I don’t know how the year has been for most of you so far, but its been a weird one for me. All my shows have been flip-flopped from 2016.
Arlington in April was barely worthwhile in 2016, but this year I had a killer show even though Saturday was almost totally rained out so everything sold Sunday! I did Art Birmingham in May (a first for me) and it completely SUCKED. Then I got off the waitlist pretty last minute for Round the Fountain in Lafayette IN also in May which I was really excited about because I had a great show there last year, its an easy show, there’s a great restaurant called RedSeven and its just a short 3 hr drive from my home. And while it was a solid 1 day show grossing over 3K, it was still down by over 2K from 2016. Last year I sold a ton of $400-600 paintings, and this year I sold one painting for over $1000 and the rest were prints under $100. Very different….
I went into June really hopeful and really needing some good shows. I don’t travel to FL in winter but instead hibernate and just build up stock. That means I live off of my business savings until spring shows when I can start building savings back up. After a very lackluster May I was really needing June to be a good month for shows.
First stop was Three Rivers in Pittsburgh. I am on Penn Ave just for Sat/Sun of the first weekend. I have a 2 yr old at home, so I try to limit my shows to only 2 days if possible and only 2 a month until she gets older, that way I’m home on the weekends at least half the time. Anyway, last year Three Rivers blew me away with sales, and this year it almost literally blew me away. That wind can be NUTS going through those tall buildings! We had to have 4 volunteers help hold my Trimline down during teardown while I removed the propanels. Once that first panel came off the wind tore through it and the whole thing went walking!!! That’s NEVER EVER happened to me before. And yes, I had almost 100 lbs of weights on each leg and even with the 4 guys holding onto the legs it was still blowing all over the place.
Anyway, the important information: 2016 I sold 14 originals and 76 prints at Three Rivers; this year I only sold 6 originals and 65 prints. I left down by about 3K and was feeling rather downtrodden. I DID end up having 2 follow up sales and a commission that I’m currently working on, and those will put me only about $1300 down from 2016, so that’s not too bad I suppose.
Then came the Columbus Arts Festival the next weekend of June. This is my 4th year doing the show and I’ve always always always had a solid show, but with the way the rest of the shows had been I was not feeling optimistic anymore. I calculated that I needed at least 8K to put me back in the black, which is totally doable in Columbus, but the year just wasn’t shaping up well for me. I live just south of Columbus so I can drive home every night and save the hotel money and also restock prints every night. This is a huge print show for me and I always run out of some print image every day and need to bring more. I have a really good location on the Rich Street bridge and I always pray every year that I don’t get waitlisted that way I can pay ASAP and request that same location.
This year the weather was the best in Columbus that I’ve ever had. No rain and it wasn’t ridiculously hot like usual. Especially on the bridge, there is always a nice breeze. I think that really helped. The crowds were huge and fortunately for me in a very acquiring mood! I sold a record amount of originals: 25!!! And a whole slew of prints and 37 copies of the children’s book I wrote and illustrated! There really wasn’t one day that was any better than the others either. I sold equally Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say, I well passed my goal and ended June feeling really good! Amazing how our artist moods can flip-flop so quickly too…
And then my mood crashed down again. I did the July Boston Mills ArtFest show. I was so excited because I got into the show in 2013 and 2014, but juried out the last 2 years, so I was thrilled to do it again. Both years before I’ve always managed to pull out at least 8K, so I was thinking I was surely going to be having a good July. Not to be…. For anyone there I think! I’m honestly so baffled about what happened here. As I heard from so many artists, this is a “tried and true show” for years and years for many of the artists there. And I didn’t talk to one artist who was happy with their sales. I don’t know how the June show was, but it was like zombie land for the patrons at the July show. Numbers were definitely down from what I remember, not many were carrying packages, I had a couple patrons complain about the rising gate fee, and 3 clients who had come before to the show and only knew to come this year because I had emailed them. Maybe Boston Mills is slacking on the advertising and just assuming patrons will come every year? I don’t know. But it was definitely not the same show.
Friday was had the most torrential rain during the Preview Party, so that was a big bust. Saturday it was calling for 50% showers but they never materialized. So I thought maybe everyone was just waiting for the nice weather on Sunday. Sunday morning I was able to walk around and talk to other artists. By Sunday morning most artists who I spoke with had only made a few hundred dollars and some had zeroed. I told everyone “today is the day! Be positive!” For my neighbor it did turn out to be a better day, but still not what it usually is for him there. For me, it was my worst day yet. If it’s any sort of a sign, I didn’t restock my business cards one time the entire weekend (at Columbus I restocked about every 2 or 3 hours). Sunday we all packed up, made that looooong dolly load out, and left grumpy. Every artist I saw was baffled at the events of the weekend. I left with only a third of what I have done in the past there…. And I think I was actually one of the lucky ones! I’m sure there were some artists who were happy, but I didn’t hear from any of them. The 1 day Round the Fountain was better for me than all weekend at Boston Mills….. so, yeah.
I’m counting my blessings that I’ve always come out with a profit of each of the shows but its just been so backwards from what shows have been the last few years. I’m so so so sooooo glad I have 6 weeks off to take it easy, take a breather, recoup, and restock. This business certainly does test your mental and emotional stamina. Gotta step away every now and then, even if just for a few weeks. I’m sure after 6 weeks off I’ll be itching to hit the road again. My next show is the Howard Alan Flats show in Cleveland in August, then Upper Arlington in Columbus, Howard Alan’s show in Alexandria VA, and Bethesda Row. I have absolutely no expectations for any of them anymore….
Comments
Boy,
I'm glad it's not just me have a strange time. This is only my second year so I'm still working out which shows work for me - but even shows that were great last year are running about 1/2 for me. And there have been many that simply were not worth the time, effort or expense. Vendors around me - except the metal art guys - were feeling the same. Last show in Muskegon I barely made expenses - but I'm pretty sure I did better than my colleagues on either side. Ouchie. Muskegon, by the way, was low-end primarily. It didn't help that I was one of 17 - count them - 17 photographers there. Plus there were a lot of first-time vendors which says to me that those with more experience were not returning.
Sounds like my year so far, too. I'm going to look at the Howard Alan shows for next year. I'm in a couple of Craftsman's Classics, but spring in Chantilly was a bust and the thinking is that the pond is over-fished. I'm new to Chantilly, so I just listened. I made expenses x2, which is dismal, but at least not a loser like Annapolis Art & Wine or another glass only show in Virginia. Just keeping my nose to the torch and hoping for the best. Good luck to all.
Wow, what a roller coaster! Sounds like my schedule -- I just can't count on solid figures this year. Best of luck!
Great reviews and helpful information for all. Thank you, Britt. These ups and downs are nerve wracking but it seems you have yourself paced and can roll with what comes. So much uncertainty, yet you've got that little one who needs you at home and you've got a solid plan in place.
Not sure if this is helpful, but since Round the Fountain draws from a relatively small community (very enthusiastic and loyal though and they come every year), we used to apply to it every other year to build up suspense among the buyers. Then we'd have a really good show and get greedy and reapply the following year ... but we had several shows where we did that.
Always good for everyone to hear these ups and downs. You want to think it is the show's fault, you think it is your fault, you second guess forever all you have done. We're all pretty much doing our best here. The shows want their events to be successful otherwise they are in trouble and you, of course, are making your best work to make it successful for you. I have to say it sounds like you've made a lot of good choices.
I hope the show at the Flats works for everyone. A kind of different venue for Howard Alan but in such a cool place, the kind of place that can bring new audiences to the shows. I look forward to hearing more.
One thing I learned the hard way - never ever take the panels down before the sides. I watched my tent get lifted off the ground with 50 lbs of weights because I took the panels down first and as soon as I took one side off the tent it turned into a giant kite.