Thanks for info. just got done with rio grande arts and crafts show over thanksgiving weekend. Report: Fri made booth fees but real slow. had one customer that made the show. Sat was good for me after noon. Did quite well, Sun was another story, Slow extremely slow. The buyers were not there for me. I think it was a cheap crowd. the Food aisle was packed. Someone selling bread sold out by 3 pm and was gone. talked to several artist that were not happy with results.
As a matter of fact I used to do fastener conventions in long beach and then in Las Vegas. Two years ago i did Las vegas in Nov. At the bally hotel. Show was 1795.00 and to get booth in the door was 800.00 because of the UNION. First year i broke even and 2nd year i lost. It was an experience. I think in 2011 i am going to write to a lot of nut and bolt people to see if my work could be used as trophies or retirement gifts. I have a list of about 500 distributors. I joined a travel club. that is how i save money but staying is limited to 3 nights and you have to be able to put people in your house.
maybe will come down one day to visit you at horse show. may have found a trophy order but will see.
Hey Steve,
Sat eve., got back a bit ago from Grand Jct., CO weekend holiday arts and crafts show. Was tepid as to sales, for us and many others, but one fellow is real interested in our $4400 large wall piece for a new house he is building, and another couple who recently moved into a new home seem like strong future potential customers. We call them "bush birds," the old bird in the hand saying, but who knows, could make this show into a real winner. Such is the art business.
Thanks for the info on the balloon fest, we'll be getting serious here soon on our 2011 crapshoot show schedule, your input will be considered as we roll the dice and place our bets.
RE: horse show, it's the Scottsdale National Arabian Horse Show, you can find it online, it's a sort of jury thing, more like approval by a few folks, your work needs to be horse related, preferably Arabian. My guess is they pick according to does the art and booth match their patron's expectations. Pretty fuzzy. There are about 300 or so "vendors," about 17 or so "art" folks, the rest are horse tack, clothing, arena scrapers, horse trailers, saddles, barns, etc. stuff specific to the Arabian horse business.
As to art, couple bronze folks, few painters, jewelers, photographers, etc., again, specific to Arabian horses. We have some horse art, I guess we just lucked out and they liked our work, have liked us since we've joined the parade, and now we are a "steady in."
We plan to do it in 2011, at least a warm weather break from frigid CO, and Lynne snagged a great $35 night extended stay place. Plus Lynne is a horse nut and because most of the time is slow, I watch the booth while she watches the show classes, has gotten good at picking the winners. Hmmm, maybe I should check around and see if there is some betting system going on with class winners.
Hmm, just had a thought Steve, an alternative to "art shows" is to find other niche' markets. Is there a "bolts and nuts" manufacturers convention held anywhere? Have you considered approaching major manufactures of bolts and nuts to consider buying your art to give to customers as gifts? While we all want our art to appeal to a large segment of the world out there, are there certain specific segments who would be higher potential customers? Just brainstorming here.
Finally winding down here from the conclusion of another show weekend.
By the way, what is "i found a way to beat the costs of hotels." about?
From the comments on this site i am not sure i want to go to balloon festival. i do a show in summerlin end of sept then boulder city and now patagonia which seem to work out well for me . if you do balloon and are put outside it is the kiss of death. i was in balloon years ago did last weekend did ok and then was waitlisted and then put outside. it was awful. then next two years could not get in. if i can not get in after two years i stop trying.
i found a way to beat the costs of hotels. you are probably right about extra shows i did park city last year and applied and got rejected from sun valley idaho and glad i did since i ran out of stock and park city was only a two day show. i would have a hard time doing two in a row. what is the horse show and how do i apply or even go to in 2011. i had a friend who used to go with big statues to that show.
Steve, I looked at your website, your work is really cool. Your bolt people, just like our Raku, does not always fit into show promoters and jurists perceptions as "fine art." We lucked out with Thunderbird, but still get our share of rejections. We'll still be in AZ for a 10 day show (not an art show, horse show that we've done well at), thought we might add one more show while we were there. But high show booth cost and extra motel days added up to too much cost risk. Plus we'd be stretching it to take enough inventory as the horse show is inside, Carefree outdoors, so we'd have to take our canopy too, jam packed with inventory and all, would probably overweight the trailer, which is on the edge now. If there were not the questions on the economy, we'd probably go for it.
Again, appreciate any info, thinking next year of doing Alb Balloon fest, have heard good feedback from a number of other artists.
I am glad you can get into carefree shows i tried years ago with no luck. if you are coming from a distance i think you are wise to stay home. will ck with friends who are doing shows and let you know.
Thanks for the info, will be looking forward to hearing more as time goes on. We were considering doing Thunderbird's Carefree show in Feb., but decided to pass with the economic concerns in that area. We did an earlier Carefree Thunderbird show several years ago, think it was in Nov perhaps, before the slump and did ok, but heard from other artists that the snowbirds had not yet migrated in and later shows are better once they've arrived.
i heard from an artist today while setting up in albu nm that artfest stunk, did some shows in vegas in oct and they were ok. summerlin was off and boulder city was actually not bad. did las cruces beginning of nov and it was down by maybe 500.00 doing tempe next weekend will let you know and am doing rio grande holiday show this weekend and will let you know about that one next week.
I'm interested in hearing how shows are doing in that part of the country also, as I've heard that the Phoenix/Scottsdale area is just hanging right behind Las Vegas as to economy.
Comments
As a matter of fact I used to do fastener conventions in long beach and then in Las Vegas. Two years ago i did Las vegas in Nov. At the bally hotel. Show was 1795.00 and to get booth in the door was 800.00 because of the UNION. First year i broke even and 2nd year i lost. It was an experience. I think in 2011 i am going to write to a lot of nut and bolt people to see if my work could be used as trophies or retirement gifts. I have a list of about 500 distributors. I joined a travel club. that is how i save money but staying is limited to 3 nights and you have to be able to put people in your house.
maybe will come down one day to visit you at horse show. may have found a trophy order but will see.
Sat eve., got back a bit ago from Grand Jct., CO weekend holiday arts and crafts show. Was tepid as to sales, for us and many others, but one fellow is real interested in our $4400 large wall piece for a new house he is building, and another couple who recently moved into a new home seem like strong future potential customers. We call them "bush birds," the old bird in the hand saying, but who knows, could make this show into a real winner. Such is the art business.
Thanks for the info on the balloon fest, we'll be getting serious here soon on our 2011 crapshoot show schedule, your input will be considered as we roll the dice and place our bets.
RE: horse show, it's the Scottsdale National Arabian Horse Show, you can find it online, it's a sort of jury thing, more like approval by a few folks, your work needs to be horse related, preferably Arabian. My guess is they pick according to does the art and booth match their patron's expectations. Pretty fuzzy. There are about 300 or so "vendors," about 17 or so "art" folks, the rest are horse tack, clothing, arena scrapers, horse trailers, saddles, barns, etc. stuff specific to the Arabian horse business.
As to art, couple bronze folks, few painters, jewelers, photographers, etc., again, specific to Arabian horses. We have some horse art, I guess we just lucked out and they liked our work, have liked us since we've joined the parade, and now we are a "steady in."
We plan to do it in 2011, at least a warm weather break from frigid CO, and Lynne snagged a great $35 night extended stay place. Plus Lynne is a horse nut and because most of the time is slow, I watch the booth while she watches the show classes, has gotten good at picking the winners. Hmmm, maybe I should check around and see if there is some betting system going on with class winners.
Hmm, just had a thought Steve, an alternative to "art shows" is to find other niche' markets. Is there a "bolts and nuts" manufacturers convention held anywhere? Have you considered approaching major manufactures of bolts and nuts to consider buying your art to give to customers as gifts? While we all want our art to appeal to a large segment of the world out there, are there certain specific segments who would be higher potential customers? Just brainstorming here.
Finally winding down here from the conclusion of another show weekend.
By the way, what is "i found a way to beat the costs of hotels." about?
Have a great Sunday, I'm sleeping in.
Again, appreciate any info, thinking next year of doing Alb Balloon fest, have heard good feedback from a number of other artists.