(Wow, I reviewed this show four long years ago! And it's still valid on the show particulars. Check it out for more details.)
As perhaps the only artist in Florida who has never even applied to Winter Park, much less exhibited, I headed to Sanibel Island this weekend for its third, and last, show of the winter season: the Sanibel-Captiva Lions Arts & Crafts Festival. Although I really shouldn't call it a "weekend"--it's a Friday/Saturday event (with an easy Thursday daytime setup), the timing of which throws off an artist's oh-so-regular show routine and makes even remembering when to put out the trash and recycling a week-long challenge.
As you might expect given the location and the organizers, it's a casual, community-friendly, intimate show on a postage stamp-sized, sandy layout that is pretty easy to navigate for show-goers despite its apparent randomness. Tents are pole-to-pole in some sections, spaced apart in others--the layout driven largely by the configuration of palm trees and shrubbery. On a sunny, cloudless weekend like this one, you'll get every bit the tan you would on one of the nearby beaches, so sunscreen and umbrellas are a must.
The show starts at 9AM, and on day one (Friday) there were about 50 folks lined up at the gate to pay their $5.00 admission (benefiting Lions Charities). Traffic and sales were fairly brisk until just before noon, when folks departed for lunch and beaches, leaving artists mostly to talk among themselves and take heat breaks in the air-conditioned Community Center. I did somewhere north of $600 in sales by 12:30, and that was it for the day.
Saturday brought a nearly precise repeat of the sunny weather, but without many folks waiting at the opening bell. Traffic never really got heavy, but buying energy picked up around 11 AM and continued for a couple of hours. Most of my neighbors reported that traffic was lighter on day 2, but sales were much better. And that was true for me, too, with six good-sized sales (including both of the uber-large works on the back wall). My hunch, based on conversations I had with booth visitors, is that vacationers comprised most of the crowd on Friday, and homeowners on Saturday.
I wound up with my strongest show of the season, and some valuable contacts in the community (especially since I live only 20 minutes away). The customers were, nearly without fail, a joy to work with: knowledgeable, friendly, relaxed--hey, they're on freakin' Sanibel, why wouldn't they be??--and best of all, their wallets were wide open and access was haggle-free. A nearby painter of superb Florida landscapes and wildlife sold at least three high-priced works. A photographer friend who had struggled most of the weekend told me that he sold three large images ten minutes after the show closed. Both of my neighbors--a jeweler and fabric artist-- were satisfied (although both said they had done better in 2013).
Although there were some very fine artists in the mix of offerings, this show lets in a lot more inexpensive jewelry (see comment below), beachy buy-sell and manufactured stuff than the other two art shows in this space (Thanksgiving Weekend's Sanibel Masters, produced by Richard Sullivan, and the local Rotary's mid-February offering). The show prospectus says that that buy/sell and manufactured items are prohibited, but my guess is that the show committee is not trained in this, nor willing to risk irritating a long-time "vendor" by throwing them out of the show.
As such, the show is a bit more targeted toward impulse-buying vacationers than the homeowners. But still, I got the impression that many residents, seasonal or year-round, realized it was their last chance this season to pick up work for their homes, and came prepared to buy. Overall, it was a Chamber of Commerce weekend on a first-class Florida beach, with just enough buyers to go around. And when even the friendly, helpful traffic cop regularly booms out "It's always a great day on Sanibel!" to street-crossers, it would seem unsporting to argue. '
To sum up: The amount of buy/sell and manufactured stuff is concerning. It's not a show I would travel any distance to do. If you are in the area, you're trying to build a client base nearby, and you have the "right stuff" it's not a bad change-of-pace option. And if enough quality artists applied, who knows? Some of the junk jewelry and kit crap might not make it in.
I just might ask the friendly Lions about their jury process, give 'em some feedback, and see what I can learn.
***
What sells best? 2-D (beaches and birds abound); warm-weather wearables. Small stuff (for vacationers). Jewelers did well if they were already known to the islanders.
What struggles?: Functional 3-D, abstract and modern work of any kind
Other stuff: Awards are limited to a $350 best in show and three other awards that award varying percentages of credit toward next year's booth fee. Artists are urged to donate a small work to the show for the silent auction, announcements for which are regularly made over a loudspeaker. "Raffle Ralph," as he calls himself, is pretty loud for conducting business but has a good sense of humor, so artists generally take it in stride.
Survival tips: Book your hotel room / campground early; it's peak season in SW Florida, and rates are at a premium but deals, I'm told, can be found if you work the Web. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, plenty of water, and a way to get dust and fine-grained sand off your work. Be willing and able to ship and to deliver on-island after the show (given the oh-so-tight parking and heavy traffic, many show visitors walk or bike)
Comments
Good for you Kathleen for speaking up. However they don't want to hear it. Sad, but they will learn as artists begin to pass their shows up. YOU can't COMPETE with BUY/SELL. I too make jewelry from the glass beads and other components I make. Well you probably know how enthusiastically that is met with.
I enjoy your reviews Geoff. I really enjoyed the judge story. I think we've all been and you really can't come up with an answer. You just have to laugh. Glad you did well.
Nice review, Geoff. I've done this show about 4 times in the past I'm a jewelry artisan, and since it seems that everyone and their cousin does jewelry, at first I was thrilled to be in. When looking around I thought that there were more than the allotted number of jewelry booths. I asked the Lions' Club director about this and his reply was steadfast that there were only the allotted number of jewelry booths. The next year I asked about this again, and discovered that some people had other things in their booths, such as fused glass decorations as well as glass jewelry, so my assumption was that they likely juried in with the decorations, and then just added the jewelry, which the committee didn't seem to mind. Back then there was a double sized booth with jewelry and clothing both imported from Central and South America. The items said, "Made in ______" I pointed this out and was told that they drew such a following that they didn't want to get rid of them. I was discouraged,and only did "okay" at this show, so decided that I had to work too hard to make it worth doing again.
LOL on the aluminium bags. I always do well locally - people like a known quantity.
Well, it helps that I am local and that I have done this show twice before (and the Rotary and Thanksgiving shows too). So I am a known quantity. The other artists who are known quantities do well, but my fear is that as the established artists drop out over time, they'll be replaced with buy/sell and manufactured items, not with other fine artists/craftspersons. If that comes to pass, the show will circle the drain like so many others seem to be.
The Lions, bless 'em, work their butts off for this show, but I think they jury by committee. I have not pressed them for details on their jurinyg process, but my guess is that that committee does not include anyone in the art business.
The awards judging was interesting too. Three friendly judges came to my booth late on Friday morning. I asked if any of them were photographers; they said no.
I then talked briefly about my work, and mentioned that my gallery wraps are museum wuality, and that I print the image a bit oversize so that when it is stretched I can wrap the canvas around the side of the frame. Standard stuff. When I asked the judges if they had any questions of me, one of them asked me about the home-made aluminum bags I use to store my Gallery Wraps (one of which, owing to the lack of storage space around my booth, I had stashed next to my sales desk in plain view).
So I started to tell her how I made the bags, and she interrupted me. "No," she said, "I was just looking at your work and thought that aluminum would make a great frame material for them."
I gave her a long, slow look while I tried to think of something to say. But I came up empty.
At any rate, I didn't win an award. Maybe next year I'll staple one of the bags behind a canvas and see if I fare better.
Congrats on the sales Geoff! Sounds like a nice little show to do and that its close to home is a bonus!
Hi: My sister and I attended the show on Friday. We got there around 11:00 Friday morning and stayed until about 2:00. For shoppers, parking was easy with members of the Lions club directing you. There was not an abundance of food, but the frozen coffee lattes with ice cream were really good. My sister and I both make jewelry. My sister does chainmaille mostly bracelets and I do wire work and beadweaving. We were interested in viewing the show and considering it for next year. We both felt there were a lot of jewelry booths. We also felt that the vendors did not make all the jewelry they sold. At least some of it in many of the booths was buy/sell. There were some jewelry vendors that only had their own things, and it was very obvious who they were. When applying they ask you for pictures of your craft and booth shots. We expected the show to be all crafts and art, but there was a lot of buy/sell into the show. This was disappointing. I think if you do something other than jewelry you will do pretty well. But for jewelry, either you already have a following in the area who will buy from you, or you look for the vacationer who wants more unique, quality work and is willing to spend a few more dollars for it. We will probably try the show next year since it's close to where we live, but we will gear our product line towards a lower price point.
Thanks, Charlotte! You are right to point out the overabundance of inexpensive jewelry, and I've edited my review to reflect that fact (folks don't always read all the comments).
Sanibel Island has a uniquely "old Florida" feel to it. As Geoff says, it is a "casual, community-friendly, intimate show". It is a delightful place to visit.
Unfortunately, close to 50% of the exhibitors were selling some form of jewelry, generally a form of beading or wire work. In the area where I was located, I was surrounded by people selling jewelry for less than $50. My jewelry has to be significantly more expensive. Although I covered most of my travel and show fees, I did not make a profit. I found the show to be primarily crafts. This was my second year to do the show. Last year I did much better. However, all my sales were on Friday, with none on Saturday. This year there was very little action on Friday afternoon. Saturday, again was slow, but I also had some decent sales shortly before closing.
The locals say that the tourists go home on Friday night/Saturday morning. It sure looks that way.
I do not plan to do the show again next year.