Location
Huntington, MA
About
Your Medium
Artisan Jewelry
Years in the Art Fair Business
2
First show ever
A small music festival in western Massachusetts
What are the best things about art fairs
Sharing my art and technique with people. I love engaging with people about my process and love for creating and design.
Best show ever and why
This past winter at the Northampton Winter Arts and Crafts Fair. Northampton, MA. The promoters did an excellent job. They had volunteers help us unload and pack up which was great. It was my best show yet as far as sales go. I did a lot of great networking and made great connections. What was best, was that the patrons truly appreciated my art. They were interested in my process and very intrigued and blown away with my work.
Worst show ever and why
Mansfield Holiday Craft Fair, December 2017 in Mansfield, MA. The promoters advertised the show as a strategically curated, juried show. However when I got there I quickly realized that was not at all the case. It seemed they were money hungry and accepted anyone who applied. I was surrounded by very cheap, mass produced merchandise and jewelry from China, clearly not handmade. So when people came to my booth they were scoffing at my "ridiculous" prices and couldn't believe I had the audacity to charge $150 for something I actually made start to finish unlike other items at the show. There was no appreciation for true handmade, artisan goods. It was discouraging and a waste of time. I did not make a single sale. Which is why 2018 my goal is to start getting into more true Artisan shows instead of the crapshoot craft fairs that might be good, but can also be awful.
Who referred you to ArtFairInsiders.com? Please be specific.
I was researching the attendance rate and looking for artisan reviews on a show I was thinking about applying to and a thread from ArtFairInsides popped up. I figured it would be a great resource for a newbie like me trying to figure out which shows are great and worth applying to and which ones are not so much.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
When I'm not in my studio I'm usually climbing mountains with my dogs. I'm a yogi, health nut,and fitness instructor with a lot of wit and sarcasm!
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Comments
Great, thank you Connie! Thank you for adding me. Being newer to the art show world I know this site will be extremely helpful to me. I am grateful to be here. Thanks again!
Welcome to Art Fair Insiders, Hannah. We’re so glad you joined us. I hope you’ll find the site helpful and that you’ll share your ideas and experiences, ask questions and join the discussions. The site is only as good as the members make it. We have a lot to offer one another, experienced and newbie alike.
Please stop by the "Discussions" area to introduce yourself. Then read the "Getting Started" for tips to make the site easier to navigate.
Many topics have already been discussed. We suggest you try a search of your topic before you post your question. Click the SEARCH tab at the top of the page and “search” for your topic: tents, jury fees, Ann Arbor Art Fair, the name of a show, etc. You might find that someone has already asked and answered your question.
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Each of us is unique and has a gift to share that can help someone else. We all look forward to your sharing on ArtFairInsiders.com.
Best wishes, Connie Mettler
p.s. The best way to make this system easy to use is to click on the "Follow-Email me" link at the bottom of each Forum discussion that interests you. That way the system will email you automatically whenever anyone responds. It's a great time-saver.