I want to thank all of the artists who participated in the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff July10-11, 2010. I truly believe it was the best show yet of my 15 years with the Krasl Art Fair. We had wonderful weather, fantastic crowds and....people were buying art!!!! Thanks to all who attended and bought art. We are gearing up to celebrate our 50th Anniversary next year! I welcome hearing from any of you, as our motto is "You talk, we listen".
Sara, I don't recall a coordinator from another show so visibly soliciting input on this forum from participating artist, thank you.
Areas of Strengths:
• The learner’s attitude that you and many on your staff have to improve and be a top ranked show, is what really struck me about Krasl. This is based on adopting best practices and by keeping an open ear to suggestions. There is a desire on the part of the staff to make Krasl the artists' favorite, and it shows. In this regard, several things stood out to me:
a) Round table discuss during the awards breakfast to solicit areas for improvement and to receive feedback on new initiative (e.g. opening reception). I have not been to another show this year that has been so proactive in hearing from participating artists
b) Benchmarking against top shows: I was impressed to learn that members of your staff had traveled to Belleville, IL (Art on the Square) to learn how they utilize their volunteers and to learn about their pre-purchase program, Art Cash. It was nice to see that Krasl has implemented a similar initiative known as Krasl Bucks. As to volunteers, it is clear that the St. Joseph community has embraced this show, 400 volunteers participated. The volunteer program was well organized, very visible and effectively executed.
c) Effective use of Facebook and social media sites like ArtFairInsider to solicit feedback.
* Top shows thatI have participated in this year have had strong community support both in volunteerism and corporate sponsorship. These shows also have a very effective show coordinator that has had a long tenure with the show. In my opinion, Krasl is right up there with the best of shows. It was impressive to see how the community rallies around this show.
Other areas of strength included:
• Easy load in and load out
• Generous booth Spaces: 12X12 with ample storage in the back
• Size of the Show: 200 artists, keeping the show small, in proper ratio to community size
• Nearby Artist parking was coordinated well and included space for both trailers and vehicles
• Effective show layout: There were no dead zones. Booths were arranged in a straight line down the bluff. When I walked the show, I felt that patrons were evenly distributed throughout and they walked the entire show.
• Opening Reception: After a hot setup, it was wonderful to enjoy a classy reception that was welcoming the artists. I appreciated the staff’s desire to interact with the artists (sitting at our tables) and get to know each of us personally.
• Artist in Residence Program: Hotel rates are inflated on this weekend and it is difficult to find a room for under $100 dollars. The willingness of local community members to house artist for free is very appreciated. Again this points to the wiliness of the community to contribute for the show’s success.
• Food a plenty for Artists: I did not need to purchase food for the entire weekend.
• The setting couldn’t be better… remarkable views of Lake Michigan.
To an artist, the bottom line is sales. My price points range from $55 to $600 and I sold in all price points, actually sold several $600 pieces. This made for a very strong 2-day show.
As Michael states above, patrons were knowledgeable about art and enjoyed interacting with the artists. They were proud to have the artists come to their community and knew the competitive nature of show. Most walked the entire show before making purchase decisions, especially for more expensive pieces. I very much enjoyed interacting with patrons.
Sara, well, I'm pleased that my booth didn't frighten you, but when I looked at it, it frightened me! It really was a mess, and even if it wasn't an issue for you, it needed attention. It was, in a word, "blech"! I am very, very fussy about the quality of my photos, and want my customers to be pleased with their purchases (I even offer a 3 day money back guarantee). A shoddy looking booth does not convey quality, so it will be improved.
Even if I was wrong about your reaction, it turned me in the right direction, so thanks!
And, thanks again for the efforts of all the people involved in the Krasl Art Fair. Outstanding job!
Well I just have to respond to Terry's blog! Terry, you dear soul, I have no idea what I was responding to, but rest assured it was not about your booth!!! I got a good chuckle from reading about your perception of your encounter with me. It is one of my personal goals to visit each artist's booth during the show, but in the process I am still "on duty" running the art fair, so I get about 500 interruptions (interruptions are my job!) while in this pursuit, so please don't take my visist and subsequent reaction personally!!! Thank you for being in our show and for taking the time to blog about your experience.
Best regards,
Sara
I too attended the Krasl show for the first time this year, and I want to echo what Michael said in his post about the organizers of the show. Sara and her crew did a fantastic job organizing the fair and making artists feel extremely welcome and appreciated. The quality of the art at the event was among the best I've seen, and the great location and weather made this a show well worth attending.
Unfortunately, Michigan's economy is pretty bad, and, unlike Michael, only a few of the artists that I talked to reported especially good sales. A couple of jewelers with moderately priced items told me that sales were quite good, and an artist selling copper/brass fountains did several thousand dollars worth of business, although I don't know how that compares with other shows he's done. My sales were good on Saturday, but almost nothing on Sunday.
Also, at Krasl I learned an important lesson. Sara stopped by my booth to discuss some questions I had asked her earlier about when a photo should be considered digital art. She was there only briefly before she got a look on her face I can only describe as horror, and excused herself to visit the booth next to mine. I figured it probably wasn't my photos, since I did get juried in, but as I looked around my booth I realized it was a total mess. The Propanels were crooked with pictures hanging at odd angles, the opening in the back of the booth revealed a cluttered table and open tubs, and the overall impression was slightly worse than what you'd find at a sucessful garage sale. Yikes! Until then I hadn't thought about the impression this creates on customers and how it really didn't reflect well on the art show either. Sara was right to be horrified. My very, very bad!
Anyway, the Krasl Art Fair was an event well worth participating in. I suggest that if you can participate, you do so.
Terry
P.S. And "yes", I am fixing up my booth so that it reflects the attention to detail and quality I give to my photos.
I did Krasl this year for the first time and I wish Sara could be cloned for almost any other show in the US! She and her numerous and cheerful/helpful volunteers seemed to anticipate our needs before we needed something! The setup, location, the town of St. Joseph, the visitors (many from Chicagoland) and locals all were terrific. The weather was hot, but a bit of a breeze off of the lake made it bearable. My sales, for a change, were in the "Dang, I made a nice profit!" category. It was in the $4,000 + range, which for a first time/no following show, is always a plus. My price range is $59-700. Barry Berenson was across from me and he, as stated in a blog earlier, was also happy with sales. However, if you're one of those artists who like to hide behind their booth or in a book, stay home, because the public wanted to chat and really wanted to know about the artwork. I will definitely apply for next year!
Comments
Areas of Strengths:
• The learner’s attitude that you and many on your staff have to improve and be a top ranked show, is what really struck me about Krasl. This is based on adopting best practices and by keeping an open ear to suggestions. There is a desire on the part of the staff to make Krasl the artists' favorite, and it shows. In this regard, several things stood out to me:
a) Round table discuss during the awards breakfast to solicit areas for improvement and to receive feedback on new initiative (e.g. opening reception). I have not been to another show this year that has been so proactive in hearing from participating artists
b) Benchmarking against top shows: I was impressed to learn that members of your staff had traveled to Belleville, IL (Art on the Square) to learn how they utilize their volunteers and to learn about their pre-purchase program, Art Cash. It was nice to see that Krasl has implemented a similar initiative known as Krasl Bucks. As to volunteers, it is clear that the St. Joseph community has embraced this show, 400 volunteers participated. The volunteer program was well organized, very visible and effectively executed.
c) Effective use of Facebook and social media sites like ArtFairInsider to solicit feedback.
* Top shows thatI have participated in this year have had strong community support both in volunteerism and corporate sponsorship. These shows also have a very effective show coordinator that has had a long tenure with the show. In my opinion, Krasl is right up there with the best of shows. It was impressive to see how the community rallies around this show.
Other areas of strength included:
• Easy load in and load out
• Generous booth Spaces: 12X12 with ample storage in the back
• Size of the Show: 200 artists, keeping the show small, in proper ratio to community size
• Nearby Artist parking was coordinated well and included space for both trailers and vehicles
• Effective show layout: There were no dead zones. Booths were arranged in a straight line down the bluff. When I walked the show, I felt that patrons were evenly distributed throughout and they walked the entire show.
• Opening Reception: After a hot setup, it was wonderful to enjoy a classy reception that was welcoming the artists. I appreciated the staff’s desire to interact with the artists (sitting at our tables) and get to know each of us personally.
• Artist in Residence Program: Hotel rates are inflated on this weekend and it is difficult to find a room for under $100 dollars. The willingness of local community members to house artist for free is very appreciated. Again this points to the wiliness of the community to contribute for the show’s success.
• Food a plenty for Artists: I did not need to purchase food for the entire weekend.
• The setting couldn’t be better… remarkable views of Lake Michigan.
To an artist, the bottom line is sales. My price points range from $55 to $600 and I sold in all price points, actually sold several $600 pieces. This made for a very strong 2-day show.
As Michael states above, patrons were knowledgeable about art and enjoyed interacting with the artists. They were proud to have the artists come to their community and knew the competitive nature of show. Most walked the entire show before making purchase decisions, especially for more expensive pieces. I very much enjoyed interacting with patrons.
Cheers, Leo
Even if I was wrong about your reaction, it turned me in the right direction, so thanks!
And, thanks again for the efforts of all the people involved in the Krasl Art Fair. Outstanding job!
Terry
Best regards,
Sara
Unfortunately, Michigan's economy is pretty bad, and, unlike Michael, only a few of the artists that I talked to reported especially good sales. A couple of jewelers with moderately priced items told me that sales were quite good, and an artist selling copper/brass fountains did several thousand dollars worth of business, although I don't know how that compares with other shows he's done. My sales were good on Saturday, but almost nothing on Sunday.
Also, at Krasl I learned an important lesson. Sara stopped by my booth to discuss some questions I had asked her earlier about when a photo should be considered digital art. She was there only briefly before she got a look on her face I can only describe as horror, and excused herself to visit the booth next to mine. I figured it probably wasn't my photos, since I did get juried in, but as I looked around my booth I realized it was a total mess. The Propanels were crooked with pictures hanging at odd angles, the opening in the back of the booth revealed a cluttered table and open tubs, and the overall impression was slightly worse than what you'd find at a sucessful garage sale. Yikes! Until then I hadn't thought about the impression this creates on customers and how it really didn't reflect well on the art show either. Sara was right to be horrified. My very, very bad!
Anyway, the Krasl Art Fair was an event well worth participating in. I suggest that if you can participate, you do so.
Terry
P.S. And "yes", I am fixing up my booth so that it reflects the attention to detail and quality I give to my photos.