No one predicted that Connie Mettler would end up an Internet guru.Sure, Connie's decades in the art fair business made her an expert in art events, and helped her develop friendships with artists like you nationwide. But when I told her about this “Internet” thing, she saw it as just a distraction from the "real world" art fairs she loves.
Luckily, I kept up the pressure to put my mom’s love for the art fair business to use on the World Wide Web. In 2004 I started ArtFairCalendar.com so she could collect the nation’s art fair event listings all in one place because of her concern about falling attendance at the events.
And then, as the social media revolution arrived, I started ArtFairInsiders.com to help her help the artist community come together online. In both cases it is Connie’s decades of expertise that have made these sites successful.
This week is Connie’s birthday. Surprisingly to both of us, she has now been working full-time as a “web producer” for several years (in addition to her roles in producing Arts, Beats and Eats, the Great Lakes Art Fair, and consulting for other art events nationwide).
Perhaps more importantly, it’s been over two years since ArtFairInsiders.com took off and seven since the launch of ArtFairCalendar.com.
So welcome to our 2nd Annual Connie and ArtFairInsiders.com Birthday Party!
Will you please help me recognize Connie’s years of efforts to support and promote artists and the art
fair community? I would like to invite you to show your support for the AFI community with a small PLEDGE.
Learn more here about how you can support ArtFairInsiders.com and send Connie a Happy
Birthday wish, too: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html
Thanks for being here!
Scott (Connie’s son)
P.S. And, mark your calendar for the next two Thursdays, (May 26 & June 2) at 6 pm ET. At ArtFairInsiders.com we'll have two online radio "AFI Birthday Party" broadcasts.
1 - This Thursday (5/26) you can listen to popular (and often controversial) ArtFairInsiders.com members Munks and Nels Johnson battle it out on the air and share their insights into the crazy world of the art fair artist.
2 - Then next Thursday (6/2) you can call in LIVE to talk with Connie Mettler for the ArtFairCalendar.com Happy Birthday Show! She'll be taking your art fair business questions and birthday greetings, too.
Comments
A very, very happy birthday to you Connie. Many thanks to that wonderful daughter of yours too, for without her pushing and prodding Art Fair Insiders might never have been and look at all the wonderful shows, news and newly formed friendships that would have been lost and missed.
Thanks Connie for going that extra mile and going above and beyond the call of duty!! (((APPLAUSE!!)))
You go Connie! A special Happy Birthday to you and Art Fair Insiders. What would we ever do without you and your help? You have helped many artists to make a living doing what they love to do.
Jacki B