Wanted to see how Cherry Creek show was on the 4th of July so went online and did a google search I was quite amazed at what I read from a buyers view I found this site and was amazed at what I read. http://www.yelp.com/biz/cherry-creek-arts-festival-denver I realize it was yelp.com but it was very informative. you make the decision.
There you go, doctor's saying the show was too expensive. just heard from a friend who did a show in Calif, Sunnyvale and he said they were not spending an that the show was down also heard that Los Altos which is a high end area in the bay area was WAY down.
He has lots of applicants, reinvites few and really mixes up his jurors every year for a fresh look. I'm thinking that some of these people just have stellar presentations if you think there are a lot of regular repeaters. I walked the St. Joe show last weekend looking for unusual booths for a post I'm going to write. Amazingly, at least half of them were award winners that weekend. Explain that? My criteria was looking for people who had booths that were not the same old mesh panels or Pro Panels, but people who had designed something themselves. These were the winners. I was quite surprised at that.
I was on a vacation recently (dog sledding in Ontario) and a couple were doctors from Denver and I asked them (of course) if they attended the CC festival -- , "oh no, the work is way too expensive" was the reply. Huh?
Well to add to the discussion about Cherry Creek. Yesterday was on phone with a customer who has been to cherry creek for the past 10 years. She lives in Littleton CO. Her words to me were that she used to like to go to cherry creek and went every year, But lately has stopped because she saw the same artists with the same old art year after year. Also years ago she could afford the art, lately she and many of her friends cannot afford to spend the kind of money they want at Cherry Creek. Maybe the promoter should mix it up instead of the same artists year after year.
Thanks for finding this info, Steve. These comments are often an eye opener for artists -- often so much hostility is exhibited. But I think useful to read now and then.
I think it may have been '09 for that Des Moines incident. As I recall it was some of Ginny Herzog's work and she may have gotten it back. The comments in the paper (or online version) re-defined the term "Crass". And I agree with R. Michael that the state of insipidnous is cross generational. As thick of skin as I have there are still occasions where some of those comments on the street (my street) get through to me. I guess it goes with the territory. But there is only so much educating we can do and still have time to interact and sell to our already knowledgeable customers. Maybe the shows could put a little more emphasis on community education prior to our arrival. I don't think that most patrons at the shows have a clue as to what it's all about to make a living as an artist.
I didn't do the show, just a local who's visited the show over the years. I applied this year and got rejected. May not bother to apply again. The "man-on-the-street" comments can be infuriating, but it's no different than the comments I heard in my booth in OKC and Des Moines this year. I think the general public doesn't understand the art fair hierarchy - craft fairs with sock puppets vs. fine art and craft vs. high-end Cherry Creek-type shows. They just see art festival and come on down for what they assume will be bargains because it's being sold out of a tent. After doing a couple bigger shows I'm having mixed feelings about them and how they're marketed to the public and the artists. I definitely prefer the mid-range shows and the kind of appreciative crowds they pull in.
I didn't know that there was a problem in Des Moines in 2010. It would certainly explain the high number of new artists at the show this year - myself included. I did pull my work out every night of the show due to weather concerns, but there was minimal police presence at the show compared to places like OKC. The folks griping about the quality of the work stolen were probably the ones trying to fence it after the fact. Serves them right.
Oooh, that was snippy! Actually should have not said "young" and wrote "uneducated" or "uninformed". I have a thing about news sites that have comment sections where anyone can say anything. It used to be you had to mail a letter to the editor, and it was parsed before it was published. After Des Moines last year, after many booths were burgled, there were many snide remarks on the newspaper site commenting on the quality of the work stolen. It just sticks in my craw... (isn't that what I am doing here? the irony...)
I wonder about these "man/woman on the street" sites. Do we really want to hear from these people? I did Cherry Creek for the past 3 years, and there are enough serious buyers to counter balance the young folk who, as far as I can tell, have never had an art history class in their, short, little lives. They are cutting those, aren't they? It certainly shows in these insipid remarks.
I agree with Jacqueline. Nothing new here, just fill in the blank for which high-end show. Fortunately we aren't dependent on selling to everyone attending the show. We each just need our little slice. I also noted that of the 25 comments I only saw one from 2011, not that it matters.
did you do it,, i fig it was a way to stimulate some reviews about cherry creek. I did boulder years ago and heard from a lot of people in that area, who do not even go to cherry creek because of the prices.
Comments
He has lots of applicants, reinvites few and really mixes up his jurors every year for a fresh look. I'm thinking that some of these people just have stellar presentations if you think there are a lot of regular repeaters. I walked the St. Joe show last weekend looking for unusual booths for a post I'm going to write. Amazingly, at least half of them were award winners that weekend. Explain that? My criteria was looking for people who had booths that were not the same old mesh panels or Pro Panels, but people who had designed something themselves. These were the winners. I was quite surprised at that.
I was on a vacation recently (dog sledding in Ontario) and a couple were doctors from Denver and I asked them (of course) if they attended the CC festival -- , "oh no, the work is way too expensive" was the reply. Huh?
Thanks for finding this info, Steve. These comments are often an eye opener for artists -- often so much hostility is exhibited. But I think useful to read now and then.
Yes, it was Ginny's work and she did recover it.
I didn't do the show, just a local who's visited the show over the years. I applied this year and got rejected. May not bother to apply again. The "man-on-the-street" comments can be infuriating, but it's no different than the comments I heard in my booth in OKC and Des Moines this year. I think the general public doesn't understand the art fair hierarchy - craft fairs with sock puppets vs. fine art and craft vs. high-end Cherry Creek-type shows. They just see art festival and come on down for what they assume will be bargains because it's being sold out of a tent. After doing a couple bigger shows I'm having mixed feelings about them and how they're marketed to the public and the artists. I definitely prefer the mid-range shows and the kind of appreciative crowds they pull in.
I didn't know that there was a problem in Des Moines in 2010. It would certainly explain the high number of new artists at the show this year - myself included. I did pull my work out every night of the show due to weather concerns, but there was minimal police presence at the show compared to places like OKC. The folks griping about the quality of the work stolen were probably the ones trying to fence it after the fact. Serves them right.
Oooh, that was snippy! Actually should have not said "young" and wrote "uneducated" or "uninformed". I have a thing about news sites that have comment sections where anyone can say anything. It used to be you had to mail a letter to the editor, and it was parsed before it was published. After Des Moines last year, after many booths were burgled, there were many snide remarks on the newspaper site commenting on the quality of the work stolen. It just sticks in my craw... (isn't that what I am doing here? the irony...)
Young people are some of my best customers.
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