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Well, 2013 was my second year in the art fair scene and it has been a remarkable year indeed. First off, my sales have been 11 times what they were my first year. Yay! I hit my first 1K day at Crocker Park (Westlake, Ohio) on Saturday. Too bad the Guild killed off that show...

I earned two ribbons. One for Photography at the Crosby Festival of the Arts in Toledo, Ohio and my second ribbon was from a purchase award by Wee Kirk Preschool in Mundelein, Illinois. So I guess I am an award winning artist...

I have created an address file for people who signed up to be on my mailing list. That is something that did not happen in 2012. But this brings me to a decision for 2014. To get into even bigger shows. I will be applying for the Ann Arbor fairs. I live in Washtenaw County anyway.

I also learned something from 2013, that the jury was confused by images of Lego minifigures with landscapes. In 2014, I will keep my jury images constitant with Lego minifigures or classic Fisher Price Little People. That portion of my sales (the minifigures and Little People) is 85-90% of my total at fairs. So the other work in the booth has been getting less and less booth space.

Also, I did have a few commissioned pieces from my Etsy shop. The shop on Etsy helps with the winter months when I do not have fairs...

If I make four to five times what I made in 2013 from the fairs in 2014, I will be very, very happy! Now it's time to get my inventory up again and prepare new images for 2014. Best of luck gang in 2014!

This was a first-time show for us at one of the nicest venues we’ve ever visited.  Annmarie is a 30 acre public park that includes the first class sculpture garden and classes and workshops for adults and kids in ceramics, fiber, painting, drawing, and jewelry, among other media.

The park is surrounded by tall, mature pine trees and has winding paths through the woods and open spaces in the center.

The show is set up in three basic locations:  inside the arts center, in the “tent circle” around the open space, and in the wooded paths.  The artist specifies on the application his/her preference and it seems like most first choices were honored. 

Space fees vary by location.  Inside is $150 (including electric), the tent circle is $50 and the wooded path is $25.  All artists also owe 14% of gross sales with a minimum of $100.  I wish more shows were like this – a reasonable basic fee plus a reasonable commission.

We chose the tent circle as it seemed “central” and everyone would have to pass by.

Setup was easy on Friday.  We got there early enough to park next to our space and unload and setup.  With few “neighbors” there, we didn’t need to move the van at all.

Spaces in the tent circle were 10x10 with plenty of storage behind. The wooded path spots were open on all four sides with lots of space in between.

Artist parking is at the very farthest point in the large open field that was also the patron lot.  When we arrived early Saturday, there were about 100 high school ROTC kids forming a lined corridor to wave us to our parking spot. 

It was really comical. It would only take about 4-5 people to accomplish the same thing but it cracked us up.  The kids had a blast too.  Nice way to involve the community in the show. The same thing happened on Sunday but with a different group.

A local Boy Scout troop camped in the park overnight and provided security.  (The grounds were also gated closed overnight)

The show has a $6 gate fee and a “no pet” policy.  At 10AM on Saturday, the gates opened and people came streaming in.  The weather was perfect all weekend and the traffic was steady all weekend – even with the Ravens and Redskins both having 1:00 games on Sunday.

Artist amenities were pretty basic – a free cup of coffee each morning, booth sitters, load-in/set-up assistance if desired and postcards.  There was also very heavy advertising including large signs all over the neighboring counties.

The show has been going on for 20 years and the locals love it as do the Washington, DC crowd (about an hour away).

Sales for us were pretty slow on Saturday but did pick up on Sunday.  Because our out-of-pocket for this one was trivial, we couldn’t help but make some money. 

What was selling?  It seemed like the fine crafts did better than the fine art.  Most of the 2D we saw going out was matted prints or smaller framed pieces.  I only saw a few very large paintings walking out.  Some jewelers did great; the one next to us had a very slow show.  I didn’t see any buy/sell.  At the same time, I saw painted toilet seats!

During the show, artists had the opportunity to do demonstrations (and could compete for a $500 “best demonstration” award.)  The winner was a raku artist.  It was another great way to involve the patrons in the show.

There was a big downside to the raku demo though.  It was very breezy on Saturday and the smoke from burning newspaper or whatever was on fire in the trashcan was blowing all over the place.  We were about 10 booths away and the acrid smoke was a problem for the patrons in the area but also for the artists whose work could be affected (like fiber!) 

Fortunately the breeze was mostly blowing away from the tents but it was pretty bad judgment, in my opinion, to set up this demo so close to the other tents.

There were other cash awards that included – longest participating artist, People’s Choice, and best new artist.

Food options were plentiful but the size of the crowd meant long lines.  There were “real” bathrooms” (also long lines) but portapotties (without lines) for the braver souls.

There was music on stages that were remote from most of the booths and the performances were almost inaudible from where we were.  Stilt-walkers were there but didn’t do much other than walk around in costumes.  They were “dignified” (if that’s possible) and reminded me of the masked extravaganzas in plazas of Venice.

Tear-down was super easy.  Because we were local for this one, we waited until Monday morning.  All but 3-4 tents were long gone. We parked the van right in front of the tent and were done in an hour.  There was a plan in place for Sunday tear down but we were in a bar while all that was going on so I can't comment.

Overall, it was a pleasure doing this show.  Our sales were not as high as we’d hoped but were still good enough that we would do the show again if it was local for us. 

The local hotels had special artist rates but I would not recommend trying the show unless you had other shows in the area to piggy-back on.  Some did very well here, some did okay, and some not so well.  (Sounds like every other show, right)

There were at least 2 other AFIers at the show and I love for them to chime in with a report on their experiences.

Here is the layout (we were in tent circle spot #20):

Venue is behind the tree line...

Near the food...

The Venice Art Festival has been my launchpad for the winter season since I got in the business six years ago.  The crowds that visit this Howard Alan show are good sized, they come year after year, and many of them are newly-arrived snowbirds from the upper midwest and Canada who are looking to decorate the winter homes. 

I've never had a bad show here, but in most years the visitors buy small.  That wasn't the case this year: it wound up as the best Venice show I've ever had.   The buying energy persisted all weekend, except for an understandable lull as a cold front and squalls moved through late on Saturday morning.

When the front passed, it took the overbearing humidity with it: Sunday brought crystal blue skies and a feeding frenzy, at least in my space.  I sold six good-sized Gallery Wraps on day 2 (not a record, but typically the kind of sales I see in deeper-pocketed Naples and Sarasota). 

More tellingly, perhaps, I had no less than a dozen folks tell me that they had either just bought a home, they were redecorating one they'd bought a few years ago, or they had a new home under contract.  Last year, at the same show, I had two or three folks say the same. (And yes, I keep track by maintaining a New Homeowner's mailing list).  The numbers of artists who told me they had a good show was in double figures--not everyone I talked to, but pretty close.  The buyers didn't seem to discriminate: Jewelers, 2-D, functional pottery, glass all did decently, from what I heard.  I was 'way too busy to take a survey.

One show does not a trend make, of course, but coupled with the reports I'm reading about the housing market heating up, and what I hear from my brother (who is in the mid-to-high end furniture biz for a Fort Myers/Naples chain, and is writing business with both hands these days), maybe there's a glimmer of hope for the winter season.

I thought I'd reviewed this show last year, but couldn't find it.  So here's some additional scoop for the unfamiliar: 
* The show runs along Venice Ave., the main downtown district, filled with small-storefront retail and restaurants.

* As a Howard Alan downtown show, there's no Friday setup.  Officially, check-in starts at 5 AM Saturday, but some artists were around as early as 3:30 AM to get started.  Drive up to your space, unload, then move to artist parking in a bank parking lot.  (Some parts of Venice Ave. are divided by a concrete barrier dividing east-and west-bound traffic; if you have a space in those sections, you can park right behind your booth, on the east-bound side.)  As in most Alan events, the tents are pretty tight side to side, but most booths have some storage area behind. 

* There's a Costco booth where you can grab cold water, pre-packaged muffins (on Saturday), or fruit (on Sunday).  No coffee either day.  Lunch is on your own, but several of the enterprising restaurants delivered fliers offering meals at a discount. 

* There are a couple of hotels (Best Western Plus, Holiday Inn) off the Jacaranda Rd. exit (#193) of I-75, about 10 minutes' drive from the show.  There are also a couple of national chain hotels in North Port, 20 minutes south, and lots more in Sarasota, about the same distance to the north. 

I hope some of the other artists chime in with comments--and that someone takes on reviewing Alan's St. Armands show being held this coming weekend (Nov. 9-10) in Sarasota.  I'm taking the weekend off to attend a workshop, but it would really be nice to hear on AFI if the buying spree continues...or not.

The last three years, I've spent several months and thousands of dollars chasing migrating birds and art festivals across the Northeast shore venues in hope of finding subjects and buyers, respectively, for my avian photography (also called "bird photography", but you can't charge as much if you call it that. ;-) 

This year, thanks to a generous offer from the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor NJ (a prime spring migration spot), I was able to stay on-site for three weeks and let the migrating birds come to me. Then I drove back to Florida for a month to work up the best images before heading north for shows August through September.  Rebranded as "Geoff Coe's Wild Images" instead of "Wild Images Florida", I'm now armed with a strong set of pix to sell to a wider range of Northeast buyers, rather than relying primarily on selling to Florida snowbirds in their summer homes. 

At least, that's the plan.  Two weeks in to the experiment, how's it going? 

Petri Dish #1 was the Ocean City Boardwalk show on August 2-3-4.  Run by the Ocean City Art Association, this show has been a summer staple for 51 years.  And the consensus among the artists and customers I spoke with about the show's history, it's seen better days.  Buy/sell, booths chock-full of manufactured beach trinkets and cheap jewelry compete with a few painters and an unbelievable number of photographers for the attention of passers-by who may--or may not--have had any awareness of the show before they began flip-flopping their way down the boardwalk. 

Make no mistake, this show is a marathon: 7 AM Friday morning setup, followed by show hours of 10-8 Fri. and Sat.  Sunday kicks off at 10 as well, but you could begin breaking down at 4 PM if you wished.  ( I pounced on that deal.) 

It's an inexpensive show to do (under $200), which helps to counterbalance the high hotel costs (I stayed in Vineland, NJ, an easy 45-minute drive away).  The early-Friday-morning setup is difficult--pull up to the base of the boardwalk, dump your trailer contents on the curb, park ($15/day in one of the outdoor lots), then dolly 'til you drop, dodging throngs of bikers, joggers, and early-bird boardwalk strollers as you go.  The show folks advise that you can start the process at 7 AM, but some folks were halfway set up by the time I arrived at 7:10. 

In keeping with the mid-'90s appearance of the show's website, there's no email communication at all--everything is snail mailed, even though the application asks for your email address, and even though I specifically advised on the application that I'd be on the road, so email, please.  As a result, I had no idea where my booth was when I got there. Unfortunately, I had no idea where any show organizers were, either.  So I walked a block along the boardwalk until I got to the foot of the show and called loudly for an organizer.  Some confusion ensued, since--as is usual--there is a craft show run by another group under the nearby portico.  One of their organizers responded, bless her heart, but couldn't help me. 
A couple of minutes later, an apologetic assistant organizer from MY show gave me my booth number--I was a long block away--and eventually I got set up in my space.   It was a half-hour after the official 10 am opening time, but it didn't matter. No heat for my tardiness came from the show organizers.  In fact, I didn't see a show official or volunteer all weekend. 

There were three judges, and I'll give them credit: they worked hard, communicated with each other to discuss the merits of what they saw, and made a point to greet the artists and ask questions.  The prize money wasn't big-time (in the two- and low three-digit range) but the check amounts were in keeping with the low booth fee. 

There was also an artist dinner on Friday night in the boardwalk municipal building, immediately following the 8 PM zip-up.  Most artists had finished eating by 8:25, but inexplicably, the awards ceremony hadn't started at 8:45.  Having arisen at 5 AM, I gave up and left for my drive back to the hotel. 

Was this show worth the aggravation?  Well, maybe.  I had developed a bit of a client base from my participation two years ago (you can read about that show, and the famous parking fiasco, here).  Most of them came by, and a few of them bought. And enough new visitors came by to eke out a reasonable profit--a few hundred more than I made in 2012.  But it was barely enough for 3 days of work. 

This is a "filler show" at best: not one I'd travel a significant distance to do, but at least it put some bucks in the bank after doing only three shows since the end of April. 

Week two (8/10-11), by comparision, was an artist's paradise, at the exceedingly well-run Rehoboth Beach Art League show. Go od to great sales for most artists, and quality off the charts on weekend one of this two-weekend show.  I'll chime in next week with a full report. 

Event Name: Arts Alive

Location: Northside Park (125th Street), Ocean City MD

Promoter: Town of Ocean City - Special Events

Dates: June 15-16, 2013

Show Review

I have participated in this event for 5 or 6 years now and have always enjoyed the event. Pluses: Friday all day set-up, friendly and attentive staff, lots of booth sitting volunteers from the local arts organizations, in most years, you can park right behind your booth to set up, tear down and you don't have to seek out any designated really inconvenient or expensive parking facilities, juried event, nice prizes for artists, attentive local police overnight security. Negatives: weather variability (wind, rain, storms, heat) over the historic record of the event, some inexperienced exhibitors (but we all have to learn somewhere and they passed jury muster)

Friday - My wife and I left later in the afternoon b/c winds were supposed to be 15-25 mph - and b/c we didn't have out acts together to get the h_ll out of Dodge. Arrived about 6:30 PM to calm to light breeze conditions... went ahead and decided to get tent and walls set-up. Had tent up and sidewalls attached, stabilizer bars in, pro panels set up and leveled, panel feet zip tied to sta-bars, canopy hooks installed and zip tied into sta-bars. As we were finishing the last few tasks, we were closely watching a storm which was moving from due north to due south... on an evening when none were predicted. Police security can by as we were nearly done and said that a thunderstorm was approaching which had reportedly produced a waterspout north of our location.

We saw it coming, too and it looked a lot like a bow wave type of approach boding a violent wind profile... We had everything zipped up and clamped down just as it was starting to blow a bit and spit rain. It looked very threatening with a wall-type cloud, and low hanging, stringy clouds which seemed to head right for us. Since it was nearly overhead, we moved to a different part of the facility east of out tent position. As we parked, the wind really picked up and then, like a wall, there was about a minute's worth of really high velocity sustained gusts. We watched with dismay as several tents appeared to be taking the worst of this and/or falling. I thought I saw our tent visibly damaged by these gusts and started back to it.

Well, we arrived back and indeed, our tent had taken a hit - the top was partially blown off. The wind had gotten under the gap between wall and top and inflated the tent. However, the clamps held the wall zippers and the two of the four Velcro attachment points for the top let go - acting effectively as a safety valve. I got up on top of the set-up table and removed the center pole of our EZ-Up Express II and took the rest of the top off. Nothing inside the tent was hurt, but we could see that others were not as fortunate. We had 160 pounds of weight in weight bags, 9 pro panels and 6 sta-bars holding our tent down. The reason that there wasn't more damage was that zip tie-ing the whole structure together added rigidity and aggregate total weight to the structure. So our tent didn't move, but the top popped off partially with no damages to tent, top, or contents.

On our side of the lagoon there was one EZ-Up-type that was down and broken, and another which had a bent leg. There was also an expensive barrel dome-type tent which had also sailed about 25 feet from it's location and was crumpled with one leg under the dome and another bent at a funny angle.

The EZ-Up-type with the bent leg had luckily had the back door zipper open up while the winds were blowing - taking the worst of the sail effect away. This tent was also anchored well with stakes and ropes. The tent which looked like toast was also a pop-up whose owner we knew and whose paintings were inside set up on display panels - the operating words are "were inside". They weren't currently. The artist and the artist who was set up next to this EZ-Up arrived and quickly assessed the damage. I went over to assist. The paintings were almost all undamaged despite being tossed and panels toppled. We stored them in the artist's neighbor's tent and disassembled and stowed the racks. Then we disassembled the top and sides from the damaged tent. The tent suffered canopy cross-member damage along the canopy perimeter - with a couple of them having sheared right at the fitting which acted as a pivot point. Conceivably, this was mendable, so we gently folded the tent up as there were no bent or bowed parts. The Ocean City Police security were very helpful and several of them were working to secure the damaged tents and any scattered merchandise.

We then went to the crumpled dome tent. When it flew, it looked like it took off nearly straight up as it only seemed to have knocked over a couple of the glass display units and there was a good bit of broken glass from a couple of shelves which shattered. We gently stood the dome back up and it stayed up. We didn't check the interior of it for damages, but later found out it had suffered a bent or broken leg which would have to be replaced. We did find the exhibitor's name and phone numbers in one of the totes on a card and called it - leaving a message.

The common factor in all the tents that we saw that flew was insufficient weights or tie-downs.

We left the rest of the recovery efforts to security and park special events staff who arrived shortly after the gale. They gathered up and matched tents with spots and secured what they could from further damages. As I said, staff and security at this event are stand-up folks. We went to our hotel and checked in (Using the Corporate Lodging Consultants card which saved us about 50% of the normal weekend in season beach resort room rate). We ordered pizza and wings and made a couple stiff margaritas in our take-along Magic Bullet.... I later spoke to the daughter of the dome tent's owner and briefed her on what we had seen.....

End of Part 1 - Stay tuned

Hi Friends...I am fresh out of the van and home from Tupelo.  Here is my review of the show...

I arrived Friday afternoon and checked in at the information tent with nice staff.  I had been assigned a booth on the very end of a row (bonus corner booth), so I was able to pull up right next to my space, unload and set up. 

After set up, I went to my hotel and freshened up for the GumBall.  The Gumball is a preview party for artists and patrons.  If you donated a piece to the silent auction, admission was free.  I donated a piece as did Robert Wallis, so we went together.  Gumball is a classy event with free food, very good food btw, and a cash bar.  The silent auction was impressive.  There were many good pieces there and people were bidding.  I was glad to see my piece sell for a good amount and Robert's did too.  Robert and I had a great time chatting and having dinner and cocktails.  He told some great stories. 

Saturday the show started at 9am and the weather was fair.  It had rained the night before, and was still a bit drizzly, but cleared to a nice day.  The crowd came as did the buyers.  I would say they had a good crowd and good buying energy for reasonably-moderately priced art.  On Saturday, I covered all expenses and moved into profit.  There were some artists though, that had sold little to nothing on Saturday.  I heard a lot of people say that last year was better for them. 

Saturday evening was the artists award dinner with a nice meal and free wine/beer.  The show gave out 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards in all categories with cash prizes for each and one best of show with a $1500 purchase award.  I have to say I thought this was generous to do all three awards per category and have money for each and have a nice artist made trophy for each.  I get the feeling that whatever this show makes on jury fees and booth fees goes right back into it for artist amenities and awards.  I would like to congratulate fellow AFI member Suzanne Ens for winning First Place in fiber!!!  It was well deserved, her work is amazing!!!!!

Sunday the show began at 10:30 am and the crowds were not there until about 2pm and even then they were very light.  I do not know if Mother's Day had anything to do with that or not, but this is a very church going community and nothing seems to happen until afternoon there anyway.  I had only one sale on Sunday and there was a significant shift in clientele from Saturday.  This crowd was much older, many more families and 99% lookers.  Typical Sunday for many shows.     

Load out was just as easy as load in and I had the whole thing packed up and was pulling out in about an hour.  I ended the show with a very modest paycheck profit.  I was very impressed with the hospitality this show offers.  Free dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, The Salvation Army served free hot breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings for artists and water was passed around several times.  I think the awards were very generous and I found the staff to be very friendy.  I liked this show.  This was not a very big money maker and I will keep it in the maybe category for the future, but I still thought it was a nice show and I liked it.  There was a lot of good work there and some very nice artists.  One caution for those that have higher end work (over $500.00), I heard many artists with these price points were doing little to no sales.  There were a few artists that zeroed at this show, sadly that happens sometimes, I have been there too and it sucks.  Overall, I give this show a B+, they did everything right and the only thing keeping it from an A in my mind is low sales, but I am grateful for the little profit I did make. 

I will be doing The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Fair in Reston, VA this coming weekend.  Due to the very long drive for me I will probably be posting that review next Tuesday.  Stay tuned........   

Hi Friends.....Here is my review of the Great Lakes Art Fair Spring Show 2013 in Novi, Michigan.  As usual, I will break it down into the positives first and then the negatives, enjoy!!

The positives:  Load in for the show was easy, easy, easy.  This show is indoors in a very nice convention center.  I arrived to find Andrea Picklo, show director and her assistant sitting at a desk just inside the door.  They checked me in and were very nice and offered me a large cart to use to unload my van.  I got my whole rig moved in in just 3 trips with that cart, it was so nice.  I set up everything and went to my hotel for much needed rest, that was Thursday night.

This is a 3 day show that began Friday afternoon.  Friday had good but light crowds.  I sold my first piece within the first hour of being open. 

I met my neighbor, Paul Adams on Friday and he turned out to be a great neighbor and a very nice man.  We visited a lot and I bought a piece of his work.  I also met Debbie Ferenbach on Friday and we had dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.  Everyone I met at the show was very nice and friendly. 

Saturday was busier with bigger crowds.  I feel that the crowds were light-medium throughout the whole show.  It wasn't overwhelmingly crowded and it wasn't too light or thready either.  I sold well on Saturday, selling 8 pieces between $100-$300.  I never had to "sell" the work.  The people were interested in what I had and were buying.  I do found object sculpture with pricing from $75-$600.  Saturday ended up putting me ahead of all expenses for the show.  There was an artist reception Saturday night with nice hors d'ouvres and free drinks/cocktails.  We were given 2 free drink tickets from the show and if you wanted more drinks they were available for purchase.  They announced the winners of the awards as well. 

Sunday was a bit lighter on the crowds than Saturday, but I noticed a change in the type of patrons that were there.  It seemed to me that the show had a more affluent, serious art buyer crowd on Sunday.  I sold well again on Sunday and within the first few minutes of the show opening, sold a $300 piece and a $200 piece.  I sold 3 more pieces throughout the day, finishing the show with all expenses covered and a nice, "paycheck" profit for the show.  I was very pleased with my sales.

Boothsitting and artist amenities:  First of all, my sincere compliments to Andrea Picklo, show director and her staff, they are all amazing.  I do shows alone right now and need booth sitting usually a few times a day.  The show gave us a phone number to call to request a sitter and within minutes they were there.  On at least 3 occasions, Andrea herself was my booth sitter!  Talk about hands on.  I was impressed.  They have a roaming snack cart that comes around with drinks and snacks, good snacks and you can have whatever you want.  Coffee and donuts, bagels and healthy items every morning.  They also had a show office on the floor of the show where you could rest if needed.  It was very comfortable at this show.   

The negatives....

Ok, there were a few things negative about the show.  First, while I felt the show was well juried, and had a good mix of artists in fine art and fine craft, I do not feel that a Tarot card reader belongs at an art fair.  Call me a purist or a b+++h, whatever you choose, but that did not sit well with me.  I am sure she is a nice person, but not appropriate for this type of show.  I felt this cheapened an otherwise nice event.  The other negative about the show is this:  There were some wonderful artists there that did not have good sales.  I felt bad for them, becuase their work was wonderful.  For whatever reason their buyers just weren't there.  It always sucks when good artists have bad shows.  We have all had them, but I just hate to see it.  That's it on the negatives!

In summary, I felt this show was very well ran, organized and artist friendly.  It is always nice to have good sales, but even if I hadn't had a good show financially, I could not see how this show could have done any more to promote itself and take care of the artists.  I personally saw the promotion efforts first hand:  I saw the billboards as I was driving in, saw the ads in the newspaper, and saw postcards at the hotel I stayed at and a restaurant that we ate at.  I think they did everything possible to promote this event.  Special thanks to Connie Mettler for placing me and 9 other artists in her special newsletter for this show.  That was a touching surprise and the piece in the photo sold!!!!  I will give this show an A+ for promotion, organization, artist treatment, good patrons and people enthusiastic about purchasing art! 

I will do this show again and most likely return for the fall version of this show in November 2013. 

I will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma this coming weekend for the Stillwater Art Fair and will post a review on Monday.  Thanks for reading!  Elle            

:  The original post of this story, and a substantial number of the comments that followed it, contained a one-paragraph reference to damage that occurred when a photographer's vehicle hit another artist's tent. 

The photographer contacted me by phone today to present his side of the story, which included some information that I was not aware of at the time. And he felt that I was unfairly painting him as a bad guy.

Although we disagree on whether it was appropriate for me to mention the incident at all, given that I was not in the vicinity when it occurred, the one point on which we do agree is that--whatever happened in the heat of the moment--eventually, the right thing is being done, and the issue is being amicably resolved through the parties' respective insurance companies. 

I took notes as he spoke.  And I offered to post a comment on his behalf presenting his side of the story and explaining his point of view.  He declined, not wishing to provoke another round of commentary. 

Many of you know I was a journalist long before Al Gore, or whoever it was, invented the Internet.  In the world of traditional print media, even today, reporters are taught to check their reporting with (at least) two sources before filing their story.  And although there are no such rules in the blogosphere, my instincts are always to do just that. 

Truth be told, I had the thought to try to get in touch with this photographer as I wrote that paragraph...and didn't do it.  And he deserved that. For that failure, I apologize.

So:  What to do to make this good?  As I promised the photographer I would do, I spoke at length with Connie Mettler (publisher of this site). She left it up to me. 

In figuring that out, I stepped back to look at the big picture--what was the point of writing the show review in the first place?  And that one's easy: I had found, on AFI and elsewhere, a decidedly mixed bag of opinions on this show.  And I felt that it was, and is, important to keep on the record that this show, for whatever reason, didn't give the vast majority of its participants a fair shot at success. 

So I'm not going to delete the thread.  I HAVE removed my account of the collision from the thread.  And, to address the issue of fairness, I HAVE deleted comments that mention the collision, or the photographer. To give everyone who posted a chance to read this update, I am going to leave it up for awhile.  At some future point, I'll delete the update so that all that remains is the post itself.

I understand that this may not be popular.  But I think it's the right thing to do.  If you disagree, you are welcome to text-message me and tell me.  (Please do not start another thread.) But just so we're all clear: The decision is mine, and mine alone.  Not Connie's.

Dismal attendance and sales at the so-called "Jacksonville" art festival, which drew 'way fewer than 2000 browsers, most from the immediate neighborhood. Although the festival was promoted by "the Shoppes at Avondale", the show itself was held in Boone Park, a pretty park in the Avondale neighborhood which unfortunately was some blocks' distance from the shops.  Very little signage to lure patrons from the surrounding streets, and no major arterial close enough to the show to afford visibility. Not that, in this 1920s-era neighborhood, it would have been easy to accommodate outsider parking, anyway.

The weather can't be an excuse.  Granted, it rained most of the day on Saturday; hardly anyone attended, and you couldn't blame them.  But Sunday was nice show weather--cool and partly cloudy--and most the folks I spoke with on Sunday had planned to come the day before, had the weather not been bad.

One fine artist near me--and I DO mean fine!--sold a single $4 notecard in two days. The jeweler next to me barely made (under $200) booth expenses, and said she "got price resistance all weekend." The photographer next to me sold about the same, and is retiring from the business.  The painter who won "best in show" sold a $7500 painting, but as one artist commented, " Good for him!  And that's probably more than the rest of us put together."

The organizers did a great job communicating before the show. But that's where communication ended, pretty much--they didn't even come by and thank us for attending, let alone ask how things were going.

Although there were some schlocky booths at the show, there were also some really superb artists and fine craftspersons, whose time and talents were largely wasted this weekend. And that's a shame. Based on the level of pre-show communication, I certainly expected better. 

You have been warned. :-(

Hi Friends.....here is my review of Reston...

I arrived Friday morning to a very well organized check in and nice volunteers.  This show is one of the most impeccably organized shows I have ever been to.  There are about 220 artists in the show and they have the check in and set up down to a science. The show is on the streets of the Reston Town Center, an affluent shopping and office area.  I drove up to my booth and unloaded and set up.  I met my neighbors, all of whom were very nice people, professional and fun. 

Friday evening the show opened at 5pm and ran until 8pm.  Weather was good and the crowd was good.  I sold a decenet amount of my small pieces Friday night, no standard size pieces.

Saturday we had rain and cool weather.  This show is definitely affected by the weather.  Crowds were light all day.  Sales were slow and I was lucky.  I managed to finish Saturday at the break even point with the addition of Friday night's sales.  I was greatful to have covered costs, but very surprised to have only done that, after what was billed as a major show with great sales.  Those around me were not as fortunate by the end of Saturday.  Two of my neighbors were still at zero. 

Artist amenities....the show has a great amount of volunteers who booth sit and are willing to help you in any way they can.  I was impressed with the number of volunteers, their willingness to help and they were all very friendly.  Security was evident and professional.  Continental breakfast offered each day as well as water delivered to the booth.  Free t-shirt at check in.  These were the only amenities. 

Sunday came with better weather and the crowds were light until about 1pm.  All of a sudden, all hell broke loose and the buying crowd was there with vigor.  I sold a lot on Sunday and ended up making a nice paycheck profit.  Not my best show of the year, but a profit that made the drive worth it.  My one neighbor did about 5K in an hour with photography, my other neighbor did nothing and the other neighbor who had been at zero sold a small amount of work that still did not cover booth fee. 

I was approached by a producer (identity and legitimacy verified) from ESPN's show Pardon The Interruption.  They chose my work for their set.  They would like a piece every six weeks to sit over the shoulder of one of the anchors.  This blew my mind and I am so happy they chose me.  There is no money involved, they will be borrowing each piece, but the exposure is priceless.  If you are interested the show is on ESPN Monday-Friday evenings and the first piece is Juggles The Juggler.  I will be sending them a sports themed piece again next month and so on.

Load out was just as organized as load in, we were not able to drive up to the booth until 5pm, one hour after closing at 4pm, due to pedestrian safety and the police needed time to clear the streets.  Wanting to get on the road as soon as I could, I chose to dolly out to the van which was parked in the artist lot a block and a half away.  I got everything loaded up and done in about 90 minutes.  I didn't mind dollying out, for me it is a good workout!  I said good bye to my neighbors and hit the road!

Overall, the show is professionally ran, organized and juried quite well.  There were some fabulous artists there, no buy/sell and no questionable work.  I made a decent paycheck profit and my work was picked up by ESPN.  I will apply again and if accepted, do the show.  I will expect average sales at this show. 

I am off next weekend!!!!!!!!! I will be at Summerfair in Cincinnatti, OH in two weeks.  I will review that show two weeks from today.  Stay tuned and thanks for reading!!!!

Saturday  

September 14 & 15
Atlanta, Georgia
Historic Piedmont Park
Saturday 10am-7pm; Sunday 10am-5pm
200 Artists
Deadline: April 29

The Atlanta Arts Festival is a two day, outdoor festival with an emphasis on the visual arts.  Set in historic Piedmont Park, the festival fills the fall time art festival void in the City of Atlanta.

This autumn festival of excellence in the arts is an event dedicated to bringing together outstanding artists from throughout the country with the large and enthusiastic art buying community of the Atlanta area.

The Atlanta Arts Festival is produced by a highly qualified staff and strong volunteer pool, both with multiple years of event production and promotion in the City of Atlanta.  This annual September event is committed to delivering a quality experience for both artist and patron!

Items of Interest:

• Held in Piedmont Park
• Juried show; artists selected by a panel of experts
• Limited number of participants to increase sales
• $7,500 in award money
• Artists retain all proceeds from their sales
• Commemorative poster image will be selected from a show participant
• Ranked in the 100 Best Fine Art & Design Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine, September 2012 

Artist Amenities:

• Artist hospitality providing continental breakfast & refreshments
• Booth sitting
• Load-in/load-out at booth space
• Free parking (parking information will be forthcoming in artist acceptance packet and/or check-in packet)
• 24 hour security patrols
• Discounted rates at participating hotels

For more info:  www.AtlantaArtsFestival.com    

Applications: www.Zapplication.org  

(770)941-9660 (office)

(866)519-2918 (fax) 

The last three weeks have been busy, so I'll try to wrap up three shows in a single review, and maybe by the end of this typing exercise a glimmer of a trend will have developed, and I'll feel smarter about this business than I do at the outset.

But first: Context!  As I've written earlier, with varying degrees of accuracy and/or persuasiveness:  This has been a puzzling Florida season. 

* Local (SW Florida) shows at which I've always killed 'em, have gone flat--leading me (and others) to speculate that 2-D artists in this overcooked market should "sell big...[hoping for that one big fish] or go home."

* More distant shows have largely held their own compared with 2012 totals.  So I've wondered, aloud, if it pays to travel more and assume the guise of "artist from afar." 

* Buyers are pickier, especially at the big shows that present more choices (and any show that has competition right down the street (i.e.: Howard Alan v. Barry Witt, "The Battle for Bucks in Bonita Springs", which is definitely a blog title I wish I'd written).  This buying behavior, taken to the extreme by market conditions, leads to lots of "be-backs" throughout the weekend, and, for too many of us, praying under our collective breath for  "4 o'clock miracles" on Sunday afternoon. 

Thanks to an unusually early Easter weekend (which usually shoos the snowbirds back north until the first fall cold snap), we're now just about at the end of the season.  So, what have I learned in the last three weeks that will clear up the admittedly muddled view in the crystal ball?  Let's have a look. . .

Jupiter Art Fest By the Sea (March 9-10) is one of Howard Alan's biggest shows--well over 300 artists, extending pole to pole for over a quarter mile along A1A in Juno Beach (a.k.a. the slightly less monied suburb of Jupiter Island).  And an impeccably run show, it is!  With a location just down the road from Alan's Tequesta headquarters, the organization does everything it can to promote high attendance, manage artist access and egress smoothly, and bring in the very best artists it can.  A separate craft section on the south end of the show gives something for everybody, at any price point. And for the most part, this is a high-quality experience for patrons. 

HAE pulled out all the promotional stops, including having a special advertising insert in the local paper, strong signage near the venue, and great cooperation from both local police and the Florida State Patrol(!) in assisting artists and patrons alike getting into the show.And Howard, Debbie, Helayne, and the parking staff couldn't have done a better job.  They were on-site, accessible, and helpful throughout the event. 

Sales were decent for most of the artists I spoke with...though some commented that they fell short of expectations given the high traffic volume of attendees.  And, as you might expect with so many artists, a few folks I spoke with were raving about their totals, and a few were moaning.  Among the repeat exhibitors, it was more down (slightly) than up for most.

A first-time exhibitor at this show, I don't have any personal Jupiter history to reference.  But earlier this season I'd done an Alan show in Stuart and a month-long January exhibit at Dickinson State Park, and my Jupiter results were highest of all.  So overall, I was satisfied. 

The extraordinarily long show layout, coupled with limited patron parking close to the show, may inhibit folks from walking the entire show, or from buying large 2-D or bulkier 3-D items.  I'd like to see Jupiter implement  "patron pickup booths" so that visitors could buy a large or hard-to-handle item and get a claim check they could use to pick up their item(s) by car later. 

Next stop:  Key Biscayne Festival of the Arts (March 16-17): another Alan show, in another town where I'd never exhibited.  And what a different experience it was!  This event was founded years ago by the local Rotary, and (at some point in the past) enlisted the Alan organization to run the art festival while the Rotarians concentrated on providing food, music, and entertainment for the kids and families. 

Despite the hard-to-miss venue in a spacious downtown park, there just wasn't any buzz happenin'.  Crowds were light to moderate, at best and the show had barely 100 artists (small, by Alan standards).  There were very high percentages of 2-D artists, especially photographers, and about 17% jewelry.  Functional 3-D art was lacking. 

And so were buyers. Many who visited were on bikes or rollerblades, suggesting to me that they were planning on visiting the park anyway, and then, hey! an art show broke out, so why not wheel on through? 

I talked to probably 15 artists, and only two were happy with their sales results.  I zeroed on Saturday, the first time that's ever happened in nearly 200 shows.  Three customers on Sunday bought small, but at least they broke the drought, and one (finally!) enthusiastic late-day visitor called me on Monday to order a large canvas, meaning I'd at least cover the booth fee and the (expensive, but charming) oceanside hotel room. 

I love Miami's culture, but my largely Gulf Coast bird art doesn't tug their heartstrings.  As my neighbor Sally, a funny and wise jeweler, put it: "People down here are into how much concrete they own, not how much wildlife they can see."  And, sadly, development has rendered this longest of Florida barrier islands into something more like Boca Raton than a vestige of Old Florida wilderness.  So, for me, this is a show best avoided. For anyone else, the high hotel and travel expenses make it a crap shoot.  Frankly, if I were Alan, I'd leave this one to the Rotarians and the local artists and concentrate resources on his Coral Springs show 75 minutes north, happening the same weekend. 

My last stop, and by far my most successful, was the Englewood Rotary Art Festival (March 23-24).  Nels Johnson blogged last year that this was a show like art shows used to be, and after a weekend that included winning Best in Show for 2-D, I'd have to say Nels was right on target (as usual).  Strong crowds--perhaps not rivaling Jupiter, but astonishing nonetheless, considering that this usually-sleepy town is more than a dozen miles off the heavily-beaten path of US 41.  A solid mix of categories, with none too dominant.  This crowd skews to the older side--a resident told me during Friday-night setup that "Folks retire and move to Venice.  And their parents move here  to Englewood!".

But come they do--from Englewood itself, and surrounding enclaves like Rotonda and Gasparilla,  starting  before the show officially opens on Saturday morning.  And, in an area that hasn't yet been oversaturated with shows like the rest of South Florida, they come to buy.

The area doesn't seem quite as heavily midwestern (Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin) as the surrounding areas of SW Florida.  Many of the seasonal visitors come from the northern tier of states--Michigan, Massachusetts, Maine.  A number from Virginia and Pennsylvania and the Delmarva Peninsula. And lots of folks from the UK and northern Europe.   

The (mostly) Friday setup was cheerfully managed by the Rotary volunteers, and there are a couple of funky mom-and-pop restaurants along the usually-sleepy main drag that seem to love the show and the crowds they bring.  The show ended at 4 PM both days (which, after 12 straight show weekends, almost made it feel like a vacation.) 

It was a weekend well spent in every sense of the word.  And if it didn't completely answer the questions I'd had about whether shows can still kick serious butt in the Florida circuit, it sure pointed in the right direction.  If only one could roll back the hands of time!

(I reviewed this show in depth two years ago.  Much of the background information can be read here.)

One glance at the long line of show-goers queued up along Periwinkle Way waiting for the gates to open at the Sanibel Rotary show, and you couldn't help but feel a bit optimistic.  This show is worth doing, once, just to experience the crowds spilling into the Sanibel Community Center grounds at the opening bell.   For many of us, it was art show madness until well after lunchtime: this is a local show, attended by residents and vacationers who know it's coming every year, plan accordingly, and, for the most part, intend to buy if they like what they see.

Except for lulls on late Saturday afternoon (thanks to an approaching cold front, which squelched the attendance and buying energy a little after 3 PM) and Sunday morning (50-degree temps and chilly winds, plus the usual early-Sunday-morning malaise), the crowds kept comin'.  By the show's end I'd had my best sales of the season, by a significant amount. 

But that happy report comes with a disclaimer:  A wildlife/bird photographer, I shoot about half my images on this beautiful island, or within 20 minutes of it.  And Sanibel, which eschews big-box development in favor of sugar sand, shelling, and biking trails, draws nature lovers like nowhere else--especially those who can afford to pay for it.  So, on a weekend nearly perfect for an art show (mostly sunny, and cool enough to keep folks away from the beaches), I'd expect to do well here. 

And lots of other folks, did too!  But, as with most shows these days, not everyone did: my neighbor, a accomplished 2-D artist with sunny, bright semi-abstract paintings of birds and beach scenes, sold only a few reproductions.  Another neighbor, who sold beautiful copper wall hangings and copper/glass tables, covered his nut but didn't show much profit, and isn't sure he'll return.  One local photographer did quite well; another just made expenses.

The general impression I got was that folks who had done the show before did well; first-timers, maybe, not so much.  But I hope those of you who exhibited weigh in below with a comment on your experience. I didn't have much time to walk the show. 

The weather was both hero and villain.  The Saturday-afternoon cold front dropped temperatures about 15 degrees between 3 and 4 pm, and winds whipped through the area until mid-morning on Sunday.  Several tents (E-Z Ups and their ilk) were flipped overnight; just about everyone was nervous. But luckily, there was no rain.  Sunday, once the winds died down, was more beautiful show weather than anyone, including the weather forecasters, expected.

Overall, this is a well-organized, decent-quality show (with a couple hiccups), attended by locals and seasonal Sanibel renters... not weekend tourists who are looking for a beach, a bargain, and a bratwurst.  It may take a year or two to sell here, but if your work catches a wave, a home run is possible.  If it doesn't, it can be an expensive area to "miss" in...but hey, there are worse places to hang out for the weekend. 

Quick notes:

Jury/Booth Fee:  $35/$275, separate checks, both cashed on receipt.  (They promise a refund if you don't get in, but don't say by when.  Hate that.)

Entry fee for patrons: Yes ($4).  But this is Sanibel, hardly anyone would mind.

Setup/teardown:  Setup Fri., noon to 6 pm arrival time (gates closed at 6).  The truly strong-hearted (or light-loaded) could wait 'til early Saturday. A tight layout but access was well coordinated, if somewhat over-managed at times, by the Rotarians.  Parking was along the road just east of the show center, across busy Periwinkle Way, but the Rotary folks, aided by the local police during show hours, managed the traffic and logistics just fine.

Teardown started at 4 PM Sunday at show close. Again, well managed.  Nearly everyone was on the road by 6:15, despite the tight quarters. 

Artist amenities:  Awards (listed below); water, boothsitters available. Restrooms in the Community Center.

Marketing: They added a newly-designed website (very professional) and gave each artist their own web page featuring the works submitted to the jury.

Art donation request:  Yes, on Saturday morning.  But they weren't pushy about it. 

Bonus amenities:  A shipping service was advertised (courtesy of a local retailer, who touted the ability to ship to Canada, Germany, and the UK, whose citizens flock to the island).  But I found out on Sunday morning that they were a no-show. 

Other tips for artists: 

* There aren't any chain motels, chain shopping, or chain anything on Sanibel.  Best bet is to use Priceline, etc. and search in S. Fort Myers, only 15 minutes away from the show site.  Cheapest prices, such as they are this time of year, are along US 41 and in North Fort Myers, but it's a 35-minute ride, at best.  Trailer Parks are all off-island, according to the show organizers.

* There is a $6 toll to get from the mainland onto Sanibel (one way). Plan accordingly.

* The show takes place on fine-grained sand, so be prepared to dust and clean your work and your tent in the week after the show.  If it rains...even worse!

* There is ANOTHER show at the same venue one month later--run by the Sanibel-Captiva Lions.  Compared with this show, it's generally hotter, not quite as well attended (it's a Friday/Saturday event), juried to a lesser standard, and (although it's possible to have a gangbuster show) the Lions' show doesn't have the cachet that this one does.

AWARDS:

There were awards, though (the judge(s) must have been incognito.  I never saw 'em.)  All winners got ribbons and a free jury fee ($35 value) for next year's show.  1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners got cash prizes ($300, 200, 100, respectively).

Two-Dimensional Art

1st Place  -- Katie Wilson
2nd Place -- Ronnie Phillips
3rd Place -- David Bruner
Honorable Mention:  Edgar Reims and Janet Searfoss


Three-Dimensional Art

1st Place  -- Kit Karbler
2nd Place -- Susan Livingston
3rd Place -- Russ Schmidt
Honorable Mention:  Ron Lemoine and Toby McGee


Creative Crafts

1st Place  -- Obayana Ajanaku
2nd Place -- Katie Gardinia
3rd Place -- William Greenwood
Honorable Mention:  Luc Century and Carol Clay

(Bill Slade just reminded me/us to post a review of this first year show. Bill: Was wondering what happened to you guys--hope you're feeling better! Here's my review:)

It takes nerves of steel to launch a new show in Florida, the Land of Outdoor Art Fair Over-saturation.  It takes commitment and execution to pull off a winner. And based on what I saw and heard this past weekend, Bill Kinney/Paragon Events' Sarasota Fine Art Festival did the improbable, if not impossible: hit a home run in downtown Sarasota. 

This was a well-advertised, well-communicated show by any measure.  The ad schedule distributed to artists several weeks before the event listed heavy print and online media play, and included plenty of directional signs, flashing billboards (ART SHOW...TURN HERE) to attract the attention of traffic on nearby US 41 and shoppers nearby.  I didn't see the Goodyear blimp, nor dancing monkeys wearing sandwich boards on nearby street corners, but these are minor quibbles.  Kinney had done his homework. And it paid off with steady crowds, not of browsers, but ACTUAL BUYERS. 

I had five people browsing my bins as soon as I had them set up on Saturday morning.  And although my large canvas wraps still weren't selling on a par with my 2012 numbers, there were plenty of large matted prints heading out the front door late into the day. 
Sunday started slowly, but by 1 PM a repeat performance was in full swing, and some late-day canvas sales pushed my sales into high-water territory for this still-young 2013 season. . .in a town where, for whatever reason, I've had a tough time achieving strong results.

My neighbors all were at least satisfied, and several were quite pleased, "especially for a first-year show," said one.  "You never know what you're going to get.  Couldn't have asked for better." 

Kinney reported the show sales results on Monday morning in an email to artists, including breakdown of median and average sales by category for the 66 exhibitors (of 75 total) who reported their sales to him as he strolled the show, notebook in hand, late Sunday afternoon. 

Show quality was excellent, and that's not just my opinion; that's what a number of customers were telling me.  Traditional 2-D art, beautiful functional art, art that made me think, and quirky stuff that made me laugh.  Not a buy-sell booth anywhere. 

Paragon is developing a reputation for exceptional communication with exhibitors, businesses, and sponsors and for doing the little things fully and well.  I, for one, am glad to see it paying off.  And it looks like the buying public is noticing, too.  

Show notes:
* Booth fee: $395 single/$790 double/$50 corner. You can apply through Zapp, but payments are made directly to Paragon.

*Setup: Early Saturday morning. Drive in as directed, then pull right up to your booth. Simple.

* Teardown: Same as above, stress-free.  I was on the road by 7 pm. 

* Artist amenities: None, unless you count the catered artist party Saturday night. Delish!

* Areas for improvement: 

   --The show stayed open until 6 pm Saturday, which all agreed turned out not to be a money-maker.  Next year's show will close at 5, Kinney reports.

   --There was a little confusion over which parking garage behind the show was the one intended for artists.  Several of us pulled into the wrong one and were directed across the street (whoops).  An "Artist Parking" sign next year would be helpful.  (I also learned that my "high-boy" Ford Transit, with roof rack, is 86 inches high, not the 84 inches advertised.  Luckily, the Selby Library had a nice, big lot only two blocks away.)