Just when we thought WeWork, Hertz, Airbnb and the XXX Festival of Art had been killed off by COVID, here's the news:
- WeWork last week became a public company worth $9 billion — after spectacularly imploding in 2019
- Remember Hertz, the #1 company in car rentals? Their stock tanked at $6.09 a share, yet today up over $100 a share.
- Airbnb was on its knees as people stopped traveling. Right? When is the last time you booked an Airbnb on the way to an art fair? Their stock hit a low in early August ... but wait! Here it comes back again.
Now I can't say for sure about the XXX? Festival, but this we do know, this pandemic nearly killed off the art fair business, the art festival treasuries and the floating income of artists who must float with the economy, let alone the art buyers.
I am hearing of fairs and festivals with empty coffers laying off staff. I am hearing of artists who are hanging it up. I'm hearing of artists at least semi-successfully doing many fewer shows because they have been able to transition online at etsy, virtual events, etc. I also heard them saying, "wow, look how much less money I have to make when I just stay home!"
Are you hearing glimmerings though of really decent sales at the real events that have occurred in the last six months? Are we all emerging stronger afrer the quarantines made us reevaluate? Where do you stand on this? Inquiring minds want to know.
Death? Resurgence? Hanging on by your teeth? Getting a "real job"? Selling your tent on ArtFairInsiders.com? What about you? (Me, hanging in with all my might).
Comments
I get it Kathleen. When we would drive from Michigan to Miami, while most of our friends were driving straight through, we'd stop in Chattanooga and again in Gainesville for the night. Cost a little more but the idea is this is our life and our life style and if we couldn't do it safely, why do it? Of course, Norm always did say he couldn't do anything else ...
Some shows are good, some fantastic but one of my best shows was not good....I lost money at the sauerkraut festival in waynesville, Ohio. Cost of the show plus parking fee plus motel, did not cut it. I am not saying don't do this show but food and motel prices are up, big time!
Too bad to hear that, Debbie. Will you give it a try again next year? How many shows did you do this year?
I am 70 and am planning on about 8 or 10 next year. Waynesville, Ohio is a rough and long show to do. I will take a few years off. Planning to get into shows that I always wanted to get into but never tried to. My artwork is more country, rustic, and folk arty. I want to apply for Shaker woods and Christmas in the country next year. I got into Prairie Woods this year and was pleasantly surprised. I started painting barn quilts of all sizes from 10 x 10in to 24 x 24 in. Doing it my way and loving it! They are going very well! Have been doing shows for 42 years. Funny how it gets in your blood!
Sales this year have been amazing. At 73 I recently cut back to 7 shows a year. (ah but I still have a "real" job 20 hrs a week). The first 4 this year equalled the total for 2019. Don't know if it is because promoters need to distance booths and cut the number of crafters by 20%, or the excited show-deprived customers or the logic of buying in person during a shipping crisis. Other artists have also commented on crazy good sales. Quess I won't think about retiring.
WOW!! Isn't that terrific, JoAnn? What area of the country are you doing the shows in? I'm with you in thinking fewer exhibitors helps. Also, who is going to go out in a pandemic to an art fair? "Our people." In addition to that, the big buyers with disposable income often don't like the crowded conditions and parking issues. When it gets that way they stop coming. In the surveys we've done over the years one of the questions we always ask is: are you attending as many shows as you used to? If not, why not? The answer is invariably connected to inconvenience ... too crowded, too noisy, too repitious, nowhere to sit, too few restrooms, bad parking.
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