(For those who do not know me, I make wooden instruments - lap dulcimers & bowed psalteries)

WELL, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!  After working with wood and making instruments since the mid 1970’s, last Friday, Aug, 23, it finally happened.  I was cutting some pieces on the table saw when, in a split second, I was staring down at four bloody fingers dangling by thin strips of flesh from my right hand.  It happened so fast that I really don’t know how it happened.  I do distinctly recall thinking, and perhaps uttering, some pointedly unkind thoughts regarding the specific circumstances which had befallen me.

I wound up in Charlotte in the care of a group hand specialist surgeons who told me candidly that I might very well lose all four fingers, but under the best case scenario I was facing a long, frustrating path of surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy and that he and I were going to become very familiar with each other.

On Tuesday, the 28^th I emerged from a medicinally induced haze in the ICU.  The surgeons had operated on my hand for 5 hours.  They were not able to save one of my fingers – which will somewhat limit my ability to communicate effectively, if you know what I mean- but were able, at least so far, to fuse bone, shorten and save three fingers.  So the journey of recuperation has begun.

I do not yet know what is going to happen to my art fair schedule for the rest of the year, but – “Oh, the unkindest cut of all,” I did have to drop out of Long’s Park.  However, to quote the indomitable Gen. MacArthur, “I SHALL RETURN”.  I have NOT lost my skill, nor my experience, and I WILL adapt my muscle and eye coordination.

This “down time” is giving me time for serious reflection on the future.  I have just reached my 69^th birthday and, while I have been blessed/cursed with a true love for this business, I know that I cannot go on indefinitely.  So, here’s the deal, at present I have a good supply of bowed psalteries already in stock.  For the future, I am going to create fewer, but higher end psalteries.  There are psaltery makers out there who make very nice functional instruments.  With the materials, inlays etc. that I use, I cannot compete with them pricewise, nor do I wish to.  I am going to concentrate on building truly unique, one-of-a-kind, heirloom instruments that are not just functional instruments, but are functional pieces of art.  This will allow me to grow, be able to “spread my creative wings” and concentrate more on the creation of these truly unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of musical art.   This will also create a niche, which, to the best of my knowledge, is virgin territory.

I would appreciate any kind, “healing” thoughts which you may feel inclined to send my way.

Archie Smith

Archie Smith Instruments  

I'm upgrading from a decent EZ-up and I've been pouring over people's opinions and advice about this brand and that of higher end display canopies throughout the discussions here but I'm still teetering between two major brands. I do my set-up solo - am of a 'certain age', who wants set up and tear down to be a breeze. You know, I want the world - in a display tent!

Must Haves:

• 1 person set up
• 10' x 10'
• dome
• zipped high quality side panels
• skylight
• front and back vents
• awning
• durable
• high quality
• replacement parts available

Considerations:

I'm attracted to the lightweight portability of the aluminum frame components of the Show off but love the guys at Flourish who make the Trimline that has taken over and improved on the Crafthut experience.

My research here through the forums and posts has found that there are enthusiastic supporters of every brand out there. I decided to compare apples with apples to get a handle on how things stack up! All prices shown are from the websites of each individual company as of today August 28, 2012. At first I thought there were wild ($300ish) price differences but then I looked into the add-ons and found they all come in very close to each other price-wise.

Comparing with: upper vents, 4 sidewalls, skylight, front awning)

Trimline:

• comes fully loaded 
• shipping extra (~$80 - 100)
• heavy (steel)
• 36 main components to frame
• Many components = time consuming set up
• Very Stable
• Many replacement and upgrades available
• Great Service
• Comes with anchoring kit
• Awning Add $125
• Carry Bags Add $52
• BONUS: Awesome sales support - thorough online presence with tons of info
• Bottom Line: $1152

ShowOff

• 'free' shipping
• light (marine grade aluminum)
• The top canopy goes on the roof frames while still on the ground - maybe not so easy for the person who finds it difficult to squat or bend over
• 16 main components to frame
• easy solo set-up
• Comes with 2 carry bags
• 2 center zip walls included
• Said to be super stable
• Good web site with plenty of info (not as much as Trimline folks though) responsive to email inquiries
• Bottom Line:  $1170

CraftHut = TrimLine (were bought out)

Light Dome - Finale

• Finale configured comparably $1069 + Shipping (+ $80 - 100)
• (Note: doesn't include skylight as they say their tent material transfers light well)
• Aluminum Frame
• Top canopy must slide onto roof frame with legs partially extended - maybe not as easy for the shorter person
• 21 main components to frame
• do-able solo set up
• Has some tremendously enthusiastic users many of whom attest to its rain and wind worthiness
• Replacement parts and upgrades available
• Carry Bags included
• All 4 walls come with center zip standard
• of the 2 Finale seems to have an edge over the Light Dome
• Not the best web site. Actually pretty 1990's-ish, lol - but a nice gal answered the phone when I called.
• Bottom Line: ~$1150

Suggested additional Upgrade: get a center zipper in each sidewall so solo roll-up is do-able without a special tool

Another Thoughtful Recap

An artist/blogger by the name of Ron Frazier went through this process a couple of years ago and recapped his thinking here: http://ronfrazier.blogspot.com/2007/08/upgrading-to-better-canopy-p...

Be sure to read the comments. They're making me lean towards The Finale as of this writing.

Add YOUR opinions below if you like:

1. What canopy do YOU use? 
   Brand and Model if you know
2. What do your LOVE about it?
   your top 3 features.
3. What do you wish was better?
   (if anything) about it?

What I Chose:
I went with the SHOWOFF. Here's WHY:

• fewer overall parts
• The top is set up before the legs are raised - so no struggling on a step ladder to get situated
• Tons of customizations available (I added zippers to both sidewalls so I can roll them up easily without using a contraption or a neighbor - I also purchased the rear awning fittings but not the pricey vinyl lean to - I intend to either clip my back sidewall up when my booth is open or add a lightweight tarp as necessary)

I didn't ask for nor did I receive any % off from the seller for announcing this choice.

All three main companies make excellent tents that work great for folks with slightly different needs.  

If your needs are similar to mine and this post helped you decide to also go with the SHOWOFF please mention me (Marti McGinnis) as your referral when you buy yours. They'll give me a little rebate. Then when you tell people about your purchase you'll get one too!

----------------------

Comment from Discussion (that I closed and moved here)

Permalink Reply by Brandee Ross 14 hours ago

Besides making and showing my art I also run a small design and marketing business to help small organizations (and artists) maximize their marketing resources. Often I bump into people that are overwhelmed by the choices available to them these days to reach out and connect substantively for their personal use and for their businesses.

A forum like this one we're on, ArtFairInsiders.com is an awesome starting point. Because it's user friendly and enriched with all sorts of useful content. I find it to be an invaluable resource for my art fair business. But what about all the other tools we have available to us for connecting? There are so many social networks these days for us to use to connect with each other and our customers and associates. Are there too many? There are if you don't know how to choose which social network are going to do the best work for your different projects. Over the years and in some cases just months, I have become more familiar with the pluses and benefits of each of the following social networks.

What The Other Social Networks Can Do

Facebook

Perfect for all your personal connecting. Does comments and other media pretty well. Fairly easy to connect via smartphone and tablets too.

I use the Pages for the more personality driven of my main businesses and projects. I think at this Facebook is superb.

Interacting with my mini horse's fans has taught be so much about how best to leverage Facebook pages for other organizations. It's amazing how little interactions can build a real presence for people.

Google+

Not sure where this is headed. While it seeks to be a Big Giant conglomeration of everything you do, search and shop for on the web - it's got a sort of Big Brotherly feel to it. Also it's harder to cross connect with other media and networks. Not too many of my personal connections have adopted the G+ lifestyle so it's a bit of a deserted island for me and my posts.

That said, there are plenty of well connected seriously Googled people who LOVE it's connectivity. For example, I'm not big into connecting socially on Google+ I use their GoogleDocsfeature to collaborate with almost all my clients. I love the way we can all edit the same document at the same time or when we're not working together.

Instagram

I'm new to this picture sharing app so I'm still defining for myself how best to use it. I started out by taking pix of my art and posting those - but isn't that what my Facebook page and blog are for? So  I'm switching to have it be more of a distinct project 'personality' of its own and am starting up a #DogTrotHill (Instagram is BIG into using hashtags to organize content feeds) series where I will limit my pix to just be about the few acres I live on. My user name is: HappyArtMarti

My hope is that this will offer its own unique perspective and opportunity to differentiate and engage my eventual followers. A friend of mine has honed her offerings down to what looks like being just about the Bluegrass region of KY. She's AlpacaLindyand does a wonderful job of convincing me I live in heaven.

LinkedIn

You must be here if you're to be taken seriously as a contender in the job market these days. If you're not here, you're a known dinosaur. Some people really work its Discussions, Questions and Groups features. I don't. I don't have time but have a nagging feeling I should be doing more with it. Oh well, that's why God invented winter, right?

Pinterest

I run hot and cold on Pinterest. I'm not sure how I feel about people having access to all the cute things I find on the web - does posting my finds make me less unique? But then again - seeing what others share is fascinating and helps me navigate the wealth of creative flow out there in the Big Wide World - so I keep coming back to it. I work a little for my own art projects and Etsy store - but I always feel a little cheap doing so. That's partially why I invented a series of quotable and sharable images for people to share, some of which I cross post on Tumblr and Facebook for maximum exposure and share-ability.

Tumblr

As a blogging site it's a bit redundant with my own self-hosted blogs - but what it offers is an easier connection betweenTumblr 'bloggers', a little like Pinterest and Instagram - but allows for video as well strictly text based posts. Here's how I use it:

Twitter

Fantastic for immediate connection! Right now the Olympics are being played in London and millions are getting their news from twitter feeds. What's so great about this is you can hear what your favorite athletes have to say as the games are unfolding for them - as well as get up to date results from major network players. Twitter users are ok with non-immediate gratification for things like pix and vids. They're used to seeing miniURLS - but your use of the 140 character limit had better be tight, engaging and irresistible!

Your Own Blog

Like this one, running your own blog is a great way to keep things from you in an uncontaminated environment- but of course it ever so much more difficult to share and garner attention with. You have to cross post linkbacks to your posts using these other social networking tools.

Youtube

I use Youtube as an excellent resource that ties in with all my other networks. A well edited or otherwise fascinating video can really connect with people and they've made it so easy to embed videos throughout many of the above choices - you have to consider creating content and setting up your own channel. You might surprise yourself with what it can do for you. Here's a video I made for a client's book trailer. He's a dog, AND he's an artist!

It's worth it to create and maintain an active channel for your organization. There are many tips to help create content that's memorable and boosts your projects.

Comment below if you'd like some feedback on what might work best for you!

So, it was Chautauqua weekend and I have nattered on about what an awesome show it is in the past, so I won't bore you with superlatives. This is about an opening sale the likes of which I'll never see again.

I am a book artist, but with the economy the way it is, I had wandered into "trinket" territory, using my scraps to make collage cards and magnets which sold very well but made me depressed when I made them. It also rankled when customer after customer would wander in, exclaim about my wonderful creations and then leave with a five dollar card.  After about a bazillion of them told me they were going to frame them, I had one of those wowza moments and thought that if they were going to frame them, so could I.

With some encouragement and advice from the fine folks here, I started making "real" collage and framing them. I also bagged a bunch of matted ones. They started to sell. I love making them.  As Chautauqua rolled around, I made the leap and put away the card and magnet making paraphernalia and focused on "real" collage. This took courage because those trinkets pay my expenses. But, you know, if I wanted to spend my time doing something I hate, I would have stayed in the government job.

So, I had a lot of collage. (what is he plural of collage anyway?) They hung on the back wall and the sides and I had a come-hither set up with a few in the very front. I had about 30 unframed. (I am not charging a fortune for these things. $30 and $40 for the matted ones, 60-80 framed. They cost me pennies to make and I enjoy it)

OK, so here is what happened. Around 10:30 a gentleman in tennis whites strolled in, looked at all the framed pieces and told me he really liked them. I thanked him. Then he perused the unframed, smiling and nodding. And then, with a huge grin, he said "I'll take everything" I laughed. He asked if he got a discount if he bought them all and I laughed and said "sure, if you buy them all!". I was still laughing. This went on for a bit until he started to take the pieces down and hand them to me. He truly wanted to buy them all.

Turns out he is a doctor practicing Chinese medicine who is opening a new facility in New York and he thought the collage with their inspirational and amusing quotes would be a great decorating theme. Russell helped him carry the pieces to his condo on the grounds and they had a great discussion about herbs and ancient medicine and acupuncture. He missed a couple of pieces I had hung on the front wall, so I moved them to the back and re-did the display.

He came back a few hours later with his wife to show her some things in the next booth he thought she might like for their home and he stopped in to say Hi. Noticed the pieces he missed. Bought them. I spent the rest of the weekend studying the one framed and one unframed he didn't buy, wondering what was wrong with them. I know you understand. Both of the eventually sold.

You know the best part? Word of this spread through the show and other artisans either came in to congratulate me or stopped me on the grounds to say "way to go" Some wanted me to touch them for good luck.

I doubt I will ever sell 2 grand in the opening moments of a show again, but the memory of that morning in Chautauqua will make me smile for a really long time.

Art fairs are a lot of hard work. They’re also expensive to participate in and attend. They’re stressful and full of physical challenges. Below are some tips I’ve created to help me not just get through the next show, but have fun doing so without taxing my system unduly. Each of these tips has been hard won through many years of experience. Take the ones you like, invent and share other tips that help you. Please. I’m ever open to hearing how you, my fellow art fair artists, sail through your shows!

1. Believe the show is awesome – NO MATTER WHAT. Some of my most amazing shows have seemed slow – only to blossom weeks later with an offer or an order I never would have garnered otherwise.
2. Pack wonderful tasty snacks to get you hydrated and fed – body and soul – throughout the day. Treat yourself, make it high quality everything. Include soul food. Soul Food = chocolate et al – stuff you love. In moderation.
3. Don’t complain. Not no way. Not no how. Not during the event. That vibe is sticky and will cling to all your good intentions in your work. If you have suggestions for improvements – thoughtfully provide those to the appropriate audience after the show.
4. A slow show does not mean your work isn’t worthy. Never forget that.
5. An awesome show doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an awesome artist either – see #6.
6. What defines you as an artist is YOU. Not your sales. I have had amazingly profitable shows, and crazily horrible shows. The work is the work. These externals might distract you from your Vision. Stay mindful of that.

Celebrate Every Show You’re In!

7. That said – note trends in your sales and adjustwhat you sell accordingly! That’s not prostituting your Vision – that’s sharing it in ways The Public is ready to accept at the moment.
8. Never forget that you are creatively educating people in all of this amazing effort of yours.
9. Give yourself a present after every show. You deserve it. It doesn’t have to be extravagant but it should be a pat on your own back for a job well done.

10. You are an amazing example for others!
11. Go YOU! You are Brave, Hard-working, Persevering,  Dedicated, Patient, a Visionary par excellence! Not many people can stake a claim in this many wonderful traits.

Lucky? Hardly!

Do you hear people say “I wish I was as lucky as you, getting to do what you love?”. I do, too. A ton. I usually chuckle and state “Luck has nothing to do with it!”. I work hard at making this dream come true. You do too. Those folks could too – we have made this a choice we’re willing to work – and work hard – for.

We deserve every good opportunity that comes our way from putting our work out there for all the world to see and react to right in front of us! We can minimize whatever negative challenges that come our way by alway, always treating ourselves as a treasured employee – because we most certainly are! Without us this business would literally disappear over night!

I participated in my first large-scale street fair three weeks ago, the Ocean Beach Chili Cook-Off.  It drew 70,000 into the Ocean Beach area and featured several blocks of a variety of different booths from vendors and artists.  Several music stages were dotted throughout the event, as well as carnival rides and ponies.  It was a big, BIG one day event.

I set up my booth for the first time and sold a few items but not nearly as many as I had hoped.  But it was a very good experience for lots of other reasons--I learned a lot!!

The following day, I got to go to the La Jolla Festival of the Arts.  This was a completely different event in a very different venue--on the football field at the University of California, San Diego.  It wasn't free either, as tickets to get in were $14.  I had two complimentary tickets I got through my workplace, and I'm really glad I went.

I think I can say with some surety that the La Jolla Festival of the Arts was the first time I have ever been to a true art festival, rather than a street fair.  I noticed several differences right away, and was struck by how significantly the character of the event was completely contrasting.  (Please forgive the nature of the photos--I didn't realize my iPad lens had sunblock smeared on it...)

First off, because it was a ticketed event, the nature of the attendees was quite different.  Since it was not free (and most young people don't choose to spend their money on events of this nature) the people tended to be a bit older.  Consequently, the behavior at the event was much more subdued and less frenetic.  The attendees were truly interested in looking at the artwork, and there wasn't anything else to compete for their attention--no ponies here!  The event was strictly a venue for artists with a grandstand stage thrown in, notably on one side of the venue away from the art booths, so unless you were interested in perusing art you probably wouldn't bother to buy a ticket.

The event was carefully laid out in clean and organized rows with lots of space and in such a way that every artist had a corner booth with two open walls.  This was important, as there were a lot of artists with large scale sculptures that wouldn't have fit into a small 10x10 three-walled booth.  And speaking of tents, there were a lot of Trimline and Crafthut tents instead of the EZup tents that were predominant at the previous day's street fair.  EZup tents are very quickly assembled but they're very lightweight.  In contrast, the more sturdy Trimline and Crafthut brands take much more time to put together but provide a stable and relatively waterproof tent.

The art itself was different, too.  These were professional gallery artists, not hobbyists.  They had years of experience selling and showing their work in different art galleries across the country.  Some had done public art works in large venues--one in particular had a sculpture he had done for UCSD less than a block away from the entrance to the festival!  They displayed their award ribbons from past events proudly, and their presentation was clean and very well composed.  Many of the tents seamed to be "mini-galleries", and I can only imagine how much money went into display equipment.

In the middle of the event was a bar--not a beer garden, but a real bar, with barstools and a wooden counter top.  Around the bar were umbrellas where sidewalk chalk artists and pastel painters were creating art on boards on the ground to be auctioned off later.  A very small stage was set up where an acoustic guitar player was strumming softly, which added a tranquility to the atmosphere.

At the entrance was a silent auction and a brass quintet, as well as a booth to purchase festival swag and sign up for a free drawing.

We didn't even make it over to the grandstand, but there was a "Restaurant Row" of tents near it which featured area restaurants--no gyro or chicken kabob food vendors in sight!  A small row of festival sponsors was also featured, but separated from the art booths.

Everything was on the flat, grassy surface of the UCSD football field, so there was no concrete and the walking was smooth and comfortable.  There was a bright sun in the cloudless sky, and a soft gentle breeze keeping the temperature in the mid-70s.  It was a beautiful day, and the art made it moreso.

Everywhere it was a feast for the eyes.  I hope the artists made a lot of money that day.  Unfortunately for me, the items were pretty pricey--rarely was any art listed for anything under $300, and it was common to see items running in the $1500-$2000 range and above.  But it was such an elite event, I would be surprised if there weren't attendees who could afford those prices...  After all, it's La Jolla.  Most of the kind of folk that live there are pretty affluent.  Mit Romney has one of his houses in La Jolla, after all...

The one thing I was disappointed in was the lack of wearable art artists...  There was only one that was actually selling attire, and the rest were selling hats and jewelry.  I am not sure if the event simply didn't want clothing vendors, or whether they are not considered fiber art, or whether they classify jewelry separately, or what...  But if there was one thing that I took away from the event it's that maybe organizers felt clothing might not be considered "artistic" enough to warrant placement within such company as photographers, sculptors, and painters...  Maybe that's the wrong conclusion, but it just seemed odd to me...

Overall, it was a completely different experience than the previous day's Street Fair.  I now know what an Art Festival is like.  It left me feeling like I have to really work on my art, because as far as I could tell there weren't many artists there who were selling things that wouldn't be accepted into a gallery.  And when it boils down to it, I guess that's what you want at a high end Art Festival in the first place, right?  Conceptually, it sort of brings the galleries to the people instead.  If I want my work to be juried into an Art Festival, I need to make sure it's what I feel is "gallery worthy".  I need to be proud enough of the quality of my art to be able to compare it to the other artists that were there, and it should hold its own.  In some respects, I wonder if it needs to be unique enough to be considered art first, and clothing second.

My eyes were opened, and I remembered a lot of comments from artists mentioning the necessity to scope out a show before applying to it.  I see now how this can be very important, as the applications can be a bit misleading...  I see now how participating in an Artist's Alley can be a very different experience from participating in a show that features artists only.  Not necessarily bad, but just a very different demographic of attendees.  If your work is geared more toward a Street Fair atmosphere rather than an Art Fair ambience (or vice versa), then you're actually a step ahead of the game--you know where you'll fit best.  It's those purveyors that are selling something that is "in between" that probably have it the hardest.  I feel like I may be one of those kinds of artists...  And I need to work on tweaking my work toward one or the other to best take advantage of the different kinds of consumers at each type of event.  The nature of my applications are going to need to be considered carefully.

Even though the Art Festival was somewhat "intimidating", it was also quite heartening.  I learned a LOT.  It was completely worth the experience of a spending a couple hours visiting the booths and perusing their work.  While I didn't talk to any of the artists (good grief, they were busy--I thought it would have been rude of me to "talk shop" when they're trying to sell their stuff!!), I gleaned quite a bit from just watching everything and taking it all in. 

I look forward to my next Art Festival experience when I can get to one.  And now I know a bit more of what to expect and what to look for when I'm thinking about applying to a show.  I know more about the difference between a Street Fair and an Art Festival, and I feel a bit more "forewarned and forearmed".

Until next time, Live Life with Relish!

Before I do any reviews about the shows I went to this weekend, I had to talk about this.

Over the past several years, there have been discussions here about buy/sell, franchises and mass production works all showing up at art festivals.  After finding out that the stone ducks were made of parts supplied from China, one member was threatened by a lawyer.  I guess she couldn't be sued for libel because if it is true, it may not be nice but it isn't libelous.  (that must be a word, spellcheck didn't underline it).

It was discouraging last year to see the ducks at Art at the Glen, one of the better shows in the Chicagoland area.  I mentioned them last year when discussing the show.  Then, I had to see them again yesterday at the Promenade of Art in Arlington Hts, IL.  Today I went to The Art Center's Festival of Fine Craft, one of my favorite shows of all and there they were again. 

Under normal circumstances, this can happen.  The recycled yard art people were at the Festival of Fine Craft and Evanston's Fountain Square on the same weekend last year but that was a little different.   What was the difference?  They are run by two different promoters.

Both the shows I attended this weekend were produced by the same promoter.  I realize that there are different standards for different shows, ie, bead stringers are allowed at some shows but at others the jeweler must make their own beads, but it is fairly standard that the work that is shown was made by the person in the booth and not a shop full of elves pulling parts out of boxes from China and putting them together.   Maybe the stone birds are franchised, I didn't pay attention to the names on the booths at either show because I like to pretend I didn't see them.  If they were the same family, there has been discussion on another website about the allowability of a creative 'team' splitting up and doing two shows the same weekend.  That is also generally frowned upon.  If two people made the items, they are both supposed to be at the same show unless the show accepts a medical excuse if one becomes sick.  (and not all will do that).  But to have the same promoter accepting the exact same 'art' at two festivals at the same time, to put it semi-bluntly smells.

It seriously irritates me that the art festival playing field is so heavily tilted toward the promoter.  I know there are a lot of expenses, time and aggravation that goes into a festival but the bottom  line is that a promoter can find a way to make money on a festival whereas an artist cannot and to ask artists to live up to certain requirements  and then not follow them as the promoter, is kind of shoddy in my opinion.  In this short summer season, about the only good thing that has happened is the price of gas has not sky-rocketed as feared.  So far there has been a repeat of last summer's hot temperatures and/or rain.   The economy is still tough and there have not been a lot of rave reports from artists.  More and more of my favorite artists are not able to make a sustainable living and are not doing shows.  

How could it get worse?  The watch people could be running around buying double booths at art shows.  Oh wait, they were in Salt Lake City, Utah  AND Evanston, Il this weekend.  I guess it can get worse.

Pro:

Anyone can read it without being approved or pay a fee

Con:

Any post has the potential of silencing others from expressing their opinion

Pro:

If everyone can read what is posted even non-members can learn information and can take action from the ideas shared on the forum

Con:

Sometimes you don't want the "outsiders" to know what you are talking about, or is this a "Pro"?

Pro:

It can be a melting pot from a wide variety of opinions

Con:

You can't speak your mind without possibly getting in trouble with some vested interest

The first popular online open forum in our business was the NAIA forum which was a very dynamic forum until a few obstreperous people continually derailed the discussions and the group voted to make it members only. This really slowed down the discussion and participation dwindled.

In the beginning of AFI all different kinds of people joined and I was pretty clueless about managing it. It was pretty interesting to watch my friends and many strangers show up and debate the questions of the day. People could post anonymously and there were (to my mind) some fists flying. People joined and resigned and rejoined. Many sent  me emails wondering why I was letting such uncivilized behavior occur. At one point there was a mass defection. We changed the rules about anonymous posting, set up a vetting process to allow members into the site, and rewrote our Code of Conduct. Early on some show directors joined and they were attacked and they left, silencing their voices here.

Some of these early voices determined who was on the site and who was not and set the tone.

One thing I have learned is that every comment has the possibility of encouraging someone else to speak and someone else to be silenced. I've heard "well, if they can't interact on an Internet forum how can they expect to prosper at the fairs?" You've got to know the purpose of this site is not to toughen people up.

I don't pay attention to the statistics of the readership or the "hits" and am often surprised when I'm at a show to have someone I know say they read the site regularly and their name isn't even on the membership list. It makes me wonder who is reading the site besides the people who post and comment and what function AFI has for them. My hope is that open discussions can influence people's behavior at the shows and in running the shows.

I can edit everything on the site. I have banned people from the site who came into the forum only to attack others and who never had a constructive point to add and who were just plain mean and rude. I have removed a few that were deliberately attacking another person in a personal way, but probably not often enough.

Many comments and posts have disappeared from the site (including a very recent discussion) because when a person resigns from the site all of their content (comments, discussions, blog posts) disappears with them. I have no control over that.

I've allowed others to stay because sometimes they are very good and sometimes they are very bad and I like to believe the good they contribute outweighs the other. Mostly its a pleasure to get up in the morning to see what is going to happen here today, as there is a solid amount of useful content and I am surprised by the generosity of many of you, but let me tell you folks sometimes it keeps me up at night.

Looking for your input ... is this a fair place to post your views? Got any suggestions on making this a better place for all?

Wells Street Art Festival or better know as Wells Street Drink Festival.

This had always been a very hard to set up and hard to deal. I never saw what happen this weekend. Regardless of the drink you can count in this show to bring money or good connections.

Lets start you need to paid for electric. That means add 150 to your booth fee. Parking can cost you another 100. You want to be closer to Schiller that any other spot. Use to be closer to North your better you will be but you also need deal with drunks all day long. In simple terms you want to avoid to be close to any bars. You need to be on line by the time they schedule to set up. Please follow the instructions because is one way. There is not to much organization by the promoter and they are there to make money for the organization not for you. You need hope for a good captain in the area for things run well. If you are selected to donate a piece as I did you are in for next year but you still paid for the booth fee. Make sure to put a explain what is minimum you will take since half of the sales is yours.

I got there at 545 am but I could get in until 615 and Food vendor was blocking your way to the booth. It was just freaking nightmare to set up. There one thing you need to know you only get 10X10 space. Booth are back to back and side to side. I will recommend to get corner or a double space.

The show started at 10 the good buyers come in morning and the party start at 2pm Saturday. I only did one sale for 70 all Saturday. Did I mention that the show start 10am and does end until 8pm but you can pull your car from parking lot provide to artist until 10pm. And yes you paid for that parking space. Around 25 to 50 artist took off Saturday because it was just out of hand.

Sunday crowd was better less drunks and more buyers. I did some sale and recover all my expenses but to me was more important the three connections that I did . One is in progress and the other two I hope that they happen. One the one I am waiting will be very good for me. I plan to follow up in this connection. The artist next to me make a killing and I was very happy since she had great work and price to buy.

I think that you need to do the show again and again but you need to use your mailing and email list. You wont get that much help from the promoters. I trying not express how really feel about this show but if you are not from town avoid this show. My 70 old mother came with me to the show and she mention to me people are here to drink and woman are dress to go the beach or pick up man for the night. 

I've sort of adapted my booth development process around the theatrical process...  

When you're rehearsing a play, you start out in a variety of different ways, but eventually you start a process called "blocking", which is where the actors and directors figure out where the actors are physically positioned and begin working on fleshing out the dialogue.  Then you move onto "working" rehearsals, and eventually you get to a "stumble-through".  From that point, you keep doing the play over and over, tweaking bits and pieces until you can start "run-throughs", and then suddenly you find yourself in technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, previews and opening...  It's an interesting process, and I like to think that my booth is heading toward it's opening but I'm not there yet.

Today, I did my first "stumble-through".  I had a plan, I knew where everything was going to go, and I decided to give it a shot.  Wow.  Did I learn a LOT.  Even without my stuff there to display, I learned a number of different  things that I need to develop in my "working" phase so I can eventually get to a series of "run-throughs" allowing me to practice setting everything up over and over and over until it runs smoothly.  By that time, I'll be ready for a "dress rehearsal" (which I may make into an invite-only trunk show) before I hit the big time and do my first real, upscale art festival.

Depending on whether I can get juried into one.  : )

But obviously, I have to work toward a goal.  I'm taking things slow, yes, but I believe that (much like a theatrical presentation) the opening night audience pays for the same tickets that the closing night audience does, so they deserve to see the same show.  I'm going to make sure I've got my booth ready for my first show.  And that's just gonna take a bit of time to ensure it's right.

So my stumble-through was incredibly productive.  As I said, I learned a lot.  I've included pictures here of my initial endeavors.  My banners arrived this week and I was excited about them, so I was very keen on doing a trial run this weekend to see if they were going to work.  Of course, I hadn't brought any of my stuff from storage, so there was only a handful of current projects in my studio that I tried to spread out as much as I could...  It makes the booth seem quite spare and empty.  But I'm workin' in baby steps here, so it was a good thing I didn't have it in my way...

Things of a general nature that I learned:

 1) 8' walls don't measure 8' from the cross bar at the top to the stay bar at the bottom.  The walls themselves do, but the metal structure on the inside is smaller.  My 2'x4' grid wall panels were too tall, as were my banners.  Duh.  I hadn't thought that all the way through...  This caused some logistical problems I had to figure out...

2)  I need more practice putting this thing up. A lot more practice.  This was the first time doing it by myself, and I practically wiped myself out.  I have to get the "choreography" memorized in order to make it as swift as possible.  Otherwise, it will take me too long to set it up, and the shows will open around me, and I'll be a bad artist who won't be allowed back.  And wearing comfortable clothes, gloves, and sunglasses is a must.  Being in southern California, sunblock is a no-brainer.

3)  Marking the tent poles with permanent marker where the grid wall should go is a good idea.  I tried guesstimating, but soon whipped out the ol' tape measure to do it right. 

4)  Having a plan is a must.  I wouldn't have been able to progress this far unless I had already drawn out what I wanted over and over, asking for opinions and imagining how it would all go together.  A good director plans (generally) what he wants the audience to feel and understand when they see his show.  He knows the high points and the low.  Likewise, a person doesn't build a house without a set of approved architectural plans.  Don't "wing it" when it comes to your booth.  You'll think it's fun to organically develop things, but in the end you'll be frantically trying to get things done, and lose any sense of salesmanship you might have had because you're too tired from setup.  I learned this the hard way as my neighbors came over to see what was up, and suddenly I found myself explaining my work with the few pieces I had on hand in my studio...  I was tired, and it took a lot of energy to be "on".  Don't let this happen to you.

Things of a specific nature that I learned:

 1)  I need to make my banners a smidge shorter than they are by taking 2" off the top and the bottom.  They're just a wee bit too long.  Good thing I have the technology to do that...

2)  I may be horribly particular, but I don't like how my gridwall overlaps.  I plan on shaving off three rows on the bottom pieces so they actually hang correctly without overlapping each other.  And maybe that's just an accepted industry standard.  But it drives. me. nuts.  Looks sloppy to my eye.

3)  I have a series of things I still need to purchase--a long mirror for above the display table, a rug, weights, more display heads, a marine battery, a tool box, clear crates for my product storage that will fit under my tables...

4)  I have a lot of things I need to make, too: an informational banner that I'm going to create that reminds people of custom ordering possibilities and the one-of a kind nature of my pieces, a fanny pack/apron for my "bank"that I can wear, and pennants for the poles above my business banner in front.

5)  I need to order more zip ties.  I'm gonna run out of the 1000 I already bought at the rate I'm using them... I think I will be clipping away zip tie ends in my dreams tonight.  It looks terribly sloppy if I don't...

6)  I forgot to put much time into my table display--a sorely needed aspect that I can't neglect.  I have to seriously ponder what I'm going to do there...  While it's the "fun" part for some people, it's frustrating for me--I was so concerned with the layout of the tent I hadn't really thought about what my table top was going to look like...

7)  I didn't even get around to setting up any electrical stuff, as I still need to get a marine battery and all the accouterments...  But I did realize that my Christmas tree lights that I purchased last year probably will run the battery down too much, so I need to get LED lights instead...  ...  That was disappointing...

8)  I made my sheer striped panels too long, and need to shorten them so they don't pool on the bottom stay bar in such an ugly fashion.

10)  I need lights to show off the rhinestones of my neck lace items which will be on my table top.  The natural sunlight is too diffused by the transparent panel in the ceiling of the tent to be effective.  And I've read that "sparkle sells"...  If I'm going to use rhinestones in my items, I might as well show them off--I mean, seriously, I work in show business!  I gotta have my spotlights!!  : )  So I'll be investing in some lighting once I get my marine battery mechanism.  I have the stay bar for them (which I am also planning on hanging some of my recycled tin can mobiles from) it's just a matter of buying the fixtures and the lights themselves.

This was a very educational day.  I learned a LOT.  I put the fourth wall up on my tent and left is standing tonight, just to see if it would make it through the night and what it would be like tomorrow morning.  I don't want to go to my first festival and try that for the first time...  That sounds like a potential disaster in the making...

Anyway, it's done for now.  Time to turn my attention to the new mountain of work I need to accomplish to be ready!  Haha!!  If you see anything in my pics that stands out as something I might need to address (o ye sages of Artus Festivi) please let me know!  I'd appreciate the feedback now while I can still do something about it!  : )

And remember to Live Life with Relish.  After all, isn't that what it's all about?

Haven't written a review for a while. ArtBirmingham has a long tradition to uphold, and used to be one of the finest shows in the country. It takes place in an upscale suburban community (Birmingham, Michigan), in and around a pleasant little park that was recently renovated. Booths are set-up in the park and on the sidewalks and surrounding streets. Approximately 180 artists from all over the country. The show is run by The Guild, best known for its flagship show, The Summer Ann Arbor Art Fair. 

The fair staff does a great job organizing the load-in and load-out. They are highly visible before, during and after the show. Aside from a few glitches in the layout, which was tweaked again this year, load-in is very smooth. Artists are assigned times, staggered by about two hours on Friday afternoon and evening. The artists in the park load in first, followed by those on the street. The show itself runs from 10-6 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday. Alan Bogl, Operations Director and Nicole McKay are both experienced vets, friendly, visible and helpful during the process. When I found that my corner spot wasn't really a corner spot, but only a wide spot in the road, Nicole came by to soothe my ruffled feathers, and those of my neighbor, Debra Springer. Both of us had counted on the extra visibility in designing a show-specific display, so we had to vamp a bit.

Saturday the rains came off and on all morning. Starting at about 10AM, we had brief showers throughout most of the afternoon. Still, there were a few buyers, dedicated souls who remembered the Birmingham Art Fair of old. One friend, a jeweler, had a couple very good sales in the rain. I managed to make a couple of sales myself, but generally, the crowd was light, and the buying was thin. Great if you're on a diet. The video below (shot Sunday) gives you an idea of the size of the crowd.

ArtBirmingham Ersatz Timelapse

Sunday: much the same, except the weather was gorgeous. A bit humid, but the sun came out, and the temps climbed into the upper 80's. We didn't get the awful humidity and temps in the 90's that were promised by the local forecasters, and the storms that bruised central Michigan missed us by about ten miles to the north. And there were fewer buyers on Sunday than there were on Saturday. I had basically zero sales, zero interest and a few browsers all day. Don't know where they went, but some theories postulate that the folks with money were opening up the summer cabin up north, working on the garden or out on the boat. It was not a good weekend for an art festival.

Load-out was pain-free. A bit of dollying for those around the fountain, but pretty much everyone was gone by 7:30.

This is a show that I would love to see gain its former stature as a "must-attend" in the community. Unfortunately, it seems as if the community has deserted it. Local support seems slim. Rumors abound regarding the silly requests made by the city of Birmingham and merchants. The Guild staff works hard to make this show successful, advertising in the local papers, radio stations and with social media. Still, it's not enough to draw the crowds anymore. There were many nationally known artists there, including Bob Trisko (jewelry), Jim Copeland from Atlanta (photography), our neighbor Merri Patinian (mixed media), RJ and PJ Commerford from Florida (mixed media 2D), Bob and Patti Stern (mixed media 3D), as well as a few stalwarts like our friend Barry Bernstein (raku pottery). Most artists were crying the blues, but managed to eke out expenses. I sure wish this show could reinvent itself. But this is not the weekend to do it.

Wouldn't it be nice to do a show where the booth fee was free? AFI has friends at many shows and as part of our Pledge drive a bunch of show organizers have stepped forward to give away a booth at

Howard Alan Events across the nation, Paragon Art Festivals from Maine to Texas, Rose Squared Productions in New Jersey, Mount Clemens Art Fair in Michigan (soon!), ArtWorks - 2 events in Wisconsin.

How are we going to do this? We are taking pledges, starting at $12, the participants names get added to a spreadsheet and we are going to do a random drawing starting Wednesday (5/23) at 6 pm. We won't assign prizes but we'll let people choose their own prize starting with the first name drawn.

Be listening to hear if you are the winner.

Here are the rest of the prizes (click on the images for more info):

Table Top Easel                 Watercolor Carrying Box        Ear Climberz Earrings    Press Release         Retro Headband

Spiral Pearl Earrings    Antique-style Pepper mill  $100 Amazon gift card          Fancy Bird Feeder        Robot Sculpture

Oil Giclee Print                Pedestal Display Set     Year's Membership at FNO.com  2 copies of new book    Imaging services for artists

Year's membership       Art Fair Coaching Services   Watercolor Painting  Portable Solar Charger          2 Expert Website Reviews

                                     from Connie Mettler                                                                                  from Scott Fox

Garmin GPS

Learn more about the prizes right here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

And God said, I will smite your tent down with wind and rain and hail.
And Lo, the security guard will raise you from your slumber and lead you to your crushed and sagging tent. He will provide you with light and encouragement in your hour of need.

But beware the False-prophet who will stop and with forked tongue declare your type of tent is banned from many-a-fair, or at least Columbus. He will try to distract you from your work but he will offer no assistance.

And you will lose all hope as you attempt to rid the canopy of the gallons of water that have crushed it. You will void your tent of its water with a pocket knife by puncturing it 9 times. And you will have to break many supports to get underneath it.

 The bent and twisted tent will rest on top of your pedestals on your center table. As you raise it up you will discover  your ceramics knocked to the ground and jostled to the side, and you will be Sore Afraid. But you will discover that nary a piece is broken, cracked or chipped. And you will be amazed.  Other artists will not be so lucky and you will know you have been chosen.

  And you will take this as a sign. Your first born son, hearing your wailing and gnashing of teeth,  will declare: Father, should we give up, pack and go home? But you will not despair, only wail and gnash some more, then go out in very very early Sabbath morn , and I will provide for you. You will scavenge bricks  block, wood and Bar, and you will resurrect  your tent from the soggy ashes (and you will remember to  seek out the vendors who 'contributed' to your resurrection in the morning's light to explain your thefts).

You will then take inspiration offered from your offspring, remove all the artwork, rearrange your pedestals and tables so as to hide the destruction and the center pole. And you will be grateful that I sent your first born on this expedition to assist you as you cannot do this on your own.

And lo on Sunday morn, the sun will shine, the ravenous crowds will come forth in great hoardes, and they will wonder at your artwork. Any your son will rise at noon.

Man and woman alike will place money and credit cards on your table and you will make many sales, though not as many as the bearded Prophet with the Double wide Skylight  kitty-corner to you.

 You will be wise, take the money I have provided you in the face of disaster, and you will seek out a new, worthier canopy. You will turn a deaf ear to the vendor across the way who admonishes you for having an unworthy tent from Cosco  instead of the superior Walmart pop-up, and you will know it could have been any of the other 20 or more Ez-Ups that escaped my wrath THIS TIME. You will remember the other 4 destroyed Ez-Ups at the fair, and you will know that no foam-swimming-noodle could have altered my wrath. And  you will see the light.

You will have a vision of your Sta-Bar you used to support your demolished tent, and you will seek a tent made of that very same mettle and know that it is special, although a bit heavy.  And you will purchase a Flourish Trimline with Sta-Bar and you will not look back, lest you be turned to stone. You will know the added weight and  time for setup will lead to comfort in trying times and you will be glad you paid through the nose for this tent. You will give me thanks as you carry the Old One to the dumpster as even the zippers will work on your new canopy which always bothered you with the Pop-up. You will be joyful because the Trimline walls will even fit in their carry bag, which the Pop-up never did. You will consider it more than a long overdue investment for the future, it is a gift .

You will be thankful for the three years the Pop-up lasted and know you are meant  to upgrade. And Lo, from this day forward  light will shine brightly through your  own Double Wide Skylight on your artwork. Your Ceramics  will be much admired by the descending hoards and will find safe harbor from the fury of the summer storms to come.  

And you will  go forth and preach the good news to all Art Fair creation and make disciples of your new canopy and break the cycle of the Eternal Occurrence of the Same.

Amen

I am not a very religious person, although I have a great deal of respect for faith.  Do you often have people come into your booth and tell you that your talent is a gift from God, that you are blessed?  Artistic talent is a wonderful blessing, but sometimes these conversations can be a little uncomfortable for some of us.  In my booth, I also display drawings of historical figures, including our current president.  This seems to be an open invitation for many visitors to share their very negative political opinions, too.  While we're in our booths, we can't escape the conversations around us.  How do you navigate that kind of thing?

In my blog today,  I've shared some stories about this kind of thing and the religious birth of one of my very favorite portraits.

http://pencilenvy.blogspot.com/2012/05/holding-my-ham-hostage.html

I'm a little nervous about broaching a very personal, complicated subject.  As artists we all express ourselves differently and we're very different people.  But when our talent is on display for everyone, the subject of God can come up a lot, can't it?

Have  a great week!

Susan and I have been exhibiting at this event for 10 years or more.  The art section is considered secondary to the music lineup.  But what we have found out over the years is that the crowds are strong and there are many loyal art buyers that attend Sunfest for the art first and the music 2nd.  The event is located on A-1A right on the water.

The jury fee is $30 with the booth fee being $300.  Any corner location is an additional $50 and there are many more requests than available corner spaces.  We are one of the few lucky artists to obtain a corner space.  The music starts on Wednesday with the Art Show beginning Friday at 5:00 pm.  Art show hours are Friday 5 - 10, Sat. 12 - 10 and Sun. 12 - 9.  Yes these are long hours and there are times during the afternoon where the customer traffic can be light.  But once 4:00 comes each day the customer crowds pick up and continue to grow the rest of the evening.  Be prepared to have booth lights for the evening hours, especially from 7 - 10 pm.  Sunfest includes electricity to all exhibitors which is included in the booth fee cost.  They also provide free parking in a local parking garage about a block away for the 3 days.  Looking for a hotel/motel shouldn't be difficult as many options are available and relatively close.  We were able to find a special Sunfest rate at the Holiday Inn for $79/night about 5 miles away.

Set up starts on Friday at 10:00 am and goes on till 4:00.  The set-up is pretty smooth with very little hassle. Sunfest offers art exhibitors a nice dinner at 4:00 pm friday before the art show starts that consists of Lasagne, Salad, italion bread and your choice of water, lemonade, ice tea or beer.  Snacks, fruit and water, ice tea or lemondae are offered throughout the show at the artist oasis.  Btw I love their lemonade and drink it all weekend.   I heard that over 2000 cups were used by the artist and volunteers for the weekend.

Judging starts on Friday around 5:00 pm and the judge does enter your booth and reviews each artist body of work, even asking questions if need be.  Total prize money is $13,500 with overall best of show being $2000.

I counted 160 artist exhibiting.  The category breakdown is:

Glass  -  9 (5%),  Jewlry - 28 (17.5%),  MM 2-D & 3-D  - 22 (13.75%),  Painting - 37 (23%),  Watercolor - 5 (3%),  Woodwork - 9 (5.5%),Pottery/Ceramics - 7 (4%),  Fine Art Sculpture/Metal 10, Drawings/Graphics or Printmaking - 8 (5%) (6.25%),  Fiber/Textiles - 7 (4%), Photography - 11 (6.9%)  and Fine Craft - 7 (4%).

The art show chairman Will White and his vice chairman Phil Barbee are seasoned veterans.  They assemble a solid support staff that will help you any way you need including booth sitting and stocking the artist oasis with snacks, fruit and beverages throughout the event.  Everyone is friendly and prepared.  Will and Phil are on site the entire show and do whatever they can to make sure the artist have a pleasant Sunfest experience.

Sales can be very good at this event. It is my opinion in order to optimize your sales you should have something that is either tropical, contemporary, very unique and a wide price range that are $25 -  originals.  There is some extremely high value, tremendous art being sold here.   You have a mix of young people to wealthy socialites.  It amazes me each year how many young kids buy art.  I don't know where they get the $$$$'s but as long as they spend it on art work, I don't really care.  We even had George Hamilton come to our booth and strike up a conversation with Susan while she was demonstrating.  I did speak to a photographer who has been a loyal exhibitor for 28 years at Sunfest and he stated that sales had been good for him this year.  Another photographer didn't faire as well.  A metal clock sculpture was busy with sales all weekend.  Our neighbor a mixed media artist/painter did very well.  Both Susan and I had another stellar Sunfest.  We sold two originals to a wealthy West Palm Beach socialite and two one-of-a-kind pieces as well as other framed and mounted pieces.  It was the 3rd weekend in a row we had a "home run" art show. There is hope in Florida.

Sunfest concludes on Sunday night at 9:00 pm. with a 20 minute or so spectacular fireworks display on the water.  Susan and I take this time to relax in our booth observing the fireworks.  When the fireworks conclude the tear down begins.  We managed to get all packed up and on our way home by midnight.  Everything went smoothly as Will and Phil and their staff always do a bang up job facilitaing the tear down.  By the time we arrived home it was 3:05 am.  I can't say that we are an advocate for the late Sunday hours, but I know it's just one time a year so we accept it and sleep in till we wake up  which in this years case was past 1:00 pm Monday.

There is plenty of opportunity for artist to make $$$ at Sunfest.  Come to exhibit with an open mind, be prepared for the long hours and all types of art customers.

Let's clear up a few details so there is no confusion: I have a job.

More specifically I have a business. Technically, I've had a business for nearly a decade. Of course, because my business involves creating art people assume it is simply a hobby.

Which brings me here.

I'm angry about being judged and am tired of defending my life to well-meaning loving people, well-meaning ignorant people and a few not so well-meaning haters.

In talking to people about this I've discovered something interesting - people have no idea what I - or most successful artists - actually do. So in as few words as possible, let me tell you about my business.

I am an award-winning, fine artist creating original oil paintings, custom murals, private commissions and fine art prints with Americana and vintage themes. I travel across the country profitably selling my art at juried art shows where it has been recognized and rewarded by knowledgable experts.

I hang my artwork at well established professional galleries. I teach painting classes, art camps and mentor other painters.

I have an audience that will buy my art because it is original, authentic and well-done. I am talented.

And for the first time in my life I am fully committed to my Vision.

I've decided to write about this because my partner, friend and lover pointed out that I sound like I'm apologizing when I talk about my business. That when confronted with the "When are you going to get a job?" comment there is a hint of embarrassment and shame in my response.

And he is right. I've been trained.

In talking to other friends that have a business that revolves around creating something called "art" and reading blogs and essays I've discovered I'm not alone.

Here is the irony.

If I spend my day selling cars at a dealership most people would say, "Chrissy? She has a job selling cars." If I spend my day cleaning houses they might say, "She is a housecleaner."  If I left my studio, drove to a customer's house and painted the siding I would have a job as a housepainter. If I spent my day at home coding medical records people would consider that a job.

Apparently, if I was employed at Menard's making minimum wage that is a job too.

But because I work fifty to sixty hours per week on my business creating something at home called "art" it isn't considered a job.

The truth is there is an established, recognized market for my paintings. It is simply a question of finding the right mix and taking the actions to support my business. I manage my accounting, pay taxes, market and promote my artwork, network with other art professionals, enter into juried art shows, enter into competitions, work with professional well established art galleries and give art lessons.

I find the double standard confusing at times.

How this plays out for people is different for different people.

Let me give you a couple examples of how this actually plays out in my life.

Among other failings, my ex-dear husband is a failure as a business owner. For nearly, three years he has forced me and my children into difficult financial situations, ran up my credit cards, ruined my excellent credit rating and avoided any real work.

Oh, and he is also a painter except his "canvas" is the inside and outside of houses. He is a housepainter.

Last week, during court, the judge suggested I get a "real job." Apparently, the judge did not consider being a mother and raising our children a real job. I painted when time allowed, ran art camps and traveled 8 to 9 weekends per year for my business.

However, the judge never confronted my ex about his unwillingness and inability to support his family with his job. He never suggested, "Sir, perhaps you need to get a real job because it is obvious what you are doing is not working." The judge never called him out even though as the family's breadwinner he wasn't winning or bringing home the bread.

My ex's lawyer mocked my profession.

As I sat in the witness stand she said, "being an artist was nothing but a pipe dream," and that I "would never be successful".  She then compared what I do to selling "pink fuzzy bunnies".

Of course, it was pointed out to me by my partner that there are some incredibly successful companies that made a business out of selling fuzzy animals including Amazon, Webkinz and Vermont Bear Company.

However, more to the point, this isn't the first slap in the face I received as business owner and painter.

Really the insults began while my boys were just starting school. I can't count how many times I have been asked to come and volunteer my time or my donate my art to a fundraiser.

Just because I work from home in my studio. Would they ask another parent to come in as often if they worked under someone else's roof? Would they ask a dealership to simply donate a car?

My business is no different than pedaling cars, insurance, bicycles or dish washers. The only real difference is that I am making it myself instead of in some plant in China or bank on Wall St.

Some people collect cars, tools, electronics, music, stuffed pink bunnies or Star Wars action figures.

Other people collect art.

What I've discovered is that people want and do collect my art.

To all the well-meaning people that love me, if you really want to be helpful, think about how you can make my business more successful through referrals to art collectors, interior decorators and gallery owners. When a friend is talking about painting a room, doing a mural or having a portrait completed give them my name and email me an introduction.

For the well-meaning but ignorant people stop by my studio or visit me at an art show and learn more about what I do. I love talking about my business and my Vision.

For the haters? Well, haters are gonna hate. I'll ignore them and just focus on living well.

I had suspected for a couple years that Madison On the Square was not doing a conventional "on site" jury.  I just saw an e-mail they sent out on March 16th informing applicants that the jurors will be given 8 days to review the applicants.  To me this smelled of "off site" jurors being given the code to get into ZAPP ADMINISTATION for jurying at their own leisure. 

I think that this is the absolute wrong way to go for a jury process.  So why would they want to do this?  Saving costs would be tops on the list of reasons to do this.  They charge $35 per artist jury fee.  Let's assume that they get 1200 applications.  This is a top 50 show.  Maybe they will get even more.  Sure I know that there are between 62 and 87 re-invited artists that don’t have to pay a jury fee.  However, that's still about $42,000 just in jury fees not counting late jury fees.  Even if they paid 4 paid jurors for 2 days covering all the expenses for airfare if necessary, hotel and food, additional support employees, ZAPP projectors, or computer rental, etc, I would think that quite a tidy profit could still be derived from this profit center of the show.  Or perhaps the director doesn't want to be bothered with the tremendous effort involved in producing an "on site" jury.  I understand this as I've done it but....well, I guess, that's part of the job.  Maybe the director doesn't think that they are any qualified jurors within a 1000 miles.  No, that couldn't be.  I know that looking at 1200 applications, 4800 images, is a chore.  If done over 2 days, 600 artists are very manageable.  Sure it can be visually and mentally exhausting.  But I don’t think that’s the problem.  Ok, so I'm perplexed.

If the jurors are looking at the images ‘off site’ then the images are not looked at simultaneously as it says in the prospectus. They are not looked at simultaneously by the jurors as is done in a ZAPP projected jury.  And in addition, when off site they are not projected; they are looked at on a monitor when viewed off site.  When viewed on the on-line ZAPPLICATION process, the images are looked at individually with only a very small thumbnails being seen as a grouping at the end and on the scoring page; these small hard to see thumbnails are the only simultaneous viewing of the images.  This seems very deceptive to me.  By the way, I have been suggesting for 3 or 4 years to ZAPP that they enlarge these grouped images.  I finally hear that they may do just that.

Now let's look at it from the artist’s viewpoint as to why this is a problem for them.  Jurors would perhaps be dispersed across a large area in different time zones.  (Ok so the 2 jurors that they’ve announced are from the Madison area). Maybe they would be looking at the images during the directors working hours and maybe not?  What if they had multiple questions with no one to answer them?  What will their pre-jury instruction be?  Who will enforce the rules?  I've been to enough live juries to know that there are a lot of questions.  Will the jurors be looking at the images on quality monitors, or even similar monitors?  Will different judges be seeing the same thing from an image or not?  Perhaps juror 'A' has an old CRT monitor that's 10 years old and is totally not able to be controlled for color and brightness.  Perhaps juror 'B' has a monitor that cost $50 at some box store and the contrast is so bad that there is no shadow detail seen or the highlights are completely non-existent.  Laptops are notorious for their poor quality of images.  The point is that the jurors may not be seeing the same thing.  As a professional photographer I know how important "calibrated" monitors are.  Calibration standardizes what is seen on a monitor as long as it’s capable of control.  Ok, let’s proceed.  What if juror 'C' has a young child that is home and needing attention while they are jurying images during this 8 day process?  The jurors could be very distracted from doing their due diligence for any number of reasons:  diaper change, ice cream time, homework, domestic dispute, etc.  What if juror 'D' worked really hard all day but waited till the last moment to jury the images.  Perhaps they fall asleep at their screen and are half conscious giving a score and click on the wrong button.  Will that juror be doing justice to the jury system by being totally exhausted at the end of their work day?  Not likely.  Jurors “off site” can look at images for different lengths of time.  Is this fair?  They can even research web sites and explore other images done by artists.  Is that fair?  What if the juror decides to consult with what friends think of an artists’ work.  The images could be copied and pasted to be seen anywhere.  This alone has been a major concern for many artists.

The bottom line for me and I hope many artists is that they are not, let me repeat that, are not being judged equitably.  For $35, or $5 or $75 for that matter, they deserve a fair shake.  Having jurors not "on site" is not a fair and equitable way for shows to be jurying.  There are way too many variables for the jury process to proceed along this path to give the artist what they are paying for and deserve.  For years this show was run successfully by intern directors:  graduate students, in the arts program at UW Madison, who would be the director for 2 to 3 years.  Now a paid director has taken over and it seems that what is now important is the bottom line.  It is no longer the well being of the artists and what is in their best interest.

Is it a stretch to assume that all of this has something to do with the chaos that has been going on in Madison and Wisconsin?  Is it a stretch to say that this has something to do with the current administration in Wisconsin defunding the Wisconsin Arts Board?  Ok, I certainly will not go there as it is off point.

The control, the standardization, of the jury process and of the jurors as a group is gone with this newest move by Madison On the Square.  It is no longer a "level playing field" for artists.  The shared experience is eliminated.  This smacks of a director giving up and giving in.  So I decided to email Annik Dupaty, the Director of Events, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.  She is the director of the show.  I simply asked if it is true that jurying takes place off site and her reasoning for this.  She responds first by saying that jurying off site is the “standard of the industry.”  I don’t know where she gets her facts on this.  ZAPP does not even know what the percentage of shows jurying off site is.  She also claims that the system was set up that way when she took over as director.  I know one of the previous directors and this system for jurying was not in place while he was director.  There was a director between his term and Anniks taking over.  The graduate student director before Annik took over quit the post as director and did not graduate.  She states that,  “in these hectic ‘modern’ lives we lead it is hard to get full-time, busy working people to (1) align schedules, and (2) commit to being here for 1-2 full days straight”  Well, we have always been in these hectic ‘modern’ times.  Every generation lives through their own modern period.  Jurors were brought together for 50 years before this and other shows started to ask jurors to view images off site.  Jurors were in one location long before the shows were making the amounts of money they make now.  If jurors were paid a decent amount, I don’t think finding jurors to participate would be an issue. Many would relish having been a juror for the show and adding it on their resume or curriculum vitae.  She further states, “…and it isn’t necessary with the technology available to us.”  Well, that brings it full circle and to the conclusion that I reach and that is:  JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOESN’T MEAN THAT THAT YOU SHOULD.  The world is full of misguided decisions made with the idea that just because something can be done means that it should be done.

Since the costs for jurying have been so dramatically cut, have the jury fees or booth fees been reduced?  Would Annik be willing to send out a fair Survey Monkey to see what the applying artists feel about “off site” jurying?  I’d love to hear that the applying artists think it’s a good idea and that I’m wrong about all of this.

I think artists deserve an explanation so they can decide whether this is a show that they want to participate in.  They ARE the show.

All art show artists who create their own work are continuously disadvantaged by (1) buy/sell operators, (2) group operations (3) mass manufactured items, (4) co-artist teams who exhibit in multiple shows on a given weekend (5) people who jury in with a certain body of work only to display a totally different (sellable) body of work at the show and (6) people who jury under 2 or 3 mediums with the same work.  I'm seeing these situations at almost every show.  If we're ever going to create a level playing field, it has to STOP!

BUY/SELL:  We all know that's where the "vendor" buys product somewhere else at a very low price  (i.e. overseas or even the U.S.) and merely sells it at a show at high margins and/or volume, when the vendor had no involvement in the creation or production.  There is absolutely no place for that in a fine art show.  Don't tell me that we need to give customers "something they can afford".   Patrons who want that kind of product already have an outlet (almost every chain store in USA).

GROUP OPERATIONS:  I've seen this a few times with jewelers (and it might also exist in other mediums), where one manager has 2, 3 or more people apply to a show under their individual names; yet all product is owned and managed by one central manager.  It is likely that the product is either buy/sell or mass produced.  Each booth might have a different style (silver vs. gold, vs. something else), but the central manager collects all the monies and apparently runs the entire operation, even though the promoter thinks he/she has several individual artists creating their own work.  This is deceptive and, when proven, the artists and manager should be banned.

MASS PRODUCED ITEMS:   Artists who create and produce their own work are seriously disadvantaged by people who subcontract their product to mass production factories.  In these situations the "artist" is no more than the outside sales person for the product.  He/she may have created the original design, but is no longer involved in production because it is mass produced by any idiot that can push the machine start button and take the finished product off the machine.

CO-ARTIST TEAMS EXHIBITING IN MULTIPLE SHOWS:  I've seen many instances where Co-Artist Teams actually exhibit at two shows on a given weekend.  Upon inquiry, I hear that "oh, this is my work and that is his/her work".  Yet they applied as a "team" of co-contributors.  It's not a problem for two people to have different works.  But when they apply as a team, and do not exhibit as a team, that is a problem!  They are stealing a booth from another more deserving artist.

JURY IMAGES DO NOT MATCH BOOTH DISPLAY:  I'm seeing this more often every month.  Artists having difficulty jurying into a top shows with their "saleable" art are sending jury images with totally different bodies of work.  The problem arises when the artist sets up his booth with only his saleable items and never shows the juried body of work.  Art shows should always have a notebook with the jury slides and booth shot to compare the actual artist booth display at the show.  Where it is not consistent, artist should be confronted and told he/she cannot exhibit bodies of work which were not juried into the show.  No exceptions!

MULTIPLE MEDIUMS:  I've seen people who submit applications into two or three mediums and over time get accepted into each of the mediums.  Yet when their display is the same work.  It has to be one or the other.  It CAN'T be all three.

I just exhibited at the Scottsdale Arts Festival.  I was near someone who I suspected as a buy/sell or mass production operation.  When I saw that the name plate had two co-artists names but I only saw the one same person exhibiting all weekend, I was even more suspect.  Now I have googled their name, found out about their production company that has been selling their items wholesale since 1972, company listed as 11-50 employees, sells through numerous retail outlets and does 40+ shows a year, etc.  I continued to search and found one of the co-artists listed as a participant in Howard Alan's Juno Beach Art Show, which happened the same weekend they were in Scottsdale.  

I have since sent a lengthy letter to the Scottsdale promoter and informed them of my findings and asked that they take action.

Perhaps this was the "straw that broke the camel's back", so to speak, at least for me.  I've just read the blogs about certification and others to try to fix what's wrong with our industry.  Certification is not the answer!  The buck is always going to stop with the promoter.  So it is up to all of us to educate the promoters and inform them of wrongdoings as they occur.  But not just so they can slap the hand of the current artist, but to take corrective action in the future and perhaps even ban the offending artist.

And it's not just enough to take action at the current show.  It is essential for promoters to communicate with each other and compare notes.  I know a lot of times a director at one show is a juror at another show and vice versa.  This is where each promoter's database of offending information should be shared with each other.  

This is the only way we will make the playing field level for all.

I left the Boston Mills Art Show Monday, outside of Cleveland,and headed back to Saugatuck.  It is a six-hour drive, which leaves me plenty of time to think.

This is not a blog about the art show, I will leave that to Patti Stern or Leo Charette.  This was more about me, and the rest of us in this biz.

I have been driving this stretch of I-80 thru Ohio and Indiana for more than 24 summers (15 times coming back from Boston Mills).

It is reassuring to see the corn growing in familiar fields.  I have passed that same Ohio barn with its automotive signs on it for years.  seen the same campground outside of the big city slowly grow.  Stopped art Smith's restaurant in Wauseon,Ohio  for a sturdy farmers breakfeast.

I have seen a lot of familiar artists at that show over the years, also noted a number who have passed and are no longer with us.  So there, I have set the scene.

Between listening to Brit singers David Gray, and Adele, wail away to their heart's content (on Sirius/XM) it got me thinking for the first time about my mortality.  That is a very sobering subject.

How many more times is God going to let me run down this road. Or maybe we could phrase it, how many more shows will I be able to do before: cancer gets me, a stroke gets me, a bad back gets me, or hell, I just get to be an old fart who can no longer put up the booth and haul 40-pound boxes.

I turn 66 in October, been doing this for 36 years.  How much longer am I good for?Six years (that makes me 72), maybe 10 more years (that makes me 76) or could  make it to the big Enchilada and do it for 14 or more (making me a lucky, spry 80-something).

Many of my peers are dropping out now, in their mid-sixties.  You see very few doing it in their mid-seventies.  Hell, 80-year-olds should be in the Sunshine Artist hall of Fame.

Ellen was just telling me at Boston Mills, "You know Nels, you can't be climbing up on a six-foot ladder to put your roof on much longer, what if you fall?"

Boy I can see the headlines for that one.

                        TEQUILA-TIPPLING ARTIST TOPPLES AT (Insert a show, any show)

When she said that, she made me think I was almost ancient.  Trouble is, I feel just fine.  In fact I feel like I got a purring motor and can keep on going for a long time.

Sure.  I may get wiser, and by age 70 (yikes, only four years from now) and buy a booth with fabric walls.  Then I won't have to go up on a ladder beside my van to put my booth panels on the roof racks.  Maybe get one of those booths where you put the roof on at ground level and then raise it.  Maybe I would go to all canvas for my photos and get rid of all that troublesome glass that weighs so.  Hell, maybe I should just chuck photography and become a jeweler.  Then I could go to shows in a minivan, a light booth, and fully loaded revolver.

Heck I hear Luciano is thinking of getting out of the biz and moving back to Italy, will Galbo follow to France?  A fantastic black and white photographer, Rick Preston, who I have known for 30-plus years, told me at the Mills this was his last year in the biz.

A lot of good people have come and gone over the decades.  People who gave me great pride to say I knew them and really loved their work.  Some of my contemporaries who used to kill them in the 80's and 90's are having a tough time getting juried into good shows.

My clan of artists is slowly shrinking each year.  I try to reach out and meet some of the talented newcomers.  But you don't establish close ties overnight.  it takes show upon show to sometimes build up a relationship.

As long as I have my health, I will do shows.  Heck, I wouldn't know what to do with all my time if I had every weekend off.  I want to still drive down familiar byways, plus see new ones.  i like getting in the van for an art show and looking back in my rear mirror.  There's the cutest blonde, with blue eyes, following me again.  What will it be like if Ellen quits before me, which is likely.

Well, I thought about all this on the ride home.  It was the first time I ever thought about my having limitations in my biz.  I have always gone out with this unlimited passion for doing shows.  And then assuming there was no end of them.  I always thought Marchetti, a very talented painter, got out the right way.  When we used to do the nine-day Piedmont Art Fest in Atlanta, it was always a friendly contest to see who would be first in line with their van at teardown.  Usually it was Rene.  He passed away at the art show in his chair.  Just went out quietly and peacefully. Or Andre, the jeweler, died peacefully in his sleep, in his van at the Miami Beach Art Show, years ago.  They just did what they loved til their time came.

Somebody up there knows my number.  I keep hoping they misplace it and can't find it for a long time.

I got too many blogs about shows that I want to write.  I got dreams and aspirations about getting in Cherry Creek some day.  I got hopes about getting into Winter Park somne day.  Heck they have only juried me out for 26 years straight, after I was in three years in a row back in the 80's.

As Otis Redding sang,"I got dreams..."

I tell you one thing, i am still going up that ladder for a few more years.

Aloha, Nels.

And here now, if I knew how to do it, we would include Otis on YouTube, or better still, Jackson Browne singing the "Load Out" song.