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                                           I have a rival who will be copying this within a year

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                                        For an extra fifteen bucks that could be a bloody mary 

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                          The sign said "Dining With The Roosters"  We didn't think they MEANT it.

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   This is another show we love to do, but it would be a stretch if we weren't coming directly from the Coconut Grove show.  The sales would be fine for a stand alone show if it were an hour away.  

     But this is KEY WEST.  Most artists I know don't go there for the money.  They go for a good time that pays for itself with a little left over.  For a photographer it also provides a lot of great photo ops.  

    We were quite apprehensive about the setup.  It's on the morning of the show.  We were told that the setup did not start until six.  We arrived an hour early to scout out the setup and there was not another van in sight.  Oh boy!  we had it all to ourselves.  I found our booth number and started dumping stuff on the sidewalk.  Shortly after another van arrived and took a position at the entry to the show.  And waited.  I walked up to the driver and told him what I was doing.  

     "Ohhhh,  Nooooo"   said he.  "Get your stuff back in your van and get in line before she spots you or you'll get yelled at and maybe kicked out of the show."  I did as told and later on I was very thankful for the advice.  This lady takes no crap from nobody, runs as tight a show as I've ever seen and everything turns out.      Just.       fine.  

      At precisely six the gate is open and everyone pulls right up to their booth space.  More or less.  You get until about nine to get dumped and down to the parking area.  

     The crowds were OK and although the sales were mostly small it was steady.  We got a nice boost when a tourist bought one of our largest framed pieces.  They had a large motor home they'd brought which indicated that somewhere they had a much larger  real home somewhere to hang the piece in.  Sunday was quite a bit slower but all in all our total was more than satisfactory.  

    We have a friendly rivalry with a seasoned art-friends couple when it comes to sales and we had more or less tied each other in sales two shows in a row.  They still consider us to be newcomers after ten years.  Anyway, they kicked our butts by over two to one in Gasparilla and put us back in our place.  We're out to even the score in Melbourne.  If we don't get our butts kicked again, that is.  

      Public drunkenness is considered, within limits, as a kind of performance art in KW.  A couple of attractive and nicely dressed young women off one of the boats were walking, more or less,  through the show WHOOPING drunk.  We had to wait until they passed before resuming a conversation with a prospect.  All in a day's work there.  Later, during teardown, a drunken couple started to enter the show and the director advised that the artists were not necessarily watching out for pedestrians and they might get run over.  They seemed to become dimly aware of the danger on some level and slowly stumbled elsewhere.            

     We brought our bicycles and they came in very handy for pedaling back and forth to the designated parking lot for restocking.  

      The weather was good and the showers that came through just missed us.  We enjoyed the show, the sales were OK and all was well.

      Teardown was not that bad since we'd made up our minds earlier that we wouldn't be in a hurry.  We did have to set stuff aside on the sidewalk until the booths across the street were packed and gone.  So much for the show itself.  

     The next morning we decided to try the Blue Heaven breakfast for the first time before the long trip home.  We'd heard of long lines and were also concerned about long waits for the food based on our previous experience with other restaurants there.  We rode our bikes from the motel so we'd avoid parking problems and got there just after they opened so we got a table right away.  A few minutes later the lines began to form outside.                 The menu looked great and it wasn't as expensive as we'd been led to believe.  But then again we'd gotten our information from folks who liked a bloody mary with their lobster benedict on occasion.  

     Coffee was almost as expensive but you get free refills.  We had been advised not to be chintzy and go for the good stuff.  It turned out to be the wise choice.  Since we are among at least four other photographers to have a money making shot from the place we decided the place had long since paid for breakfast.  

      If you hang around an extra day or two to see the sights, leave your car parked and take bikes.  KW is flat as a pool table and it's no effort at all to slowly pedal through all of it.  If you get the chance, be sure to do the Mallory Square sunset.  Get there an hour early and you'll see some of the most remarkable buskers you could imagine.  Then there's the sunset itself.  For some reason swarms of sailboats make it a point to cruise back and forth in front of the setting sunball providing photo ops for the crowd.  

    If we get lucky and get into the Coconut Show again we'll be very happy to do KW again.  We recommend trying this show at least once.  

                                                       Reaction to my stuff was mixed

       I wanted to send this while on the road, but we were out of internet contact for two weeks except for our phones.  We love this show.  First of all, we have a free place to stay in Coral Gables with Ann's cousin.  We freely admit it's cheating.  

     The rules are very stern when warning artists that anyone setting up before the designated time will be asked to leave and will not be invited back to the show.  Every year, however, we arrive near the assigned time and half the tents are up.  We'll never figue it out.  There isn't quite enough room for everyone to park right in front of their space so things can get pretty tight.

     This is the most volatile show I know when it comes to sales.  Our first year there we had a record at that time of over 3K for the first day of the show.  The next day we were up to only $150.00 by two in the afternoon.  Ann was away from the booth with her cousin touring the show while I was sitting there in a black mood with a ten foot circle of dead grass around my chair.  I called Ann and told her to come back and take my place before I could cause harm to myself or others.  Fortunately she arrived quickly and as I was walking away from the booth I heard her clinching a five hundred dollar sale.  I started walking faster.  We ended the day in good shape.  

     That was years ago.  It was no different this time.  For many artists their sales varied wildly from day to day.  One artist would make three times as much as we did on Saturday and on Sunday the numbers would be reversed.  There is also the element of wealth.  At any time you can have someone come into your booth who doesn't look like much of a prospect and then they'll pay $1200.00 for a piece.  Yep, we've had that happen.  

      I also like the way they go about judging.  You select your favorite piece and take it into the judging area on the day of setup.  On the first morning of the show you get to retrieve it so you can put it back to work in your booth.  It's a little nerve wracking when you enter the building to retrieve your piece.  It either has a ribbon on it or it doesn't.  They don't have an award ceremony but you learn to not expect it at this show.  I've been fortunate to have taken many awards at this show but this year I came up dry.  Winners know they'll be invited back next year and it's good to know that a year ahead of time.  Nice when you can do it.  

      The crowds were good this year.  Again, the buying was erratic but it wasn't for lack of traffic.  We saw work of all kinds being carried by our tent.  We did sell lots of small stuff but an occasional larger piece would go out of the booth.  So far this year it's been our best show.  

     The work at this show is on as high a level as anywhere and it's a pleasure to be surrounded by artists of this caliber.  Many years ago I was afraid to apply for it and we did the neighboring St. Stephens show instead.  It was a disaster for sales.  We took turns touring the Coconut show and were very impressed. The following year I applied and was accepted.  

     Be warned that unless you have a place to stay, this show can be very costly.  We had a corner spot and our booth fee was over a thousand.  Add parking, room, food, etc. and you can see how that adds up.  Once you're in, however, you have a shot at a good total.  It's worth taking the chance if you live in Florida.  If you're from out of state, however, and don't have any shows to go with it..  you may be taking a chance.  

       We have our fingers crossed for next year and hope they'll take us back.  One never knows.  

        Ann saw this picture on the way back from the Taco truck and had to practically drag me to the spot   

   Anyway, for those who stayed after getting hit by the storm, my congratulations.  The day turned out fine if a bit windy.  Although they were late, the crowds came.  Many artists who had a bad Saturday made up for it late Sunday and many people did significantly better on Sunday.   

     We had a good setup for the show.  We opted for the Thursday setup and it turned out to be relaxed and unhurried.  We were able to drive our vehicle right up to our spot with no crowding. 

    On Saturday the juror was interesting to watch.  He lost a little speed in the corners but made up for it in the straightaways.  He was good, though.  I was impressed with his choices.  Pardon me if I may have mentioned this in an earlier post.  My brain is still foggy from the show.      

     Crowds were good but our sales were disappointing for us.  Mostly little stuff.  Some of the artists, however, did quite well so that goes to show you that if you have what this crowd wants, they'll buy it.   

    This year the long-held tradition of the award ceremony was eliminated in favor of a private party that only the picked artists were invited to.  Not only that, but those artists who were picked were expected to pay forty bucks if they wanted to bring a spouse.  A major award winner had his three year old daughter and wife with him.  Since the party didn't start until an hour and a half after the show, he didn't choose to attend.  The artists who did attend didn't have time to shower and were in the presence of patrons dressed to the 9's.  Someone commented that it had the feel of a petting zoo.  The "premium food" consisted of hors d'oeuvres apparently meant for people who had already had their dinners.  I was told there was a roped off section for VIP's that the invited artists couldn't enter.  There was no ceremony announcing winners and when the artists arrived they found the pieces on display with the ribbons attached.  So much for recognition.   

     The original format for the award ceremony worked fine for the over thirty years since my first time in Gasparilla and there is no good reason not to reinstate it.  The shared enthusiasm for the winners when they step up to receive their awards from the juror enhances the experience and makes winning that much sweeter.   

  The original teardown plan was to bring in groups of vehicles at thirty minute intervals and each group would be expected to be out of there to make room for the next.  Good luck on that one.  As it turned out, they did not require vehicles to leave until loaded.  The vehicles in each group were dispersed enough so there was no uncontrolled crowding.  Since our assigned time was 8:30 we just started carting out.  It was no worse than the Disney teardown if you didn't mind the uphill part of the push.  

     All in all, I would return to this show if invited.  The award money is borderline surreal and they feed you well at breakfast and lunch.  Saturday night the artist tent provided food along with drink stronger than tea.  It doesn't hurt that we're close enough to commute.  

     Although the show has its weak points the organizers have proven themselves to be good listeners so be sure your comments, favorable and otherwise, get heard.  

    Again, congratulations to the hardcore artists who got blown away and came back for the finish.  You're an example for all of us.  

June 2 & 3
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield Festival of Fine Arts
Deerfield Road and Park Avenue
Presented by: Deerfield Fine Arts Commission & Village of Deerfield

Debbie Netter is proud to announce the 10th Anniversary of the Deerfield Fine Arts Festival. Ms. Netter, President and founder of D & W, has 20+ years of organizing events and knows how to make it less stressful for everyone!

Held in town, busy city-like atmosphere
- Approximately 125 artists
- 10th year festival
- Median home price - $825,000

Top reasons to consider this show: (not in order of importance!)

1. Well run, organized and fun!
2. Attentive artist hospitality including booth sitters, hot and iced coffee both days, continental break fast both days, indoor restroom facilities, bottled water delivered to you frequently throughout the show, discounted hotel rates, overnight security
   
3. Booth fees for all shows remains at $300.00, and jury fee, $35.00. Larger booths and corners available for an additional fee
4. Wonderful attendance from a higher economic buying crowd
5. Advertising intrinsically placed to capture the high to middle economic crowd
6. Easy load in and out
7. Promoter who cares and will implement your suggestions
8. Apply easily on line through Entry Thingy
9. Smaller show means less artist competition
10. Juried and judged by industry professionals

What artists say about D & W Events, Inc.:

                                                          Photo by Ann Sargent

The Saturday night storm At the Gasparilla show took out a lot of booths.  Ann took the above photo.  From counting the empty spots at the front of the show on the concrete, my guess was that between thirty and forty booths were gone.  Almost all the artists who were on the concrete packed up and left or relocated their booths to another spot.  Many of them finished the show without a tent and with obvious empty areas on the walls, indicating that work was lost in the storm.  

    Rick Abrams was the first to go and he left Saturday during the show.  Rumor had it he wouldn't be invited back, but I spoke with a member of the board who said a staff member may have said that but it would not be a problem for Rick if he decides to come back next year.  The people in charge seemed as shocked as the artists when it came to the effects of the storm in the front part of the show.  

    By far the biggest area of the show is on the grass.  The further out toward the water you got, the lesser the storm effect.  There is a rapid ten foot dropoff in elevation as the grassy area slopes down from the concrete plaza.  The tents in those locations were not exposed to nearly the wind force as those at the highest elevation on the concrete.  The museum building itself gave significant shelter from the wind in the grassy part of the show.  Many of those who were assigned to the protected areas and had come in through the side entrance were shocked when they went to the front of the show and saw the damage.  It was as if there were two different shows.  

    My wife Ann was told by a staff member that his guess was the winds were at about a sustained 40mph with gusts up to about 55.  That was probably his best guess without using an anemometer.  

     The more unfortunate Gasparilla exhibitors weren't the only ones in the area who suffered.  Local news reports showed roofs torn off buildings, downed trees smashing cars, etc. in the Tampa area and elsewhere in the state.  News reports were scary and we were glad to have been spared the brunt of the storm's effects both at the show and at our Lakeland home.  We can't help but feel bad for the folks who suffered damage.  We've been through it ourselves and know what it's like to be hanging from your tent frame and feel your feet lifted off the ground as your whole exhibit starts going over.  

    As your career goes on, it's unsettling to realize that there are two kinds of full time artists; those who have experienced this kind of thing and those who are going to.  

High winds hit Howard Alan's Venice show hard overnight, as reported elsewhere by Barry Bernstein and Nels Johnson (with great contributions from others).   It didn't stop the show in Venice, though it made Sunday morning startup a bit complicated for some. 

The show was quite well attended both days (very warm and humid on Saturday). This town supports the heck out of this show in all weather--the "vibe" is more like a Rotary show than a big art festival. Although the pockets aren't deep, for the most part, if you have $30-40 items you can sell plenty of them. I haven't done this show in several years, and I was quite surprised to get visits from customers who bought from me not only here, but at a small, low-key show at the Venice Airport that I did in 2009 and 2010. It is one friendly crowd, for sure.

The weather front moved through just before dawn on Sunday morning.  I was unable to walk the show but show manager Helayne Stallings said that several tents were damaged.  One artist near me was trying to put the roof back on his tent as I arrived; high winds later on Sunday knocked over one sculpture right off the pedestal, shattering it all over Venice Avenue.  For the most part, damage was reported as minor. 

We probably caught a break, in that the winds were 20-30 mph from the NW, and the show is set up east-west, so the buildings helped to block them. There was a rumor circulating on Sunday that Helayne had authorized artists to leave if they wanted, so I tracked her down to check. 

It wasn't true, she explained, and told me about the only show she'd ever cancelled (I believe in Bloomington Hills, MI) about 15 years ago.  The weather cleared up after the call had been made, and she caught quite a bit of flak.

So the on-site show managers give a full report to Howard himself, and he  alone makes the call whether or not to cancel the show, she said. 

At any rate, the crowds continued to come (attendance and sales were even better on Sunday for most of the artists I spoke with at show's end-- quite surprisingly to me).

This show doesn't fly high on the radar screen, and my sales aren't what I get at Coconut Point and Naples by a long shot.  But it's a reliable paycheck, the 70-mile commute to my home is easy Interstate 75 driving, and I've always appreciated the warm welcome I get here. 
Nearly everyone I spoke with was happy or at least satisfied with their sales.  Or maybe, like me, they were just counting their blessings that they survived to show another weekend.  

 (Note: Haven't heard from anyone about Naples Mercato, which was cancelled on Day 2.  Anyone?)

The downward trend in the fourth show of my Florida tour continues. Raking in a disappointing $1200 in each of the first three shows (Artfest in Ft. Myers, Coconut Grove and Naples National), I didn't think sales can get worse, but they did.

I'm now convinced of two things. The recession continues here in Florida, and the work I do is not connecting with this audience. I'm a digital artist (which disqualifies a percentage of the art-buying public), and I don't expect stellar sales at every event. But to participate in these events, I need to make enough money to cover the overhead. Thus far, in Florida, I have not been able to do that.

My impression was that most artists at Las Olas were disappointed in sales. I'm curious to hear from other artists. Were sales down for others? Howard stopped by my booth a couple times on Saturday to give me a pep talk. He'd been following my posts and assured me that Sunday was the big buying day at Las Olas. Big wind and rain probably kept some people away, but I did have sales of $400 on Sunday while only $300 on Saturday, so, I guess Howard was right.

As for the show, it seemed that Howard Alan brought in a big crowd. The streets were mostly full, even when it rained early on Sunday afternoon. The location of my booth was excellent, just off of eighth street, facing North. I was in the shade all weekend and I had easy access to my car and trailer in a metered parking lot only 1/2 block away. Parking was $1 per hour, worth it, for me, because of the convenience of having my trailer so close. Of course, my plan of being able to quickly restock as my pictures flew out of the tent in the hands of eager buyers was, in retrospect, a bit overly optimistic.

I've still got three more shows to go before I can go home to Saugatuck to lick my wounds. Next week, Bonita Springs, then Winter Park and finally, Naples Downtown... all highly ranked shows, and shows that I have done in the past with some limited success. Of course, I did OK at Las Olas a couple years ago as well. My wife, Marcia will be joining me for these last three shows. Maybe her pretty face will bring in the big bucks.

March 8-11

La Quinta, California

Outdoor gallery on La Quinta Civic Center Campus  

230 contemporary artists from 30 states and Canada 

Festival hours: 10 am to 5 pm 

The 30th Annual La Quinta Arts Festival returns to the visually stunning setting of La Quinta's Civic Center Campus in the greater Palm Springs area - Southern California's preferred desert resort location. 

This award winning event attracts art patrons and tourists from across the nation as one of the Coachella Valley's premier attractions. Live Entertainment, Delicious Food, Wine and Beer complement your experience.

Only the best artists qualify for La Quinta Arts Festival.  Undergoing a rigorous jury process competing with nearly 1,000 applicants these artists display mastery of their respective medium and excellence in presentation to qualify for La Quinta Arts Festival, consistently ranked among the top ten Art Fairs and Festivals in the Nation.

Artist Jason Napier from Washington says: 

There are many reasons why this is my favorite show...The staff is absolutely amazing! The setting is drop dead gorgeous! The artists at this show are of the highest caliber! 

The 30th Anniversary will be marked by the addition of Randy Strong as the Featured Festival Artist. Strong, an award winning designer and innovator of sculptural glass, is recognized as one of the leaders of the American Studio Art Glass Movement. 

La Quinta Arts Festival is presented by La Quinta Arts Founda-

tion, in partnership with Premier Sponsor the City of La Quinta. Proceeds garnered from La Quinta Arts Festival have helped to provide college scholarship awards totaling $1,000,000 to visual art majors. 

Find complete information at www.LQAF.com or call (760) 564-1244.  Daily Festival tickets are $12; a Multi-day pass is $15. Children under 12 are free. Pre-purchase discount Multi-day tickets online at www.LQAF.com

April 21-22 & 28-29
Houston, Texas 
Downtown Houston
Noon-8pm
200 Artists
Deadline: March 1 print deadline for inclusion on website, mobile app and event program.  Booths sell on first come/first served basis.

What is the show all about?

- Celebration of international arts and culture

- City blocks of entertainment and interactive fun for all ages
- A variety of musical artists from zydeco to blues, rock and world beat

What are the selling points of the show?
- Ethnically diverse audience
- Arts-oriented patrons attracted by cultural programs and visual arts  exhibits

- Hundreds of thousands of people attend iFest each year

Artist Amenities:

• Multi-million dollar multi-media advertising and publicity campaign
• Breakfast on festival mornings
• Booth sitting/artist relief provided
• Signage for each artist
• Juried event with recognition and prizes
• Strong buyer power: 49% of iFest attendees have incomes of $50.000+
• Fabulous international cuisine and local favorites

Presented  by the Houston Festival Foundation, Inc a 501(c)3 non profit  organization established in 1971.  This will be our 42nd Annual event.   The high quality iFest Markets are unsurpassed in selection, quality and  authenticity.  Each market area is designed to offer the vendor a rich  and beautiful market venue from which to sell products and to attract a  large crowd.

For more information and application:  

http://www.ifest.org/markets/

Contact information: Annabelle Ruch-Director of Artists Markets

Email: markets@ifest.org

Cell: (832)771-7661   

Did not see any reviews on the 52nd Annual Artcenter Traverse City Outdoor Artfair or the Sounds an and sight Festival in Chelsea, MI. Has anyone done them and what do you think. Thanks

Since I just talked about the recent Gasparilla--and high winds--I thought a little basics primer would be of use to you newbies.

Oldtimers who have been around know what to do.

In the 38 years of doing shows I have been blown down once, and lost work and had booth damage, and that was because a hurricane hit our show in Vero Beach at 4 am in the morn with winds in excess of 75 mph.

Anyways, here are the basics.  Follow them and most times you will get out intact and undamaged.  You gotta work quick, no dilly-dallying.

First off, get both the front and the rear side curtains out of the way, unzip them.  They are just wind-catchers.

Undo your front and rear awnings if you have any, get them on the ground, quickly.  Fold all this stuff up later.  You want your booth down and work out quickly.

OK. Now take all the art off the walls and package it up. Same if you had art on pedestals or shelves. Get it into the van quickly.  Most times this can be accomplished 15-30 minutes.  Things don't have to be perfectly packaged.  You can do that later.  You want things down so if the booth takes a quick wind hit you don't lose work.

Next, and this applies to 2-D artists or any artist who uses fabric over their metal panels.  Get them off quickly.  They are sails and catch the wind.  With them off the air will flow quickly thru instead of building lift and tension on your structure.

If you have solid wall panels, like ProPanels or door sections.  Get them down on the ground.  Reduce your wind resistance.

Now comes the roof which can be tricky in windy times.  If you can get help one or two people who will be able to hold on to corner poles while you are undoing the fasteners to your roof.

Important.  Don't undo your weights or tiedowns until roof is off.  Take all the help you can get.

When faced with a choice of whether to take roof off back to front or in reverse, think about wind direction.  Undo the end that goes with the wind.  If you try to go against it, it will be very difficult--too much vector forces from the wind will make it impossible to roll back your roof.

Get it on the ground fast.  Now you have no wind resistance and the booth structure will come down without bending parts.

Now, take the time to fold covers and put them away.  Same goes for the roof.

If you follow this method you will get out of most windy shows (even in gusts up to 25 mph) intact and undamaged.  After all that is the only result you want.

Print this out and save it in your van, you never know when it is going to come in handy.  Fair weather friends and mucho sales.  Nels.

I know Barry Bernstein gave you a quick memo about Gasparilla Art Show in Tampa, but I thought I could give a little more in depth reporting.

My wife, Ellen Marshall was an exhibitor there.  I was not, I was in the lovely Blooming Bartow show down the road.  I tore down on Saturday at 3 pm when winds were already blasting that show at 25 mph-plus.  I got out in one piece, work intact, booth intact, made $440.00 Whoopee!

Got home last night and Ellen told me about her day.  She sold a big cow for over $2K so her show was made.

We knew from the weather reports that Sunday was not going to be a good weather day which would translate into pitiful artist sales and big risks of work and booth getting trashed.

So Sunday morn after doing breakfest across from the show, I suggested to her to do the sensible thing--tear down and get the hell out of Dodge intact.

When we arrived at the show her neighbor two booths over had his rear of the booth badly crippled.  There were others who were blown over.  Hell, big metal sculptures were blown over.  And the wind was just getting started at 8 am in the morn.

Ellen's booth was on the first line of booths in the show.  Right next to Ashley Drive set up on a concrete plaza.  Her row got the first blasts of air coming in.  Most booths fared poorly.  I mean people were weighted down with heavy blocks,weights, tied to poles.  But there is only so much wind our temporary booths can withstand and then something has to give.

We jumped the plaza curb and got her van in there.  An hour later, with help from some passerbys, we were out of there.  Jerry and Carol Napoli, neighbors started to slowly tear down.  We went home and promptly fell back to sleep, safe and sound.

Around 10 am I went out for a New York Times and decided to swing by Ashley and see how the booths were faring.  Almost every booth on Ellen's row was now taken down as well as booths on the next row in.  People out in the park, on grass, fared better.  They could stake down--they didn't have booths walking in the wind.  Trouble was, there was nobody there to sell to.

It is ironic about Gasparilla.  They offer some of the biggest prize money on the circuit--more than $75,000.  But being in this newly remodeled downtown park they now have the dubious honor of being one of the worst shows that you will ever have to tear down from.  Show was to be over at 5pm, Ellen's load-in time was  scheduled for 7 pm, two hours after closing.

Unfortunately the City Fathers of Tampa (i.e. the City Council) are hell-bent on that show only being on this concrete plaza with some grass in downtown.  God Forbid!  No artists are to be on the streets.

This poses several problems.  One, because of park size, the number of exhibitors is now less.  Two, being on concrete, even weighted down, booths are going to walk in high winds (Guess what, it is always rainy and,or windy at Gasparilla, that is the norm).  Three, vehicles must stay only on concrete sidewalks which makes for a tedious setup and teardown.  The local fire chief is adamantly opposed to any vehicles parked on Ashley behind cones.  Although Sunday morn, they did have a row of cones out with vans inside, tearing down and loading out.  This is no way to put on a prestigious art show.  

More and more artists are going to quit applying to Gasparilla, the effort is not worth it.

I am just glad we got Ellen out intact and booth undamaged.  Same thing for me at lovely Blooming Bartow(don't waste your time there unless you have ceramic butterfly gardens on rebar selling for $19.95--my neighbor sold out of them by noontime.).  I pray other exhibitors got out of Gasparilla undamaged.

The wind has been howling all day with very uncomfortable temps.  It was a tough weather weekend with the Mercado and Sullivan shows closing in Naples as well as Gasparilla.  It sounds like Howard's Los Olas escaped the brunt of the weather according to exhibitor Steve Vaughn.

I would love to see Gasparilla succed.  But the City Fathers are on a wrong course for this show.

Ironically, yesterday artist Rick Abrams wisely started tearing his booth down at 3:30 and a couple of committee members gave him shit over it.  Then this morn, those very members were holding onto a big committee tent for dear life.  Talk about karma man, there you have it.

Hopefully other exhibitors who were there will chime in with a report.  You all can't just be lurkers, you gotta be proactive sometimes.  Now I am going to take a delightful afternoon nap and have some great sushi this evening--Ellen's buying.

I visited the Gasparilla show yesterday and talked to some friends. I had a good time but it was windy but manageable. Not so this morning.  It rained overnight and booths got wiped out. It's noon now and I hear people are packing up. This pic is taken from Mathew Hatala's FB page:

Has anyone done the Funky Ferndale art fair and if so good or bad. Thanks

August 3-5
Park City, Utah
Presented by the Kimball Art Center
220 artists
Deadline: March 12

The 43rd Annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival will be held August 3rd – 5th. Each year, the first full weekend in August, 220 juror-selected artists in 12 media categories fill Historic Park City Main Street attracting over 55,000 attendees from 41 states and Canada to experience this multi-sensory Festival.

The Festival showcases and promotes:

• visual arts
• live art demonstrations
• diverse musical performances on multiple stages
• a kids art area
• art-focused films
• and the incredible cuisine of Park City through the Festival’s Taste of Art program

Please apply to participate in The Park City Kimball Arts Festival which is one of the longest running and largest arts festivals in the Western United States and serves as the nonprofit Kimball Art Center’s primary fundraiser.

Learn more about our show: www.kimballartcenter.org

Artists may apply at www.zapplication.org.

Deadline EXTENDED to March 12th, 2012 – PLEASE JOIN US!

Application fee: $35

I'd welcome suggestions about how to do this without obvious bungee cords - also how to hang curtains. I have an EZ Up tent.  Thanks! 

I was wondering how you all sign your works of art.   I have an electric engraving tool that i scratch my name onto the piece of steel that my work is on.   My signature is faint that is the problem.  I am thinking of getting a stamp and put my name in that way.   Has anyone done this and if so would like to know the results.   The other thought is weld a small metal plaque on each piece .   I have seen it once.  Has anyone done a lasar label.   I am just curious to know what people do these days.   Seems like someone has decided to copy my work,  think it is coming from overseas but not sure.    

May 5 & 6

Sanford, Florida

Historic Downtown Sanford
100 Artists
Deadline: March 16 

$14,000 in Awards ~ $3,000 Best of Show

A NEW art festival experience... 

We  are very excited about our inaugural event and plan to make it one of  the South's premier outdoor fine arts festivals. A different festival  experience awaits you! Over 100 Premier Artists will be selected to  participate in this art festival.

Throughout the festival we will  also include 12 demonstrating areas for artists selected through our  jury process. These artists will have adjacent spaces to demonstrate  their artistic process along with their finished artwork to sell.  

There will be eight (8) defined categories.

• Painting includes: watercolor, oil, acrylic
• Fine Craft includes: wood, glass, leather, basketry  and fiber
• Sculpture
• Drawing, Pastel, Pen & Ink
• Digital, Graphics & Mixed Media
• Jewelry
• Clay
• Photography  

Anticipated attendance: Approximately 30,000 visitors over the two day Festival run.  

Entertainment: Soft acoustical music artists perform throughout the festival footprint. Performance  art students from Midway Elementary School also will be featured.

More info at our website: www.stjohnsriverartfest.com 

Jury Fee: $35.00

Booth Fee: $225.00    

Artists must apply online at www.stjohnsriverartfest.com or print out application on the site and mail via USPS.   

Each  artist is required to send (3) images of their work and (1) of their  display. These images must be on a CD with artist info (name, phone  & email) written on the disk.    

Please mail completed application, booth fee ($225.00 or $450.00) and jury fee ($35.00) to:

        
Contact Information:  riverartfest@gmail.com
Phone: Rae Marie: 407-324-1577
Alt Phone: Kim House: 407-323-9272

I have an opportunity in my schedule this year to do this show.

10x10 corners are $100 shy of 3k. That's just the booth fee.  I would like to try this show, but of course hesitate at the thought of just breaking even, or even losing money. Photography (subject not Chicago) might be a tough sell at a holiday show like this.  Am looking for some feedback re: do attendance numbers/exposure support the booth fee? What is the attendance trend the last few years? Would love to hear from anyone on their thoughts on the show. Deadline for app is March 5.