I'll be at Penrod Arts fair in Indianapolis this Saturday. getting up bright and early tomorrow morning and plan to get a good start on the Friday set up that officially starts at 9:30. Hope to get in a little early as we have to be done and out by 3:30.
I'm splurging for a double booth this year after giving up on that for a while. I keep thinking about applying for the St. Louis show, but Penrod is local for me and I can sleep at home. I'll be at G27-28 up next to the Lilly Mansion. Stop by and say hi if you're up that way.
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I posted a couple of days ago I posted about getting added in at the last minute to Art After Dark, an event put on by our local fine arts guild. I was excited to be included though on Saturday I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off! LOL
We got there just after 5:00 PM to set up for the event, which started at 6:30. It was still muggy and hot but we had good cover where we were, including a couple of ceiling fans circulating the air. We were in front of a restaurant, but the restaurant was not open.
We did not bring all of our coaster stock. I did bring some favorites---3 fleur de lis designs, 1 LSU design and 1 New Orleans Saints design. The rest was made up of my painted glassware (mostly bottles & vases), 2 mixed media canvases, and 2 altered Memory Trays (from Hobby Lobby). Oh, I also had some framed tile art.
We shared our space in front of the restaurant with a lady who does photography. She was nice company, as well as her friend who helped her. She has done this event about 7 times. She said the buying was down from previous years. We believe there are two reasons for this ..... LSU was playing an evening game and our economy stinks right now.
I did sell a mixed media canvas. Quite a few people came and looked, some took a business card. One lady that I know personally said she wants to get together to come up with a wedding gift for a friend. I am excited about that possibility!
I would do this event again because it gets my name and products out there in my own local community. I met some really nice people who do art, crafts. There was no booth fee so we did not go in the hole. Not expenses except supper but dh and I were going to eat out anyway on Saturday. So really no loss.
One good thing is that a little local eatery which is new in town was open. They do wraps, paninis, etc. It was good to be able to get something there rather than the usual art/craft show crap for supper.
Fixing about 30' of split rail fence the deer knocked down. Finishing up 4 trick saddles I planned to have done last May, catching up on special orders from shows, catching up on summer special orders and starting two more saddles and another batch of special orders. If and when all that is done I can start on next year's show inventory and new stuff I want to make. I'm done with shows for the year, now I need to get caught up with outside work on the place before it snows, and everything else that has been put off. We decided to hire out the house painting
Many thanks to you, Robert, for starting this discussion. I have been lax in recent weeks. I love hearing the plans of different artists and vicariously visiting them at the shows.
The closest I'll get to an art show is attending a Farmer's Market where there are a few artists mixed in, a weekly market where the overhead is low and folks get to sleep in their own beds.
I had found out about an Art After Dark event in my town just days after the application deadline. I had called the art guild hoping to sneak in an application but the map had already gone to the printer.
Then yesterday I got an email from a lady associated with this event saying she had a last minute cancellation, and did I want the spot. Got this email yesterday!!! I had a few questions about cost and what I could bring. She got back to me and said there is no cost for artists to participate. I can bring whatever I want as long as it's "not vulgar". Okay, that works. I like free and none of my stuff is vulgar! LOL
So I am now feeling that panicked feeling! I feel there is so much to do and too little time. The show is Saturday evening only, 6:30-9:30 so I have today and tomorrow to finish up anything "in progress", organize, and pack.
We are supposed to be there between 5:00 and 5:30 PM to set up. Due to space limitations I already know I won't be able to bring all that I usually do. Dh already made some suggestions on what to bring and we are on the same page.
Yikes! I have got so much to do but feel so blessed to be a part of this event, especially when my chances of participating were dead, as of a few days ago. :) :) :)
I'll post when it's over and let y'all know how this goes.
LOL! "not vulgar" -- I'm sitting here trying to think of what kind of vulgar things I've ever seen at shows ... or alternatively what I could create that would e vulgar.
So cool that you went ahead and asked even though it was past deadline. I just had a call from a woman running an event in Texas about her show coming up next week and told her my policy is to always leave the listings up on CallsforArtists.com until the day after the show. Stuff happens! Artist have to cancel (poor Greg) and opportunities are out there. I'm preaching here, but just because a deadline is past, do contact the show if it is something you are interested in.
You'll get it together, and furthermore, if you've got time to stop by here to report in, I know you've got it together, Cindy! Good luck.
When I asked about it in August, I think it was just about a week after the deadline. The map was already at the printer. I was very surprised to hear from them because nothing was ever said about a wait list.
As you say, Connie, it never hurts to ask. I am praying for no rain. There is a 50% chance of rain in the afternoon, and 40% for the night. We are all on concrete so mud and wet grass will not be an issue. I just hope the rain stays away during the event because a rain event will likely keep shoppers away. But if it does rain, at least there was no booth fee.
I am rescheduling an appointment I had with a retail owner about another thing I am working on. This way I can concentrate on what I need to do.
I hope it is a profitable evening for you.
A three hour show seems like it would not be too difficult to prepare for. Do you have to bring your tent or is an inside show?
You will do just fine at this show...
Greg, I am in a tizzy because I went from NO events this weekend to having this one in less than 12 hours. My comfort zone likes having a little more notice than this, but I'll deal with it! LOL I am grateful for the opportunity.
We are all outdoors on the sidewalk from what I understand. I am in front of a restaurant that has an 'indention' so there is space under there to set up. I stopped by for a minute to look at it. I went in to say hi to the owner, just to be courteous, but he was busy.
I will not be bringing my tent. Just a couple of 4 foot tables and table covers. I'll have my stuff to check out, of course .... cc reader, change, etc. Speaking of checking out this event is taking place in a registered historical district so we do not have to collect sales tax. All my prices are set already to include tax. I am not going to change them for this one event.
I'll be participating in my very first "grown-up" show at Eastern Market - Shed 5 in Detroit, MI. Had some practice last year at a smaller hometown show but this promises to be a bigger and better show for me and I'm really looking forward to it (with some trepidation, of course). Hoping the forecasted great weather holds true and it's not too hot for people to think about wool hats and bags, which is always a concern.
So sorry to hear about the flooding in your area, Greg, hope you were able to salvage some of your work.
Best of luck to everyone for a great week-end of sales!
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