I am a painter and felt a little out of place here. I have only originals and I noticed all other painters had lots of prints and sold mostly prints (with some original sales). Also, most work was beach oriented, mine not so much. That said, I did sell enough to cover all expenses for the trip and make a little. I received three patron/purchase awards which helped. The patron/sponsors seemed to be more interested in original work. Otherwise, I sold mostly small canvases. If I do this show again, I will take prints, cards and other small items. I talked with some wonderful people that walked through my booth.
On either side of me were a high end jeweler and a metal worker who made fish and masks. Both had good shows and both won awards. I have a friend in the craft section that does pottery and she had a good show. All three of them have unique, good work. Most of the artists I talked to said they had an ok show, but sales were very slow. It was a mix of returning artists and new ones like me. One of the organizers told me the artists were telling her the same thing - sales were slow. This area took a big hit over the summer with the oil spill, so I don't know how to compare this to other years. My take is that crafts, low end art items and jewelry are the best sellers. It has a little bit of a carnival atmosphere.
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Sabrina