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If they gave awards for art fairs, then Marion Art Festival and Deb Bailey would win one.
Whatare we waiting for? Let's create one. Let's call it the Nancy SaturnMemorial Award and give it those art fair directors who care aboutartists only more than than care about art. We'll give it to directorswho want to bring the best art to their community, who treat theartists with respect, who want more than to line their pockets... well,you get the idea.
I should back up a bit. Who was Nancy Saturn and why name an award after her?
Nancywas the owner of the American Artisan Gallery in Nashville. She died inMarch 2010 of breast cancer -- a cancer she thought she beat years ago.
Nancyand her husband Alan were well known as philanthropists and lovers ofart and fine craft -- and artists and fine crafters -- far beyond theirNashville home. For the last 40 years, Nancy and her team hosted the American Artisan Fair in Nashville's Centennial Park on Father's Day weekend. An artist could apply to be in the show, but Nancy hand picked and invited the artists.
Once at the show, the artist was Nancy's guest. She visited each of the200 or so artists during the 3-day show. On the first night of theshow, she opened her home to the artists for a feast worthy of awedding. She told us what she liked. She told us what to work on. Shewas generally right.
More than that, Nancy cared about thequality of the show, the quality of the work and the needs of theartist. She fed us, she encouraged us, she nurtured new artists, shecommiserated with the old artists.
She knew the power of art.The show has donated more than $1 million to Gilda's Club of Nashville,to support people with cancer. Most of us donated work to be auctionedoff for Gilda's Club to supplement the fair's contributions.
Nancy'sdaughter, Samantha, and her team continue the tradition. This year'sfair, June 18-20, will be especially poignant. Nancy is gone. Alan dieda few weeks before last year's fair. And Nashville has been devastatedby spring floods. We miss Nancy and Alan and wish only the best forNashville families who are recovering. We will come to Nashville andhope our art will hasten the healing.
So why give this award to Deb Bailey?
Deb,with her team, runs the Marion Art Fest, in Marion IA. It's a smalltown near Cedar Rapids. It's a gem of a show and Deb pulls together 50artists from all over the country to share with her fellow Iowans.
Nowdon't be confused. Iowa is a not back-water flyover state, contrary tothe opinion of some jaded city folk. It is a stated filled with some ofthe most educated and sophisticated art-lovers in the US. They knowart, they like art, they buy art. And they count on Deb to bring thebest and most varied work to their town. And she does.
But more,she cares about the artists. Her emails are personal and fun. Herdirections are clear and specific. Her rules are minimal but intendedto put on the best show possible and annoy the artists the least.
Shemarkets the show. She brings in the right patrons. She feds us dinnerand hands us a glass of wine. She makes artists feel valued andwelcomed. Trust me, we don't get that very much.
Congratulations,Deb. The first Nancy Saturn Memorial Award for Excellence in Art FairManagement goes to you. And thank you for setting the bar so high forall of us.
Comments
You are right, it takes a special kind of person to put together a signature event and make everyone feel welcome. When I read on another post that they had asked the staff at another show several times for signs that say "more artists this way" I could just feel the frustration of the artists but also -- the staff is usually really, really busy. Being able to get their hands on materials to make a sign, get it installed and make sure it stayed up is a big challenge. Really. Finding a show where there is enough staff to make everyone feel welcome is wonderful and I'm sure most show organizers wish they had the time to enjoy their events and spend time with the wonderful people who have arrived for 'their weekend.'