Robert Wallis has already contributed to this one in a previous blog, please read it.
I love this show.
When I think of this show, this is what immediately comes to mind.
Enthusiastic crowds, lots of them on the young side.
Good Kentucky bourbon, a measured shot of 24-year-old Pappy Van Winkles now goes for $64--yikes! Hot Browns and Pecan Pie.
People are happy to see us, and actually look at the art--how refreshing.
It is a mellow setup on Friday. I was at the bandstand before noon checkin, knew where my spot was, number 6. I was out of there by 3 pm, had a leisurely lunch at a restaurant in between setting up and stocking the booth.
The show is held at Woodland Park just outside of downtown center.
Lots of old trees with lots of shade, some booths like mine are in direct sunlit, but most are shady. You can tie-down into the ground. Ample storage behind the booth.
Committee is mellow, helpers are helpful, all the artists are cordial to each other. This show is the kind that I started doing in the late 70's, it is why I stayed in the biz.
What was really exciting was to see a crowd that actually looked at the art in the booths. There was none of this herd instinct with everybody milling down the center aisle without looking in the booths. Which we saw lots of recently at Minneapolis and Ann Arbor, among others.
And they bought art.
Mostly lowend, but they bought.
My new hand-colored work resonated with this crowd. My neighbor with his woodcuts did a spectacular biz all days. The clay people behind me were wrapping steadily.
This crowd buys mostly traditional work.
I have done this show at least six times and have never had a bad show.
At Saturday end, I was quite happy with the day's sales.
We all knew by the forecast that Sunday would be iffy.
Sure enough, Sunday started out grey and then turned to rain. I actually made some of my best sales while it rained. It did not drive the crowd away, but attendance was half of Saturday's.
Around noon, the rain was done and people started looking more seriously. We expected another deluge to hit us by teardown, but we lucked out.
The belly-dancers did their usual show from 3:30-5pm and the crowds whooped and hollered.
I was torn down in an hour-and-a-half (Normal for me) and out of there with some nice loot.
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE SHOW AND SALES.
They threw out HRI, good riddance and kudos to the committee.
There were not as many scab booths set up around the park as in past years.
Overall, the show was well-juried. Not a lot of B/S to be seen.
There were not a lot of big 2-D packages going out of there, but that has been the pattern everywhere lately.
Prices under $100 seemed to be the rule of the day.
We actually got "be-backs" at this show--how refreshing.
The committee listens to us and is very helpful. Kudos to Kelly and her staff for a well-run show.
I would come back in a heartbeat for this show.
On the CLC card I got Red Roof for $37 per nite out by the interstate.
Gas was at $3.28 in most places.
Pappy's was $100 at some restaurants (that's for a shot--not kidding) I did not partake of any.
Being a college town (UK) there are many great choices for food. Think Hot Browns, Pecan Pie, chopped salads, good barbecue, and great chops and steaks.
Malones, out by the interstate off of Man-o- War Blvd. is a must.
They have sports bar with 20 million TVs, also they have sushi as well as burgers. Then they have chop house inside, then they have an outdoor covered patio bar. You can eat cheap, or you can spend a lot. They sell Pappy's there for $100. I did not imbibe.
I love the Kentucky shows (St. James too) I just wish there were several more I could do. It is a seven hour ride for me from Saugatuck, Michigan. I see lots of red barns and endless corn fields. I just crank up the Sirius Radio and set the speed and off I go.
Hope this post was helpful. Jump in with any concerns or remembrances of your own.
Lots of AFI-ers at the show. Lots of named exhibitors who do shows nationwide there.
It is not an easy jury as Robert Wallis noted, but well worth striving for.
I just wish we had more shows like this one to do on the circuit.
Later, Gators, Nels.
Comments
I've never been to this show and had no idea it was so good. Photographer Don Ament was on the committee for some years and he shared his wide ranging traveling background with them so they have that expertise ingrained now. It sounds like the good old days. This is Lexington's "big" show and it seems to have that cache that makes people want to be there.
I always enjoyed St. James just for the reasons you stated, Nels. Friendly people, nice setting under trees, wonderful Southern food (my favorite is Kentucky Derby pie) and a genuine interest in you and your work. Glad to hear this good news.
The Hudson River Inlays are cutting veneers with a CNC laser cutting tool and applying them to furniture already made, which is my understanding of it. Once the CNC programming is done, it's a matter of pressing the "Red" button, and the stuff is cranked out automatically. The guys at the fairs are employees and are paid commission for what they sell. There are about 30 employees at their factory.
The scab booths are the ones that pop up on peoples lawns across the street from the show. There was all sort of ticky-tacky kitsch over there and just plain garage sale/flea market stuff. Woodland has no control over them. St. James in Louisville was able to exercise control for a certain distance away from the show to prevent that, although there is one commercial lot on the edge of the show that is able to get around that since their lot is zoned commercial. That lot has the most ungodly and motley assortment of tents you've ever seen in your life ;-)
Look up "Hudson River Inlays", there has been a LOT of discussion here and in other sites about them and production shop work being sold at art fairs by agents pretending to be the artist/creator.
I think scab booths are displays set up apart from the real fair, by people who did not jury in or pay the fee.
I have done shows in Louisiana, my home state, and am wondering what the following means, as I have not heard of it ....
>>They threw out HRI, good riddance and kudos to the committee.<<
What is "hri"?
>>There were not as many scab booths set up around the park as in past years.<<
What are "scab" boooths?
Thanks for your patience while I try to learn! <vbg>
It was great to finally meet you Nels, nice to have a face to go along with the words. Sorry I didn't get back to meet up for a drink but I was really at the other end of the show and it was a trek over to you're end and everyone was out of there by the time I made it over. Sorry I missed you too Robert, would have liked to meet you and see your work also....didn't catch that you were there. I had a good total... but on Saturday I sold a ton of matted and small pieces, nothing big....it was a good day even then. Sunday I thought would be a bust because of the rain...but they all came out after and I had quite a few "be backs" from Saturday and a really nice big sale that made the day a good one. People were nice, interested, as you mentioned, and buying. I have contemporary, mostly abstract work and it was well received...There were enough different kind of buyers to go around although I think you are right about the conservative tastes. Over all I would definitely do it again....and I would bring lights as my booth was way under the trees (I'm encaustic so I like that) but also really dark on the day it rained. Now.... off the Fort Clinton
I thought I'd add a little story on the show that is good for a smile. The 2D mixed media artist behind me went out for coffee and my wife watched her booth for her. A woman comes in and gets out her cell phone, and and asks if she could take some photos "for inspiration". My wife told her. "I'm not the artist. My husband is the photographer behind us, and I'm watching the booth. I can tell you that artists don't like people photographing and copying their work. You can ask the artist when she returns, but I doubt it". The woman said she "just wanted the photos for ideas". "No, that's still copying." The woman put up her camera and left. I'll never doubt again my wife listens to me :-)
Thanks Oscar, what were you up to last weekend?
This is what Art Show Doctor recommend for you. I am glad that you did well and this is very hard show to get in.