This show has extended the deadline to enter and Im wondering if you all think that is a sign that artists have had a bad experience with this show in the past. It looks like a music first and art second show.. Does anyone have any experience with this show? I am nearby this show and am open this weekend but not are if I should do it.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Tim
Replies
It's no secret that plenty shows these days are extending deadlines for one reason or another. It's just a sign of the times. And it's not just small shows doing it. But my guess is that shows extend mainly to bring in more artists to jury.
Look at the situation here specifically. Altamonte Springs is a nice community. I love this area of Orlando, the area from just north of Lake Mary down to Winter Park. The area is so full of shows. Maitland, Winter Springs, Sanford, Lake Mary Heathrow, Altamonte Springs, Winter Park Sidewalk in spring and then Florida artists only in the fall, etc. Heck, Mt. Dora isn't even very far away and it's a biggie.
And little Altamonte Springs hosts Uptown the week RIGHT AFTER WINTER PARK SIDEWALK! So you can bet it might not be the best show to do in the area. But I can see a reason for me doing it sometime since I have really important patrons in that area. I did Winter Park Sidewalk last year and got to mingle with my patrons there. Then I did Maitland in the fall and mingled with them again plus found a few new ones. So that's the reason to do a show like Altamonte. If you don't get in the biggie like Winter Park, you can do something else somewhere else and then do Altamonte the next weekend and keep your work in front of your patrons. Think of Altamonte as a marketing show. It could turn out to be a seller for you, and it could net you profit if your work is awarded a good cash prize and/or you sell something to your patrons. But I've found it difficult to find new patrons at a show like that. By patron I mean someone who's collecting art that costs more than 1K.
I chose not to submit for Winter Park this year. Instead, I'm doing Eastern Shore CofC's Fairhope Arts and Crafts show in Alabama on Mobile Bay. In fact, I'm not scheduled to be in Central Florida at all this spring. If I didn't already do well at another venue happening at the same time as Altamonte, I might have come on down to do it. I certainly have a lot of friends who live in that area and who do the show. But they live there.
So I'd say if you don't have anything else to do, get out to Uptown and try to claim some prize money and keep your work accessible to your patrons.
I did it 2 years ago, never again! It is the only show I have ever done where even jewelers had zero sales. The awards are big, but sales almost zilch. The focus is on the entertainment, and the public hurry past the booths to get good seats for the shows. The ads feature the entertainment, art is an afterthought. FWIW, Mr. Barton skewered me for writing an honest review of the show, but I could only tell it as I and the artists around me experienced it.
Tim, I have worked with the promoter, Jim Barton, for several years. Have never done the show. There may be entertainment also, but I know he does have a focus on the art. The weather has been against him several years running, but here's hoping for better this year. I know some very good artists have done it.
My advice: you live near -- are you new to the business? If so, why not give it a try? If your only expense is the booth fee I'd give it a chance. Wouldn't it be great to build a reputation or a following close to home? If you don't do some local shows that won't happen.