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From an email I received:

I just purchased a new Showoff tent and Armstrong walls for the 2016 season. Being in MI and in the middle of winter I am not sure I will get the chance to get a new image made before getting out my apps that are due soon. My last year's image is with my EZUP tent and mesh walls. Is it better to find a way to get my booth set up and shot before the deadlines or to use my image from last year and instead let the show know that I do have this new setup?

Thanks!

My response:

It all depends. Is it a well known show with many applicants, or one where you might not have to be too strict about the rules? 

If its a biggie and your old booth shot is good, I'd use that. Shows do not choose their exhibitors on the quality of their set ups. I know we obsess over which is the best tent, walls, color, angle, that will get ourselves into a show, but basically the show just wants to know your 10 x 10 will add value to the overall look of the show.

Didn't get around to shooting it? Put in the disclaimer, but ordinarily the show doesn't care. They just want to see the degree of professionalism you have and you want the jury to say "we want that one in our show."

What does anyone else have to say? What have you done in this situation?

Photo from the Sedona Arts Festival. 

Just had to share this photo with you. Do you think she should use Pro Panels instead?

Kathy Czopek's report on her recent attendance at a business conference on "How to Apply" in St. Louis is full of good information. One of the presenters at the meeting was Laura Miller, operations director of the St. Louis Art Fair. I attended that show in September. Here are some booth images to illustrate the information that Laura shared at the workshop:

Painting by Daniela Ovtcharov

Jewelry booth Ronald & Leigh Linton

Who can even see the booth for the crowd? Woodworker, Matthew Hatala on the left

Nice portable booth, easy to ship - jewelry by C. Hoffnagle

Porcelain by Robert Hessler

Amy Arnold, fiber sculpture

Ceramics by Nathan Grubich & Amanda St. Hilaire-Grubich

Glass by Sam Stang

Jewelry by Jonathan Rutledge

This is not the booth shot Robert Longyear would have sent it in, but wanted you to see the add'l tie downs and lights on the very nice panels which set off his work

Jeweler Matthew Naftzger's work is constructed from found elements, as is his booth, distressed metal cases and wall hangings reinforce the recycled element of his work

Two people who contribute a lot to AFI:

Artist David Bjurstrom

& Photographer Mark MacKinnon

Sorry, no photo of John Leben's booth, as it was blown to bits!

This is a very useful, down to earth, letter from a woman who runs an art fair in northern Michigan. What I especially like about it is this:

• this is not a nationally ranked show, much like most shows around the country
• the tips are very pragmatic
• it is a great example of what many smaller art fairs should be saying to their applicants

READ ON and LEARN:

I'm sending this to everyone who applied this year, so don't take it personally unless you think you might need to.

We did our jury last night and I have a few comments about image quality.   The whole jury process is very competitive and this should probably go without saying, but I'll say it anyway.  IMAGE QUALITY MATTERS!

Some of you have been sending the same images for quite a few years.  If you have new work, we'd like to see it. 

A few of you sent images that were the wrong size.  Pay attention.  If you send us things that are too small to be seen, it's not helpful to you.

A few of you just sent bad images.  Getting professional photos of your work done is very expensive, I know.  It may not be necessary, but you do need to make sure that the things you send are of good quality.  You have a lot of competition.

I'm going to talk mostly about the booth slides.  I sent out an email to many of you last year and it was obvious that you listened.  Thank you.  It's not important to me that your booth shots be good, but it's VERY important to you.

If you have new work, we need to see a newer booth shot.

The booth shot represents your whole body of work.  If your booth shot is blurry or messy looking...
We try to do a blind jury, so would prefer that neither your name nor your face appear in the shot.
The jurors see four images.  If they see three amazing pieces and then something different in the booth shot, it WILL affect your scoring.  Perhaps you did three really great things in grad school or three great pieces this year.  We need the booth shot to be representative of the work you will be bringing to this year's show.  If there is a disparity between what we see in the booth and the other images, the jurors can't help but wonder.  Some of you just need to update.

The prize for worst booth shot this year goes to someone named David.   Perhaps you know who you are.

We really want to see you do well - we care.

Good luck to you all - responses should go out next week - Donna

Many thanks to Mike Barnes for forwarding this excellent letter to me. He gets the first AFI bumper sticker!