This is my first year at the Grand Haven Art Fair, one of Howard Alan's many events. The show is small with only about 135 participants, but I estimate that 35 of these exhibitors were placed in the far west end of the show in a "crafters" section (soap, beads, CDs, etc). The show is on Washington Street with most booths placed back to back with no storage space in back of each booth. Parts of the street were narrow and able to accommodate only one row of booths (not back to back), so the public had access from both sides of the street.Like most Howard Alan events setup was on Saturday morning. I got there about 6:30 am and was able to drive up next to my booth, unhook my trailer and unload until the wood sculptor next to me showed up. It takes me a long time to set up, so I prefer Friday set ups, so I was still working at it when the show opened.Howard Alan's PR people contacted me last month and asked me to participate in a promotion by the local radio station. My latest series of digital paintings is about West Michigan lighthouses, including the Grand Haven Lighthouse, so I donated a framed print of this lighthouse to the radio station in return for some local exposure. I live in Saugatuck just 25 miles south of Grand Haven, so I was able to drive up there on Friday morning for an on-air interview with the morning DJ. I had a second interview on Saturday where the station was broadcasting at the art fair. The radio station was doing a drawing to see who would win the print, giving the art fair some good local exposure.So, how did I do at this show? I grossed just short of $2100 a total which I am happy with. I had low mileage expenses, I stayed with a friend in Grand Haven ten minutes from the show and she fed me as well. After the booth fee my expenses were minimal. But, if I didn't have the Grand Haven lighthouse print to sell, my totals would have been much lower. That print accounted for more than half of my sales. As for other artists, the wood sculptor next to me, who was showing four foot high sculptures of pelicans and herons, sold out. The sculptures were reasonably priced at under $200 each. On Sunday afternoon, he slashed the prices of his few remaining stock to just $100 each and was able to unload his entire inventory. Other exhibitors didn't do as well. Like all shows feelings were mixed, but for the most part sales were low.I thought the show was well attended by an interested and fairly affluent audience. The area, along Lake Michigan's coast, is mostly well off with many homes along the waterfronts of Lake Michigan and Spring Lake in the million dollar plus price range. There is lots of money in that area with a good proportion of the fair goers shopping for something to hang on the walls of their summer homes. This is an excellent, mostly untapped market which can support a much better art fair. I'll do it again next year, and hope to see more good artists to take the place of the crafters.
Congrats John on the decent sales, and on the media exposure- hope it brings good things! Good luck to your daughter- second gen, give her your best tips and she'll do very well!
Glad you had a decent show John - having minimal expenses is a great way to boost the profit factor. Congrats on the media exposure too - I hope it leads to even more sales down the track.
I'm torn about the Saugatuck/South Haven art fairs. I exhibit in galleries in Saugatuck and Holland and I'm reluctant to compete with them for shows so close to home. I almost didn't do Grand Haven for the same reason. I'm not doing those shows, but my daughter, Hillary, will be doing her first art fair in Saugatuck on Saturday. She will be using my tent and panels. I'll be there to help her set up, but won't be showing any of my stuff. By the way, my Sunday sales were half of what my saturday sales were (which is kind of typical for me), but I didn't notice a difference in the nature of the crowds. I'll also do the show again next year and I hope more artists, based on your report and mine, will participate.
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Congrats John on the decent sales, and on the media exposure- hope it brings good things! Good luck to your daughter- second gen, give her your best tips and she'll do very well!
Glad you had a decent show John - having minimal expenses is a great way to boost the profit factor. Congrats on the media exposure too - I hope it leads to even more sales down the track.
I'm torn about the Saugatuck/South Haven art fairs. I exhibit in galleries in Saugatuck and Holland and I'm reluctant to compete with them for shows so close to home. I almost didn't do Grand Haven for the same reason. I'm not doing those shows, but my daughter, Hillary, will be doing her first art fair in Saugatuck on Saturday. She will be using my tent and panels. I'll be there to help her set up, but won't be showing any of my stuff. By the way, my Sunday sales were half of what my saturday sales were (which is kind of typical for me), but I didn't notice a difference in the nature of the crowds. I'll also do the show again next year and I hope more artists, based on your report and mine, will participate.