Blog

We are nearing the end of our 6th Annual Pledge Drive. We held the drawing for the top ten winners on Friday, 5/29.

If your name is listed below you'll be hearing from us. Go to the pledge page, look over the options and send me your top two to three choices. We'll fulfill the win in the order your name was drawn.

In the order that their names are listed they can choose a prize from the listing on this page:

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Some of our sponsors:

 

       

             

No one predicted that Connie Mettler  would end up an
 Internet guru.

Sure, Connie's decades in the art fair business make her an expert in art events, and helped her develop
 friendships with artists nationwide.  But when I told her about this "Internet" thing, she first saw it as  just a
 distraction from the real world art fairs she loves.


Luckily, I kept up the pressure to put my mom's love for the art fair business to use on the World Wide Web.  In 2004 I started ArtFairCalendar.com to collect the nation's art fair event listings all in one place because of her concern about falling attendance at the events.


Then as social media arrived I develooped 
ArtFairInsiders.com to bring the artist community together online. In both cases it is Connie's decades of expertise that provide the inspiration and on-going expertise that have made these sites successful.

This week is Connie's birthday. Surprisingly to both of us, she now has four websites and has been working  full-time as a "web producer" for many years (in addition to her  roles consulting for other art events nationwide).

So, Welcome to the official Connie and ArtFairCalendar.com Birthday Party!


 
Will you please help me recognize Connie's years of efforts to support and promote artists and the art fair community?


I invite you to show your support these art fair websites and the art fair  community with a small PLEDGE
(starting at $12 which also makes you eligible to win some great prizes):



Thanks for being here!
Scott (Connie's son)

*prizes like free booth spaces at 3 shows, a GPS, Amazon gift card, very cool art, consulting from experts, etc.

Are you a fan of this site? An active member of the Art Fair Insiders community?

Do you find valuable info and friendships here that help your business?

Or, maybe you're even addicted to the forum??

If that sounds like you, we'd like your help.

Can you leave below a short "testimonial" quote about why you like AFI and how it's been helpful (and fun) to you?

We're in the midst of the annual AFI Pledge Drive soon and would appreciate your comments to use publicly in the marketing.

You know, short quotes like "I love visiting ArtFairInsiders.com daily because…"

Thanks for your help!

Scott
(Connie's son)

Click on the blue player widget below to listen to special LIVE online radio show “Pledge Drive” episodes of Art Fair Radio!

You can hear some great (free) art fair business-building tips from ArtFairInsiders.com publisher, Connie Mettler, and learn more about the annual Birthday Pledge Drive, too.

Listen to the Connie Mettler interview here or download an MP3 here.

You can also download an MP3 of the recent "Nels & Munks Interview" here.

Thanks for listening! (and for pledging here, too!)

That was a lot of fun, with a wonderful response from artists, art shows, art fair patrons and advertisers across the country.

Here are the official winners:

1. Dorraine Watts - Kindle with built in Wi-Fi
2. Brian Bass - pottery by Sarah Silva
3. Tahmi DeSchepper - consulting services with Larry Berman
4. Shirley Baker - canopy weights from James Eaton
5. Kristen Walsh - Sunshine Artist subscription
6. Woody Smith - Auntie M's peanut brittle
7. Steph Mader -Sunshine Artist subscription
8. Lenore Lampi - free booth at a Howard Alan Event
9. Barbara Johnson - mobile Polaroid printer
10. Suzanne Krongold - NAIA membership
11. Barbara McLaughlin - consultation with Connie Mettler
12. Susan Miller - consultation with Connie Mettler
13. Melanie Rolfes - subscription to Sunshine Artist
14. Leslie Kaplan - Level 2 membership to Festival Network Online
15. Donald Dixon - CDs from Paul Adams and Dave Hoffman
16. Barbara Nelson - Expert Website Review from Scott Fox
17. Michelle Wermuth - pottery from Barry Bernstein
18. Carolina Niebres - t shirt from the Des Moines Art Festival
19. Barbara Berney - Frog Bag from Lynda Wallis
20. Jetze Beers - Sunshine artist subscription
21. Wendy Edwards - CDs from Paul Adams and Dave Hoffman
22. Anne Tindell - a year's membership  to ClickMillionaires.com Online Marketing Coaching Community
23. Jacqueline Gomez - Frog bag from Lynda Wallis
24. Ginny Herzog - Expert Website Review from Scott Fox
25. Julie Crouse - subscription to Sunshine Artist
26. Wendy Shattil - a year's membership  to ClickMillionaires.com Online Marketing Coaching Community
27. Br. Xavier Pankovits - candles from Michelle Sholund
28. Paolo & Patty DeMaria - Frog bag from Lynda Wallis
29. Peggy Whitson  - t shirt from the St. Louis Art Fair
30. Linda Shields - decorated cookies from Auntie M's Baked Goods
31. Don Lake - choice of tshirt
32. Terri Anderson - oatmeal cookies from Auntie M's
33. Terry McCray - Silver palm tree from Lynda Keen

A last thank you to the supporters:

Brian Bass, Michael Kuehl, Loree Rinck, Hyacinth Manning, Joan Tweedell, Stacey Miller, Bobby Schochet, Steph Mader, Anne Tindell, Roberta Starbird, Philip Marty, Paula Grill, Dorraine Watts, Sherry Martin, Margaret Hagopian-Slack, Geri Wegner, Charles Bingham, Barbara Berney, Ronald Gould, Don Lake, Pat Finney, John Leben, Jerry Maschinot, Jill Richman, Kay Foley at Ampersand Cards, Linnea Swanson, Michelle Wermuth, Emily Pezzulich, Shaari Horowitz, Silent Echoes, Howard Rose, Barbara Nelson, John MacDonald, Luisa Velasquez, Currie Silver, Bruce Eaton, Gary Willcock, Rick Hall & Tina Willis, Barbara McLaughlin, Melanie Rolfes, Wally Parshall, aLightGoesOn, Bo Mackinson, Harrison Otalor, Clair Thompson, Bruce and Christine Green, Ginny Herzog, Teressa Getz, Margie Luttrell, Dave Dinsdale of Pristine Images, Maija Baynes, Nancy Potts,Tahmi de Schepper, LJ Young, Susan Hohman, Lynn & Michael Krause, Nancy Wasserman, Richard Grossman, Shirley Baker, Danglez, Carol Faith, Kay Cummins, Betty Householder, Mary Hermansen, Sherry Curtis, Impact Gallery, Ilze Heider, Diana Bruni, Beverly Shine, Hannelore Jundt-Pritchard, Susan Russo, Karen Brown, Lenore Lampi, Lynda Chevrier, Crystal, Medusa's Stones, Annette Piper, James Parker, Michael Wommack, Patricia Simmons, Nicole Moore, Woody Smith, Christine Heisler, Susan Miller, Jennifer Thomas, Lisa Scheffer, Melanie Moore, Tara Dalga, Joanne Wendel, Heather Watson, Suzanne Krongold, Vinnie Sutherland, Sharon @1-2-3 It's Me, Xavier Pankovits, Gregg Gustafson, Paul Messink, Artwear Design, Jacqueline Gomez, Annie Omens, John Ziemann, Candy McFall, Scrap Felt, Helen Jarocki, Leslie Kaplan, Circle D Metal Art, April Schwaegerle, Sharon Fink, John Wilson, Creative Bead Connection, Joy Hafford, DeVer Originals, Karen Kress, Kathleen Clausen, Jill White, Kristen Walsh, Judith Weisblatt, our friends at the College Hill Art Festival, Michael & Carol Weber and Deborah Banyas & T.P. Speer, Leo Charette, Peggy Whitson, Jan Richardson, Ann Akland, Lisa Cutler, Denise Bizot, Rusty Leffel, Terry McCray, Mark Brodnan, Barry Bernstein, Wendy Shattil, Jan Anderson, John Pulbratek, Richard Freund, Wendy Edwards, Monika Green, Sarah Silva, Douglas Farrar, Donald Dixon, Lynda Wallis, Pamella Harris, Judy Zeddies, Ruth Finkenbiner, Zee Galliano, Marilyn Troutman, Donald Dixon, Marcia Grout, Donald Thompson, Michelle Babcock and old friends Gert & Sheila Olsen!

Patrons:  Beth Sergeant, Eugene Hughes, Debra Ehmann, Howard Rose, Deborah Gall, Caroline Niebres, Barbara McLaughlin, Wally Parshall, Jeanne Steck, Mary Johnston, Paolo DeMaria, Diane Rose Jewelry, Ariela Boronat, Jetze Beers, B. Felt, Judith Walton, James Nelson, Pat Falk, Julie Crouse, Mark Sarlson, Ed & Carole Schmidt

And the "Angels": Linda Billet, Linda Shields, Allison Bernknopf, Melanie Allen & Ross Graham

Everyone send us your mailing address so we can send you your "Red Dot" bumper sticker and award ribbons for the Patron and Angel sponsors.

Deepest apologies if anyone was left off this list -- I truly appreciate this support and look forward to year 3 of ArtFairInsiders.com!

No one predicted that Connie Mettler would end up an Internet guru.

Sure, Connie's decades in the art fair business made her an expert in art events, and helped her develop friendships with artists like you nationwide. But when I told her about this “Internet” thing, she saw it as just a distraction from the "real world" art fairs she loves.

Luckily, I kept up the pressure to put my mom’s love for the art fair business to use on the World Wide Web. In 2004 I started ArtFairCalendar.com so she could collect the nation’s art fair event listings all in one place because of her concern about falling attendance at the events.

And then, as the social media revolution arrived, I started ArtFairInsiders.com to help her help the artist community come together online. In both cases it is Connie’s decades of expertise that have made these sites successful.

This week is Connie’s birthday. Surprisingly to both of us, she has now been working full-time as a “web producer” for several years (in addition to her roles in producing Arts, Beats and Eats, the Great Lakes Art Fair, and consulting for other art events nationwide).

Perhaps more importantly, it’s been over two years since ArtFairInsiders.com took off and seven since the launch of ArtFairCalendar.com.

So welcome to our 2nd Annual Connie and ArtFairInsiders.com Birthday Party!

Will you please help me recognize Connie’s years of efforts to support and promote artists and the art
fair community? I would like to invite you to show your support for the AFI community with a small PLEDGE.

Learn more here about how you can support ArtFairInsiders.com and send Connie a Happy
Birthday wish, too: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Thanks for being here!
Scott (Connie’s son)

P.S. And, mark your calendar for the next two Thursdays, (May 26 & June 2) at 6 pm ET. At ArtFairInsiders.com we'll have two online radio "AFI Birthday Party" broadcasts.

1 - This Thursday (5/26) you can listen to popular (and often controversial) ArtFairInsiders.com members Munks and Nels Johnson battle it out on the air and share their insights into the crazy world of the art fair artist.

2 - Then next Thursday (6/2) you can call in LIVE to talk with Connie Mettler for the ArtFairCalendar.com Happy Birthday Show! She'll be taking your art fair business questions and birthday greetings, too.

Many thanks to so many of you who have pledged their support to our art fair websites. Most of our prizes are gone, but here is what is left:

1. Hand decorated cookies; oatmeal cookies from Auntie M.'s Baked Goods
2. 1 subscription to Sunshine Artist
3. Candles from BytheBayBotanicals.com from member Michelle Sholund
4. Jewelry from Lynda Keen
5. 1 Frog bag, "BuyArt", from Lynda Wallis, www.freelanceillustrations.com
6. note cards from the Anton Art Center and a one-of-a- kind tshirt: http://www.theartcenter.org/
7. t shirts from art fairs across the nation - view them here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

And the winners are:

1. Steph Mader
2. Br. Xavier Pankovits
3. Paolo DeMaria
4. Peggy Whitson
5. Linda Shields
6. Don Lake
7. Danglez
8. Terry McCray
9. Roberta Starbird
10. Nicole Moore

Please contact me: info@artfaircalendar.com to claim your prize. Tell me your three choices and include your mailing address.

Rick Bryant, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of Arts in State College, PA, just sent me this jpg of his show's 2011 t- shirt. Isn't it amazing? It is by assemblage artist Robert Villamagna of Wheeling, WV (www.robertvillamagna.com). The name of the image is "Surrender Rabbit."

The next person to make a pledge will with this t-shirt!

Pledge now and you will be entered into drawings for great prizes, too!

You could win a new Kindle with built-in Wi-Fi, a free booth space at any Howard Alan show, a Polaroid Mobile Printer, 3 Expert Website Design Reviews, original art from our artist members, private consulting with Connie, memberships in my ClickMillionaires.com online marketing coaching community, digital imaging from Larry Berman, CDs, subscriptions and memberships, cookies and t-shirts from your favorite art fairs, and more!

Visit our website to see the entire list donated by our generous supporters.

We love the Art Fair community of artists, collectors and organizers and believe you do, too. Please take a minute now to send a friendly birthday wish and a small pledge to celebrate this birthday.

Please pledge here now!
http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

More details:  http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/pledge-drive-prizes

It surely has been fun handing out the prizes to all of you who have been such great supporters of our websites. Many thanks to all who have pledged.

Here are the prizes that are left:

1. 3 memberships to the online marketing community - if you are trying to market your art online this community is run like AFI, but it is all about BUSINESS and making money online. This is an invaluable opportunity for you to get some great advice.
2. 2 expert reviews of your website -- great advice on how to make your website work better for you!
3.  2 - baked goods from Auntie M's  (peanut brittle gone)
4. 3 subscriptions to Sunshine Artist
5. candles from Michelle Sholund
6. jewelry from Lynda Keen
7. notecards from the Mt. Clemens Art Center
8. CDs from Paul Adams & David Hoffman
9. 3 Frog Bags from Lynda Wallis
10. vintage t shirts from the top art fairs

Here is the next group of winners.

1.  Barbara Berney
2. Jetze Beers
3. Gary Willcock
4. Wendy Edwards
5. Anne Tindell
6.  Jacqueline Gomez
7. Ginny Herzog
8. Pamella Harris
9. Julie Crouse
10. Wendy Shattil

Please visit the pledge/prize page and make a choice and send it to me.  Please send three choices as someone is sure to take your first choice!

Everyone who pledged should have this "Art Star" on their own page on this website by now. If you don't let me know so I can add it.

and also, if you don't already have a "Red Dot" please send me your mailing address.

Pledges are still being taken and many thanks to you who are just now getting around to it. Your names have been added to the list for the drawings.

We'll be doing our last drawing on Friday morning, June 10, for the rest of the prizes.

Many thanks for recent pledges including: Pamella Harris, Judy Zeddies, Marilyn Troutman, Donald Dixon, Marcia Grout and Michael Ries. Your names are went into the drawing for today's winners.

Monday's drawing:

1.  Suzanne Krongold

2.  Barbara McLaughlin

3.  Susan Miller

4.  Melanie Rolfes

5.  Rush Creek

6.  Donald Dixon

7.  Barbara Nelson

8.  Michelle Wermuth

9.  Carolina Niebres

10. Frances Hurst

Please visit the Prize Page to choose your prize. Please email me (info@artfaircalendar.com) your first three choices and don't forget to include your mailing address. Do this as soon as possible please.

Prizes that have already been awarded from Friday's drawing:

1.  Dorraine Watts - Kindle

2.  Brian Bass - pottery from Sarah Silva

3.  Tahmi DeSchepper - digital services from Larry Berman

4.  Shirley Baker - weights from CanopyWeights.com

5.  Scrap Felt - subscription to Sunshine Artist

6.  Woody Smith - peanut brittle from AuntieM's

7.  Lenore Lampi - free booth space at any Howard Alan Event

8.  Barbara Johnson - polaroid mobile printer

Congratulations to them!

Everyone who pledges receives our AFI insignia bumper sticker, the "Red Dot". Please send me your mailing address so we can get these out to you.

We will be drawing names again on Wednesday morning for the remainder of the prizes. If you'd like to be included in the drawing - and you think this website is worth supporting - pledge today!

This has been a whirlwind week for us with this pledge drive and the two podcasts. Once again many thanks to all who have pledged to keep our websites alive and happy and continuing to make your art fairs more satisfying to you in every way, physically, emotionally and monetarily.

We have a bunch of prizes to award to those who pledged. We have chosen the following names using the www.Random.org site. Instead of directly awarding a specific prize will the following people please contact me and let me know their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices, as I know not everyone wants web consulting or a Kindle or some of the other prizes on the list. You can find the prizes here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

The winners are:

1. Dorraine Watts
2. Brian Bass
3. Tahmi DeSchepper
4. Shirley Baker
5. Margaret Hagopian-Slack
6. Scrap Felt
7. Woody Smith
8. Steph Mader
9. Lenore Lampi
10. Barbara Johnson

Please have your choices to me by midnight June 5.

Everyone who has pledged is receiving:

• an official Art Star on their profile page on this site (going up soon)

• a "Red Dot" bumper sticker. Please send me your mailing address so I can get those out to you.

Haven't pledged yet? Get in on the next round of prize drawings. Pledge here now.

Next prize drawing at 9 am on June 6.