Posted by Scott Martin on April 27, 2010 at 4:44pm
I do functional pottery with a price range of $20-275 and was wondering if Artscape in Baltimore is a good buyers show. The write up says crowds are huge but is it just a fest or do people actually buy?
I did it two years ago with painting- the crowd DRINKS-it got a little unsafe feeling at night, it was amazingly hot- 100+ baltimore, july, blacktop. it did ok- but the crazy crowd and heat have kept me out since. i agree on the tents-they are supplied-but a bit odd- very very tall, make sure you can separate yourself visually from your tentmates -and bring a ladder- im 6'4 and couldnt reach the top of the tent flap!!
I was the demonstrating wood turner at Artscape for three years (a separate area called Demoscape), but passed last year when they changed the 'rules' and I would have had to pay for a booth and only demonstrate for an hour or so on a stage with no real added benefits.
The show can be seriously huge if the weather is good. One year I'm certain over a million people came. Since it's a free event and there's music, 80 to 90 percent aren't buyers - BUT even ten percent of a million is 100,000 and I don't know many shows with that kind of buying attendance. The weather is usually very hot, so be prepared. There is limited and strangely located parking, so expect to walk a bit. Considering the size of the event and that it's in the middle of a large city, it is very well managed - my only major complaint was that they insist you use their tents (rented from somewhere else), and they aren't always in all that great a shape. Be prepared to water proof your things as the sides (and bottoms) don't block rain or drainage that well. I made good sales when turning at my booth as it attracted people. Sometimes I'd have 30 or 40 folks watching and usually one or more would buy something. With the change, I couldn't see lugging about 120 lbs of gear up onto a stage for an hour or two and not have anyone be able to figure out where my booth was. One last thing - there's booth power provided by the city, but they cut it off really early on Sunday night as it's all got to be torn down just like the tents and everything else. Be prepared to break down with only street lighting!
Comments
The show can be seriously huge if the weather is good. One year I'm certain over a million people came. Since it's a free event and there's music, 80 to 90 percent aren't buyers - BUT even ten percent of a million is 100,000 and I don't know many shows with that kind of buying attendance. The weather is usually very hot, so be prepared. There is limited and strangely located parking, so expect to walk a bit. Considering the size of the event and that it's in the middle of a large city, it is very well managed - my only major complaint was that they insist you use their tents (rented from somewhere else), and they aren't always in all that great a shape. Be prepared to water proof your things as the sides (and bottoms) don't block rain or drainage that well. I made good sales when turning at my booth as it attracted people. Sometimes I'd have 30 or 40 folks watching and usually one or more would buy something. With the change, I couldn't see lugging about 120 lbs of gear up onto a stage for an hour or two and not have anyone be able to figure out where my booth was. One last thing - there's booth power provided by the city, but they cut it off really early on Sunday night as it's all got to be torn down just like the tents and everything else. Be prepared to break down with only street lighting!