Thought I'd give my 2 cents to this festival being a newbie to the show. IMy booth was right at the end of the chamber part and the beginning of the Arts center show, yes there is two different events butted up to each other. Very interesting talking to artist on both sides you seem to get a lot of different reasons for why who has choosen the show their in. I still didn't see the difference other than the way the booth layout was. On the chamber side all the artist had a corner so that was pretty cool not to have to pay a extra fee for that.
Loadin you had to wait until 6 the police cleared the streets from 5 until you could bring your vehicle in to unload. In theory one was to unload move your vehicle and then setup no body did that but you had plenty of space to setup.
It's a 3 day event on Friday lots of artist I talked to did very well I DID NOT, but it was the local or returning vendors that seemed to do well. I made the same amount all three days I did cover my expenses and put a few dollars in my pocket. I didn't see many folks carrying big paintings around or a lot of bags, the wood carver and potter to my right had a very good show both took in several thousand. I sold a lot of matted small prints nothing over $100.00 no orginals thought a few times I had one in the bag only to fall short. Crowds on all three days were pretty large with that said it left a few of us 2D artist scratching our heads why the low sells compared to the amount of people. There was enough interest in my work and with the amount of print sold I'll give this one another try. The Chamber of Fairhope are extremely friendly plus the fact it's a pretty nice area of Alabama to be in anyway. It does have a award dinner on Friday night "VERY GOOD" I may add.
Load out was about the same as loadin with no help I was out and on the road in about a hour.
If you do get into this event and not done the show before you'll have to purchase a business license to display your work, it's cost $32.00 on top of your application and booth fee. Food for thought.
Later, Mike
Comments
Hello Annette, sorry I didn't see your comment until today. Your probably right and if I can get back into the festival I'll try it again and maybe that will be the case. Thanks for the compliment about my work.
Thanks for the review Mike and may I add you do stunning work!
I have found with some areas, regardless of the wonderful work you do, they're very hesitant to buy the first time they see you, particularly the more expensive pieces. The second time, a few take the plunge and then each year it builds. Perhaps this show is like that.
Mike, very lovely work, acrylic? Yes, I know Christina Smith, married to an artist I have known from way back. her work is exceptional and she won best of show last year. Wall Art is just a tougher commodity to sell then 3 -d . i joke that I will be making bird houses soon as they are functional and can be put outside, a no brainer for the consumer. I also created a second totally different body of work this past year while keeping up with the pastels will attach an image. I wish you and each and everyone of us only great sales for the coming year.
I've done the Fairhope show for more than ten years and it's been consistently good for me. The weather this year was wonderful all weekend and I think that gave us a good but not crazy huge crowd every day. I've seen some years when they all packed in on the one good day and that's not fun for anyone. The show is well run - which means they give us exactly what we need and then leave us alone - I think we do best that way. The awards dinner was really great this year with more "low country boil" shrimp than we could eat. My sales were strong with lots of people saying they had never seen me before even though I've been there forever.... Good show, good sales, happy southerners and a pretty place!
I don't really know, I had heard that the fall show was better, but that was in SA magazine where for years the fall show was top ranked and the spring was not, but then it did get ranked, and now I understand it has fallen. But as far as Ron's sales they are the same for both spring and fall, and I have only done the spring show, last year, and I did not get into the fall show. And I am craft. My spring show as great, and was sorry I didn't get into the fall show as I sell wearable fiber as I mentioned and I have a lot more work that is suitable for fall rather than spring so had been counting on tearing em up! So maybe this fal......... I can say this tho, that new artists generally do very well and then the pattern seems to be they fall gradually until you wonder why you're doing it lol. At least that's what I've heard from some long-time exhibitors. I would not personally know having only done it once. I can vouch for first time great sales though.
Hello Suzanne, thanks is the Fall the same show as the Spring "Cottonwood? Heard it was a bit more crafty! I really looking forward to both my Spring so far has been terrible.
Hell Virginia, I did read your review before I tryed the show and yes in some respects your totally right. It's not a highend event or I didn't see folks walking around with big ticket orginals. Those who had small priced items seemed to fair the best I do know Christina Smith a pencil gouache artist did well but again I think she sold mostly framed giclee's. Most of my sells were $20 to $100 nothing over it. Suzanne was right about the 2013 festival the merchants didn't crowd the sidewalks with junk still they were there. I really thought I had two painting sold that listed over $1500.00 each but they didn't. One I let slip out of my hands. Ok here is my work Virginia, yours is very nice too.
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