Blog

Our 10th Pledge Drive was one of our best solid pledges and wonderful prizes for all of you who support our mission to enable artists to earn a living at the nation's art fairs.

Your pledge really makes a difference. Not only was the response great - the personal messages to me about how helpful our websites have been for you was a wonderful reward. Thank you. 

The prizewinners were thrilled, especially the top winners:

1. Debbie Stillman chooses: $200 gift certificate from Pro Panels
   
   
2. John Houle chooses: a $300 Flourish gift certificate
   
   
3. Patricia Venaleck chooses: the Ring Doorbell from ArtFairCalendar.com
   
   
4. Carolyn Copper chooses:$200 gift certificate from Pro Panels
   
   
5. Lou Ann Grover chooses: a $300 Flourish gift certificate

See the rest of the prizewinners right here.

Who do we thank?

Supporters: 

Ann Anglim, Ruchi Bartar, Jean Block, Edward Browning, Joan Brusch, Theodora Cox, Paula Dammeyer, Deborah Gunvaldsen, John Jassy, Norma Klein, Guillermo Pagan, Janet Peterson, Kristine Ritter, Barbara Scraggs, Mark Sherman, James Snively, Judith Spector, and Betty Werner

Ruth Davis Odile, Christie Wilcock, Patricia Venaleck, Wallace Fuller, Anne Metcalfe, Christine Lush-Rodriguez, Allison Farkas, Sonja Jones, Margie Luttrell, Anne Harding, and Hollis Graze

Theresa Jankowski, Mary Sommers, Geri Wegner, Bernadette Sza, Rhonda Brown, Patricia Monaco, Caroline Peters, Stephen Mineck, Beverly Cox, Kathryn Nidy, D Heraty, Musette Bonds, Nancy Falco, Sara Shambarger, John Shoemaker, Carol Faith, Jean Einstein, Kaity Klothes, Gerri Katz, Pamela Eckert, Moxie Sorber, Cindy Miceli, Peggy Roeder, Susan Kovach, Linda McCarthy, Laura Bundesen, and Garden Shed Studio

Lou Ann Grover, Shanghai Tai Designs, Chris Fedderson, Lori Burns, Susan Fleming, Bradley Gray, Frances Hooper, John Jassy (2), Alice Johnson, Michele Klein, L E Maynard Enterprises, Rita Lindsay, Memories Antique Gallery, Robert Pangman, Lyn Patterson, Karen Pfender, Regal Beads

Beverly Ringenberg, Kristine Ritter, Karen Ruff, Lori Ryerson, Veronika Willard, Beechtree Designs, Debbie Cooper, Jerry Dowdle, Susan Feder, Lebenart/Bumbley, Heidi Mandich, Charene Murray, Richard Seymour, Thomas Wingate, Barry Bernstein, Brent Coulter, Michael Perronne, Chengqing Wang, and Blake Museum

Tammie Everly, Robert Wallis, Katie Hoffman, Donna Dreyer, Larry Sohn, and Timothy Schroll, Natureation, Kristin Moger, Marla Wieck, Layl McDill, Geaux Photography, Scott Wright, Tina Noonan, Andrew Shea and Larry Sohn.

Patrons:

Mark Loeb, Gregory Shaull, Ron Gage, Clinton Dean, Janet Muchnik, and GRC Sign Network, Pam Wiggins, Debra Facciolo and John Desalme, Barbara Walker, Charlotte Beales, Burnt Offerings Art, Kevin Miller, Constance Ross, Donna Aurandt and Victoria Jackson

Angels: Richard Sherer, Debbie Stillman and Paolo DeMaria

The Prize Donors:

Luke Block and Sage Billig at Flourish.com, Howard Alan at Howard Alan Events, Ryan Muir and Jason Brown at ACTIns.com, Larry Berman at BermanGraphics.com and Julie Cochrane at festivalnet.com.

Carolyn Edlund from artsbusinessinstitute.com, Randall Fox at AFFPS.com, Greg Lawler at the Art Fair Sourcebook, Janet & Howard Rose from Rosesquared.com; Richard Rothbard from www.AmericanArtMarketing.com; Larry Sanders of www.juryimage.com; Lynn Wettach at www.holidayartshows.com and John Leben at www.LebenArt.com.

Mark Burris at ProPanels.com, Jeff Abele at GrandstandApps.com, CC Barton, Jeff Christlieb at CanopyBanners.net, Dave Emmons at Vermont Nature Creations, Mckenna Hallett at MyGoldenWords.com, Drew Hendrix and Leslie Clampitt at RedRiverPaper.com, Mark Loeb at IntegrityShows.com and Josh McClure at CanvasGicleePrinting.com.

Debbie Stillman at debbiestillmanjewelry.com, Patty Narozny at HotWorks.org, Trudi van Dyke, Barb Walker at Art Spectacular, Larry Mitchell at CanopyWeights.com, Franklin Puick at www.cyberhenge.com, and John Appellazano at Holbein Artist Materials. 

See the prizes: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Thank you everyone for your pledges and your kind words for our work. Now we'll get to work and continue to help artists earn a living at the nation's art fairs.

--- the ArtFairInsiders.com team: Jacki Bilsborrow, Larry Berman, Tina Towell, John McKiernan, Meg Mettler and me too, Connie

I'm expecting a quiet Thanksgiving. My very large family has scattered all over the country and I'm left at home with my vegetarian husband and other vegetarian friends. I went out and bought a turkey anyway and I'll fix it like my mother did and give thanks for all those years when my three brothers, two sisters and myself gathered with our spouses and little kids around the family table in Fort Wayne, IN, and eat it all myself with Jacki.

Life brings so many changes and this year's holidays represent big changes. But you've got to know that I have many things to be grateful for.

I'm grateful for this community.

How much fun it is to get up in the morning and to meet you here, stay in touch with old friends and make new ones. I know you like it here also. I am so grateful to meet you and appreciate your participation here. I am grateful for the opportunity that has enabled me to continue being part of the art fair business.

I'm grateful for the Internet.

Where would I be without it? Yes, greeting at Home Depot and learning the intricacies of the paint mixing machine.  Thanks for providing this unbelievable environment in which we can create value, build audiences, make friends out of strangers, laugh at funny pictures of cats, and construct things that have never been imagined before. What a rush.

I'm grateful to you

Thank you so much for reading, for commenting, for sharing the posts, for your interest and support and intelligent criticism, for keeping us honest, for giving a damn about doing great work. You are magnificent, and everyone here is supremely grateful for your time and attention.

I'm grateful for the team that helps me keep my websites running

Jacki Bilsborrow who keeps ArtFairCalendar.com updated and also drops in here at AFI regularly to visit you; Sabrina Aughenbaugh who has become my right hand at developing our email newsletters; Heather Hansen (great tech skills) who is running ArtShowReviews.com. Grateful to Larry Berman for all his vetting of members coming to this site and who delivers detailed tech advice to all who ask.

I am grateful to particular individuals who have been valued partners at AFI

Nels Johnson, Barry Bernstein, Jim Parker, Geoff Coe, Geri Wegner, Ruth Finkenbiner, Munks, Holly Olinger, Carla Fox, Linda Shields, Annette Piper, Linda Anderson, Caroline Kwas, Karole Bowlds, Chris Hoyt, Alison Thomas, Kathy Oda, Michelle Wermuth, Diane Wright and so many others. Please nudge me to include you!

I'm grateful to all the art fair organizers

I never thought these websites would turn into a business but because of your support I've been able to earn a living while bringing artists and art news together for your shows. I thank those of you who have participated on this site including Cindy Lerick, Sara Shambarger, Jon Witz, Richard Sullivan, Stephen King.

I'm grateful to my advertisers

Michael DiGiovanni, Patrick Sullivan, Mark Rogers, Chris Ritke, Andrew Wollman, Bevin McGuire, Luke Block for their reliable support

I'm grateful for my family

Brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren who make my life worth living and to my husband, Norm Darwish,  who totally understands what I am doing and says, "go do it!" Thanks to Scott who built my sites and said, "you can do it, Mom."

I'm grateful to my aerobics class

You tolerate me as the oldest person in the group and inspire me to keep going.

How about you?

I want to know what you're grateful for. Whether you're celebrating Thanksgiving or not, it feels great to take a minute and think about what's made your life better this year. Let us know about it in a comment below.