Has anyone done this show? It is at the edge of WI and MN. I'm debating it, but don't know anyone else who has done it, and can't find much information. Any info would be great, thanks!
september (2)
Just 2 years old, the September Art Fair at Mellwood Art Center has a lot going for it. They began with the distinct advantage of replacing a well-established and respected art fair that closed. On the strength of that, they attracted some very good artists and filled upwards of 150 spaces at their first-ever event in 2009.
They advertise, promote, and draw good crowds. They have a GREAT venue on the grounds of an existing arts center, with both indoor and outdoor spaces, a huge parking lot, air conditioning, and INDOOR bathrooms!!!
So what's not to like? Booth space, at $260/$275, is a tad pricey. And although the fair is supposedly juried, I have seen no evidence of any selectivity. Instead, the organizers seem to be going for quantity over quality, which is sad. I'm a jewelry artist - a metalsmith working in sterling and gemstones, mostly at a mid-range price point - and I was infuriated that the booth right next to me was a "designer" stringing beads and assembling earrings out of garish purchased components. And it gets worse: further down the same aisle was a booth featuring cheap glassware painted with tacky slogans such as "Yes, they're real!" Imagine the feelings of the serious artists who got placed next to that!
I heard a lot of grumbling from artists in 2009, and a number of them did not come back this year. I gave the show another chance because I think it has so much potential, and I would really like to see it succeed. But unless the organizers learn to "just say no," I'm afraid they're going to alienate the serious artists, and turn this promising young event into something more like a flea market than an art fair.
