On my way back from Clearwater, I stopped at a seafood favorite place and had an interesting conversation with Elvis, he hangs out here regularly these days.
He saw me pull up in my trusty art van, then flashed that big smile of his. He was eating sweet potato pie with peanut butter and washing it down with come good "shine" (see I told you it was a "kinda" Tequila Report).
"Nels ol' buddy, heard you coming a mile away. You need to get that muffler repaired some day." You could tell he was in the mood for some serious conversation by the way he kept throwing those jittery hips of his around.
"Hear they are doing some shameful things in Louisville these days." "Say what?", I said. "The worst I heard was they had Col. Saunders up on a side of a tall building and weren't gonna let him down til he put more chicken in the basket."
"No,no ol' buddy, this is something worse. They done gone and raised the booth fee for those October shows."
"You mean the St. James Court shows?"
"Yep. Booth fees are now above $500 for a show that many don't make more than chicken feed at." He took a long sip and ate more pie while licking his fingers and hungrily eyeing the catfish frying on a near grill.
"But Elvis this is a show rated number one by many artists in the country."
"Heck son. They may be number one by some, but most exhibitors I know have seen sales go down while their operating expenses have soared. What kinda, fool business model is that?"
He waved at me and walked towards the catfish frying. Even a long ago idol has more sense than most of us who will keep paying those foolish booth fees. In a second worst financial crisis in America's history, how can you justify raising the fee to outlandish proportions while sales plummet for most?
It made me almost want to start drinking tequila again.
Replies
I've never been a fan of Elvis...'til now.
In parts of five months up North this summer, I didn't do a SINGLE show with a booth fee over $300 (except for one--Rehoboth--which was a commission show).
Of the dozen Florida shows I've booked so far this year, nine are over $350, and most are closer to $400.
Geoff. Elvis told me he wants to eat peanut butter pie with you, AND ALL YOUR BIRDS. seriously. That was his exact words, if I remember correctly.
For years I've been predicting that higher booth fees and show expenses will lead to a proliferation of buy sell because those are the only people who will able to afford those shows. And because real artists (who make their own work) will no longer be at those shows, there will be no one to review them or warn other unsuspecting artists.
If other shows think St James Court can get away with it, look for more shows too expensive to apply to.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Right you are Dano!
Time once again for artists to sit down with their calculators and do the numbers, seems like. We had to vote with our feet on this one several years ago, not because the organizers weren't doing their job, but expenses and time commitment weren't balancing out in our favor with the income.
So, when was Elvis in Louisville, Nels? I never saw him there.
Connie, my dear, have another tequila. I said that I was talking to Elvis in Clearwater. Tlked about Col. Saunders in Louisville.
too early for the tequila -- sorry. I think I read your post as though I was an artist reading an art fair prospectus.
Larry Berman
:)
Yesterday our grandson, an aspiring musician, told me he was now wearing his hair like Elvis. So now Elvis is in our family too!
I'm still waiting to see how the way overpriced Evansville show fared. That one cost more than St. James, is a first year show, and is in a section of Indiana not known for high-falutin' art shows.
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