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After receiving notification of my work being accepted to this Columbia, MD show, I was asked to use one of my pieces online and as part of the promotional ad for the show.  I was pleased to accept, (that's my 18-inch bamboo bowl wall hanging near the earrings above).  This was the first time I'd applied to ArtPark; part of a 2-week festival which includes dramatic, music, and dance performances.  The show consisted of 43 artists, in the usual categories, and the overall quality of the work I saw during the show was high, with no buy/sell. 

We made the 6-hour drive on Thursday, stayed overnight with a friend, and arrived early for our desginated Friday 11 am setup time.  We were met by show management, and walked to our tent location.  The setting is around a beautiful lake, with tents facing a row of restaurants with both indoor and outdoor seating shaded by large trees. Cars are not allowed onto the actual tent site, so management provided motorized vehicles and able-bodied volunteers to load and deliver everything there.  Cool!  We like to have a leisurely setup whenever possible, and this fit the bill; the weather was gorgeous (as it was all weekend), and arriving early meant we were set up well ahead of our neighbors.  There was absolutely NO space between tents in our area, which was a pain.  Before the show opened, the fire marshal walked through, noting each artist's type/brand of tent.  This was significant, given the stringent requirements for fire safety stated on the application and acceptance documents (we also were required to have a specific type of fire extinguisher 'prominently placed' inside the tent).

Show hours were 5pm to 9pm Friday, Noon to 9pm Saturday, and Noon to 7pm Sunday, and admission was free. 

Friday was slow, and although there were many after dinner strollers, there were virtually no buyers.  People who'd done the show before (the few there were) said this was typical of Friday night. 

Not opening until noon Saturday was pleasant, there was a steady stream of people all day, though no huge crowds.  In Baltimore, which is about a 30-minute drive away, there was a major event going on at the harbor, with tall ships and the Blue Angels, so this may have accounted for the smaller numbers.  The festival had music, and a trapeze act in another section apart from where we were, as well as a kids' area and food.  We had several sales during the late afternoon, the usual complement of "I'll be backs," and overall, we were positive about the show.  Volunteers were polite and plentiful, offering to booth sit.  Each morning, there was coffee and doughnuts at the welcome tent.  Show managers were also visible, and made a point of visiting to ask how things were going.  During the late afternoon, our neighbor, who sold fused glass jewelry and plates said she had "her most expensive piece" stolen while she was talking with people in her booth.  I think her non-secure display contributed to this (small pieces in open trays on a table at the front of the booth, while she sat in the back, below the level of the table), as well as the fact that she was alone.  We had no such incidents, nor did I hear of any others. 

Sunday brought us some fantastic surprises:  two of the "I'll be backs" actually did come back.  One to purchase a companion piece to one she'd purchased on Saturday, and the other, to purchase three of my newest pieces, which will adorn a law office wall. Adding these two sales made Sunday my highest grossing day ever, and I was beyond thrilled!  The show ended with an efficient breakdown and load out, with the motorized carts, helpers, and advantageous parking space making it among the easiest we've ever had. 

Would I do ArtPark again?  Absolutely.  In fact, I may be invited to do it next year.  Apparently, the management extends invitations to previous exhibitors, which means they don't have to be juried for that year.  Would I recommend it to others?  Yes.  Here's what you'll need to know to apply:

ArtPark information:  Show dates:  June 15~17, 2012   Application deadline:  March 2, 2012  

Application:  online .pdf on the show site:  http://columbiafestival.com/artpark-fine-art-crafts-show-sale/

No Entry Fee. 

Show fee:  $200   Electricity fee:  $50 (you'll want it--show runs until 9pm on two of three days, and it's in a heavily shaded area). 

Free parking for exhibitors. 

~Michelle Davis Petelinz