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The deadline for Cincinnati's Summerfair, June 1-3, has been extended to February 10. Applications online at: www.ZAPPlication.org.

Well, I am back safe and sound.  Not much richer after two shows--Islamorada and Images--but I have 250 new images with 31 of them capable of making moola, so all in all I am lucky.

If you remember I went down and did a first time show in Islamorada.  AFI-er Kathy Oda gave an excellent report on the show.  I would disagree with her on one key point.  Maybe it is because she hasn't done many shows in the keys.  She said the crowds were excellent.  I say the crowds were meager at best.

The failing of this show to attract many buyers is why most of us barely covered our expenses.  I made way less than a $1000, and I had images of the keys and Islamorada, and yet I sold none of them.

I also think the organization who ran it was dumb to charge a $5 admission fee.  Coupled with lack of good parking nearby, these two facts hurt that show.  I would not reccomend anybody traveling great distance to do it.  Also the $300 booth fee was way too high for a new show.  Oh well, live and learn.

After the show I headed to Key West for two days of shooting. I stayed at a Days Inn on my CLC card for $79 per nite.  That is a deal, left me more money for sushi and beer.

I always find gold in Key West, image-wise, and this time was no different.

You can't beat the breakfest or lunch at Pepe's, the oldest restaurant there.  You gotta go to Louie's Afterdeck bar for a drink in the evening.  It sits right on the Atlantic.  It is my favorite bar on the east coast.  Go thru the gate to the condos next store and you are at the location of Jimmy Buffett's old house.  Louies is at the junction of Vernon and Wadell streets.  BTW, Pepes is on Caroline Street heading to Turtle Kraals.

The best sushi is at Origami located in Duval Square which is on the east end of Duval Steet just down from Truman Avenue.

After two days there I was ready to escape.  Too much tequila drinking going onthere.  Yes I fell off my wagon--knew it was going to happen.  But I got back on it once I left.

Headed up to Coral Gables on Wennesday and met up with Geri Wegner for sushi at Sukura Gables.  The head sushi chef there remembered me even though he hadn't seen me in more than five years.  Back in the 80s, Vic, who does the chairs and hammocks, and I used to go to Sukura all the time while we did the Grove and Beaux Art shows.  The chef was just a novice then.  He scrubbed radish for two years before they let him touch a fish.  Now he is the top honcho, but he remembers us from back then.

I spent the nite in Pompano Beach with my old buddy Ron Skirdlant where we hit our favorite Thai restaurant on Commercial Ave. in north Ft. Lauderdale.  Rocking Ron has been putting me up at his casa on the canal since the early 80s.  It is always a pleasure to stay with him.  We have lots of old stories to reminesce about.

From there I headed up to New Smyrna Beach and stayed with my buddy Sonny Ellison who lives down on the south end by JBs Fish Camp restaurant.  I lived in NSB in the 80s and Sonny was my best friend there.  We used to play exhausting one-on-one basketball matches all the time.  he used to run me ragged on the court.  I can't do that anymore, that's why I took up a "civilized" sport like golf.

Images lets you set up early on Friday with the show Saturday and Sunday.  It is a piece of cake setup and teardown.

They gave a great artist dinner on Saturday with really good barbeque.  This show has an extensive Patrons Purchase program that has steadily improved over the years.

This year they used the "Sleznic" method of judging in our booths.  Don't you just love those assistants with their stopwatches.  I just love it when they tap the judge on the shoulder and say, "Times up.  We gotta move on."  I much prefer that they pull pieces, but that is just my humble opinion.

The crowds were very large both days, jamming the streets.  We had delicious cooling breezes that pampered us all thru the show.

It ended up being decent for me, I made the most money there out of the four shows I did in January.  Most artists were selling, it was a solid show.

Made it home early Sunday nite to met up with my sweetie Ellen and have a great home-cooked meal.  It was great to be home.

One final observation.  So far this year in Florida, the shows have been slow for many of us.  The middle class consumers have really tightned down on their wallets.  To me, 2011 started better.

It will be interesting to see how I do in Ft. Myers this weekend.  Last year I killed them there, now, I don't know.

Well, there you have it, living vicariously thru Nels.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Not a commercial -- In Fargo local artists and Habitat for Humanity ReStore have teamed up to showcase recycled art and auction it for a community cause.

"The LAHFH ReStore contacted area artists and asked them to use their talents to create a piece of art utilizing home improvement materials from the Habitat ReStore. The artists were given a voucher worth $50 to be used at the ReStore. The challenge was to find and purchase materials then turn the reclaimed materials into works of art. This year’s recycled artwork has been displayed at the Spirit Room since January 16."

I particularly like this idea and can see several ways it can be incorporated as a fundraiser. It could work at a garage sale art fair or a a studio clearance sale event also. It would be a great way to get some publicity. It could also be incorporated into a larger event -- a recyling art exhibition area that could be auctioned -- with proceeds being shared with the artists. 

Here is the rest of the story:  http://1800recycling.com/2012/01/recycled-art-show-fargo/

Have you been involved in anything like this?

Please note: In the spirit of full disclosure ... I not only exhibited at this show, I organized it.

ArtWorks: Studio Clearance was organized for the first time this year. This is not your regular art show. I used the Kalamazoo Garage Sale show as a model for putting this show together. Here is the concept:

We all have those pieces in our studio: we're tired of looking at them; they're damaged, last year's "model", or old pieces; or we just never really liked them to begin with. We don't put them out to sell, but we don't want to throw them out either. So what do we do with them?

Studio Clearance is where a section of your display must have art pieces available at a reduced price. A minimum of 25% discount. This show is scheduled at a time of the year that is slower for artists and we need to give shoppers a reason to come out and view our work. This is a "meat and potato" style show. Nothing fancy. Just come in and sell some art.

There is NO expectation for your booth. You can bring a table and chair, and only discounted art to sell. Or bring your entire display and have a section of art at discounted prices. Your choice. The show's advertisement will state that ALL artists will have art on sale in their booths. Admission is $3 at the door. However, if shoppers bring 2 caned food items, they get into the show for FREE! All food items and any money collected at the front door will go to the The Food Pantry of Waukesha County, our non-profit partner. Parking is free.

So, here is what happend:

The show started out slow in the morning. The roads were a little slick. A few of the exhibitors were late in arriving, because of the roads. By 11:00 everyone was in the  building. The first "wave of attendees" started about that some time. It was a steady trickle through most of the day, with a big surge around 2:00.

Most the exhibitors seems a little disappointed in the morning. But seem to  recover in the afternoon. A couple of the exhibitors did not do very well. The majority of the artists seemed happy by  4:00 and were asking me to do the show again next year. With the promise of seeing the show grow.

   A new hotel-booking site, BackBid, turns hotel shopping on its head: As a potential guest, you become the pursued rather than the pursuer.    Taking a lot of the hassle out of online searching and comparing of hotel rates, Montreal-based BackBid lets you post an existing hotel reservation made on another hotel or online travel agency website, then sit back as competing hotels bid for your business.    Unlike “opaque” discounting sites such as Priceline and Hotwire, with BackBid you know the identities of the hotels upfront.    BackBid, which operates in 16 U.S. markets, launched in beta in November. Here’s how it works: You create a free profile and can include your rewards programs and AAA membership, as well as your preferred amenities, such as valet parking, Wi-Fi and hotel spa.    You then enter information about a hotel reservation you’ve made elsewhere, including check-in and checkout dates, your confirmation number and where you booked the property. Finally, you e-mail the reservation to post@backbid.com  .    I did this one evening for upcoming stays at the Holiday Inn Chicago-Mid-way Airport, Hotel Vintage Park in Seattle and the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.    By dawn the next morning, I’d received e-mail notifications from Back-Bid indicating there were seven bids from Chicago hotels, ranging from the Hyatt Regency Chicago to the Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown to the Dana Hotel & Spa.    Among the seven hotels trying to woo me: the Holiday Inn Chicago-Mid-way Airport, the original hotel that I had reserved on HolidayInn.com  . The hotel was offering me a $120 rate instead of the $159 I had reserved.    Plus, the Hyatt Regency Chicago has a four-star rating compared with the Holiday Inn’s three stars. BackBid told me that the $99 rate offered by the Hyatt Regency Chicago was a $60 savings over my Holiday Inn reservation, although actually it would be about a $70 savings with taxes and fees.    One of BackBid’s strengths is its transparency and relative ease of use. BackBid identifies the hotels making competing bids and details their proposed rates, star ratings, amenities and cancellation policies. The site provides photos and maps, and even lets you compare three hotel bids in terms of star ratings, rates, when the offers expire, check-in and checkout times, hotel amenities and the numbers of rooms and floors.    If you decide to accept one of the hotel offers, you merely click “Book Now,” enter your personal and credit card information, and await your reservation confirmation. (Most of the hotels require prepayment at the time of booking.)    Thus, BackBid enables you to secure hotel discounts and take advantage of amenity and star-rating upgrades — all without extensive searching and the gamble of not knowing the hotel identity in advance as on opaque sites.    You can also invite hotel bids without an existing reservation by entering your travel intentions. But BackBid recommends having a reservation to get the best deals, as the hotels will know you are serious about traveling.    Still, BackBid has some shortcomings.  

For now, BackBid is limited to the USA. And it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get bids. Two days after posting my existing hotel reservations in Chicago, Seattle and Manhattan, I’d received no competing bids for the latter two.   

You should try BackBid only if your existing hotel reservations don’t require prepayment and can be canceled before the stay without penalty. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck paying for two rooms.    BackBid’s information about each hotel’s rates and cancellation policies is sometimes confusing. For example, about the Dana Hotel & Spa in Chicago it simultaneously states that “cancellation not possible without penalty charges. Penalty is 100% of full stay” and that a reservation can be canceled with no cancellation fee up to 10 a.m. on the day before arrival.   

BackBid uses the European date format — day, month, year — which can be unsettling for U.S. residents.    Still, awaiting bids, often from well-known brands using BackBid, is fun, easy and may land you a cheaper stay at a better hotel.

BackBid.com      BackBid: Hotels respond to your existing reservation with their own offers.

Bringing art to the community and the community to art. That's the mission of the Guild of Artists & Artisans. The Guild, which has been a force in the art fair world for more than 40 years, is best known for its award-winning Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. Guild events have a reputation for excellent advertising, attendance and artist amenities.

You can apply online right now for the Guild's 2012 spring and summer shows. The Guild's fair applications can be found at www.juriedartservices.com. Spring Birmingham and Crocker Park and the  have deadlines of January 31, while Levis Commons and Fall Birmingham's deadlines are February 1.

If you need any assistance in setting up your JAS profile, or have any questions about the Guild and its events, contact the Guild -- 734.662.3382 or info@theguild.org. You can learn more about the Guild and its events by visiting its web site, www.theguild.org.

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31st Annual Art Birmingham - May 26 & 27

Art Birmingham will be in the streets around Shain Park, downtown Birmingham's newly and extensively redesigned city park.  The park is conveniently located in the center of this favorite urban downtown and features all new and welcoming pathways and beautiful landscaping.  As the downtown center, the park is surrounded by convenient parking for artists and fairgoers.

This highly respected event will showcase 190 juried artists.  Last spring brought more than 120,000 visitors to downtown Birmingham.   The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center continues to produce this event in association with the Guild of Artists and Artisans.

Crocker Park, in Westlake, Ohio, will host the 7th Annual Crocker Park Fine Art Fair in June. The event will feature 130 juried fine art and fine craft artists. Admission is free, as well as parking for both fairgoers and artists. The fair is Crocker Park's most respected and best attended event; more than 100,000 fairgoers attend each year.

A popular destination, Crocker Park is the $400 million innovative outdoor lifestyle complex just 12 miles from Cleveland. It features a sophisticated mix of national retailers and eclectic local favorites plus restaurants, cafes, a multi-screen movie theater, beautiful luxury apartments and office space - all together in a congenial neighborhood of parks and tree-lined streets. Crocker Park is an extremely popular destination for families of all ages. Community support for the complex and its events is excellent and growing.

Event advertising will be featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Jewish News, Westlife and the Crocker Park Press. Print advertising will be supplemented with radio advertising on WCLV, WCPN, WMJI and WDOK.

Deadline: January 31

Like many artists, my biggest show fear is WIND.  Give me rain over wind any day...

So with wind and bad weather being such a huge concern, can someone please explain or diagram the proper way to secure a tent?  Often we can't stake into the ground, so when you are only able to attach weights, what is best?

I have 8 weights (homemade pvc ones) and they each are about 40lbs.  Some people have told me the weights need to hang, and not rest on the ground, but then others will say the exact opposite...  So what is the answer?  How do you do it?

Welcome to Chicago!

For nearly three decades, Howard Alan and American Craft Endeavors have allowed more than 10,000 artists to exhibit their original work to millions of art fair patrons across the United States.  When our company began, our art and craft shows showcased a handful of exhibitors.  Today, a typical Howard Alan or American Craft Endeavors event features 100-300 talented artists and fine crafters.

No matter where you are, you are sure to find one of our stellar events nearby.  Our shows take us to destinations like Aspen, Chicago, Alexandria, Vail, and Fort Lauderdale ... just to name a few!  Our great outdoor venues, fantastic crafters, and talented artists allow us to consistently be ranked among the top art and craft shows in the country.  Visit a show and see for yourself why we are the very best!

For more information:  Howard Alan Events

561-746-6615
Facebook: Howard Alan Events
Twitter: @ArtFestivals 

March's Premiere Event

March 3 & 4 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Las Olas Art Fair Sat. & Sun.: 10am-5pm Free Admission Celebrating its second show of the season, Fort Lauderdale's prestigious Las Olas boulevard provides the ideal backdrop.  For this show, we have paired with Sunny.org in an incredible Sweepstakes! The show that put Howard Alan Events on the map celebrates its 24th year! A South Florida tradition, the show is regarded as one of the top events in America. Part II of this high-caliber event is also held during the first weekend of March. Take a stroll along Las Olas Boulevard, just minutes from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, amidst life-size sculptures, spectacular paintings, one-of-a-kind jewels, photography, ceramics and much more. Adding to the artful ambiance will be live music and tasty treats. And, look out for the new collector poster commemorating this much anticipated annual art affair!   More info:  www.artfestival.com/Festivals/Las_Olas

A May Highlight

May 18-20 Kansas City, Missouri 5th Downtown Art Annual Kansas City Art Fair Fri. 5-9; Sat. 10-8; Sun. 11-6 Free Admission Kansas City: Boasting over half a million square feet, The Kansas City Power & Light District is the premier epicenter of the Midwest. 150 Fine artists and crafters will be on hand to display at this first class affair. With mediums such as paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, pottery and much much more there is something for everyone at this top notch event. The Power & Light District creates the perfect setting for this event featuring fine dining, retail, and live entertainment! There is something for everyone at the phenomenal free event. We look forward to seeing you in Downtown Kansas City!  More info: www.artfestival.com/Festivals/Kansas/City

A July Premiere Event

July 28-29 Aspen, Colorado    Downtown Aspen Art Festival Sat. & Sun.: 10am-5pm Free Admission Aspen: 10 years of sweet success at this year's Downtown Aspen Art Festival.  Swanky and affluent Aspen, Colorado welcomes us each year. Aspen's scenic Wagner Park plays host yet again to this fabulous, free outdoor art festival. Showcasing an all-star line-up of the nation's finest artists, the Downtown Aspen Art Festival will provide you an exclusive opportunity to experience a broad range of phenomenal creations ranging  from life-size sculptures, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and mixed media. Take in fabulous views of Downtown Aspen, grab a delicious bite at a local eatery, and purchase original artwork from the artists themselves. See you at Wagner Park! More info:  www.artfestival.com/Aspen

September's Premiere Event

September 8-9 Alexandria, Virgina 10th Anniversary Alexandria Festival of the Arts Deadline: May 1 Sat.: 10am-7pm; Sun.: 10am-5pm Free Admission Alexandria:  This show is rated as one of the top art fairs of the country by The Harris List and Sunshine Artist Magazine. Voted one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine. Discover spectacular paintings, life-size sculptures, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more. This popular outdoor event will feature art for every taste. More than $15 million in art will be on display and visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists behind the work and hear first-hand what inspired them to create their pieces. Artists travel from California, New York, Maine, Florida and New Mexico, as well as throughout the state of Virginia. Selecting artists based on quality and originality, an independent panel of judges chose the exhibiting artists from more than 1,000 submissions. The show is set up along King Street in Alexandria's Old Town, a quaint, historic town with many different shops, restaurants and more. The show stretches all the way down the street to the Potomac River.    More info: www.artfestival.com/Alexandria

November Highlight

November 24-25 Delray Beach, Florida 13th Annual Downtown Delray Beach Thanksgiving Wknd Art Fest Sat. & Sun.: 10am-5pm Delray Beach:  The artsy neighborhood of Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach, Florida anziously awaits this show each year.  Expect large buying crowds during this holiday weekend. Walk off that turkey and pumpkin pie at this annual Thanksgiving Weekend tradition. Pineapple Grove, a fabulous arts district in Downtown Delray Beach is the spot for uniquely created and inspired fine art and crafts. From sculptures to earrings--there's something for everyone on your holiday gift list! More info:  www.artfestival.com/Delray/Beach

APPLY TODAY!

Two Choices:  At the Howard Alan Events site: www.ArtFestival.com   and: www.ZAPPlication.org   Howard Alan Events produces multiple shows therefore they have an ongoing jury process that meets twice monthly and juries by category.  SHOW DIRECTOR'S SUGGESTION:  We recommend that you apply EARLY as the show and/or most categories will fill quickly. Please note that Alexandria, VA, September 8 & 9, has a deadline of May 1. More information: www.ArtFestival.com

June 16 & 17
Wheaton, Illinois
Cantigny Park
Sat.: 10am-5pm; Sun.: 10am-4pm
Deadline: Feb. 1

Cantigny Park is pleased to announce Art in Bloom, an outdoor arts festival.  More than 80 juried artists will showcase their work amidst Cantigny's beautiful gardens, grounds and museums.

Art in Bloom 2012 promises even more excitement than our past art festivals, which are always among the park's most popular events.  Two-day attendance should be about 10,000 if the weather is favorable.  Friday night set-up is available as well as an air conditioned artist break room, snacks, and volunteers galore.  This event is located on grass under large trees. Ample parking is another valuable asset!

Our publicity campaign will include, but is not limited to, radio, newspaper, eblast, twitter, facebook, postcards, web, Cantigny Visitors Guide as well as our Spring and Summer Events guide, posters and banners.  In addition we plan on working with many of Cantigny's partners, affiliates and sponsors to help make this art fair the best that it can be.

Cantigny is a 500-acre park and part of the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation.  It is home to two museums, formal gardens, picnic grounds, restaurants and 27 holes of championship golf.

Quality of artwork will take precedence over quantity of artists so the show may vary in size somewhat.  Art in Bloom 2012 promises to be Cantigny's best arts fest ever!

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For additional information please contact:

Erin Melloy - 630-536-8416
emelloy@emevents.com or visit www.emevents.com

Please mail application and checks to:
EM Events LLC, P.O. Box 4332, Naperville, IL 60567

A first year show strongly supported by the community benefiting the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District.  They made it into a 4 day art weekend starting with the third Thursday artwalk of the local galleries, artist setup on Friday culminating in the Patron/Meet the Artists party on Friday evening with a good bar and some seriously yummy eats and then the show on Saturday and Sunday.  I’m a total softie for community sponsored shows like this and so made it a mini vacation with my Mom to get her out of cold, snowy Ohio for a week or so.  Also, the Florida Keys in January trumps cold and rainy Charlotte any day of the week!  Show was on Zapp.  Jury fee was $25 and booth fee was $300.

Check-in couldn’t have been easier.  Volunteers were easy to spot with their bright green shirts and were everywhere.  They walked you to your spot and made sure you had everything that you needed.  Setup couldn’t have been easier.  Pull up to your spot and set up at your leisure.  Breakdown was the same way.  Break down your booth, pull up and load out.  Parking?  You could park and walk if your hotel was close enough or you could park at the local bank that was closed on the weekend.  Show staff was even willing to ferry you to and from your hotel since parking is at a premium in the area.  Limited RV parking was within walking distance.  Lots of hotels/motels at all price points within a short drive.

The show was laid out in a ‘T’ shape with the top half much longer than the bottom.   

Was it crowded?  I would say for a first year show with good advertising, it was pretty steady.  but you can never have too many people, can you?  A lot of people I talked to were just driving by and decided to stop.  Traffic was steady in my booth but it was never so crowded that people were waiting to get in.  It tapered off well before closing on Saturday but there were many last minute lookers on Sunday.  $5 admission fee.  The people that came through were pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the work at the show.  That it was more fine art and fine craft than what they were used to seeing.  People also liked that they could easily walk the show in an hour or so and then go about their day unlike some of the larger shows.  The show was very well juried with maybe a couple of misses.  I would have to go back and count but I think there were around 50-60 artists. 

Sales?  Well, sad to say that my type of glass just wasn’t what anyone was looking for on this particular weekend…I sold one piece on Saturday…and a follow-up sale on the drive home of 3 other pieces which put me at slightly over the break even point (the gentleman had taken pics of his faves on Sunday and sent them to his wife.  Once she signed off, he called to place the order.  Thank heavens!).  I talked to several artists who had a slow Saturday but pulled it out on Sunday.  One ended up with a 10K weekend.  Hopefully, there were more like that.

Amenities?  Well, there was the aforementioned lovely beer, wine and nibbles at the Patron Party… Saturday breakfast was a hot yummy ham and egg on cibatta with fresh fruit and orange juice provided by Ma’s Fish Camp.  Sunday was a $5 breakfast put on by the Moose Lodge who also kindly provided access to their lovely restrooms throughout the weekend.  I’ve found that indoor plumbing is a luxury at these shows that shouldn’t be taken lightly!  I loved that the Moose Lodge folks came around toward the end of the show and thanked all of the artists for coming and supporting their community.  And enough cannot be said about the 3 youngsters who tirelessly pulled a wagon with a cooler of cold water up and down the show all weekend.  They were there at least once an hour and sometime more depending on who was pulling the wagon.  Water free to artists and $1 for art show visitors.  The dollar went toward funding a school field trip.  Did I mention that the volunteers were like energizer bunnies?  They kept going and going and going…and were awesome!  And they ordered up fab weather. Mid-high 70’s with a light breeze…

So that’s my tale of the Islamorada Fine Art Expo.  I believe this show has good ‘word of mouth’ possibilities as people think of this as THE show to attend while down in the Key’s.  The passion is there with the organizers.  Just need to keep the quality of the art up and get the people in the door next year.  I hadn’t planned on going to Florida this year after just breaking even at Beaux Arts last year but this was a nice mid-winter break with my Mom; in the Keys; in January; so was worth it.  We’ll see how Sarasota Masters and Mainsail go to see if I do Florida next year…  I know I wasn’t the only AFI’er there but will leave it to you if you want to chime in here…

My creative medium is Linocut Printmaking. When I started to dabble in this medium my pieces were fairly small (maybe the largest being 8x10). As time went on my work has grown much larger, and I'd like to continue to work with larger pieces. Right now I have a good mix of sizes ranging from 5x7 to 18x24. I think the larger sizes show much better and seem to draw more people into the booth to look. Surprisingly, I have also been selling more of the larger pieces.

I'd like to know if any other artists have an opinion about size and if it even matters that much.

Making art and making money is not always a match made in heaven. And ... that doesn’t mean it’s not doable; in fact, quite the opposite.

With the right tools, the right information, and the right attitude you can turn your passion for art into a thriving income.

Join Ariane Goodwin, host of the smARTist Telesummit, at her online seminar.  This amazing, 7-day immersion-in-your-art-career conference begins Thursday with a MasterMind Panel where, if you register, you can submit a question for consideration (but hurry because Ariane needs these by tonight!)

Ariane has been helping artists turn art into money for nearly a decade. And after four years of organizing and hosting the only annual, professional conference for visual artists, she has gathered top information from 49 leading authorities and successful artists who have given keynote presentations at smARTist.

You can sign up right here > https://smARTistTelesummit.com
...and then, be amazed!

Three shows that I know of this weekend just in Florida: Hot Works' Boca Raton show, and Howard Alan's shows in Indiatlantic and Delray Beach.

Anyone want to get the ball rolling with a writeup on their show?  Make it brief if you must; others will fill in the gaps. 

July 28 & 29
Geneva, Illinois
8 S. Third Street
Sat. & Sun.: 10am-5pm
175 max. artists
Deadline: Feb. 1

Geneva, a chic and charming historic town located on the Fox River, will celebrate it's eleventh annual Fine Arts Fair in 2012.

Presented by the Chamber of Commerce, the show is tucked along shady streets among 100+ specialty shops located in Victorian-style homes and century-old buildings.  A "hands on" kids art area, awards for emerging and seasoned artists along with warm small-town hospitality, offer a picture-postcard setting for this juried art celebration.

Note: Prints, photography, digital art and computer generated art: Prints must be produced by traditional printmaking techniques.  The only medium where Giclee (ink jet) prints are allowed is digital photography and computer generated art work.  All artists applying to either print, photography or computer generated art must submit a brief description of creative process from start to finish.

Emerging artists are required to fill out and abide by the same rules as professional artists.  However the jury fee is waived and if accepted the emerging artists space fee is $100.  Please note: emerging artists are considered those artists who have never paid for a booth space at a fine art or craft fair.  Each accepted emerging artist will receive one "wall" to display artwork on that is approximately 6 foot high by 8 foot long.  3-d artists will need to supply their own pedestals.  A limited number of photography spaces are available.

Festival Facts:
     Jury Fee: $20
     Booth Fee: $280
     Checks payable to: Geneva Chamber of Commerce
     No prints allowed
     Ribbon Awards: $4,000
     Attendance: 20,000

This event is organized by Erin Melloy of EM Events, a well established promoter of art shows in the Chicago area. EM Events are held in partnership with local business organizations bringing close interaction between each community and its' local art fair and insuring you loyal patrons.

For the application: please click here

For additional information please contact:
Erin Melloy - 630-536-8416
emelloy@emevents.com or visit www.emevents.com
Please mail application and checks to:
EM Events Ilc, P.O. Box 4332, Naperville, IL 60567

Just curious if other artists have automatic "dealbreakers" when they are filling out applications.

I came across this one again today when looking at the application for the Talbot Street Festival. It's one of those festivals that wants you to include the booth fee check with the application. Which I think is only marginally OK, but the dealbreaker for me is the following clause: "Your acceptance to the fair is your obligation to appear. Once accepted, no money will be returned to any exhibitor for any reason." I feel strongly enough that I should be allowed to accept or decline their application without having to pay an entire booth fee as a penalty that as a general rule I do not apply to these kinds of shows. Period.

Along these lines, I also wish that I could un-apply for shows as well when they announce that "due to artist demand" or "due to an unexpected federal holiday" or some other BS reason that they are going to extend the application deadline.  Now that would be a great feature for Zapplication!!

Any other things that cause people to take an application and put it in the trash?

As I write this, we’ve just had power restored after a 37 hour outage due to the Jan 2012 Snow/Ice storm that has hit Seattle and the suburbs and made the national news.  Talked and emailed with another artist over the past 2 days who is now thinking they will miss their first show of the year in AZ because they didn’t leave the NW before this stupid winter storm hit.  They confided they were freezing in their house without  power, needed to get to the store for a few staples and all I could think was what is wrong with you????  Sorry, I know this is  a bigger than usual storm for us, but the weather people have been hyping it for days.  Did you not stock up? Did you not think about candles, batteries, etc?   And for heaven’s sake, if you were headed to AZ from WA, why wouldn’t you want to leave a little early just to see the sun??   Then she complained about not getting a refund from a show that she’s cancelling at the last minute and they are also re-evaluating whether they should travel that far if they are eliminating one show from their schedule which means they might be forfeiting more booth fees.  When I asked her why she didn’t leave a day or two earlier she said it was because hotels were so expensive.  Hmm, not sure that 1 or 2 additional nights in a hotel would be so expensive that forfeiting booth fees and all the potential income makes sense.

So that got me to thinking about contingency planning which we do all the time.  Remembering times when we left for “spring” shows 24 or 48 hours early due to the weather forecast and the desire to not have to chain up crossing the passes, yes we have a generator, flashlights, candles, extra food and now with the deep cycle marine battery/inverter and LED  lights that are normally used for our booth, we’re more prepared than ever to weather out a storm at home or on the road in our RV.  And yes, we’ve used all of those contingency items as well as discussed the fact that one way or another it would be really nice to be in AZ the next time a snow/ice storm hit Seattle, we know realistically that we need to take care of ourselves, our home and our silly little Tazzy Kat.  The day after power was restored and the roads were once again clear enough to drive around safely, what did we do?  Stocked up at the grocery store, refilled the gas tanks, refilled the propane tanks and went out to lunch just for fun.  Looking around us as we left our neighborhood, seeing all the downed trees and power lines, we realized that while we have power now, there’s still a chance that yet another tree or branch could take it away at any given moment and we felt we needed to be prepared.

Yet today I’ve seen way too many friends, work colleagues, artists, etc. posting on email, Facebook, etc. that they just weren’t prepared.  I understand not being prepared when an unexpected storm hits, but this one, really?  Our local news media has been warning about this for more than a week before it hit and it isn’t even as bad as predicted although I’m a bit disgruntled that it seems to be lasting longer than predicted, but we’re okay.  We’re warm, dry and safe even though there  are a few of life’s normal things, like turning on a light switch and having a room remain dark, that kept me a bit frustrated, I know we’ll weather this and be glad when it’s over.  One colleague was complaining about the fact that they ended up in a hotel for 2 nights, meals out for 3 days for a family of 5 and now she was heading home to throw away any food or supplies that were no longer safe to eat in her fridge and freezer.  When she asked how we were coping and I mentioned we were using our generator, she said, oh they are so expensive.  Hmm, more expensive than 2 nights at hotel for a family of 5 plus all those meals out and the cost of replacing all the groceries in your freezer and fridge?

All this has got me to thinking about contingency planning, when we’re on the road, when we’re home with a show scheduled and weather is not cooperating, etc.  Being a “Type A” personality, I’m always watching out for these things, planning for bad scenarios although I don’t think we’re ever 100% prepared for the “worse case” scenarios, but after seeing the silliness on friends FB pages, co-workers emails, etc. I’m wondering what happened to common sense?  Am I the only one?  Has common sense disappeared?  In my mind it’s common sense and our responsibility to take care  of yourself, your family, home and business.

Boca Fest is held in the parking lot of a very nice Boca Raton strip mall on the west side of I95. The parking lot is along Military Trail, which is a main street so it is impossible for people to miss the show if they are driving by and easy to give direction to your clients.

Set up is the HA early Saturday Morning set up, but easy in and out since you have the whole parking lot to maneuver around. There were many ways in and out and ways to get your stuff to your spot. Pretty painless set up. Artist parking was convenient, just across the main street and behind a building. Booth spaces were a very nice size. We each got a parking space basically.  It was a deep space with plenty of room to blow out the back of your tent. The spaces were back to back and then artist across from each other. The spaces between the tents were very large and lots of room for people to get around. Break down was also smooth. Break down to the ground and then they would give you a pass to get your car. They were all on bikes handing out the passes really fast. Tons of people were out of their booths and driving off within 30 minutes of breaking down. I got my pass 30 minutes after close and didn't have a problem getting to my spot with the cargo van.

Saturday was cold and cloudy for this part of Florida and people there don't like that. I thought it was great, no sunburn or sweating, but the Boca Raton folks don't like to go out when it is below 65. The image I have is from Saturday morning, (hadn't even trimmed the zips yet ;) so less people on that day. Sunday the weather was perfect for me, around 70 and sunny. LOTS more people that day but not too many people, just right. All the 2D artist around me and the 2D friends I knew sold at least 1 large piece on Saturday. Sunday sales and interest was even better. I only knew one 2D artist that zeroed, but it was their first show ever, and Boca Raton is not an easy crowd. The artists that had price points under $200 were very happy with their sales by the end of the show. The crowd in Boca Raton has very nice shoes, purses and dog stroller. Plenty of money with this clientele and the show is just down the road from Polo Club. I haven't done a ton of shows in Florida, but out of the 4  I have done in South East Florida there are always buyers from Polo Club. Since I have to deliver my work usually I have been to this community a few times. They are very proud of their art in this development and have beautiful work even in their yards. I am not talking about SOS, but real art. At one home I was at there was a beautiful 8 foot fiddler on the roof sculptor and it was over the garage. I don't know many homes that place fine art over their garages.   There are many more large gated communities with large homes that want lots of art in this area as well.  I didn't meet many people in the high rises along the water at this show, except for past clients.  It was very interesting to compare the difference in clientele from the east side and west side of Boca Raton.  Both sides have great customers, but they are not looking for the same things.  Just another piece of the puzzle to figure out as I learn my way around Florida.