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Live Podcast: Thurs, Sept. 10, 1 pm Eastern Time

With each passing day of the pandemic more attention is paid to avoiding risk in our personal lives and also at the events we plan where you can expect thousands of people in attendance. This session is directed at show directors to help them prepare for their events.

Chris Van Leeuwen, Vice President for Business Development for Veracity Insurance, joins the podcast to answer your questions about liability, property damage, loss and accident insurance that protects you against third-party claims that arise out of your business operations. His company offers the targeted insurance policies developed to insure events and shows, Artists, Craftsmen and Tradesmen Insurance, popularly known as ACT.

Art show organizers we want to hear from you. What do you need to know to protect your show? 

• Please put them in the comments below
• email us directly: meg@artfaircalendar.com
• call into the show - 805-243-1338

Be prepared for when the shows open again.

Starting in May of 2020 Art Fair Insiders has been producing podcasts and hosting Zoom meetings to help artists navigate the present day challenges of creating and selling their art. The first four meetings were hosted by Sharon McAllister from ArtFest Fort Myers. We discussed how artists can apply for economic relief through the government sponsored programs, PPA, SBA, CARES Act and Unemployment. Then we spent 3 episodes exploring how artists can utilize websites to promote their work online. The third phase was a series of podcasts on using popular social media applications to sell art.

Below you will find information about the people who volunteered their time and information to help artists move into the new normal and continue to find buyers for their work. Click into their websites to see how what they are doing can help you. 

1. Can a Website Sell Art?

• Kathleen Eaton, a painter from Sleepy Hollow, IL: www.eatonart.com
• Cat Tesla, a painter from New Mexico: www.artbycat.com
• Stephanie Wheat, a handbag designer from Chicago: www.rebellionbags.com
• Barbara Bloom, a shibori silk painter and soapmaker from Cleveland: https://imagesinbloom.com
• Lucy Kelly, a creator of one-of-a kind recycled jewelry from Pittsburgh: www.belmonili.com

2. Etsy. Is it a Fit for my Art?

• David Klenk is a custom furniture maker who has increased visits to his Etsy page by linking it to my product photo pins on Pinterest. He has not done a craft show or trade show since 2016. My first online sale was in 2006. I sell between $40,000 and $70,000 per year online.
• Jackie Kaufman selling on Etsy since 2008 has two shops, a long established jewelry business and a newer shop with prints. She  successfully uses her social media posts on both Facebook and Instagram to bring customers to her Etsy Shops to be able to sell worldwide."

3. Facebook: Can it Help You Sell Your Art?

1. Richard Sullivan from Naples, FL, who says he has "literally been to Facebook College. I know it sounds crazy but they have spent countless hours working with me."
2. Erik Jensen from Utah, who uses his very tech savvy skills to sell his art, created from computer keys, from his website and interconnected Facebook and Instagram accounts
3. Dawn Wilson, a high altitude and high latitude photographer and writer from Estes Park, CO, who integrates her website, Facebook and Instagram to manage her sales and serve as president-elect of the North American Nature Photography Association. 

4. Instagram: How Can I Use it to Sell Art?

• Catherine Freshly, landscape painter: catherine@catherinefreshleyart.com , www.catherinefreshleyart.com ,  https://www.facebook.com/CatherineFreshleyArt/ ,  https://www.instagram.com/catherinefreshley/  Catherine Freshley is an acrylic landscape painter from Portland, Oregon. She worked at an advertising agency for seven years, focusing on digital advertising strategy and brand strategy. In addition to being passionate about painting, Catherine is dedicated to disproving the starving artist stereotype. Her Instagram followers appreciate her candid approach to talking about the business side of being an artist and her digital resource guides for artists. available on her website, share the expertise that allowed her to quit her full-time job and earn more as an artist. 
  
• Jay McDougall, contemporary wood sculptor from Minnesota - www.jaymcdougall.com & www.artshow-artists.com; Facebook: JayMcDougallArtist & Artshow_Artists; Instagram: @JayMcDougallArt & @ArtShow_Artists
• Renzo Iglesias, L’Harmonie Creative Jewelry, info@lharmoniejewelry.comI've dedicated a page for your community where I plan to share all of my extensive knowledge and step by step actions on what you can do now to drive your business forward using digital marketing strategies and social platforms like Facebook, Instagram & email marketing. https://www.facebook.com/pg/renzoiglesiasmarketing
  I've participated in over 200 art shows and events for the last 8 years. Along the way, I have always had this passion about what really makes people buy someone's art or craft. One could think, well, it just looks good. But, I knew that couldn't just be the only factor. This passion to learn has led me to discover important people in the digital marketing space that share not only marketing strategies and techniques but also psychological marketing. I have then invested my time, money and energy; learning all I could about the digital marketing space and tools like Instagram and beyond.
  
  My plan: I'm finally ready to give back to the community that has supported me all these years. I plan to give back value tenfold by sharing what has worked for me. I'm excited to share how I use Instagram to drive traffic to my site, find my audience, increase awareness, do customer research, have content generated for free, name my upcoming designs and most importantly, drive sales, all through this one platform called Instagram.
  
• Dawn Wilson, photographer from Estes Park, CO:   www.DawnWilsonPhotography.com, Facebook: facebook.com/dawnwilsonphotography, Instagram: @dawnwilsonphoto, Twitter: @dawnwilsonphoto, YouTube: Dawn Wilson Photography is my channel name
  

 5. Pinterest: Can I Use It to Sell Art?

• Our guest Brian Reagan: "Pinterest is a gateway to my website that I can't duplicate with any other social media outlet. Before I kicked up Pinterest, I really didn't have a national audience.  I was limited to the individuals that we have met doing events in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. I am getting eyeballs that would never have found my website." His website: bhpltdohio.com 

The podcasts are always available at Art Fair Radio- https://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs and Apple podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-fair-artists-success-show/id440759328?mt=2

LIVE - THURS., JUNE 25, 2 PM EASTERN TIME

Part V: Marketing Art Through Social Media/Pinterest

The Pinterest social media platform with over 335 million users could just be the missing piece of your social media marketing plan. Using its tools it will help you can hone your sales strategy to build a following.

Three points from 28 Pinterest Statistics Marketers Should Know in 2020

1. There are more than 2 billion searches on Pinterest every month

2. 600 million of Pinterest’s monthly searches are visual

3. High-income households are twice as likely to use Pinterest than low-income households. Adults with college educations are twice as likely to use Pinterest than others.

Our guest Brian Reagan: "Pinterest is a gateway to my website that I can't duplicate with any other social media outlet. Before I kicked up Pinterest, I really didn't have a national audience.  I was limited to the individuals that we have met doing events in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. I am getting eyeballs that would never have found my website."

More about Brian: 

and this pdf that outlines clearly their business: 

Do you use Pinterest? We'd love your input on this podcast. Contact me if you'd like to be a guest: info@artfaircalendar.com

Leave comments below. 

Call in to the show: 805-243-1338

Help wanted: seeking podcast guests:

1. Etsy - June 4
2. Facebook - June 11
3. Instagram - June 18
4. Pinterest - June 25

LIVE PODCAST: THURS., MAY 21, 1 PM EASTERN TIME

Can a website bring you sales of your fine art or craft? Five artists join in a roundtable talk about their experiences. Their work ranges from small items (hand made soaps and associated products to $5000+ oil paintings.) Your work undoubtedly will fit into this continuum. Some of our guests: 

• Kathleen Eaton, www.eatonart.com
• Cat Tesla, www.artbycat.com
• Stephanie Wheat, www.rebellionbags.com
• Barbara Bloom, https://imagesinbloom.com
• Lucy Kelly, www.belmonili.com

We invite your comments below AND we'll open our phones to your questions also. (805) 243-1338

LIVE PODCAST - JUNE 18, 1 PM EASTERN TIME

Part IV -  Marketing Art Through Social Media: Instagram

Instagram is a photo and video-sharing networking service owned by Facebook.  It was launched in October 2010. The app allows users to upload media and the posts can be shared publicly or with pre-approved followers. Users browse other users' content by tags and locations, and view trending content. Users can like photos and follow other users to add their content to a feed."  It has over a billion users.

Because Instagram is all images and videos it is a perfect tool for artists to showcase their work and develop followers. The most successful Instagram users are artists who have networked with one another to share each others work. 

We have three great guests: a long time Instagrammer, a medium timer and a new user. 

• Catherine Freshley is an  painter from Portland, OR. She is dedicated to disproving the starving artist stereotype. Her Instagram followers appreciate her candid approach to talking about the business side of being an artist and her digital resource guides for artists.
• Jay McDougall is a contemporary wood sculptor from Minnesota with a long history of exhibiting at the nation's best art festivals. In recent months in order to continue to earn his living with his art he has spent a lot of time online working on his own online skills and partnering with friends to build an Instagram empire. 
• Dawn Wilson, a photographer and writer from Estes Park, CO, who integrates her website, Facebook and Instagram to manage her sales and serve as president-elect of the North American Nature Photography Association.
• Renzo Iglesias, a jeweler from Florida who uses Instagram to drive traffic to his site, find his audience, increase awareness, and most importantly, drive sales.

As always, we appreciate your input - helpful tips, and questions. 

Call in at 1:30 - 805-243-1338

MONDAY, APRIL 6 - 1 PM ET

ArtFest Fort Myers under Executive Director Sharon McAllister's leadership, has initiated a plan to act as a clearinghouse to help artists interpret and access the financial services established under the new CARES Act. The law is meant to address the economic fallout of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Sharon is joined by professional accountant John Brodie of Comprehensive Accounting in metro Detroit.

John will be a meaningful participant for this podcast, not only because of his accounting background, but because he has been my accountant since 1980 and has advised us financially on our art fair business since then. He has seen the financial aspects of art fair artists lives first hand.

The CARES act includes SBA Economic Disaster loans and grants, a payroll protection plan and access to unemployment benefits to small businesses and individuals.  Some of its individual facets are SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, a Payroll Protection Plan and unemployment benefits.

What you will learn:

• how the act supports small businesses
• how and where to apply for the various programs
• who is eligible and what determines that eligibility

But mostly we invite your questions and will build the podcast around your concerns. Please put them in the comments below or email to me: connie@artfaircalendar.com

Click here to listen

call in with your questions during the podcast: 
(805) 243-1338

Find quick answers to your concerns on the ArtFest Fort Myers website.

NOTE: none of us are giving legal; tax; accounting; unemployment or similar advice. Contact your accountant and banker for your own situation. The final regulations have not yet been written and banks & unemployment offices are scrambling to get new benefits implemented. Patience will be needed.

A sobering fact: 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.

APRIL 16, 4 PM ET - Can we do it again? Finally fill out these forms? We did it last week and now it's time again. Let's do this together.

The CARES Act offers several programs to help small business people. The Payroll Protection Program (PPP) Loans are intended for small businesses to use to maintain payroll and cover other business expenses during the COVID crisis. All or part of the loan will be forgivable. These loans are available to sole proprietors and self-employed workers. That is us!

Helping us out is Elaine Grogan Luttrull, Minerva Financial Arts, an accredited CPA in Columbus, OH. Elaine is a financial counselor whose mission is educating artists in their businesses.

PPP Applications are made through a bank.  Applications opened on April 10 for independent contractors. These may be “first come, first serve” although it is possible that additional funds will be appropriated in other bills.

How to prepare to participate in the podcast:

1. go online to your bank to see if they are a participants. (Mine is and it is a small bank in southern Michigan, so chances are yours is also). 
2. download the application and have it ready to fill out so at the end yours will be ready to file
3. have your most recent completed tax forms nearby for reference

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Here is the application: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/PPP%20Borrower%20Application%20Form.pdf

Learn more about the PPP: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-

FRIDAY - APRIL 17, 1 PM ET

Thurs., May 14, 1 pm ET - Part IV of our website building help

Scott Fox, a financial and self-help author, specializing in entrepreneurship and startup company advice joins us to answer questions about SEO (search engine optimization) and why it makes a difference to you and your website. He is the author of 3 best-selling books, including Click Millionaires: Work Less, Live More with an Internet Lifestyle Business You Love, full of easy to follow direction on how you can use the Internet to build a sustainable business. 

Scott has been my mentor in building my art fair websites. His step by step, no nonsense, non-techie style is meant for you.

**This is a question and answer podcast. If you have a specific question, we can help you right away. If we don't receive your questions, we can't help you.

We want to hear from you. You will be able to call in, but to insure your question is answered please add it in the comments below. 

LIVE PODCAST - MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1 PM ET

Of course being an artist isn't a job, nor a vocation, its in your bones and defines who you are. Luckily we live in a country where there is room to change and the legal means of doing so. Start out as an engineer, a pot dealer, a social worker, a biologist and one day you're standing in a tent in a park in Alabama and people are not only handing you compliments on your work but money too. Many people in this business say "I don't know how to do anything else, no one would hire me."

Meet Jack Stoddart known these days as someone who is one of the "wrong people doing the right thing." Hippie Jack traveled (family in tow - wife Lynne and 4 kids) to art fairs for many years. Presently he is a music festival producer on his central Tennessee farm. The Stoddart kids are showing work at art fairs themselves these days. Just like everyone else their lives have been upended by Covid-19. No concerts, no art fairs. What happens next?

We talk about when things come crashing down and tell stories about what he believes are the important things, including serving the under-served people of Appalachia with fairness, dignity, and compassion. Ideas for the long run.

We hope you will call in with your stories: 805-243-1338

LIVE PODCAST: THURS., JUNE 11, 3 PM ET

Part III, Marketing with Social Media: Using Facebook to Sell Art

Facebook is an online social media and social networking service with with more than 2 billion users worldwide. Wow! Bigger than any art fair I've ever attended, but what can it do for you as a business tool? Can you turn all those members into customers. Or, how about .1% of them. Would that work?

This is an artist driven podcast with input from three artists who have experience on the platform:

1. Richard Sullivan from Naples, FL, who says he has "literally been to Facebook College. I know it sounds crazy but they have spent countless hours working with me."
2. Erik Jensen from Utah, who uses his very tech savvy skills to sell his art, created from computer keys, from his website and interconnected Facebook and Instagram accounts
3. Dawn Wilson, a high altitude and high latitude photographer and writer from Estes Park, CO, who integrates her website, Facebook and Instagram to manage her sales and serve as president-elect of the North American Nature Photography Association. 

With all of that expertise you will be inspired to finally use all these free tools to grow your art career.

Questions and answers the second half of the show. 1-800-243-1338

Leave comments below and questions you'd like answered by our guests. This should be good! We all use Facebook for fun ... how about for profit too?

LIVE - THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2 PM ET

A well functioning website can change your life. It is the art fair that never closes. It can reconnect you with a former collector of your art and expose it to a worldwide audience. It opens the door very wide to new opportunities and has the potential to change your life.

Did you hire a designer to create your site and now it is complete? Or maybe you did it yourself and it is nagging at you for attention again. Facing the fact that a website is never finished is one of the less pleasant facts of life. If you want your site to do its job (market/sell your art) then that requires regular refinements and updates, and sometimes a drastic overhaul.

This podcast focuses on examining your existing website. Some of the topics:

• Is your site up to date?  
  • What are the standards you need to meet?
  • Should you modify it to match the current design style?
• Does your site fit your marketing plan?
  • Is it geared to your target customers?
  • How big should it be?
  • Should it be a store?
  • How often should you update?
  • How often should you revise it?
  • Are you collecting email addresses?
• Getting Traffic
  • What you need to know about Google 
  • Using Social Media
• Q & A

Our guest is veteran web designer Franklin Piuck, Cyberhenge.com, Web Design for the Arts and Small Business. Frank's own interests and contacts have caused him to develop a customer base largely involved in fine arts, designer crafts, and specialized antiques and collectibles. (Reach Frank directly: fpiuck@cyberhenge.com, 973-616-6162)

Please note: on Tuesday, May 5 at 2 pm, Franklin Piuck is going to host a webinar where we will further explore your questions about your website. If you wish to be a participant in the webinar, we need to have your email address ahead of time so you can receive an invitation to participate. Please send to me: info@artfaircalendar.com

We really want your input on this podcast. Please put comments and questions in the box below.

Listen live: Monday, Feb. 24, 5 pm, ET

The two most important things about earning a living in the art fair business:

1. Getting into the event
2. Having work that people will buy once you're there 

Co-host, Cindy Lerick, CFEE, joins Connie Mettler for a nuts and bolts discussion about the jury process for art festivals. Cindy is one of the only show directors who has managed 4 major shows, Uptown in Minneapolis, Main Street in Fort Worth, the Saint Louis Art Fair and the Sausalito Arts Festivals. In addition for many years she has traveled to event's juries for ZAPP to be a Tech help.

There are many variables from show to show. Most show directors don’t know how others shows run their jury. Some have plenty of discussion, some have none, some have no directions given to the jurors. Scoring systems, projection, length of time, selection of jurors, there is no standard. We'll explore some of these variances.

A few topics we'll address:

• What is the difference between a projection jury and monitor jury?
• How the jury ties into the show's look
• Who is the competition?
• Are the jurors the same from year to year?
• Do show directors jury their own show?

Questions galore! We encourage your participation. We want to hear from you. Will you please put any questions you'd like answered in the comments below? Or send them to me in an email.

If we get enough questions we'll host another live podcast where you can speak with Cindy directly. 

Friday, December 13, 1 pm ET

ArtFairCalendar.com has tallied all the votes in our 2019 Best Art Fair survey (8th Annual). We had a record number of participants reporting in the favorites. The goal of the survey is to encourage "art fair tourism", bringing art lovers "52 Weeks of Art Fairs", coast to coast. 

There were many changes in the Top Ten this year with new events entering the ranks. Please listen as we speak with the art fair directors from those events (it's a secret who they are at the moment) and ask them this question:

       "What is special about your event that would bring people to travel to attend? Give up a day or more to be on the streets of your city?"

Then -- we'll announce the Top Ten.

This will be informative and upbeat especially as we all need good news! 

Next Podcast: Monday, Sept. 9 at 5-5:30 pm ET  (sponsored podcast)

Part III of a series to understand the operations of creating a new art show.

Artists and Charities Hand in Hand will host its inaugural event on November 2 and 3, 2019, at the Palm Beach Convention Center in W. Palm Beach, Florida.

• One of the biggest challenges of promoting a new event is finding exhibitors who will take a chance that it will be successful and lead on to year two. Two artists who will be participating will be on this podcast: 
  
  Amy Reshefsky, from Florida and Quebec, who works in multiple media who has worked with the show organizer, Ingrid Robinson, at several other events and is well known in the Palm Beach vicinity. 
  
  H. Allen Benowitz, a self-educated photographer from North Carolina. Invited by the Sheik to photo journal an international festival in Morocco. His work has appeared in many Florida publications and he participated in Art Basel and many Florida art festivals. 
   
• Then you have to make the event's name known in the community and get publicity. Rickie Leiter, of the RickieReport.com, a blogger and podcaster on the art scene who reports to the South Florida Community of Artists and Patrons will tell about her role in connecting with the art patrons.
   
• Lastly, you need to connect directly with established art institutions to show your credibility. Jeanne Martin of the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, will share why her historic art center is joining in as a charity partner for this new event. 

This will be a good nuts and bolts show that should be helpful to any artists who are considering applying to the show. It will also be helpful to any show organizers to learn some new tips.

Deadline to apply, September 15. Click here to learn more and apply.

Questions for the guests? Put them in the comments below, email to me, or call into the show on Monday: (805) 243-1338

(sponsored podcast)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 5:00 - 5:30 PM ET

Part II of a series to understand the operations of creating a new art show.

Artists and Charities Hand in Hand will host its inaugural event on November 2 and 3, 2019, at the Palm Beach Convention Center in W. Palm Beach, Florida.

How does a new art fair get started? What are all the steps involved, and for heaven's sake, where does the money come from and where does it go? The show organizer, Ingrid Robinson, spells it all out, from the initial concept to opening and then closing the doors at the Convention Center. 

• Finding a destination venue
• Finding partners and sponsors
• Finding exhibitors
• Marketing
• Paying the bills 

This is a tutorial about starting an event from scratch, networking with a local community to build a "must attend" show that benefits all involved, the artists, the charities and the philanthropic goals of patrons.

Learn more: ArtistsandCharities.com

Apply: JuriedArtServices.com

We are eager also to hear from you and this will be a call-in show. What do you need to know before you apply to a new event? What would you like to know about this one?

How you can participate:

• email me any questions you'd like me to ask Ingrid (info@artfaircalendar.com)
• put your question or comment in the box below so we can discuss it on the podcast
• call in to the show to speak with Ingrid directly during the show: (805) 243-1338
• listen to the podcast at this link: Where Does the Money Go?
• or if you can't make it at that time listen later at this link or download it for another time.

Review of the podcast - speaking with entrepreneurs on how they support artists and develop products for artists for their careers.

Although this podcast was a little off the track of our usual nuts and bolts discussions on surviving/thriving in the business, I was curious about some of the businesses surrounding the festivals and where they came from.

• Jeff Abele, GrandStandApps.com, a software developer focused on the art fair business who has developed a state-of-the-art app to enable artists and art fairs to connect with their audiences. The purpose of the app is to increase the experiences of the attending public and to enrich their engagement with the event through the year and it will enable art fairs to understand who their customers are.
  
  
• Marissa Wagley of US Weight, a company that works with artist/inventor Jim Eaton to market the weights he designed for his art fair booth. US Weight is a manufacturer that works in a niche business that is blow molding using a high quality plastic instead of a cast iron or steel making it a lighter weight filling plastic shells with concrete, making it easier and cheaper for the end user. An artist, James Eaton, invented a canopy weight for artists which was then picked up by US Weight.

We also talk about Larry Berman, Greg Lawler of Art Fair Sourcebook, Bruce Baker and Luke Block of FlourishDisplays.com. 

You might like this podcast. Listen to it here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2019/05/16/how-i-built-a-new-business-out-of-my-art-fair-career

THURSDAY - MAY 16, 6 PM ET

There are thousands of artists in the U.S. who participate in art fairs for years and years. There are many who drop out after a few years (it's a lot of work!). Then there are those who take their art fair experience to build their own business, leaving the street behind.

A fair number have become show organizers, including: Jim Delutes in Colorado, Bonnie Blandford and Donna Beaubien in Michigan, Bill Kinney in the East and Carla Fox in Oregon.

We'll be hearing from these entrepreneurs:

Carolyn Edlund of ArtsyShark.com, Drew Hendrix of Red River Paper, Luke Block of Flourish Displays, Jeff Abele of GrandstaffApps.com and Marissa Wagley of US Weight, talking about the canopy weights artist James Eaton developed.

Learn more about this podcast: artfairradio.com/how-I-build-a-new- business

We'll also take your phone calls if you'd like to call in: (805) 243-1338. 

(You do not have to call in to hear the podcast. Please call only if you'd like to be part of the podcast.)

(sponsored podcast)

Tuesday, August 20, 5:00 to 5:30 pm ET

Can Florida use another art festival? Does Palm Beach need an indoor art fair, during "the season?" Ingrid Robinson thinks so. Listen and learn how Ingrid gathers resources to host a show that will attract snowbirds to attend a new event. Joining her is Julie Mullen, co-founder of the award winning women-owned public relations firm The Buzz Agency, that is supporting Ingrid's plan. 

We'll talk about:

• Developing an idea that shows success potential
• Choosing the venue
• Finding sponsors
• Choosing the tech team and marketing team
• Partnering with local charities

This is a tutorial about starting an event from scratch, networking with a local community to build a "must attend" show that benefits all involved, the artists, the charities and the philanthropic goals of patrons. 

The show: Artists and Charities, November 2 & 3, West Palm Beach, FL, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Learn more: ArtistsandCharities.com

We are eager also to hear from you and this will be a call-in show. What do you need to know before you apply to a new event? What would you like to know about this one?

How you can participate:

• email me any questions you'd like me to ask Ingrid (info@artfaircalendar.com)
• put your question or comment in the box below so we can discuss it on the podcast
• call in to the show to speak with Ingrid directly during the show: (805) 243-1338
• listen to the podcast at this link: Planning for a New Art Fair
• or if you can't make it at that time listen later at this link or download it for another time. 

I hope we hear from you. There is a lot to learn for both show organizers and artists. Seeing behind the scenes can be very useful, especially to artists newer to art fairs.