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Just got back from the Chincoteague Island Decoy and Wildlife Art Show. The show is held every year on the Friday and Saturday before Easter. This year had a great selection of Artists, and the crowds were pretty good, too. It was a nice weekend to visit the Island, with warm weather and good sunshine. Chincoteague has a lot of “summer” cottages owned by people in the Mid-Atlantic area, and they all come to the Island on nice weekend. It’s also a popular vacation spot, and day trip destination. This all helps bring people into the show. A lot of them are repeat visitors, looking forward to the show every year.

The variety of Artists was good, with a mix of local talent and out of town talent, and also a good mix of decoy carvers and 2-D artists. Some of the carvers were really great. One specialized in hummingbirds, with a carved flower and the hummingbird beak in the flower. Nothing was holding the bird up except the finely carved beak! There was not an over abundance of jewelers, and the one’s there were all a little different.

The show is held in the Chincoteague Island “Combined” School cafeteria and gymnasium, and is put on by the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce. Friday is from 12 to 6PM, and Saturday is 9AM to 5PM, with an auction at 7:30PM. I didn’t make it back for the auction as I was trying to get a good sunset shot, but I understand the picture I donated of a wild pony went for a lot more that I’d have sold it for in my booth! For those not familiar with Chincoteague Island, it’s a old fishing village on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and adjacent to the Assateague Island National Seashore Park.

For me the sales were not that great. Saturday was OK, but I sold very little on Friday. There were also too many Photographers and they all specialized in wildlife. It wouldn’t have been too many Photogs, if we all had different specialties. My personal opinion, also, is that the show should be one day only, with longer hours (until after the auction). The out of town folks have to spend an extra night in a motel with very low sales on Friday.