This is my first year doing outdoor venue shows, and I have about 10 I am doing this summer. I've been pretty excited thus far, and have had to go through quite a bit of horrific weather for the first 3 shows I had been in, but still managed to make booth and over at each of those despite the bad weather. I was in hinsdale the weekend though, and finally lucked out because there was beautiful weather. HOWEVER... even though the weather was beautiful, the people were not in the buying mood, or at least not on my end of the pond.
I was told that this show would have a lot of buyers, and I would do amazing since I do abstract oil paintings. I was actually told at a show before this one that I might want to up my prices because people in hinsdale have a lot of money and would think my work was too cheap and not want to buy it on principal. I took that advice with a grain of salt, but upped them just a little bit, nothing outrageous. I was also told that this was an artsy town with a lot of money to spend, big homes (million dollars +) and an appreciation for local artists.
The traffic was fair to poor, the people were seemed as though they were just taking an afternoon walk, not even looking in the tents to see what there was, OR bee-lining it to jewelry booths only, or photography booths only, and no looking at anything else, which I've come to find pretty normal at most shows, but the lack of engaging in conversation with anyone is what threw me for a loop. I also only saw one volunteer for the entire two days I was there. The girl brought water around one time each full day. (not that this is the volunteer's fault, she's just doing what she is told). I didn't even meet the person who ran the event until halfway through the second day, and it was a quick, hellothankyoubye. Very nice woman, understandably busy, but not what I was expecting really.
I have reasonably priced work ranging from $100-$1,000, the $1,000 being a 4'x5'x1.5" original oil painting, and I had some people look at my prices (from the outside of my booth) make faces then smile at me, and continue on. This is always disappointing, pricing I have come to find is the hardest part of this whole deal, and unfortunately people do not understand. I am all about original work, the buying is the only person who has that piece of art, and that is it, no prints, no remakes, all by hand. To me, that is fine art, that is what the people should be paying for. I barely saw anyone leaving with anything at all come to think of it except for maybe a little bag of jewelry every 50 people?
I was overall just very disappointed, and felt the trip was a complete waste of time. With amazing weather, and slow traffic, it was a bit mind boggling. The other artists around me were great, very nice, all said were kind of in the same boat of shock to the lack of people buying or even being there period.
Everyone I talked to was ready to pack up and leave halfway through the second day, and all of the artists were lined up to pull their cars in at exactly 5pm, but were stuck waiting for the Rotary Club to pack up and leave before the artists could even get their cars into the spots by the booths, completely rude and ridiculous and unorganized. And I've heard some artists tell me they had to move before we could get in there, but honestly, I walked all the way down there from my end to help my car get through, and they did not need to move first, the could have let the artists in before packing up, there was plenty of room before they got their stuff together. Needless to say, I didn't sell a thing, not a single thing, which to me was baffling.
I understand that I am a baby at this art show thing, but to leave completely empty handed when I had taken off work this weekend to make money was just not what I was wanting to have happen. I do not recommend this show to anyone who has original one of a kind work and does not live within the chicago area, it is just too much of a crapshoot to make it worth it, and I have traveled 7 hours away to bumble oklahoma and somehow still made booth and above at a much smaller show, so this, was just sad.
I'll keep my chin up though, there is always another show, another weekend, this one just wasn't my time. :/
