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Comment by Michael Stephens on July 20, 2009 at 11:12am

Delete Comment "Michigan Art Fairs" We have been in two MI fairs in the past two months: Royal Oak and Ann Arbor - State Street Both were good financially. First year for Royal Oak so have no history to compare with. Good show, with attendance low on rainy Sat and solid attendance on sunny Sunday. Easy show to set up and break down. Ann Arbor is always a grueling 4 day event of long days. Attendance was up and down depending on the day. My best day was on Sat. -- others did better on other days. For many this show was down by as much as 50% in sales. I exceeded last year's sales. Go figure! East Lansing in May was my best EL show in the past four years.

" Art Fair" - Other shows. Columbus in June was a good show, but my location wasn't the best and I did not meet my previous sales figures by 30%. Toledo was a bust - barely covering expenses. Boalsburg in PA, which runs in conjunction with the State College Art Festival, was my best show so far this year. This is a PA artist show only and the quality is pretty broad, but most people attend both shows so you get the locals and the patrons both. Bethesda MD was also a great show. Florida shows were way down in sales this year.

In general, my low end items ($50-$75) are selling very poorly. Usually they make up 45% of my sales. But I am selling more jewelry in the $150-$350 range than last year.

We shall see what Chicago, Minneapolis, Pontiac MI, Peoria IL , Louisville, KY, Rhode island, Stow VT, Poconos, Miami and other late summer and fall show do. I have 12 more to finish out this show season.

If you have any questions about any of the shows that I do, drop me an email.

Comment by geri wegner on July 20, 2009 at 11:34am

Delete Comment I can't answer load-in or amenity questions but as an attendee, Amy Amdur's Buffalo Grove show has the worst layout. It is one straight line of booths on both sides but the space in the middle is narrower than usual so it seems more crowded and it is harder to navigate past the people who insist on stopping in the middle to talk to their friends. Very good variety of artists and price points and if I had a lot of money I could have had an even better time than I did.

Didn't see a lot of people carrying packages though. I told a friend who had put hers in her purse to take it out so others would see she had bought something. (power of suggestion?)

Comment by Judy Zeddies on July 20, 2009 at 12:23pm

Delete Comment I did Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff and always love that show for ease of load in & out, beautiful setting (if the weather is good), good crowd, etc. Plus they have great amenities like free water, inexpensive but delicious boxed lunch delivered to your booth if you choose, booth sitters. However, this year my sales were way down, but I have experienced that at many shows in 2009.

Comment by JORGE CALIGIURI on July 20, 2009 at 1:44pm

Delete Comment Westport Art Festival Conecticut: Great place, great people, grat festival, thanks God!! my best Festival ever, my week end sales over $ 14000. Eclectic show, crowed, the weather beatiful. I can't wait to the next year.

Comment by Pat Sorbini on July 20, 2009 at 1:50pm

Delete Comment Well, let's see. We did the show at Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, NY, always a great show for us when we can get in, and weathered a horrific Thunderstorm and downpour. Sales were still good. The week before was a soaker in East Aurora, NY on the Roycroft Campus, home of Elbert Hubbard's Craftsmen Movement. Early June was One Hundred American Craftsmen at the Kenan Center in Lockport, NY. These shows were all good but it is hard to draw a comparison to last year because of weather "issues". Amenities? Well, CHautauqua provides the best amenity...a gated community of people who can afford to be there. :) They also give the artisans passes to the shows that are there during the festival weekend. 100 American has a great artist party on opening night and a breakfast meeting on SUnday morning. They also treat you like artists. Same with Roycroft. They have a picnic on opening day and it is a nice chance to reconnect with show friends.

All of these shows are specifically craft, "high end", no 2D, tightly juried.

From what I can see, shows here in upstate NY are holding on pretty well, my opinion being that this area has been in a recession for years and we've learned to deal with it. Sales are good, attendance is good. There are exceptions, but we do shows that are pretty competitive and I have been happy with our sales. I believe that had the weather not been so horrible, sales would have been as good or better than last year.

And a quick note about Chautauqua...the storm we had on SAturday was the worst I've ever endure in my dozen years of doing this. The booth had 4 inches of standing water, it was so dark you couldn't read anything, the thunder was so loud it scared you every time and the lightning lit up the booth. The lights in the park went on, everyone zipped up to wait it out. In the middle of it, our flap was unzipped from the outside and a member of the show committee peeked in to see if we were all right and did we need any help. SHe was clutching her coat closed and trying to keep a hat on her head. She was drenched and shivering. Kudos to that crew, I say. Most shows you would not have seen an official person until the danger passed.

Comment by Linda PIrkle on July 20, 2009 at 2:08pm

Delete Comment When posting reviews, please state what your medium is. It helps to determine how the show was for a painter, jeweler etc. Thanks!

Comment by Jim Parker on July 20, 2009 at 2:40pm

Delete Comment Sales, traffic and energy all down this year, even though the weather was excellent for the most part. My sales were about what I expected for this economy. Ann Arbor has been four days of work for two days pay for several years now. Too many artists, a confusing layout with lots of dead ends, and waning interest on the part of the public for real art bought from real artists in favor of Walmart and Costco crapola. Canvas prints haven't helped this at all, nor has cost-cutting and lower pricing structures from certain groups of photographers in a vain attempt to compete on price alone.

I bucked the trend this year and only showed split-toned black & white digital photographs at a higher price point. I've been at the same spot three years running, at a slower area of the State Street show. Previous customers do know how to find me and email marketing pre-show helps a little. I was on Channel 7 news on Friday, and a few people mentioned seeing me. Publicity was great.

My sales were about the same as the past two years in this location. However, my newer work does not look like the cookie-cutter Tuscan landscapes, or the national park shooters, and the jurors rewarded me with best in show / 2D. Photography is an increasingly hard sell for many reasons, but I spoke with lots of appreciative lookers. Price was definitely an issue for many. If I had had small prints for under $20, I might have made a bit more than I did.

Other artists reported similar sales -- most were down, but not all were out. The high ticket artists seem to be selling and delivering after the show.

The best strategy is to participate in the best shows that you can get into, get your work and your name in front of people, and develop alternate channels to boost your bottom line. Shows are great for getting lots of eyeballs, but the internet, increased competition from hobbyists and new photographers, and too many shows are diluting show sales. The economy is putting pressure on buyers, and forcing them to postpone buying decisions til the next show. Take advantage of the slow economy to create new work and get into shows closer to home; build your audience now so that when conditions improve, you're in a position to benefit.

Comment by Jim Parker on July 20, 2009 at 2:41pm

Delete Comment Last comment was for Ann Arbor, State Street. These posts aren't editable, like the forum posts, I just found out.

Comment by Connie Mettler on July 20, 2009 at 2:44pm

Delete Comment But, Jim, you can delete them, I believe. There is a light grey x in the upper right hand corner of your post. Let me know if that is something you can see, or if only I can as the administrator.

Comment by Charlene Marsh on July 20, 2009 at 3:00pm

Delete Comment I was just about to post that it would be helpful to know a poster's medium when I read Linda's post asking that very question. A review of a show that was good for a jeweler means nothing to a painter.

Thanks!

Comment by Kaelin Cordis on July 20, 2009 at 3:11pm

Delete Comment Are there past show reviews from the beginning of this show season available? I take the observed trend in price points $150-$350 and under $20 to be helpful, but if there are any reviews from a jeweler, on a big juried show, I would dearly love to read them.

Comment by zaki knapen on July 20, 2009 at 3:50pm

Delete Comment Hi
I did the Buffalo Groove festival too, First surprize on arrival the 20$ fee for the City to acquire art for the City Hall. They did not buy art we did in fact.A never ending story that the artistsn are milking cows at every level. Sales too bad to talk about though I had highj emnd paintings at affordable prices. The artists them selves though I should go up. What the heck when people do not buy. Crowd just browsing not buing . Mostly prints. I talked with a lot of artitst I know and good ones, sales disastrous. Getting your booth fee back in sales is a great loss. Your time and cost to produce art. If you take in account that as a professional it is not only the booth fee but the the cost of living including medicare and that seems not to seep in with the custumors who only try to get your price down. On top of that the media does not help. They come up with advise like," You better go at the end of the show. The artist is more willing to slash the price than taking the artwork home. Mostly that remark is because it is true. a lot of artists are doing that. But these one have a second job. Another remark, art show are not what they were used to be, now knives can be sold and jewelry is taking up more than half of the show. Is it an art show or a jewelry show?
Regards
Zaki

Comment by zaki knapen on July 20, 2009 at 4:04pm

Delete Comment Hi
The week before I did the Skokie festival for the second year. Last year my sales were none and this year if I did have the customer that was my fish on a hook without bait well than you could call it quits too. The organisers were very impressed with my art. I do not care about jurying but it the old same pot from every year and personal involvement. Luckily I brought a spin art machine with me and that evened me out with the booth fee which was double from last year. Speaking of crisis. This was for the bad ones. I had a surprisingly good ones.Those you would not expect at all. These were Art at the Fox , St Charles. Though it was combined with a carnaval and bands useally not a good combination for artists to sell, and the rainy morning tioll late afternoon the crowd was curious and buying. Did not hear bad comments.
Swedish days were a disaster to me was a crafyt show and I was certainly not in place. But I did extremely well in the Odean Villa Park craft show.
Algonquin was a whole big surprise. The one day show with only about 30 artists and pouring rain delivered me two big sales. What to think about that. Ann Lesley the organiser of the Art on the Fox too is certainly a woman who sets art first and not the profit like many organisers do these days. Big business on artists expense.
Zaki

Comment by JORGE CALIGIURI on July 20, 2009 at 5:06pm

Delete Comment I have small experience with "art Craft shows" only one... and never more... people looking for jewelry are not interested in pieces of art in my opinion.

Comment by Karen Steininger on July 20, 2009 at 6:07pm

Delete Comment Sorry, I meant to post to this Show discussion, but found that it went to the general discussion board instead. ooooops.

Comment by Laura4 on July 21, 2009 at 8:28am

Delete Comment Hi all,
First time commenting on here about an art fair. Last weekend I was invited back to the Naperville Woman's Club 50th Annual Fine Art Fair. I'm a Collage Artist and I seem do well there at this show. This is my second year and I have to say the people are liking the work I'm producing and I can only say that because I've had some great sales there. I placed an award and cash prize. The staff is warm and welcoming and the set up is easy going and my booth neighbors are always kind and friendly, what more can a artist ask for.

Comment by Michael Romanik on July 21, 2009 at 9:06am

Delete Comment I did Ann Arbor's South University show for the first time this year. I make cloisonne enamel jewelry. Even though artists' ammenities were cut to the bone (i.e. no break room, breakfasts, snacks, etc.) I really enjoyed myself and had a good show! We did manage to get a few bottled waters. The weather was somewhat decent, although very windy on E. University, and chilly (I had to go buy an overpriced sweatshirt from a UM store) I would do this show again. I had a very big sale on Weds. which put me in a happy mood for the rest of the show, having already made back expenses plus a ton more! The crowd seemed very upbeat and I had a good time with small-talk and joking around. My show neighbors were great, very accomodating since I did the show alone. The Michigan Silversmith Society came around often and offered booth sitting, which was great!

I did the Original show last year, was wait-listed this year. I heard that I would have gotten called since they seemed to be burning through the wait-list pretty quickly. I was accepted to SU right away so I forfeited my Original show wait-list status. I'm glad as I had much more fun in the SU show this year - and I had a corner booth, which I normally never get, and I really liked having more exposure! I was hesitant about the $100 extra on an already $700 fee, but it paid off in the end. I was near the end of my street and near the shuttle bus stop. I sold my whole range of work, $25 - $1,800. I don't know if it was just a fluke, but people were buying, I'm sure not like in years past, but it turned out to be the best show I'd had in almost 1 1/2 years....and fun, to boot! But next year, I might crash and burn there so I'll focus on my success from this year!

Comment by karen cooper on July 21, 2009 at 9:33am

Delete Comment I was at Omaha Summer Arts Festival, last weekend in June. Publicity was excellent. I managed to score an interview with Channel 6 TV, who also happened to be a show sponsor. (lots of people commented "hey, I saw that painting on tv!") Show organization/staff were very good. I was very pleased with sales. (painting) My neighbors, (jewelry, ceramics) were not so pleased.
KCooper
http://karencooperpaintings.com

Comment by mark zurek on July 21, 2009 at 12:16pm

Delete Comment We did the Boulder Artfest this past weekend.The show is one of the most beautiful and comfortable (if you are on the Pearl Street Mall, and if the temperatres stay below 100 degrees).The areas off the mall, east and west, were filled according to the maps but did seem to be more than a few no shows. We did fine, second best year here , sales above 4K. Most of the sales were matted prints, and canvas wraps. I have sold one under glass print the whole year!Had several friends that did well also, one that had his best show of the year. The work I saw move was of the smaller variety, but need to take into consideration the mall is a tourist trap, and while the crowds were huge both days, this is really an entertainment destination with most sales being spur of the moment.
Load in, load out is a breeze, the staff is well organized with water being provided constantly. Boulder is one of the those shows you have to let be what it is. The vibe is a bit strange for those unfamiliar with the liberal tolerances of the town (this is historical). My friend Steve Appel was set up a few booths down. Steve is a character, and I have been wittness to a few of his eccentricities (a customer picks up a piece, and right off the bat wants it for half price. "Put it back, get out of my tent". Have to respect that).He had street entertainers right in front, both days. The loud mouth magician for three consecutive shows, Steve finally yelling the answers to the next crowd, the lovelorne troubador with his guitar, then the waif with her accordian, three french songs repeated over and over for three hours, then the world famous fake Aztec dancers. Yet, he had a killer show. Point being, each show has it's own character, you either roll with it, or don't do it.
This makes two Colorado shows we have done (Denver Fine Art being the other) where things were good, sales not what they were but will they ever be again? There is just something very cool about shows here, the people just seem less stressed, not quite the Texas self confidence, but somehow you get the feeling that everything is gonna be OK.

Comment by Sandra Rathbun on July 21, 2009 at 6:18pm

Delete Comment I did the 3 River Festival in Fort Wayne, IN July 11 & 12. It was our second year there. Sales were about the same as last year which puts it as my best show of the year. We did get moved to by the fountain in the park this year. It was pretty easy unloading and loading. And I did see alot of people carrying purchases. Jewelry and Lampwork beads .

Comment by Greg Heihn on July 21, 2009 at 7:03pm

Delete Comment Fused Glass
Did Madison Wisc show two weeks ago for the first time and Zeroed. Bobcat front end loader leaking oil 3 feet behind the booth nobody would do anything about got lots of my stuff oily and still is. I complained and really got no response. That should have been taken care of BEFORE the show its not like it appeared overnight. Jewelers next to me were non stop sales. It seems the new thing to shoot for is to make booth fee and expenses.
Also did the College Hill Arts fair in Cedar Falls Ia. One small sale. People seemed to be selling small less expensive items to make ends meet and I don't have any. Should think about that-Art on a Stick anyone? Ink jet prints of my Platters? One more show and then some time to think for awhile.

Comment by Connie Mettler on July 21, 2009 at 7:25pm

Delete Comment Wow! what a shame about that Bobcat, Greg, and what a blow for sales. This is way too expensive a business to be zeroing.

The couple of times we did Madison our sales were not great, but so many others seemed to think it was the best! Never could find out why it didn't work for us. We took our toys elsewhere.

Comment by Sara Young on July 22, 2009 at 6:40am

Delete Comment This was our 1st year at the Plymouth Art In The Park, and was quite a leap of faith for my Co-Artist and myself. We have mixed media in Etched Glass, Photography and Fine Art.

Our sales were great compared to our sales for all of last year combined. Traffic was steady and high, and I think we are finally finding the right product mx/price points.

We sold mostly lower price point items, we wanted to make our artwork affordable, but it was balanced nicely with our higher ticket items. Get 'em in the door, and hook 'em, right?

The layout was decent, there was a 'food court' area, but specialty vendors were spread evenly through the rest of the show. I do have to admit that when things were slow to start off on Friday, being next to a Jerky Vendor, who was selling her product like people lives depended on it ("I'm sorry, I can't take your charge right now, I ran out of slips", "Where's an ATM?!?!?!?") was a bit discouraging. But in the end we did very well.

I'd definitely recommend this show.

Comment by Warren Townsend on July 27, 2009 at 12:07am

Delete Comment Well just getting back in the art fair business and learning a lot about what shows to go to. I do metal art and price range from $100 to $7500. Usually only have a couple of cheap items.
I was in the Royal Oak< MI Clay Glass and Metal as a demonstrator. Friday and Saturday sales was very low. Sunday morning did a TV interview and sales were fantastic selling items in the $250 to $400 range. I thought the show was well organized and very easy for loading and unloading. I was able to park my vehicle close by so if I needed something I could go get it. Crowd was great on Sunday. Well orgainized and very professional show and will make sure I go again.
Another show I did was the Farmington Hills, MI Art at the Grand. This show was held same weekend as Ann Arbor's. Well from the look of the invitation I thought the show would have some decent artist. Most was lets say at almost fine crafts. Only sold a couple of pieces but made enough for some profit. Photographer next to me did not make booth fees. Most items selling were low ball items. The organizers were very friendly and helpful. The show seemed more of a family reunion and had a lot of entertainment type booths. Sure can not figure out selling blue berry pies is art but they sold $6000 worth. The layout of the booths and traffic flow is the worst that I have ever seen. Another thing is we had to park about 1.2 miles away and take a shuttle. Well for the three days only caught the shuttle twice because could never find it. Also had to wait for an extra hour at the end of the day to catch it. Weather sucked and Friday I was freezing but of course the jacket and jeans were in the vehicle too fart to run and get. Show is now on my list of not to dos.

Comment by Kerri Norman on July 27, 2009 at 11:31am

Delete Comment HI,
I'm a metal smith jeweler and was at the Stockholm WI show several weeks ago. It was my first year and other artists said that sales were substantially down but the show is so much to be part of anyway. The town really treats us all v. well, the music was great and at least in the morning, the crowd was definitely an art fair crowd - looking for handmade work and willing to pay for it.
While I didn't make great money I'd do the show again with no qualms.

Comment by aileen Parmenter on July 27, 2009 at 3:37pm

Delete Comment I am on the west coast. I am a wire sculpture artist. I guess I have not gotten to the highend shows yet. There are no amenities, prizes, or awards for work. I have done the Morro Bay Art in the Park show three years now. The last two shows this year I have lost money or broke even. I pulled out of the Labor Day show. It is a juried show with supposed catagory limits. But I saw people pulling resale jewelry out of their zip lock bags and cutting the tags off. I have seen kits as art. Just about every booth is jewelry or has some. I have customers walking by my booth complaining about all the jewelry.

I have never seen a 2000 dollar show. I guess if I could find better shows I could make that kind of money too.
I just did the Central Coast Renaisaince faire. Sales were down from last year. I was a demonstrating artist across from food booths. Lots of lookers. I have 4.00 items all the way up to 400.00 Lots of lookers and people wanting two fers. Credit card sales are down this year. Mostly cash sales. It was close to 100 degrees. Guy on other side of me had swords and wood cuts along with ( you guessed it .... Jewelry ) He said it was worst sales in 10 years. This was the 25th year in operation. Guy on other side had leather and music cd's. Said better money was in Arizona, and Nevada.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated. www.aileensart.com

Comment by Colin Murray on July 27, 2009 at 4:36pm

Delete Comment Appleton, WI. This was the 49th Annual Art in the Park event. It was our third year being involved in this show. It is will organized and has been well attended. Usually there are many people looking, before the show officially opens at 9:00. Although this year, there were a few people doing that. By 10:30 the sidewalks were full and people were appreciating the art, at the show. Then about 1:00 the first round of showers began. This caused the attendance to drop about 50%. Although some did wait under a tree or in a exhibitors tent, the numbers dropped. A second shower can through about 3:00. This caused most everyone to leave the show. It was disappointing, given the potential that this show has and the success that we have experienced in the past. But there is nothing you can do about the weather. I am sure sales were affected by the economy as well. We will return to this show next year. People seem to really love the show and the artists.

Comment by geri wegner on July 30, 2009 at 1:59am

Delete Comment Amy Amdur is oversaturating the north shore of Chicago with her art festivals. Went to her festival in Skokie at Old Orchard and I think I only saw two artists that I hadn't already seen at her earlier festivals. Not everyone attends all her festivals like I do but this was her weakest field of artists so far. Of course her three best shows are in August, Gold Coast, Art at the Glen and Port Clinton in Highland Park. Attended a small art festival put on by the Glenview art league and except for a favorite jeweler, Amy Taylor, this show was not particularly good. There are so many art festivals in the Chicagoland area that I am suffering from a little burnout but that is easily cured by a fantastic piece of art!!

Comment by katie balas on August 17, 2009 at 10:05am

Delete Comment Did the Worthington Art Fair (already a big mistake with the word "fair" in the title), I am a painter - acrylics on canvas. This was a Howard Allen event, billed as the largest art fair in Columbus. It was set up in a mall parking lot - black top - where a third of the shops were closed. It's August, it's Ohio, it was 90 degrees and humid. This combined with a black top parking lot is not fun. The staff was very strict with timing - cars had to be out of the setup area at a specific time and vehicles parked in the dedicated artist parking lot. This apparently was not the case for all artists, a select few were knowingly parked 500 feet from there booth, and nothing was said or done, even with other artisits and patrons complaining. There were no artist amenties, and no food vendors, no water. We had port-o-pots, that's it. Staff members were artists who walked around barking at other artists as to their setups being wrong, but had their own setups any way they liked, and all artist staff had double booths at the corner ends of each row. So, at the end of a grueling, hot, 2 day show, that had MAYBE 2000 patrons, tempers were hot along with the weather. People wanted to break down and get the hell out of there. This is where it gets really good. All the staff artists positioned at the end of the rows pulled up their vehicles and trailers at 4:45 (the show ended at 5) blocked the entrances of the parking lot, and broke down their own tents. NO ONE ELSE could pull in their vehicles and do the same until 6. Mutiny broke out, and artists were yelling at these staff artists, arguing to no end, only to be told to take it up with Howard Allen, and that they were told by the event coordinators to do this. Things got really bad when threats ensued, apparently all that complained will be blacklisted from any other shows - heard this said by not only the artist staffers, but also by other artists - telling those complaining to keep there mouths shut, this is how things work, and you either agree or will be blocked from shows. I will never do a Howard Allen event again.....ever.....I don't care how big the shows are. This treatment of artists is unacceptable, and the threats of blacklisting is disgusting. If you have rules, they should be for EVERYONE. Many artists said they will never do Howard Allen shows again b/c of this incident.

Comment by Daniel J. DiBernardo on August 20, 2009 at 10:28am

Delete Comment I am a photographer and have done about 10 shows now since April. Out of 10, I will do 3 of them again. This year traffic is way down, I estimate 30 to 50% off here in Pennsylvania. I just did a two day show in 95 degree heat with high humidity, which certainly did not help bring customers out. I spoke with many other artists and crafters...most told me they were down about 50% in sales...I was down 38.9%. There was nothing wrong with the show...in fact, last year it was my number one show! But there is nothing any of us can do about Mother Nature. I will certainly sign up for the Mt. Gretna, PA show again.

Comment by Lizz Harris on August 23, 2009 at 9:11pm

Delete Comment Getting ready to go to Atlanta for the Summer Shade Festival with my hand-painted silk clothing & accessories. My first time at it and hoping for the best as the last few shows have been challenging...including a zero day and not even making booth at one in July I drove 8 hrs to..ugh! I'll report what happens..sounds like a wonderful setting, well organized, and artist friendly promoters. Its a blend with 'Corks & Forks' so we'll see, it sounds like a great time could be had by all :-)

Comment by Cathy Weaver on August 30, 2009 at 9:27am

Delete Comment Yesterday was Swartz Creek's (michigan) first ever Art in the Park. Even though the weather was iffy - I've never seen such a steady stream of people at a small town art fair. Obviously well publicized, to draw in that kind of a crowd. Our hosts (the Kiwanis Club) were fantastic! The hospitality tent was stocked full of hot coffee and homemade treats all day long, as well as individual little packages of fresh veggies, water and juice. Their many volunteers were so helpful all day long! And sales? My best show all summer long. Highly recommend you check out Swartz Creek for next summer, as I'm sure it will be bigger in the future!

Comment by David Hipwell on August 31, 2009 at 11:52pm

Delete Comment Lake Geneva. It was a wild weekend weather wise. It was Aug 8 and 9. Rain stopped setup til noon on Aug 8.....then hot and breezy....threatening a bit a the end of the day....then Aug9 was hot and breezy early til 2pm when the organizers wisely shut down the show because strong winds were threatening....

Sales were average between rain and wind. On a good day, would do better. Few carrying bags, but I would have done half as much more if good weather. I sell paintings.

Parking there needs work. Meters in the best spots near show site in park. The vendors clog them.....they need an ordinance which would make it just for customers during the show with unloading time only for vendors. And then use license numbers to move the vendors out after unloading.

Comment by Genece Hamby on September 15, 2009 at 2:27pm

Delete Comment Just got back from Burr Ridge, IL "Art on the Green". It was their first show -- easy load in and out, excellent layout that made sense. They used the space well and created a nice ambiance. With that said, there was no crowd on either day. Held at an upscale outdoor shopping mall, there were very few people out shopping or at the art show. Only 50 artists which I liked -- gave us plenty of time in front of the people. Though we had a really small number of people (I doubt 1,000 were there over the whole weekend), a good number of us as artists sold one or two major pieces from our walls. I had only one small print sale. However, I sold a huge piece with the opportunity to sell a second piece for the condominium lobby the couple lives. The mall is only two years old so I'm thinking their numbers is due to the sluggish economy. All in all, it was a good show experience and I'd definitely go back there.

Comment by Steve Gallimore on September 17, 2009 at 11:19pm

Delete Comment I have to agree with Genece regarding Burr Ridge. I would add that the booth fee seemed high given the small numbers anticipated, I think it was 7000. We didn't see much more than 1,000 over the weekend. Sales didn't make booth fee at all. The economy may have been a factor but was it advertised enough? Also, are there too many art festivals in the Chicagoland area that people were tired of them.

We will think hard about returning.

Comment by Kaelin Cordis on September 21, 2009 at 5:26pm

Delete Comment Zona Rosa Art Fesitval, Kansas City, Missouri. My first show, so take all with a grain of salt...

I am an art jeweler, and personally, I had a wonderful experience. The show promoters were very helpful with the requirements, I had good communication with them throughout the process. Crowds were brisk Friday night and Saturday, but very light Sunday. I talked to all sorts of artists through out the weekend, and I think it was all about expectations as to how "well" someone did the show. I covered all my expenses, plus $500, won the People's Choice Award, and I was ecstatic. My neighbor who was a photographer made expenses plus a couple hundred wasn't nearly as happy... Overall, other artists said it was very slow for the painters, potters and sculptors. There were 80 artists, and about 7 jewelry booths with the majority of the works being fairly equally divided between photography, and fine 2d works(painting, watercolors, etc). The show was held at an upscale outdoor shopping/loft living area, with tree-lined avenues, two small parks, live music, and no food vendors. I would be hard pressed to guess the number of people that visited, as I didn't get out of the booth much, but definitely more than 10,000. Best in Show, with a cash prize, was a painter, Honorable mentions were a painter and a potter. I will definitely do the show next year, simply for the beautiful location, and the excellent contacts I made with the local Gallery owners, and residents.

Comment by JORGE CALIGIURI on September 22, 2009 at 10:13am

Delete Comment Rittenhouse Square Fine Art show - Philadelphia , September 18, 19 & 20.
Without doubt the star of the weekend was the weather, beautiful warm days that were an incentive to enjoy the city. Friday's visitors, as it's customary, were those at work who, during their lunch break or after the end of the work day, discover the event. Not so interested in buying and in a hurry to get back home.
Saturday is the day for sales -if any- and attendance started increasing after noon; as usual, a sophisticated public from the Rittenhouse Square surroundings, always interested in art.
According to the comments from other exhibitors, sales were scarce and the public that had interest was quite uncertain about completing the purchase.
This is my third year at this event and I might say the slowest one; regardless, I can say that I ended the three days quite well sales wise.
Another aspect to be considered is that there were numerous new artist, which helps refresh the event. All things considered, Rittenhouse Festival is -in my opinion- quite eclectic and with variety in quality, but undoubtedly one of the most important festivals of the Northeast.

Comment by John Hatcher on September 24, 2009 at 7:34am

Delete Comment I attended the Kingsland Labor Day Catfish Festival and Arts & Crafts Show the first weekend of September 2009. I had read several negative reviews on this show but I had friends in the area and I wanted to get to St Simon and Cumberland Island. Good thing I had a great day on those islands because the show was the worst I have ever attended. It was so bad I have no idea where to begin. One of the worst things that happened was someone ran into my truck and just left it damaged. I had two pieces of canvas damaged by kids running through the booth and punching the face of the canvas. I had two 8x10 framed pieces stolen. I saw more buy/sell than I have ever witnessed in spite of the wording in the application clearly stating all work must be hand made. Well I guess leather made in Mexico is actually hand made and blow up balloons made in China are handmade?? Believe any bad reviews you read about this show and stay away from this flea market. I almost forgot, I took second place in art. No cash prize, just a cheesie ribbon. Many other vendors came by to tell me they were seeing the worst sales they had ever experiences. It was a nightmare.

Comment by Whitney Peckman on September 24, 2009 at 9:01pm

Delete Comment Last weekend I did a small show in Olathe, KS, outside of KC. It was the first time I took my 2-d paintings out - I usually do the shows with large carved and sculpted botanical gourds (god, I just hate saying I do gourds! - after 20 years I still haven't gotten past people's preconceptions about the material!). So anyway, I knew it was a risk - small show, first time with the medium, never been there before, no mailing list of the area...so no show for me. I did, however, not lose heart - spoke with many who were very interested in the work, and perhaps if I could pony up another show on either side of this one, I would try it again. I did also speak with many artists - varying reports, some good, some abysmal. Most had adjusted their prices downward quite a bit, as much as half, and were still gasping for air. So, we just wait it out, keep working, keep connecting, and keep on keeping on.

Comment by don crozier on September 28, 2009 at 11:59pm

Delete Comment St Louis- Art Fair at Queeny Park
Lampworked Glass Jewelry
Hi!
Well, it's been a busy three weeks since the Art Fair at Queeny Park, but I did want to write a few words about the show. Queeny has been held since the mid 80's (I think) and has had its ups and downs and I'm pleased to say that both the Spring and Fall shows went well this year.

The show is usually around 100 to 120 artists, I think this year it was closer to 100. It draws from the Midwest, primarily the St Louis area, but I estimate that 25% of the artists drive more than 3 hours to get here. The fall show is held Fri-Sat-Sun over the Labor Day weekend. It is an indoor show held in a county park recreational facility.

Our sales were respectable, even if we would have stayed in a hotel. My guess is that most artists had $750 to $1500 in sales for the weekend. A potter friend of ours who typically makes between $1000 and $2000 had over $5000 in sales. I'm not sure what medium was the most popular, but I didn't see any long faces. There is also a decent amount of prize money, I think maybe $5000 in total.

The show is put on by the Greater St. Louis Art Association. They are also very amenable to the artists in the show and treat them very nicely!
http://gslaa.org

Comment by Cindy Schmidt on September 29, 2009 at 1:00pm

Delete Comment I'm a painter, and I sell originals and reproductions of my work (matted prints, note cards, ceramic tiles, etc.) at shows in upstate NY. I usually end up doing shows along the NYS Thruway (Albany to Buffalo).

My most recent show was in Remsen, NY, a tiny town in the Adirondack region, and it was great despite rain all day on Sunday (the show ran Sat. and Sun.). This show has been running for 30 years and has a lot of low-end merchandise, but I don't think there's a lot of buy/sell stuff. You can park right next to your space for set-up and at the end of the show - very nice!

I also did the Olde Deerfield Fall Craft Show in Deerfield, MA a couple weeks ago. That show was very well-attended and people were buying. This is another show where you can park right next to your booth for set-up, although it's a little congested for tear-down.

Cindy

Comment by C. David on October 4, 2009 at 11:36pm

Delete Comment Hi, this is my first posting, I'm an architect and artist, my first year in the festival world...5 shows starting with the Easton Art Affair, (great location, good crowds and well run), the Westerville Arts fest (my hometown, virtually rained out on sat. and I had my best one day of sales in a shortened sunday hour wise)...next was my first Howard Allen event at the Columbus Worthington Arts Fest (I concur with the blog from an artist who attended as well..this one I will skip next year) then another Howard Allen...the Shadyside Fest on Walnut st. (no artist amenities, great location and crowds good sales) lastly I attended the Atlanta Arts Fest in Piedmont Park (great location..the organization treats their artists like true VIP's..great crowds but average sales..but I'll be back ...) I finish the year with two events held inside (thankfully) the Great Lakes Show in Novi Michigan and the One of A Kind Show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart in Dec....Looking forward to 2010..I learned so much this year and met so many great and fun people....

Comment by Pauline Ross on October 12, 2009 at 10:19am

Delete Comment Did Chesapeake Bay Artist Show this weekend 10/10 & 11 in Norfolk,VA. Wet windy weather Saturday but people still came out. Sunday glorious sunny sky, nice crowd of people, picture perfect day on the bay. But again, the sales were lower then norm. Did half as much as last year and some artists did less then that or not even make their booth fee. Tis a very discouraging time.

Comment by Pauline Ross on October 12, 2009 at 10:25am

Delete Comment Watercolor and Acrylic painter. Hand painted glass.

Comment by Diane Wright on October 13, 2009 at 10:35am

Delete Comment I did the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival, Bedford, Pa this past weekend 10/10 & 10/11. The load in and load out was very organized and easy. The promoters, all volunteers were great. They make a big deal about everything in your booth being made by you to the point of having you bring a photo book, but I don't believe that the exhibitors on either side of me made their products. I can't prove anything. The waether on Saturday was terrible - cold, windy, rainy. Sunday was much better. Price points were very low for this show. I didn't sell anything over $20 with the median range being $10. I sell jewelry and I don't have much at that price range so the show was a bust for me. My location was not good but this was my first year and I applied later than many. I know some claimed to have a good show. People were leaving mostly with country crafts - wooden painted snowmen and pumpkins. I don't think that I will do it again next year.

Comment by Terri Drake on October 13, 2009 at 11:01am

Delete Comment I did a photography gig for the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival Museum in Alpena, MI Oct. 8-11, 2009. This was the first show for my newly formed companny, The Drake's Nest Studio, LLC, and I did not have a booth. Instead, I was mobile in that I took photos of patrons with the Lighthouse Keeper. I donated one half of all proceeds back to the Lighthouse Museum. Even though I did not have as many sales as I would have liked, I still consider my first show a success. I was able to see what sold, what didn't and able to network. Because of the networking, I have a few irons in the fire, as it were, for the fiber artist side of my company. The show itself was laid out in such a way that it had easy access, an upstairs food court and rest area and a conference room where an auction was held. Even though attendee numbers were down, sales did not seem to be a problem for the vendors. This was the 15th year for the Festival and we managed to obtain a fly-in by a USCG Helicopter, who not only landed, but stayed 2 hours and allowed attendees to climb all over the helicopter, including sitting in the pilots seat. The Festival also had helicopter rides provided by another company and boat rides to a few of the islands and/or tours of Grand Lake, Thunder Bay and the like. As the saying goes, "A good time was had by all."

Comment by JORGE CALIGIURI on October 13, 2009 at 1:21pm

Delete Comment Bruce Museum Art Festival, October 17&18, Greewich, Connecticut
I knew from another Artists this is a slow , not crowed Festival. And I can say ... It was. The place , nice confortable to set up and rich in vegetation . The weather on Saturday was not very confortable, could and windy and the public was a little slow. It was my first time in the show, and I could say very traditional staff, same boring landscape that you can see around any exhibition, some of them very well definited. Photograph, a lot , normally I don't take attention of that staff but I can say I saw very interesting things ever. Eclectic show but very good quality. The organization... the best I never seen, food and drinks the entire days, I wasn't in the Party on saturday night but I heard was nice. I saw many people with small paintings in their arms, just it. No many sales around, for me was a little good business, almos 40% of my booth go on, but I know some Artist don't have the same luck. The public is very friendly and I can say very well educated. Advice, kipp this event in your mind.

Comment by Dave Hinde on October 14, 2009 at 2:35pm

Delete Comment I added my Ocean View Show Review in the wrong place originally. It's in my Blog. I was still worn out from the weekend and forgot about this section! I do agree with Pauline that sales were down. For me, Eye's of Nature Photography, I did about the same as I've done at every other show this year, which is about 2/3 of what I sold in Ocean View last year. I almost made my booth fee on Saturday ($2 short), but Sunday was typical for most of this year.

Here's some of what I wrote in my Blog:

The show was a great one-day show - but it lasted two days! First, the location is Ocean View Beach Park, in Norfolk, VA. Despite the name, the park is on the Chesapeake Bay. It's a nice park with grassy fields and paved pathway winding through the middle. Chesapeake Bay Art Association has been putting on this show since 1962.

The weather didn't cooperate with us Friday or Saturday. Gusting winds both days, with rain on and off Saturday. Still we had people out walking with umbrellas and shopping on Saturday. Unfortunately a couple artists lost tents during the day Saturday. One came back on Sunday with another tent, one of the club members brought out a tent for another artist, and I saw a couple people set up without tents on Sunday! Sunday was a great day, weather wise and crowd wise. Sunny, slightly breezy, fall weather, with the temps in the 60s. There were a steady throng of people all day long and we could have stayed open later than 5 and still done OK. Sales were down, but a lot of people were looking and interested. I went through a lot of business cards!

Publicity worked out pretty good, with two TV stations coming by, several newspaper articles, and radio announcements. Our "Student Tent" took up 2 spots, and was full of artwork from local High School Students. The Students helped out in other areas and seemed to enjoy the weekend. All the proceeds from the weekend will go to an Art Scholarship fund for one or two students.

Load in and out was OK. On Friday we could drive up to our spot, dump our stuff, then go park and come back to set up. Saturday and Sunday the first lane of the adjacent road was closed for us to unload and load up.

Next year, keep the second weekend in October in mind for a nice show in Norfolk. Booth spaces are about the lowest around (under $100), and it's an artist run show where we try to make everyone feel at home. To some of the artists it's just like a big picnic in the park with friends. Sales are an added bonus.

Comment by geri wegner on October 14, 2009 at 11:58pm

Delete Comment Connie asked that I give a review of the art festivals I attended this summer. I went to over 20 festivals in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. This report is pretty much in the order that I went to them. (burnout became a factor towards the end)

Cuneo in Libertyville--the grounds are lovely, the festival is not worth it. Too few vendors and quality was mixed. I was extremely disappointed as I was looking forward to finally going to an art festival after 3 months of none.

Schaumburg- Independent festival. Very interesting mix. Wide variety of price points, something I would see a lot of during the summer. A show I will return to. Good parking, easy to get purchases to car.

Deerfield-Nice festival, nice variety, not too large but I bought two pictures.

Arlington Heights- An Amdur show. Lots of artists I had never seen before. Excellent quality show in a very cool neighborhood. I wanted to move there, it seemed so charming. It was packed but you could still move around. I definitely want to go back next season.

Monument Square in Racine, WI- Wide variety of quality but some very cool things. I made three trips to my car with my purchases.

Lakefront Festival of Art-Milwaukee Hadn't been in 6 years and the quality was excellent but we didn't buy anything. Incredibly gorgeous location, good food, organized layout, but something was missing.

Suburban Fine Arts, Highland Park- Usually my favorite festival since I am a 3D person. There is always atleast one booth selling something unusual and this year was no different. Bought quite a few things, as usual. Great layout, good food, easy parking.

Glencoe Festival of Masters-Amdur Show. This is a misnomer, it is her usual artists for the most part. too crowded, too many dogs and the 3rd best festival in a 3 festival weekend.
This one will be skipped next year because SFA and Fountain Square are more fun.

Fountain Square in Evanston- This is such a fun mix of vendors, serious quality, fun things you didn't know you wanted till you saw them and rookie artists. Easy parking, good food, fun people watching too. Evanston is a mini-Chicago.

These last three are all the same weekend and you realize how many wonderful artists there are when you realize you have seen around 400 artists.

June ended wonderfully.

More to come.

Comment by Daniel J. DiBernardo on October 15, 2009 at 8:37am

Delete Comment What a year...and I thought 2008 was bad. If it isn't the economy, it is the weather. Many shows this year, which were fair to excellent last year were bombs this year due to the weather...not many people come out with thunder and lighting or all day rain. A few shows I did have very good weather, but the crowds were not buying, except for items under $20.00 it seemed. Even the vendor selling bags of popcorn was complaining that sales were down. Now when you can't sell popcorn, you know the economy is bad. Recession is over some say. I say they have their heads buried in the sand. Last two shows I did I barely made the booth fee. Both these shows were in my top five last year...one in Skippack, PA and the other was in Carlisle, PA. Other crafters and artists I spoke with near my booth had the same comments..."What happened this year? This was one of my top shows last year." It has been so bad this year, I have not even been able to cough up the application fees for two of my top shows which were due about a month ago. I am stuck with a "if I get in fine, if I don't, oh well" attitude right now. Several of my suppliers are offering free shipping and really good specials, but I cannot take advantage of them due to cash flow just not being there.

Comment by Christine Heisler on October 17, 2009 at 4:24pm

Delete Comment While it's sad to hear that artists are suffering along with the economy, it's somehow comforting to hear that I'm not alone in seeing my sales down somewhat for this year.

So far I have done some small local shows in Central Indiana, and sales prices for my pottery have run the gamut of $6 to $150. The main sales have been the smaller ticket items though from $16 to $20. For the shows I did last year as well as this year, my sales have been 50% of what they had been a year ago. :-(

In late September I did the Madison Chautauqua show in Madison, Indiana. They reported the worst attendance in 25 years! It's a 2-day show, and I was delighted to not lose any money considering the fact that the hotels raise their rates for that weekend and are pretty pricey. I chalked it all up to experience and figured that when I go back next year, things will be better! Most of the artists I spoke to reported very light sales, though a couple said they were doing gangbusters. That lead me to wonder why their inventory hadn't changed...

There were over 250 artists, and the quality I saw was really terrific for the most part. The volunteers are the best, and the show is very, very well run. Madison is a picturesque town right on the Ohio River, and people traditionally come to the show from all over Indiana and Kentucky. The only catch is you have to enter it almost a year ahead.

Comment by Detta Mihills on October 27, 2009 at 1:13pm

Delete Comment Mount Dora, FL Craft Fair - Oct. 24/25
This was my third year at this show, and I always look forward to it because of the well planned set-up. It is a BIG show with over 300 booths (my estimate). I usually have no problem setting up since I know where the best parking is and I go early and dolly in. Not so this year. Everything changed and it was a mess. No setting up until after 5:30 pm on Friday night (my set-up time was 7pm). Parking was "assigned" and when I got there at 6pm to register and get my parking pass, I was told the parking passes were gone at 1pm. So my daughter and I waited in the line-up for a good hour before we got to unload. We did manage to find a parking spot so we could go back and finish putting up our display.
The show runs from 9-6 on Saturday, and by 8:30 am we were selling. And we sold, and sold, and sold. I had forgotten about all of my complaints from the previous night (maybe they really did know what they were doing.)
I had no time on Saturday to talk to other crafters, but did get around early Sunday morning.
One jeweler, who said she debated about applying for this show, said it was her best ever. Other people said their sales were down from last year. It went back and forth, but it was definitely my best so far with sales of $2900 compared to $2300 the year before, and $1800 the year before that.
The heat on Saturday was miserable, but Sunday turned out a little better with some cool breezes. The crowds were just as big on Sunday. Almost everyone walking by my booth had some type of package in their hands - saw some beautiful metal art sculpture go by along with framed art and photographs. And I do love those women who bring their folding shopping carts with them. That's always a good sign.
Aside from my complaints about set-up, this is a very well run show. The Mount Dora Village Association puts on this show, and they definitely know what they are doing. Their staff, the volunteers and the Police Dept. are everywhere and ready to help. The Symphony Orchestra performed in the park on Saturday, and you could hear it throughout the show. They definitely get five stars, and a big thanks to all of you for a great show!

Comment by pam neil on October 30, 2009 at 1:58pm

Delete Comment I did Ocala show last weekend. I had never done this show before and never had much interest but had aging parents in the area and wanted to spend some time with them, so what the heck, you never know these days what is going to happen. Set up fri. Good prize money attracts the usual suspects for awards so there was some real quality work, along with the opposite end of the spectrum. Buy sell jewelers right beside me. I had no hope for this show on Sat. Just another show supported by my friends at Bank America. But out of the blue hair crowd came a young buyer. My work is contemporary, no prints and nothing under $500. Big gambler I am and in this economy, well you know. She bought several pieces over 2 days. So I squeaked by. My only customer. I talked to many others , jeweler behind me, quality work ,poor sales. Several other 2D also poor to no sales. Overall turnout was good, sales poor.

Comment by David Hipwell on November 1, 2009 at 9:41pm

Delete Comment I am especially interested in Chicago suburban shows.....as I plan to do some shows there next year.....so if you have an info on them....please post them here....

I live north of Green Bay, WI.....but range southward......so in exchange for you writing about the shows you have done.....here is brief report on mine in 2009....almost all are in Wisconsin.

First the show I will do again:

Feb 7 and 8 Green Bay Arti Gras....not a big crowd....but a monied crowd
Mar 28 and 29 Oshkosh Altrusa....same as above....and have a public voting for best piece
Jn 14 Oshkosh South Park......made nice money..... good crowd....nice venue
Jn 28 Menominee Mich Art for all....weather threatening but same as above
Jl 18 Eagle River Artarama......cold....62 degrees....held down crowd....med number....needs another chance
Jl 26 Appleton Art in Park.....rain spit a bit.....nice number.....good crowd.
Aug 8 9 Lake Geneva.....entry free a bit high $170 for crowd....weather rotten.....on good day, would be worth it.....
Aug 15 16 Algoma Shanty Days.....Arts.....and Crafts too.....very nice number.....get in if you can.
Sept 19 20 Two Rivers Ethnic Fest.....same as above.
Sept 26 27 Green Lake....same as above.....but Appleton October Fest on same wkend is even better

Second shows on the fence....which means I will do them again unless I find something better.
May 16 Bailey's Harbor......not just art....buy and sell too.... made a bit but not a lot...
Jl 4 Bailey's Harbor......see above
Sept 12 13......there are 3 promoters with 3 diff show.....450 booths.....too many....everyone gets a small peice of pie.....entrance fee of $210 for the Art in Park show (one of 3) is too high considering I only made $550

Third is dogs or shows that I will not do again:

Mar 15 16 Montello low attendance, parking lot was a lake, lousey venue in old cattle barn
My 2 Racine Waterfront I think this city has depressed economy, poor to med number
Jn 7 Fond Du Lac Lakeside park See above.
Jl 11 Delafield Same day as Madison Art on Square.....forget it.

Well there you have it. Your turn....lol

Comment by David Hipwell on November 1, 2009 at 9:49pm

Delete Comment Note: The Sept 12 13 show listed above was in Wausau, WI

Comment by Sharon " Sherry" Wilson 19 hours ago

Delete Comment Does anyone know anything about Community Affairs LLC who run shows in Southwest Florida, Georgia and South Carolina?