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Well, both Barry Bernstein and John Lebben have given excellent show reviews.  Let me fill you in some particulars that they did not include.

CHANCES OF GETTING IN NEXT YEAR

First off, I will just say this the best show to do in Michigan especially with how it is run and making money.

I did more on Sat. by noon than I did in almost three days at Boston Mills.  By 3pm I had passed my totals for the Columbus show which was previously my best show of the summer so far.

Everybody wants to be here because it is mostly Chicago and other Illinois money that fuels the show.  The Michiganders don't have the disposable income like the former.

So, next year they are only inviting back 30% of approximately 220 exhibitors.  Two years ago, and for years before, they invited 50%.  That means 66 lucky  people are in.  That leaves 154

spots for jurying into. Your chances of getting accepted are about 1:8 by my humble calculations.

Booth for booth the work looked great.  You gotta impress them good.

A LITTLE NOTE ABOUT THE JURYING AT THE ART SHOW.

On Sat. they send around six jurors who grade you on your work, presentation, etc.

They turn in the scores and the show has some pre-arranged total, lets say 36 points. Them that gets over that get the invitation.

This is the only negative point I will make about this show.

In my humble estimation, remember this is only my observation, some years not all the jurors even bother to walk into your booth.  You get judged from the sidewalk and somebody puts a dot on your sign.  It sucks, usually you get a low score which skews the totals if even the other four judges like you.

I have done this show, off and on, more than 15 years.  I remember one year I did not make the cut and I never saw many jurors come in.  A comment was attached to my jury score, it said, " Too much Florida images."  I guess it is ok to have too many European images, but screw Florida.

This year the first juror in my booth was a thin woman in a striped dress.  She looked intently down the left side of my booth, then walked back out.  SHE NEVER TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT MY RIGHT SIDE WHICH HAD A LOT OF GOOD WORK.  Gee, I guess I kinda got half of a jury score from her.  The next juror was a woman, she judged me from the sidewalk and I got my dot.  The remaining three jurors, two men and one woman, all came in shook my hand,looked at my work and even asked a few questions.  I felt, finally I have been judged.

Now I know they were given guidelines for judging--one being that two minutes was the top-alloted time to spend in a booth looking at work.  That's cool.  But it still leaves ya time to come in off that sidewalk.

Oh well, we find out in late August who gets invites.  I hope Christmas comes early this year.

BTW.  They do an excellent job of notifying you about your score.  Its no "TS, try again next time."  They show your score, they tell you the cut-off score needed and many times they put little comments about your work.  That is so much more than most shows do these days.

About the operations and setup--a few things Barry did not mention.  Lucky guy, got to swizzle wine with Chris Bruno and others.

First off the overall domero who runs this great show is Sarah Shamberger.  She does a fabulous job.  Everything you can think of, she has it covered.  She has run this show for years and everything flows like a well-greased machine.

Here is the most refreshing note I can say about her.  She is readily available by phone.  You can actually call her and get her live.  Good luck doing that with about the other 99% of

directors in this country.  Cyndi Lerwick  who runs the Clayton St. Louis show is another one who is accessible,  There are not a whole lot of others.

The show is a stickler for their rules.  You better follow them to the "T" or you can forget about getting in the next year.  Two rules to be aware of involve both setup and teardown.

You can start setting up your booth after 10 am on Friday morn (it is a Sat-Sun show}.  Don't try to get your van in before 10 am--that is a big no-no.  At teardown, which starts at 5 pm, do not try to come in one second early.  You will be flagged, and forget about next year.

ABOUT SALES--MAKING MOOLA

Traditionally, Saturday is the best day for sales.  They come out early and buy voraciously.  I made my first sale at 9:15 am, 45 minutes ahead of show opening.  This apples to most of us--the early Sat. sales,there are always exceptions.

Sunday crowd is usually smaller, and buys low-end if they buy at all.  It is like the husband says,"Honey, let's take the kids down for a stroll on the bluff and see the art show".  Most walk

down the middle, empty-handed, and never look at the art.  There are always exceptions.

I barely did $800 on Sunday, all low-end.  Saturday, I sold mostly big pieces and very few mats for under $75.

Fellow AFI-er, Patricia Heckler hit the nail right on the head.  She said the Chicago people leave early on Sunday to beat the rush back to the big city.

They are mostly traditional in what they buy.  Contemporary sells, if you got the right stuff.  Gods knows what that is these days.

NOW LET'S GET CRACKING.

i got the news today from my heart guy.  They are real concerned about the water buildup in my legs which is the by-product of my leaking heart valve (yes, the Mitrol.}  I go into the hospital at the Mjier Heart Clinic, in Grand Rapids, on August 9th, right after I survive Uptown Minneapolis. They keep me in a bed for four days and prick me and trick me and try to get my body right for cracking.  On the 13th I go under for the big one--repairing the Mitrol valve and doing one bypass for blockage.

Right before I go under the anesthetia, I plan on saying "Aloha!."  Because it means both "Good-bye" and "Hello."  I definitely need to be breathing.  I plan on it, otherwise I am going to shoot every damn beautiful tropical place in Heaven before Steve Vaugn arrives.

Aloha, Nels.  Don't worry, I will come out OK, I was born under a lucky star and good things have happened to me all my life.  You gotta Believe.