January 21-22-23, 2011
Merchandise Mart, Denver, Colorado
http://www.indianmarket.net/P1alt.html
What? Do an art show in the dead of a Colorado Winter, even if it's inside? Desperate crazy artists anyway...
We've done this show for about 7 years, it's one of our most enjoyable, and better dependable producers. Winter weather is the big bugaboo, while we had 3 show days of sun, the travel day before was fraught with blowing snow storms around the region. Our trusty 4WD Toyota Tundra pulled our 6 x12 show trailer over the continental divide on snow & ice covered roads with ease, but it was still a nail biter half the time. Other artist coming from the other three directions got smacked by snowstorms too.
Down to the nitty gritty, sales results. We did an ok+, still not like the "great" years, but a bit better than just "ok." Other artists did dismal to super, sounds like most folks were happy with results. With our new direction in 2011 of doing fewer shows and increasing our web and wholesale sales, we started the year well with delivering 2 wholesale orders while at this show, and were approached by several others on the Front Range interested in carrying our work. Once again came really close to selling our large $4400 piece. Sales ranged from our small $20 pots to a $365 wall piece. Most sales were smaller and medium items.
Pricey booth cost of 10x10 starting at $570. But Promoter Randy, a former show person himself, is very artist friendly and advertises the heck out of the show. It occurs on the same weekend the 6 week Denver Stock Show was ending. Load up and out and setup are a breeze, large free parking area (also for customers), 2 huge semi-sized doors. We again stayed in the attached hotel, lower rate for artists, dynamite free breakfast, and most of all not having to drive the busy Winter Denver traffic.
Saturday is the big day, they were at capacity (4400) for part of the afternoon, counting folks leaving and letting in that number. Fri. & Sun. were good attendance. Sunny weather helped a lot. Entrance at $12 per person didn't seem to deter folks. Non stop top notch Indian entertainment didn't keep folks from wandering the isles and buying.
As more of a "specialty" art show, it has a more narrow criteria for artists. Lots of really great art, and some of which may fall into the craft category. Randy's policies for buy & sell are strict, but can be hard to tell with some jewelry and other art. At least nothing real obvious.
We'll likely do this show again in 2012, both for probably ok to ok+ (maybe great) sales, and wholesaling. On the subject of wholesaling, we are looking forward to getting off the art show gerbil wheel and spending our time and travel to build steady accounts. We've done wholesale in the past, but just couldn't produce enough and maintain accounts and keep up with shows. If we take just a portion of what we would pay for shows in 2011, travel around our region, maybe combine with some R&R overnights, we figure we can do at least as well, if not better than doing art shows this year. Guess we'll see.
Comments
Thanks again for a report, Robert, on a show that doesn't have a very high profile for most of us. There are so many niches in this business! Looks like you are finding a way to make this work for you.
I look forward to hearing your progress as you ascertain where to spend your time and money and energies. It sounds like you have really been researching this and it is interesting to hear how the changes go for you. It sure beats "I don't know why I can't sell these pots, they're the same ones I've been making for 25 years."
Since I live just a few miles from the show site, every year I've visited artist friends who exhibit there. My work doesn't appeal to what seems to sell the best there: Native American/Western/Southwestern/Cowboy/Mountain Scenic/Western Animal Images arts and crafts (including jewelry in those categories). For all other categories, be aware that bad weather in crossing either the mountains or the plains can be challenging at best, scary at worst - so it would be a great sales risk to do this show. If you have work that falls in the above categories, give it a try. You can do the whole show, except for setup and teardown, with out going outside, so bad weather won't give you a gotcha. The public seems to not mind it much, since bad weather during the Indian Market and the Stock Show are an annual given.
It's good of the above artists to give personal reviews, but I had to add my two cents, since they didn't indicate how specialized the art/craft-work is at that show. Abstracts, Midwestern, Coastal work - stay home and tend the fireplace!