a problem for us. Set up was advertised as 5-8:00pm but we were allowed to work as late as 9:30-10:00pm. Setup was on grass in a park with large oak and other trees not familiar to me.  The 54 craft booths were arranged in four U-shaped areas and all had three sides of exposure.  The rule here is to unload and park elsewhere.  The farthest anyone would have to dolly to booth site was about 100’. Parking was available within the park, and in a lot less than a block from the park.

Take down was equally easy with the hoard of orange shirts appearing again to heft and tote. 

AMENITIES

As listed by the show:

• Artists' Reception/Dinner, Friday evening;
• Artists' Breakfast, Sunday morning
• Set-up/tear-down assistance
• Booth ambassadors
• Refreshments provided at booth throughout the day
• Free reserved parking close to show
• Great booth layout (presentation from three sides)
• Art Gift Certificate Program
• Children's Art Purchase Program (priceless!)
• Exceptional show committee and organization
• On-site weather tracking
• 24-hour security

In addition, there was a free muffin Friday morning, and snack bags with orange, apple and peanut-butter crackers on Friday and Saturday mornings.  The constant “Aquarians” delivered coffee and water in the morning, and iced tea and water in the afternoon.   You could not expect to have been treated better by a show.  Restrooms were port-a-pots with hand washing stations.

SALES/THE CROWD

     The crowd on Friday was mainly retirees, moms with daughters and infants, and the unemployed (?). We did a little over $600. Saturday there was a better mix in the crowd and we did a little over $1200. Sunday was slow (a little less than $800) but sales were mainly $100-$200 belts, gun leathers and canteens.  Overall I had 44 sales with the average being $68.  I missed my minimum ($3,000) for returning to the show by $2.00.

WEATHER

     Friday was a nice warm day but with a breeze.  Saturday there were sustained 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 40 mph.  Everyone survived but there were some anxious moments. Sunday was hot in the 90’s and HUMID!  Saturday, a front of violent thunderstorms swept across Kansas. Baseball-size hail was reported to the west and there was a tornado in Stockton (we saw the damage on the way home). Golf ball-size hail was reported north of Salina. I was up at 1:00am watching radar and weather reports. Salina dodged the bullet but got heavy wind-driven rain in between stronger cells to the north and south. I did not see any major damage at the show Sunday morning. I lost one of my books to water damage but everything else survived. I autographed the book and gave it to a young boy who has horses.

SUMMARY

     I applied to this show in 2013, was wait listed, then invited but I had already booked another show at that time. I wanted to do it to test how far east I might go with my leather work which is marketed to the western lifestyle/active outdoorsman market. I sold fewer belts but more holsters than normal.  Other artists who had done the show encouraged me to apply. My new motto is “Thou shalt not go farther east than 104W longitude old man”.

     We had fun in the area including brunch and visiting a gallery in Lindsborg (Little Sweden) and the famous Cozy Inn, in Salina. We also visited the bridge and hill from the movie Picnic filmed in Salina. I took time off from the booth to listen to a live zydeco band and really enjoyed watching the percussionist (“back porch music”). I got disoriented in Salina because of the lack of hills for landmarks. On the way home taking the “scenic route” rather than I 70, I knew we were headed the wrong way by the cattle with their butts turned toward the strong south winds.    

     I do not plan to return to this show because it did not meet my financial expectation and barely my minimum. It is simply outside my market and I do not want to travel a boring 8 hours across Kansas to develop a market there.  The other factor is the Midwest weather. I can handle the violent mountain weather in the afternoons in Colorado, but these storms that hit at night scare the crap out of me.  Give me the narrow mountain roads, lightning, crashing thunder, rain and hail any afternoon.

     Other artists told me this had been their “best show in 2013”, “slow”, “OK”, “pretty good”, “slower than last year”.  A willow furniture guy sold a complete set and a metal sculpture fellow made several sales of large yard art.  In the fine art section I did not see familiar wildlife and mountain scenery 2D art, and only a couple of “red rock” photographs. If your art fits a Midwest lifestyle, give this one a shot.  You will be treated very well.  

See also: www.artshowreviews.com for nuts and bolts of show.