Here it comes!! Totally art fair season opens now ... from after Easter until mid-October the festivals proliferate across the country. I hope you've got your applications completed and are looking forward to adventures far and near.
What's up this weekend? Lots of goodies:
- Main Street Fort Worth turns 30!
Despite the weather, a more solid prediction is that Texas’ No. 1 arts festival will attract more than 200 international artists, present more than 300 performances and accomplish its mission of showcasing downtown Fort Worth.
Some good photos here of artists setting up: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article17892881.html#/tabPane=tabs-b45a5e63-1-1
A little more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article17570750.html#storylink=cpy
- And as long as we are in Texas, how about The Woodlands Waterway Festival (said by some to be the best Texas festival). Can you tell me why both of these fine events are on the same weekend? Aargh!
- Big, really big happenings on the cultural scene in downtown Detroit - Art X Detroit, three weekends in April at nearly 20 venues across the city.
The free celebration of Detroit's art scene includes visual art installations, dance, musical and theatrical performances, film screenings, literary readings and workshops.
- Spring Art Fair at Queeny Park, run by the GSLAA - includes video:
http://fox2now.com/2015/04/06/spring-art-fair-at-queeny-park/
How about you? What's up? Will you be at any of these events?
Replies
It has been a busy time in “mi talabartaria”. My apprentice Oscar Garcia was in Saturday to work on his Guatemalan saddle and also work on antique saddles for me. I was busy cutting straps for saddles and orders. So far I have been accepted to 5 out of 6 shows for this summer. Two are little local events that are more or less “warm ups”. I’m waiting to hear on two more resort area shows. Jackson, WY in July was good news, and it looks like it might become a mini-family reunion with NV and CA relatives coming. I had one 2017 saddle order canceled but another came in to replace it. That makes it 7 saddles on order and 3 to finish this month. I am only planning to do 4 shows next summer (2016) so I can spend more time on saddle orders as I am into 2017 now. The saddle Oscar worked on is a 1900-1920’s, F.A. Meanea, Cheyenne, WY model 14P. Meanea’s are rare and collectable and I have worked on many. His early ones are stamped “WT” for Wyoming Territory and predate 1870 statehood. Later ones were stamped “WYO” which provides an important timeline in studying his mechanics and art work. He is my favorite old maker and I learn something new about his evolution with each of his saddles.
Who knew your retirement would be so much fun? So working on old saddles, historic ones, is an education for you and you learn new techniques?
Are you doing the Jackson Hole shows that advertised here? If so, which one? and how wonderful to be able to turn it into a family reunion. Show directors ask me all the time, "how many artists do you have in XX location on your list?" and I always reply that I don't divide the artist list by region or state because it is the nature of the business that artists are willing to travel away from their region for many reasons -- and turning a business trip into a family reunion is just one of them.
Restoration of antique saddles and gear is continuing education for me. Knowing the old techniques is essential to doing historically accurate restoration and reproduction work. I get a lot of “re-dos” from collectors that recognize that “something’s not right”. The older “Spanish Colonial” style art work is interesting as technology changed leather carving in the early 20th century, although examples can still be found in contemporary Mexican and South American work (thank you Facebook). I have modified and incorporated some of this into my work as well as having done reproductions for old saddles missing parts. The Jackson show is “Art Fair Jackson Hole, July 2015”. There is another one in August. I was looking at maps of the area and when I switched to satellite, there were a bunch of white tents in the park. How about that for seeing the layout!. It’s outside my 300 mile travel radius but within the 500 mile one – 9 1/2 hours travel time.
Greg, how was Santa Fe? I was looking at it, but then at the same time the Girl Scouts decided wanted to do something on their spring break, so I passed. Is it worth me (2D mixed) giving it another look next year?
Manda....This is the first year we did the show and it was a good one for us. As with any show some people had a good show and some did not. A lot of talented people were there. The weather was predicting rain at 80% for Sunday but it luckily stayed away.
I've never even heard of this one, Greg. That sounds like a great place to be this time of the year. I'd love to be with you. How large is it?
How about another big one? Dogwood in Atlanta - just finished a very smooth setup.
Don't know how I missed that one! Wishing you well, Ruth. That show can be a good one, there are so many variables getting into that park. AND if the flowers and trees are pollinating there is pollen everywhere which would be very bad for your work.
Hope the weekend goes well for you and David and loading out is just as good. Piedmont Park is lovely place to be in the Spring. Any chance you'll get to the nearby botanical garden?
Pollen is not a problem when you're drenched by thunderstorms!
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