I found this on the the Old Town Triangle Association's website. I don't know if they did artist surveys last year but they certainly seem to have hit on the areas that artists complained about.
Changes are afoot to make this the best Fair ever for our artists and patrons.
What’s NEW:
- More Openings: In 2013 we are opening 50% of our spaces to applying artists, more than double the number of open spaces last year.
- Fewer Booths: To make sure we have a comfortable environment for all participants, and to reduce the competition for buyers, we are decreasing the number of booths/artists by 16, to 250.
- Better Entertainment: We are ensuring that our music venues and offerings are appropriate to our patronage and environment.
- Better Food: We are re-evaluating our food vendors to make sure the quality of the food is as high as possible for our event.
- Better Outreach: We are formally surveying patrons and meeting with artists to gather information to help improve our Fair, and stepping up our public relations efforts to attract more buyers.
Kudos to the OTTA for caring. It is really nice to see.
Comments
As a fairly new art fair coordinator, I found this discussion really informational and useful. Thank you for sharing. Barbara Ebeling
Connie, the Verizon booth seemed toned down but it would be even better if they weren't in the middle of the festival. I don't care how much money they spend as a sponsor, it is disrespectful to the artists and patrons.
Amen, Geri!
Just when you think that the art fairs are not being responsive to artists needs this appears. Clearly, unhappy voices from the artist community were heard and the show made the changes. Artist concerns are being read on this site and other places. Show personnel read the site and they listen. This list of changes at Old Town correlates directly with reviews and conversations here. Congratulations to OTAF for listening and changing and many thanks to all of you who share your concerns about the business in an objective and fair manner on this site. We all benefit from your courage and generosity.
The list was in this call for artists that they sent to me also: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/call-for-artists-old-...
AND -- Geri, did I hear you that the sound on the Verizon stage at Coconut Grove was toned down this year?
Not to get off topic here, but I think a producer needs to craft the best show she can from the applicants in the jury pool. Playing favorites and bringing the same talent to the same shows year after year does nobody a favor. True blue patrons will keep in touch with the artists they love, and make an effort to visit them at the shows they do. The general public doesn't seem to discern between the buy/sell crap and the great artists. If the producers do the culling, then the shows hopefully increase in quality, the artists keep upping their game and creating new work, and the patrons stay excited about visiting their local shows.
Because truthfully, most patrons stay close to home. They probably only visit one or two shows yearly to see new work, purchase some new art, look at the jewelry and eat some corn dogs. Geri, you are the exception, as you visit every show you can, and follow multiple artists in their careers. Sure, there are others like out there, but I think that they represent the minority at shows, not the majority.
Other shows do the same thing as 57th St. They jury 1/3 of the categories every three years, so the entire pool must requalify every 36 months (Springfield's Old Capitol, for example). Or they try to turn over the stock every year, with as much new work as possible. I've heard that Winter Park tends to rotate artists every three or four years, although I keep getting in after four years.
Even though the business model sucks for artists, because they can't count on the same shows every year, it's absolutely better for the business in the long run to have different artists each year.
Jim, it is my understanding that 57th street (southside of Chicago) keeps you in for 3-4 years in a row so that you can build up a client list and then you are out for a while.
What you said is true Jim, and it is why there is no reason to go to more than two or three of Amy's show. And I bet the most commonly asked question at her festivals is--What other Amdur shows are you doing?
You can't please everybody, there are artists I want to see every year and I still want to see new ones, yet I don't think a show should have more than 200 artists. So what's a producer to do?
As Geri pointed out, many of the spaces used to be grandfathered. 50% grandfathered is still a high number for most shows, but it's a start. People get tired of seeing the same stuff year after year. It's one reason that the Florida shows have been sucking wind for the past few years. Lots of the same tired stuff, week after week. It tends to lower the buying energy.
Do some new stuff, people!
Most of that copy was included in the call to artists on the Zapp page, too. And I think it was in the email from Old Town looking for applicants. But time will tell if the music gets toned down. I still didn't get in. LOL.
Old Town used to jury about 70% of its artists for the next year at the current year's show. In other words, an artist was invited for 2013 at the 2012 show. It made it very difficult to get in the show. Now more artists have a chance to get in which can make for a fresher show for the patrons as well as give new artists a chance to get in.
I'm not sure I understand the first bullet point. I have never been to this show but is this saying that the other 50% of those spaces are given to food and business vendors?
It is nice to see show directors listening and trying to make a difference. Thanks for sharing.