Location
Duluth, MN
About
Your Medium
Clay
Years in the Art Fair Business
40
First show ever
I started before shows had names. A friend called me and asked if I'd like to join a group of artists that were going to set up displays of their work on the campus square. The first 'organized' art fair I did was at West Acres Shopping Center in Fargo, ND.
What are the best things about art fairs
After making tons of money from sales...direct contact with the people who are going to live with the work. After that, re-connecting with those same people year after year,and actually building a relationship with them that goes beyond the transaction of work-for-money and becomes friendship.
Best show ever and why
Coconut Grove Art Fair..some years ago. It's South Florida..in Feb.!!! There was no gate fee, so the streets were packed. All (well, a lot) of our friends were there. We had a ten-thousand dollar day!
Worst show ever and why
La Quinta Art Festival, palm Springs (area) CA. Sometime in the 90's. A long way to go for so-so sales. I had to tell a friend of the family that my father had died earlier that year. It was a gated show, with the proceeds going towards art education in the local schools. We saw children outside the gate looking in, but not able to get inside, because they, or their parents, didn't have the gate fee. It was a real shock to see the huge divide between the wealthy people in that area, who live in their second or third homes, and the service-industry people who work for them. The gap was sooo huge! It was actually disturbing. And what a slap in the face, to say that the gate fees were going to art education, and turning away kids who wanted to get in and see the art that was there! Harumph!!
Who referred you to ArtFairInsiders.com? Please be specific.
Other artists and promoters have mentioned the site.
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Welcome to ArtFairInsiders.com, Richard. I'm pleased to see you here and look forward to having you as part of our community.
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Best wishes,
Connie Mettler
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