Carla, creator of Art in the High Desert, has been missing from this site for awhile now. Could it be because she has been busy making jewelry and wearing her show director hat as she geared up for Art in the High Desert in Bend, OR, this last weekend, August 27 & 28? We'd love a report Carla.
In the meantime, here is a report from the Central Oregon news, including a video: http://www.ktvz.com/news/29009404/detail.html
I hope it went well for everyone, Carla.
Comments
Congrats, Carla. Saw the pictures on FB yesterday. Y'all looked real happy with that Benchmark award :-)
Good for you Carla...a mean spirited attack on any one for anything on any forum is unacceptable and nothing less the bad manners. The only time a critique is necessary in when it is requested by the artist for the benefit if the artist. Any other comments are simply common.
A response Mr. Bassett’s mean-spirited attack on the apron artist:
To criticize an artist’s work on a public forum…work you haven’t personally seen really goes beyond the pale. I can’t let it go uncommented on.
Art in the High Desert is tightly-highly juried show. And our jurors are given the charge to pick out work that goes beyond the expected, the usual, the norm. They are given time to really consider each application and the images. Those aprons you disparaged, are as John Beatty correctly pointed out, “high fashion, retro media, original design, artful flair...well executed.” The artist makes her own patterns and designs, sews them all herself. They were juried into the wearable category and were viewed by a sophisticated & knowledgeable group of jurors as a breath of fresh air…something different and compelling.
As an artist myself, I’d would be delighted to be next to such a wonderful artist who engaged the public, added humor and fun to her “neighborhood,” had a beautiful display and was proud and excited about her work. I’d rather be next to her then next to a curmudgeon negative know-it-all artist who has nothing good to say.
Mr. Basset. You can come straight at me if you need to spew. But don’t criticize a wonderful artist & her work just because you’re having a bad day. To do so based on what you see in a video is really unprofessional and shows a lack of knowledge, and understanding of the art show world.
Are you indeed a real artist, or just another anon who likes to start flame wars? I note in your profile you have no identifying info, no website, and list just one year experience as a show artist.
Sorry Connie. I hate to dip to this level, but I couldn’t let a spurious attack on a fine hardworking artist go. I am done now. 8-)
Carla
Connie…Thank you for asking.
Indeed I have been busy getting ready for Art in the High Desert in Bend, OR as well as trying to keep up my inventory for the shows I do as an artist. This weekend its Art in the Pearl, in Portland, OR for me.
This was our 4th Art in the High Desert. AHD is put on by a non-profit, all-volunteer small group of artists and arts advocates. It is a small but mighty group.
Despite the shakey economy AHD 2011 was by far the best we’ve had. Artists report that their sales are increasing with each year they a participate. One furniture maker told us he sold $15,000 worth of work. Another artist reported sales of $8600. Of course not all artists were this successful, but most seemed happy with their sales.
The AHD weekend is becoming the cultural weekend to be in Bend as other organizations are also hosting fun cultural events. (Garrison Keiller, Ben Harper, & Shakespeare also held events this weekend.) We increasingly have out-of-town patrons planning their trips to Bend, OR for the AHD weekend.
This is typical of the comments we were getting from our patrons: "We've attended many art fairs across the country over the years, and Art in the High Desert is quite simply the best of all! The work is of such high quality and so different from what we are used to seeing." We hear this over and over again.
Also to help reward those who buy art; AHD donates 45 gift bags that we give out to patrons who spend over $500. In just these 45 people we found they were spending an average of $1000 each. AHD also handed out $2000 in Art Bucks to people. These Art Bucks could be used only to purchase art this year. Both these programs are going to be enlarged upon as we can.
Our weather was a bit hotter then we’d like, but tolerable. Set-up and break-down went very well. We are told by artists we have one of the most beautiful sites they’ve seen. We had one windy event but all artists were warned and so no damage or problems.
To read more about our show, read artist comments, go to the Art in the High Desert Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/artinthehighdesert.
Our website is: http://www.artinthehighdesert.com/
I think from both sides of the aisle there was a lot of excitement and happiness with how this year's show turned out. We want to thank the 2011 AHD Artists who presented us with a BenchMark award for organizing this show. It was deeply felt and appreciated.
Carla
At least you will be with good people...right Larry Berman? It will be like Parisian Shopping where all the stores that sell alike are next to each other....that is one of the things I love about Paris.
Don't remind me, I'll be at Penrod in Indianapolis in a week and a half, and both sides to me are other photographers. That should be interesting.
But would you really want to be next to a photographer??? HHHMMMMM!!!
What's interesting is that if you research the backgrounds of some of these new shows and promoters/directors, you'll see that the shows run by exhibiting artists who themselves are capable of getting into the major shows have fewer artists and keep the overall quality higher. Besides Carla, Bill Kinney comes to mind.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
I just had to check out Mr. Bassett's comment...Looked through the reel..found the Apron Booth...Checked out their website...I liked them, high fashion, retro media, original design, artful flair...well executed.. Remember,,,this is a Fine Arts and Craft Fair...in Oregon....and in the 37 years I have been doing shows...never knew the booth next door to deter from my sales to my clientele...I'd be proud to be next to the Aprons...or next to Wood as well.....!!