I know Barry Bernstein gave you a quick memo about Gasparilla Art Show in Tampa, but I thought I could give a little more in depth reporting.
My wife, Ellen Marshall was an exhibitor there. I was not, I was in the lovely Blooming Bartow show down the road. I tore down on Saturday at 3 pm when winds were already blasting that show at 25 mph-plus. I got out in one piece, work intact, booth intact, made $440.00 Whoopee!
Got home last night and Ellen told me about her day. She sold a big cow for over $2K so her show was made.
We knew from the weather reports that Sunday was not going to be a good weather day which would translate into pitiful artist sales and big risks of work and booth getting trashed.
So Sunday morn after doing breakfest across from the show, I suggested to her to do the sensible thing--tear down and get the hell out of Dodge intact.
When we arrived at the show her neighbor two booths over had his rear of the booth badly crippled. There were others who were blown over. Hell, big metal sculptures were blown over. And the wind was just getting started at 8 am in the morn.
Ellen's booth was on the first line of booths in the show. Right next to Ashley Drive set up on a concrete plaza. Her row got the first blasts of air coming in. Most booths fared poorly. I mean people were weighted down with heavy blocks,weights, tied to poles. But there is only so much wind our temporary booths can withstand and then something has to give.
We jumped the plaza curb and got her van in there. An hour later, with help from some passerbys, we were out of there. Jerry and Carol Napoli, neighbors started to slowly tear down. We went home and promptly fell back to sleep, safe and sound.
Around 10 am I went out for a New York Times and decided to swing by Ashley and see how the booths were faring. Almost every booth on Ellen's row was now taken down as well as booths on the next row in. People out in the park, on grass, fared better. They could stake down--they didn't have booths walking in the wind. Trouble was, there was nobody there to sell to.
It is ironic about Gasparilla. They offer some of the biggest prize money on the circuit--more than $75,000. But being in this newly remodeled downtown park they now have the dubious honor of being one of the worst shows that you will ever have to tear down from. Show was to be over at 5pm, Ellen's load-in time was scheduled for 7 pm, two hours after closing.
Unfortunately the City Fathers of Tampa (i.e. the City Council) are hell-bent on that show only being on this concrete plaza with some grass in downtown. God Forbid! No artists are to be on the streets.
This poses several problems. One, because of park size, the number of exhibitors is now less. Two, being on concrete, even weighted down, booths are going to walk in high winds (Guess what, it is always rainy and,or windy at Gasparilla, that is the norm). Three, vehicles must stay only on concrete sidewalks which makes for a tedious setup and teardown. The local fire chief is adamantly opposed to any vehicles parked on Ashley behind cones. Although Sunday morn, they did have a row of cones out with vans inside, tearing down and loading out. This is no way to put on a prestigious art show.
More and more artists are going to quit applying to Gasparilla, the effort is not worth it.
I am just glad we got Ellen out intact and booth undamaged. Same thing for me at lovely Blooming Bartow(don't waste your time there unless you have ceramic butterfly gardens on rebar selling for $19.95--my neighbor sold out of them by noontime.). I pray other exhibitors got out of Gasparilla undamaged.
The wind has been howling all day with very uncomfortable temps. It was a tough weather weekend with the Mercado and Sullivan shows closing in Naples as well as Gasparilla. It sounds like Howard's Los Olas escaped the brunt of the weather according to exhibitor Steve Vaughn.
I would love to see Gasparilla succed. But the City Fathers are on a wrong course for this show.
Ironically, yesterday artist Rick Abrams wisely started tearing his booth down at 3:30 and a couple of committee members gave him shit over it. Then this morn, those very members were holding onto a big committee tent for dear life. Talk about karma man, there you have it.
Hopefully other exhibitors who were there will chime in with a report. You all can't just be lurkers, you gotta be proactive sometimes. Now I am going to take a delightful afternoon nap and have some great sushi this evening--Ellen's buying.
Comments
When I said they sold more than me i was talking about the lovely couple from East Jordan, Michigan. They had the perfect product for that show--I wish they had had 50 more Butterfly Gardens, they would have sold them all. I am genuinely happy for them. They were the best neighbors a guy could ever ask for at an art show. All I was doing in using them as an example was to explain where the level of sales were going for that show.
Truthfully, if I had to do shows like Bartow, I would jump off the Skyway first, but thankfully I don't have to. You just go enjoy yourselves, hope ya make a decent living. Like you said, we all have different standards.
"Shame on you", where do get off saying that. i actually took the time to report. All I see from you is some juvenile carping.
Oh boo hoo hoo.
First off, you have a committee that doesn't return phone calls. Doesn't tell you your booth space.
Hey folks. It is a tough world out there, most years I get in Gasparilla, this year I did not. Your only alternative on this date is either HA shows (which are against my religion, he is a fine man, I just don't believe in him) or lovely Blooming Bartow. I rolled the dice and lost. I can accept that. Gee, I guess you must be new to concept, 100-per cent of shows I do are juried. Big deal, juried can be very nebulous. In this show there were three booths of photography with the same letters from the alphabet--straight off the internet--whooppe.
Yes, they sold more than me, I am happy for them, I wasn't knocking them--I just gave a little clue to where sales were going at this show.
Gee Lin,Lighten up and smell the roses honey.
Shame on you, Nels.
Bartow Bloomin' Arts is a wonderful mid-level show for mid-level artists. It wasn't too long ago that they had suncatchers from upcycled CDs. Maybe they are trying to upgrade instead of admitting buy/sell. After all, you applied. The folks that host the show are attentive, selective -- and just flat NICE. Which is more than I can say about many others. . .
Wind/weather is out of the control of the organizers. Instead of denying it existed (as at Altamone Springs), they actually came around to let artists know there was a problem coming and offered assistance with teardown as needed.
Really, I can't imagine what you were doing there to begin with. . . not accepted at a "good" show? Enticed by the promise of award money?. It's hard to believe that ANYONE would badmouth a show that actually JURIES.
Those of us that don't care to compete with the "big guns" for prize money appreciate the opportunity to show at events to actually sell our work. It may be that the rebar flowers aren't your idea of art, but he/she sold more than you. Before you have the nasties with "our" shows, remember that everybody has a place.
Maybe you'd be better served sticking with yours.
What a hardy bunch, we art fair artists! I'm celebrating with those who came out with minimal damage, and empathizing with those who had damage. I'll bet that you are all glad that it's over now. Best of luck with the next shows.
Days like those with high winds linger long in the memories of art fair artists, always haunting us. But each weekend we set of in our vehicles imagining sunny skies, and that is what drives us.
Excellent review.
Here is a little about the prizewinners: http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/mar/03/4/sculptor-wins-...
Well, I was an "Emerging Artist" in Gaspo. What an experience that was. I had quilts and found out quickly that nobody, but nobody is buying fiber or more particularly art quilts. Yes, Saturday saw the show filled with people - looking. Sunday was another story. Got there early to set up again. When we arrived, the tent next to us had collapsed and our was on its way down. My partner was thrown off the ladder when he tried to secure things. That was enough for us. We packed up and left. Oh well, that's art fair life. It makes me wonder though if I really want to do this again.
Yes, the winds on Sunday morning were awful, especially in the wind tunnel which the front booths get to experience. I walked over around 7:15 and 5 booths were down with others starting to go. I helped the committee take down the sides from a booth of a glass artist who, unbelievably enough, had NO weights on the canopy. They had packed all their work up overnight inside, or else they would have been totally wiped out. The winds got worse as the morning progressed and everyone on that front section eventually packed it in and left. It was a domino effect, once the person next to you tore down, the neighbor had to tear down, because they lost the wind buffer of the neighbor's booth.
Regarding turnout, Sunday afternoon there were tons of folks there. I ended up with a decent show, thanks to Sunday because my Saturday numbers were pretty bad. Go figure.
I'm not sure what possessed me to apply this year but thankfully I did not get in. This show is just too difficult to do for the money that I made.
It was two different shows for the artists near the street on the plaza and those of us down furred in the grass. The afternoon was sunny, warmed up, and the crowds were huge. Much bigger than Saturday. This is Florida, Tampa's econOmy is tedious, high unemployment, real estate bust, you name it, but at least it's not a city or crowds from the senior sect like down south in SW Florida. The vibe this afternoon was fine. Some reported decent sales around me, I did fine, but mostly small stuff, which is not what I'm looking for. I did have a couple bigger sales, and should have some after show potential, from a couple customers. This is my first time here.
I will say the venue is great in the park in front of the museum. Artist treatment, amenities is also first rate. Yes, load out takes time, seems like it could go faster. I alwYs wonder what's the hurry. You do get out, and it's not a free for all like the Grove. Over scripted, no doubt, but it is orderly, and maybe it has to be that way. The police close the streets, and access is limited if you want to drive to your booth. I alwYs say those who complain about particulars usually did not have a good show. What difference does it make, this is what art show life is, dealing with all the BS that can happen. I'd be pissed if I was in the wind tunnel. But that's not the shows fault. For $450 you get to spend the weekend in a park, get fed, have a chance for crazy award money, (juror selected my piece, but I did not win:(... Crazy only 3 awards to photographers out of around 40 awards. And show your work to tens of thousands of people, even if most are not art buyers- but you can also end up making a lot mOre $ than you would sitting it out. It's usually a gamble on the weather, I do feel sorry for those that lost thier tents and any damage to their work. It happens unfortunately.
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