Jean Thompson

Hi, Connie! I read your blog, which is wonderful. When I saw the note about AmericanStyle's Top 10 and Wausau's Artrageous Weekend, I thought I'd reply by sending you the press release. Wish I'd done it earlier! AmericanStyle conducts a reader poll -- the fairs and festivals that make the Top 10 are determined strictly by reader votes. Yes, this means that the fair with the most fans who e-mail or fill in the ballot can pull off the big win. And congratulations to them! Call anytime if you need more info. Jean Thompson, Director of Circulation, Marketing and P.R., AmericanStyle and the Buyers Market of American Craft/The Rosen Group. 410-889-2933, ext. 218
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jean Thompson, AmericanStyle
410-889-2933, ext. 218
jeant@rosengrp.com

America’s Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals: Winners Announced!

Baltimore, MD (Dec. 11, 2008) Where do Americans prefer to go to view and buy art and fine craft in a festive setting? The answers are in the February 2009 issue of AmericanStyle magazine, which will reveal the nation’s Top 10 Fairs & Festivals, as determined by polling its readers. The issue goes on sale at newsstands on Dec. 16.

Art collectors are willing to flock to places like Wausau, Wis., and Midway, Ky. – crossroads far removed from better-known urban art centers. Despite the distance and the economic downturn, many of the top-rated art fairs and festivals boast crowd counts of more than 200,000 visitors – made up of tourists and locals alike.

What keeps the crowds coming back?

The quality and diversity of the art are top-notch. In addition, the nation’s best art events provide a noteworthy intersection of contemporary trends in professional art and craft and major current trends in retail, says Wendy Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle.

“Discerning shoppers can ‘buy local,’ ‘buy handmade,’ ‘buy American’ and ‘support a worthy cause’ simultaneously at the very best art fairs and festivals,” Ms. Rosen says. “At the same time, they help the economy by supporting the small businesses of artists.”

“They can feel good about making an investment in professional handcraft that has been carefully juried,” Ms. Rosen says, “and at the same time, soak up the fun atmosphere, the entertainment, the education and the collegiality that’s possible only at a gathering of like-minded art lovers. They can meet the artists and learn where the work came from and how it was made.”

This year’s first-place winner blends three distinct events into a citywide arts extravaganza called Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend: Art in the Park, held in Marathon Park; the Festival of Arts, in downtown Wausau, Wis.; and the annual “Birds in Art” exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art museum, a mecca for international wildlife artists.

Winners list
TOP 10 FAIRS & FESTIVALS

1. Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend, Wausau, Wis.
2. Kentucky Crafted: The Market, Louisville, Ky.
3. Bayou City Art Festival, Houston, Texas
4. Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale, Ariz.
5. Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, Iowa
6. St. James Court Art Show, Louisville, Ky.
7. Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at Midway College, Midway, Ky.
8. American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, Baltimore, Md.
9. Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, Ann Arbor, Mich.
10. Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Northport, Ala.

SOURCE: AmericanStyle magazine readers’ poll, Feb. 2009 issue, on newsstands and at www.AmericanStyle.com on Dec. 16, 2008.

Are you planning a trip to one of these great festivals in 2009?

Here’s the winners list again in calendar order:

February 21-22 Kentucky Crafted: The Market (2)
February 27-March 1 American Craft Council Show in Baltimore (8)
March 20-22 Scottsdale Arts Festival (4)
March 27-29 Bayou City Art Festival (3* also see October)
June 26-28 Des Moines Arts Festival (5)
June 27-28 Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at Midway College (7)
July 15-18 Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (9)
September 12-13 Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend (1)
October 2-4 St. James Court Art Show (6)
October 10-11 Bayou City Art Festival (3* also see March)
October 17-18 Kentuck Festival of the Arts (10)

The mission of AmericanStyle magazine is to inform craft enthusiasts and art collectors about the significance of handmade objects of art. Launched in 1994 by The Rosen Group, AmericanStyle provides art lovers with valuable tips on decorating, interior design, display and lighting ideas for everything from designer jewelry and art glass to collectible teapots, art furniture and sculptural ceramics. More than 250 arts festivals, gallery exhibitions and museum events are listed in the Datebook section of each issue. For more information, visit www.AmericanStyle.com.

Comments

Connie Mettler January 2, 2009 at 9:21pm

I love that your favorite show is "all of them." It is an exciting business, isn't it, Jean? I'd love to have you do a blog posting now and then and welcome your participation on this site.

Thanks for the posting below.
Jean Thompson December 17, 2008 at 5:02pm

Hi, Connie! I read your blog, which is wonderful. When I saw the note about AmericanStyle's Top 10 and Wausau's Artrageous Weekend, I thought I'd reply by sending you the press release. Wish I'd done it earlier! AmericanStyle conducts a reader poll -- the fairs and festivals that make the Top 10 are determined strictly by reader votes. Yes, this means that the fair with the most fans who e-mail or fill in the ballot can pull off the big win. And congratulations to them! Call anytime if you need more info. Jean Thompson, Director of Circulation, Marketing and P.R., AmericanStyle and the Buyers Market of American Craft/The Rosen Group. 410-889-2933, ext. 218
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jean Thompson, AmericanStyle
410-889-2933, ext. 218
jeant@rosengrp.com

America’s Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals: Winners Announced!

Baltimore, MD (Dec. 11, 2008) Where do Americans prefer to go to view and buy art and fine craft in a festive setting? The answers are in the February 2009 issue of AmericanStyle magazine, which will reveal the nation’s Top 10 Fairs & Festivals, as determined by polling its readers. The issue goes on sale at newsstands on Dec. 16.

Art collectors are willing to flock to places like Wausau, Wis., and Midway, Ky. – crossroads far removed from better-known urban art centers. Despite the distance and the economic downturn, many of the top-rated art fairs and festivals boast crowd counts of more than 200,000 visitors – made up of tourists and locals alike.

What keeps the crowds coming back?

The quality and diversity of the art are top-notch. In addition, the nation’s best art events provide a noteworthy intersection of contemporary trends in professional art and craft and major current trends in retail, says Wendy Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle.

“Discerning shoppers can ‘buy local,’ ‘buy handmade,’ ‘buy American’ and ‘support a worthy cause’ simultaneously at the very best art fairs and festivals,” Ms. Rosen says. “At the same time, they help the economy by supporting the small businesses of artists.”

“They can feel good about making an investment in professional handcraft that has been carefully juried,” Ms. Rosen says, “and at the same time, soak up the fun atmosphere, the entertainment, the education and the collegiality that’s possible only at a gathering of like-minded art lovers. They can meet the artists and learn where the work came from and how it was made.”

This year’s first-place winner blends three distinct events into a citywide arts extravaganza called Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend: Art in the Park, held in Marathon Park; the Festival of Arts, in downtown Wausau, Wis.; and the annual “Birds in Art” exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art museum, a mecca for international wildlife artists.

Winners list
TOP 10 FAIRS & FESTIVALS

1. Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend, Wausau, Wis.
2. Kentucky Crafted: The Market, Louisville, Ky.
3. Bayou City Art Festival, Houston, Texas
4. Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale, Ariz.
5. Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, Iowa
6. St. James Court Art Show, Louisville, Ky.
7. Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at Midway College, Midway, Ky.
8. American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, Baltimore, Md.
9. Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, Ann Arbor, Mich.
10. Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Northport, Ala.

SOURCE: AmericanStyle magazine readers’ poll, Feb. 2009 issue, on newsstands and at www.AmericanStyle.com on Dec. 16, 2008.

Are you planning a trip to one of these great festivals in 2009?

Here’s the winners list again in calendar order:

February 21-22 Kentucky Crafted: The Market (2)
February 27-March 1 American Craft Council Show in Baltimore (8)
March 20-22 Scottsdale Arts Festival (4)
March 27-29 Bayou City Art Festival (3* also see October)
June 26-28 Des Moines Arts Festival (5)
June 27-28 Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at Midway College (7)
July 15-18 Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (9)
September 12-13 Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend (1)
October 2-4 St. James Court Art Show (6)
October 10-11 Bayou City Art Festival (3* also see March)
October 17-18 Kentuck Festival of the Arts (10)

The mission of AmericanStyle magazine is to inform craft enthusiasts and art collectors about the significance of handmade objects of art. Launched in 1994 by The Rosen Group, AmericanStyle provides art lovers with valuable tips on decorating, interior design, display and lighting ideas for everything from designer jewelry and art glass to collectible teapots, art furniture and sculptural ceramics. More than 250 arts festivals, gallery exhibitions and museum events are listed in the Datebook section of each issue. For more information, visit www.AmericanStyle.com.

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