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So my 2011 show season just came to a close. I'll be posting a festival re-cap in the next few days but while it's still fresh in my mind I wanted to go over the comparative costs of flying to art festivals vs driving to them. I'm writing this as I fly back home in the relative comfort of coach seating on a US Airways jet.

My good friend and fellow artist Lee Waterous of Head'n Home Hats has badgered me for years to include flying to and from art fairs as a way to reduce costs and travel time spent on the road. The reduced time I understood but how could this form of travel actually save me money? Lee's set up, unlike mine, compacts nicely into airline friendly cases which he air freights to the closest airport near the show he will be doing. He gets off the plane, rents a uHaul type truck right there at the airport, drives to where the freight terminal is located and loads up. Simple. Oh yeah, hats don't weigh much.

I on there other hand, I travel with a 500 lbs. Trimeline STEEL framed canopy, a dozen ProPanels, 3 large print bins, 2 folding tables a directors chair, a knock down ProPanel desk misc. support material and all of this is before I load one piece of my art. Even though I do rather well sales wise at most shows, this additional frieght bill would eat too much into my profits to make it work.

That's why I didn't even consider it until fate had my schedule packed so tight I bit the bullet and tried it out just in order to be able to make it from Santa Cruz, CA. back home to Sandpoint, ID and then to Las Cruces, NM all in one week. The drive by itself couldn't even happen let alone breaking down one show and setting up at the other 2000 miles away.

Here is what I did and why I'm a newly converted "flying traveling artist" and you should be too. 

The deal breaker for me traveling this way was always how to ship my heavy, bulky display setup. What I found out was that I could become a "hybrid" flying artist. What do I mean by that? Well, on that particular trip I just talked about I needed to drive my 2010 Ford extended van down to the first leg of this show trip which was in Half Moon Bay, CA. I did that show as well as another one in northern California the next weekend and instead of diving the 1100 miles back home to "re-load" my art and then head out to New Mexico, I left my van at my brothers house in Santa Cruz, flew back home, printed and framed the art I would needed in New Mexico, UPSed this art back to California, flew back there the following week to pick up my van and the art I shipped and then drove to Las Cruces.

How did this cost compare? The round trip air fair (which was high because I booked late) ran $275.00. The UPS bill to get the art back to Cali was just under a hundred bucks. Because my son drove me to San Jose International airport I didn't need to cab it which saved about $50.00. So my grand total to this round tripper including freight was $375.00.

If I was to have driven this same trip I would have put 2200 miles on my rig just to get me back to where I left from in Cali and at 15 miles to the gallon and with gas costing over $4.00 (at least in California anyway) I would have spent over $550.00 in gas plus 4 nights in cheap hotels, $200.00 so my net savings was $370.00 plus (and here's the bigge) 4 freaking less days driving on the road. Lest we not forget things like van maintenance etc too.

With the success I had on this trip, I managed to recreate my savings both time and money on 3 other round trips this year.

Another tip Lee gave me was to book "Park n Fly hotels close to my departing airport for my trips back home. Why? Because even though these run twice the rate I usually pay in places like Motel 6 and Super 8's, these Park n Flys allow you to leave your rig in their parking lot for free while you fly home. Plus, they offer free shuttle service to and from the airport. One of my trips back in November I was going to stay at a Motel 6 in Phoenix, then park at the long term lot at Sky Harbor which would have cost me close to $200.00 for the room and parking. By paying $95.00 at the Best Western in Tempe, not only did I save half the money I would have spent but stayed in a way nicer room with door to door shuttle service. Sweet!

Because my season has come to and end and my last show for the year was in Tempe, AZ I decided to rent a secure storage space with closed circuit cameras and coded entry gates close to the show at a local uHaul center for $55.00 a month. This facility is next door to the Best Western I mentioned so I was able to use their shuttle van to get to the airport for my flight home. This is where my van will live until I fly back down to pick it up prior to my first show of the 2012 season which will be in Fountain Hills, AZ next February.

If I am able to take advantage on say half of the shows I do in 2012 by being a "hybrid flying artist" not only will I save money but I'll be keeping my butt out of the drivers seat a lot and that's a very good thing.

I have noticed a proliferation of shows on Zapp scheduled for 2012 in Atlanta. If you are thinking of doing any of these please beware. There are only a handful of shows that worth your travel expenses. Dogwood, Decatur, VI-HI and Inman Park are top of mind. As for the rest, please send me your application fee and booth fees and I will save you the time, trouble and expense of coming to the ATL.

There was a guy running for President representing "The Rent is Too High" party, I am going to run in 2012 under the banner of "There are Too Many Shows....in Atlanta Party."  (Some will argue for the Atlanta Arts however, its results are spotty)

Wayne Gretzky is quoted as saying "I skate where the puck is going to be, not where it has been". For artists who are passionate about their art, who love interacting with patrons, and assisting them in acquiring that perfect piece, whether for themselves or as a gift, we all have second thoughts about continuing on our present plan of applying to a bunch of art fairs, selecting the perfect images of our work, getting the perfect booth slide, the perfect artist statement, etc and dealing with the rejections, the weather, and the capriciousness of patrons.

We spend a lot of time trying to figure out where the puck is going. When we first started doing art fairs, maybe only ten years ago, I shot our own slides of our work, set up on a table in our back yard with only a window shade unrolled behind the piece for a backdrop. We got into the ACC show in Charlotte, and were really excited. As digital imaging came along, we lobbied for shows to go digital. Indeed, we declined to apply to some shows because they had not gone digital. Be careful what you wish for, right?

The advent of digital jurying has completely changed the art fair landscape. Now a top show will get 1500 - 2000 applications for at the most 200-300 spaces. I am frankly surprised and pleased at the restraint shows have shown in not raising the jury fees higher. It would seem tempting to raise both booth and jury fees until applications were reduced to about two times the number of available spaces. We as artists would hate it, and hope they will not be so inclined.

The question for all of us then, is where is this all going? Connie's post about Art Miami tells us one area that is prospering. Check out Art.sy for another new direction. How soon will it be possible for us to get our work juried into a venue such as that? Several contributors here have talked about their successes with studio shows, truck shows, pop up galleries and other non traditional ways to connect with patrons and collectors.

Three weeks ago,  an artist neighbor proudly stated that she did not own a computer or smart phone, did not see any sense in web sites, facebook pages, google+, or twitter. It makes one wonder if she had indoor plumbing!

It will be very interesting to look around five years from now, and see who has figured out where the puck will be.

Hi Everyone!  I'm hoping someone out there can give my a heads up.  I'm doing my first Huff Promotions show this weekend at Tuttle Mall in Dublin, OH. It's the first year for this show and I've never worked with Huff before.  Does anyone have any experience with them?  Good, bad or indifferent?  The mall at Christmas.... I'm just a WEE bit nervous! :-\  

Thanks!!!! 

Good grief.  Look what just hit our inboxes.

Plus Two NEW Festivals in Milwaukee, WI and New Buffalo, MI

Wouldn't you expect that a national level art fair director would know by now that there are too many art fairs?  That patrons are really becoming ambivalent about whether they attend or not, because it'll be  crazy easy to find one to go to next weekend instead?

How many artists have lamented the problematic nature of this fact (too many art fairs) right here on the pages of artfairinsider?  And that hour before the fair starts up again on Sunday morning, all summer long--what do artists talk about?  Too many art fairs.

But of course, the art fair director's money rolls in whether the patrons show or not.  If you plan on being the artist at all 17 of this director's shows, start prepping your checkbook--$465 in jury fees, $8220 in exhibitor fees.  Add another $425 if you're late.

I think artists by nature, are optimistic folks.  We KNOW, just absolutely KNOW, that if we get into those shows, the patrons will flock to our booth, we will sell tons of paintings/sculpture/photos/whatever, and it will never rain/hail/or hit us with a tornado during the entire show weekend.  Oh, and the police wont shut the show down early even IF the Cubs are playing in town that Saturday.

I don't want to tramp on your optimism.  But I do want to encourage you to sandwich your optimism with wisdom.

A phrase from my Nebraska-growing-up-days:  tight fisted.  I encourage you to use that approach with your jury dollars and exhibitor fees during 2012.   Less is more.  And that might just be an answer to the problem.

Thanks for reading.

KC

I have many in-law family members that live in Grand Rapids who are not very art enlightened. Luckily they have friends who are and they are involved with Art Prize. I love talking to them about how the city and the committee feel about this event. I was just sent a FB message about some of the changes they are doing.  I must say this is a very interesting town for such an event. Just thought I would share for anyone else interested. Here is the link.

http://blog.artprize.org/2011/12/06/artprize-announces-100000-juried-grand-prize/

As promised ages ago here are some definitions and interpretations of some of the most commonly recurring dreams in South Dakota.

Thank you for good words and my acceptance as part of your community forum, I am very grateful to Success in your work, I will try to be useful in the forum and greet all members. apologize forthe language I speak best, respects the ridvan aliti

Let's hope this show becomes another holiday tradition!

Here are some thoughts :

1)     The Elegant and Central location of the Highland Park Country Club was a superb selection.  The Club itself is beyond lovely and on high traffic roads.  I feel the site and hostess details will be keys to drawing our friends back again and again. On Friday night, there were spotlights circling the inky darkness and trying to draw the Friday Shopper’s attention.  On Saturday and Sunday evening, there was a pianist playing at a baby grand in the entrance way, which set a scene of chic charm as clients made their way into the warmth of free hot chocolate and the laughter of easy conversation. There was an open bar for patrons. But the massive fieldstone fire place, natural wood floors, glitter and gleam of huge chandeliers, entire walls of windows, the circular bricked entrance driveway, heavy linen and silver…..well, they define elegance. It may have been this Art Fairs first year but it will not be the last!  

2)     The crowd was nicely knowledgeable, compellingly friendly, warmly witty and low-keyed affluent. More traffic was needed. I think that comes with time and word-of-mouth…..tradition….etc.

3)     We had free access to electricity and it is my own fault that I did not bring more strobes. Live and learn!

4)     The set up was wonderful. Across from each row of booths were a number of linen clad round tables with a center Christmas decoration where you could take the customer and sit down with them. People could just rest there also.

5)     Amy, as always, treats her artists well: we had a Continental breakfast and hot lunch available with gallons of coffee/soda/water available at all times.

6)     Check In/Out was clean and fast, as usual, at Amdur.                                                         

7)     It was loverly. I hope to see you next year.

8)     We took in over four times our entrance fee, did not have to pay for breakfast or lunch and danced a jig when we got rooms at a 5 star Marriott Suites on Groupon for $49 a night.

9)     It was heatening to hear how many of my clients expect to see me this summer. Wow!

I had fun!

We participated in the 31^st annual Gig Harbor TideFest event on December 3-4. Gig Harbor is a small town in northwest Washington, just across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and is an affluent community.   Having participated in this event for the past 2 years and the Gig Harbor Summer ArtFest for 5 years, we’ve built up a following and several repeat buyers in this community so we went into this show with reasonable expectations.  The event is  the main funding raising event for the Gig Harbor High School and is very well supported by the students, faculty and the parents.    This was the first year with a new director in charge, Brad has worked as the assistant director for a number of years and while the previous director said she was going to retire, she was still very visible and continued to provide her expertise to the festival this year.

One of the highlights of the show was getting to meet Joe Clifton in person.  On Sunday morning he spent several minutes reviewing our list of California shows we were interested in for 2012 and giving me his honest and frank feedback.  Many thanks Joe!!

When all was said and done, we breathed a huge sigh of relief, our last show of the year was over and for the first time since July we were up from last year’s sales on a show that was a repeat show for us.  While several of our spring shows were up from 2010, summer and fall shows were all down with the exception of our show in late July, so it was a nice way to end the year.  That being said, this isn’t a huge show for us and I don’t think it’s one where many artists had huge sales.  Sales were okay, this was our 3^rd year doing this show and our sales were slightly above our first year, way above last year, but overall not as good as I expect for a show in this community with a  $220 booth fee. 

The student support at this show is awesome.  I don’t think our truck has ever been unloaded so quickly, we happened to arrive when there were 20 kids standing around waiting for work and the assistant director sent them all over to our truck.   My husband just kept handing things out of the truck, I went into the gym with the first load and never came back out for a second load, everything just appeared right in the booth space so quickly it was amazing.   Load out we also had a lot of help, the students were more than willing to help break down, pack, etc.  There were plenty of volunteers available for booth sitting, food was available and the students were willing to deliver it right to the booth for lunches. An artist breakfast was provided on Sunday morning that was great, real food, not just coffee and donuts!  During the show they had carts with snacks, beverages, coffee, etc that were coming around constantly, if we had partaken in all that was offered they would have been rolling us out the door at the end of the show!  Beware – this is a show where it’s really easy to overload on caffeine and Christmas cookies!

Some of the noticeable changes for 2011 included less booths for the show, which might have helped our sales since there seemed to be less jewelry than past years. The aisles were wider, booths did not extend all the way into the corners of the gym and the smaller, wrestling gym which probably had 10-12 artists in prior years was closed off this year.  There were also several empty booths due to “no shows” so I’m guessing there were at least 30 less booths than last year. Communication to the artists was not very efficient, it was all done via the website, this year they had more issues than normal with the website, it was up and down several times and down for most of November until the Monday before the show.   There was not a list of participating artists  or booth assignments on the site this year like there had been in the past. No emails are sent to notify artists of acceptance or booth fee deadlines, we actually missed the deadline by a couple of days but that turned out to be a non-issue. 

I don’t have the attendance numbers to validate this but the show seems to steadily be decreasing in attendance.  Artists who have participated in this show for 10 years or more all commented on the same trend at the artist breakfast.   Instead of advertising it in the paper, they sent out brochures to the local community.  I did see at least one reader board with info right off the highway, but issues with the website and reduced marketing seemed to have impacted attendance.  There was  never a very large crowd and the buying energy that we saw during our first TideFest event never materialized. 

Overall, it’s a very easy show for us to do, 20 miles from home and more help from the students than we could utilize.  Hoping that for next year they rethink some of their marketing and start getting the attendance numbers back up.  If it truly is going to remain the largest fund raiser of the year for the school, they need to focus on making sure enough people attend to keep the artists coming back.

Okay, now that I've gotten some sleep I can think more clearly. Just finished the 3rd time around in Tempe. The first time I did this show was probably over 25 years ago, I was parked on the side of 6th Ave where hardly anyone showed up to see my work. I remember the streets being so crowded you could hardly move around. As it was the first time I had done a big show I was fairly starry eyed and on overwhelm. Last year was the second time I did the show and had moved up the street to 3rd Ave which was better visited but still crowded but only because the street was narrower. This year I was on 5th avenue, much wider, better lighting, the sun actually hit the street, and room to wiggle around when you got restless. The crowds didn't seem as overwhelming to me, maybe that is a function of time, memory or there just weren't as many people out as the first time I did this show? 

The show is very well run logistically speaking, you check in on Thursday down the street from the fair but you've already gotten so many communications from the staff in advance that they hardly have anything more to add to your knowledge of what to do, maybe last minute details, and then you can purchase off site parking for $25 for the three days (much less then the city lots which are $10-12 per day and large vehicles can't get into the high rise lots anyway). As for load-in...you wait till after 9 p.m. there are three load-in time segments, the further away you are from the entry the earlier you get in. I had to wait till after 10 and then, because I didn't scout out the numbers like I usually do, I drove past my booth area and had to drive all the way out and around just to come back in again and start all over again. All said I still was able to  park not too far from my booth space along the curb for set up. A lot of vendors waited till the next morning to come in, maybe a better strategy but I needed the extra time for my set-up as did my neighbor.

Show amenities? There is an artist hospitality booth with drinks and treats throughout the three days and they run around on a golf cart in the morning with coffee and the afternoon with water. Very thoughtful!

We arrived in Tempe a little later than anticipated. Winds were high through eastern AZ and driving into Flagstaff on I-40 we ran into the storm that had flattened much of southern CA with high Santa Ana winds. It was snowing hard and southbound, as-well-as north bound I-17 were at a standstill with ice and snow covered roads. A little patience and slow driving were required. Those that were driving a little too fast found out how icy it was! After they had shoveled the tipped over vehicles off the road and pulled people out of the medians who were going too fast for driving conditions we were once again on our way. I was anticipating 70 degrees at lower elevations! Oh, what fools we mortals be. What I heard from a visitor to the show is weather in Tempe always seems to conspire against the show though last year it was mild (trying to lull me into a false sense of euphoria!) this year the storm that blew in from CA turned the thermostat down considerably and threatened rain on Fri and Sat. Sunday the sun was out all day but it never got to 60. (It's snowing at the 3000 ft. level as I write!)

Despite the cloudy and cold weather the crowds did show up. Maybe, because it was still part of the work week, Friday seemed like everyone was asleep trudging along the rows of artists with no sales for me and most others around us but my neighbor whose creative woodwork was very compelling sold a few pieces. Saturday was the coldest with nary a sign of the sun but the people came out, sales turned up a bit. Sunday the sun was out all day and the crowds seemed more enthusiastic and engaging but sales were still dismal. Meanwhile my neighbor had a steady stream of sales, though he reported being off about 50% from last year. Other artists he talked with reported few or no sales as well.As a reflection of the level of buying at this show there was a lot of popcorn and yard art things that you poke in the ground walking around (not that there is anything wrong with popcorn!)

People were very appreciative of my work and I earned the show prize for photography, the acknowledgment, plus the cash prize, helped salve the disappointing sales from this show. Parenthetically, the awards were hand-made by a fiber artist and very impressive, not the usual trophy store variety! I've heard harsh reviews from other artists about this show and I noticed it was quite a mixed bag in terms of quality. There seemed to be a good mix and balance of media of the fine art type, whereas in some shows there may have been too many of one type vs other types. Many artists that I've seen at other shows with high end art were there mixed in with more crafty novelty type items (walking puppets on sticks and dog hats).

All-in-all, the show is well run, the crowds were there despite the weather and the sales were disappointing. What else is new lately? We move on down the road...

• The prestige factor
• Dollars are easier to measure than beauty
• The thrill of the hunt
• New money skews the market

December 1-4 Miami Beach hosts Art Basel, the US's largest contemporary art fair, where the art sells in the $1,000,000 range and the elite meet to hang out and "out-status" one another. At the nation's fine art street fairs we often debate prices with one another and I laughed out loud when I read this (heard often at the shows):  “If I can’t sell something, I just double the price.” That’s what Ernst Beyeler, the great Swiss dealer who helped found Art Basel, reportedly said. Some people actually prefer to pay more than makes sense.

Learn more about this high flying festival, a review of the event by Blake Gopnik in the Daily Beast:  http://www.thedailybeast.com//content/newsweek/2011/12/04/why-is-art-so-damned-expensive.html

Wow! There was even a squatter show that brought out the police to shut it down:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/02/2529410/south-beach-art-fair-shut-down.html

Interested in more gossip-y commentary on this "Art Bacchannal", "Guests dipped giant communion wafers into fountains of white and dark chocolate that streamed from the penises of two gleaming silver putti in Angel Otero’s sculpture “Pissing Contest.”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-05/a-rod-cages-owen-wilson-amid-ugly-art-hookers-at-miami-basel.html

I'd love to hear your comments on this theme.

I am just completing my second full year of exhibiting wood art and sculptures.  It’s time to line up next year’s shows and I was hoping fellow wood artists (preferably) or other artists could give me their personal feedback on the following: 

• Tinicum Arts Festival – July - Tinicum Park, PA
• Covered Bridge & Arts Festival – October - Bloomsburg, PA
• Wheaton Arts Festival of Fine Crafts – October - Millville, NJ (I did read Jacquelyn Morgan’s post but I’m looking for feedback from more people – especially other wood artists.)
• Oktoberfest – October – Demarest Nature Center, NJ
• Crafters’ Marketplace – November – YMCA, Princeton, NJ
• Holiday Craft Show – December – Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ
• Tuckerton Seaport – December – Tuckerton, NJ 

Thanks so much

Bob

My local art group Mudgee Arts, had its annual Xmas market yesterday. 

The town has a population of about 8000 and is in a winery area so popular with tourists on weekends and holidays.  They have 4 regular monthly markets - a farmer's market in the church grounds in the main street, two anything-you-want-to-sell markets - one in the town park and one in another church near the main street, and a craft group market in the old railway station.    At Easter, in our autumn, Mudgee Arts members join with the Farmer's Market in the church grounds with centre of the street location.  I participated in it this year and along with fabulous weather there were huge tourist crowds and locals out and about.  

For the Xmas market, however, since we often get summer rain/winds and quick storms, they prefer to have it indoors and the only venue currently available is 2 blocks from the centre of town, in a community centre called "the stables" (perhaps it was stables once - its layout is pretty much like it!).  There is a small carpark in front of the building  and if there is fine weather it is blocked off and the members can erect tents there. 

Advertising was for a couple of weeks prior - radio mentions, newspaper advert every paper a week before and the odd sign.   The weather was perfect - for some reason we're in a winter weather pattern at the moment - so it was cool, clear and no more than a light breeze (although it was very windy the day prior).     I had hurt my back the day before so decided a tent would NOT help my back, so stayed with my inside location. 

(NB  All snaps were taken during set up...apologies for the poor images!)

6-7 tents set up out in the carpark although it would have looked a lot better with more - although they were probably limiting numbers people to who could cram inside in inclement weather.   The building had 2 long rooms one in front of the other, with the doors in the centre of the building at the front and between the two rooms.  The first room is quite light and airy with white walls and light flooring, and the second room is brick, carpeted and a little dark but with lots of overhead lighting and a couple of windows.

The mix was crafts and art and I would think at least half of them do this as a sideline/hobby.   Set up time was an hour and a half and the event itself was only 4 hours duration.  Outside we had a fibre artist (majority of felting), a local winery, mosaic, a woman with fabric items - children's dresses, handbags etc, and a candle maker.

First room had a silversmith, lino prints/cards, ceramics, alpaca wool knits, soapmaker, artist (oils), fabric bags and accessories, children's clothing, hair accessories.

Second room had me (jewellery), wine fudge (yep, right next to me - not good for the already burgeoning waistline!), a quilter who also dabbled in pastel drawings, an artist with small acrylic paintings and ink drawings, a crafter with the cutest tea cosies, a photographer with local photographs, mostly on cards/postcards, a knitter with scarves, and another ceramics artist.

Unfortunately it never really got busy, probably not helped by one of the other markets in the church grounds (a anything you like market) being on the same day and closer to town.  Advertising if only briefly seen would have registered 'market' and the date and seeing that one many people would have only gone there.  

Nevertheless, there was a steady trickle of people and for an outing of only 4 open hours and a cost of only $20 (not a money making venture by the group, just to cover the cost of the venue hire) I had 10 sales from $25 to $160.   Unlike recent events, every sale was just a single item and apart from two customers searching for a particular item, every other sale was an impulse buy.  People were just out and about having a look and some weakening and buying!

A couple of the members did OK, one I heard was very happy with their sales, and overall so was I, I guess, even though it was quieter than recent shows - it was only an hour from home and didn't cost much in time or effort to do.

I was pleased to see some art finally - I need to get these people out more LOL.

Public Art Project on Tour in Basel, Manfred Kielnhofer

Shared by Austrian artist and designer Manfred Kielnhofer. The “Light Guards” project is further developed and become a ghost car touring in Basel art show during June 15 – 19 2011.

http://artobserved.com/2011/06/ao-on-site-art-fair-news-summary-and-final-photoset-art-42-basel-2011-in-closing/

Eccentric art was also at Basel, if not as dominant a presence as the traditional buys. Ghost Car by Kielnhofer was a large white van with hooded figures driving outside the fair, and the Bleifrei (which translates to Lead Free in German) Art Collective told Art Info: “Art is like Jesus; it died and it’s coming again.”

Manfred Kielnhofer, Ghost Car (2011) Basel, via Kielnhofer.com

The grim seeker after truth
Anyone wondering why these grim reaper style figures were seated on this white van - look no further than the latest installation from artist Manfred Kielnhofer. He is from Haslach an der Mühl, in the district of Rohrbach in Upper Austria, Austria, and is an artist and designer whose work usually centres around the human anatomy. His recent piece of art is the Ghost Car, which is a product of the developing ‘Light Guards’ project. This project surfaced from the theory that humankind has always been able to boast having guardians in different ways, in potential danger from only themselves. This idea intrigued the artist Kielnhofer, who approached it with his artwork, intertwining the theme of longing for security harboured by all humans. The Ghost Car portrays a sizely white van driving, seating sheet-covered figures. Perhaps this reflects individuality, exploration and recognition of current events in society, as it seems to interpret the theme by suggesting the hooded figures are looking to the drapes and car for protection as they are possibly ghosts, who are afraid of the life after death, and long for safekeeping.
By Alessia De Silva
http://austriantimes.at/news/Panorama/2011-08-06/35422/The_grim_seeker_after_truth
http://kielnhofer.com

A year ago in July, I lost my sister and mother within 9 days.  My sister was 44, a doctor, and died just 10 months after being diagnosed with oral cancer.  My mother had been in relatively poor health for some time, and I believe she just could not handle my sister’s death.  It was just three months until my first big show.

Their prodding had encouraged me to explore art shows in the first place, my mother always my biggest fan.  My sister supported local art festivals for many years and thought I was finally good enough to give it a shot.  Near her death, she introduced me to one of her favorite artists, a painter (among other things) named Ken Swinson.  I had seen his signature on a number of pieces she had.  My sister’s illness brought us together, and I am forever grateful for the gift.  He was very encouraging and supportive of me and my art at a time I really needed it.  He even photographed my work to help me get in a show.  He said in times of stress he worked harder at his craft to stay distracted.  I followed his advice and immersed myself in my work, getting ready for the show.  The night before setup, I was nervous and excited, and just wishing my mother and sister were there to share it with me. 

But gone is not forgotten.  I decided to take them with me in spirit, my mother in the form of a goofy wire and fabric purple flower she had loved, and my sister as a bookmark the funeral home had provided.  And the mojo worked!  During that weekend, I had fabulous neighbors, a painter from Michigan and a potter from New York.  They were seasoned show veterans and offered valuable advice on anything I asked them about, and then some.  I had fabulous customers who loved my bright colors and designs.  The weather was awesome!  I was absolutely thrilled with my sales, but thought more about how proud my mother and sister would be!  And more than once, I regretted not being able to call them to tell them of my successes. 

At my next show the following May, my mother and sister again came with me.  I would smile inwardly as I noticed folks reading the eulogy on the bookmark or looking quizzically at the goofy flower that seemed so out of place.  I was talking to a visitor about cancer sucking or something similar, and that my sister had died of it.  A lady standing close by overheard our conversation and said her doctor had died that past year of cancer.  I knew immediately it was my sister.  I directed her to the bookmark, and eventually offered it to her after a few tears (luckily I had another one at home).  I don’t know which of us were more moved by the experience.   

So at each show, I put up the flower and bookmark as soon as I get my tent up.  They remind me how fortunate I was to have had their love and support as long as I did.  And they give me strength.  They have become my good-luck charms.  What are your lucky charms?  And is there an artist who supported you in a time of need that you will never forget?

Lenny Lyons Bruno and her husband Gordon (Rick) Bruno are photographers we met at our first art fair in Ann Arbor in 1979. Both of them were very restless in their media and continued to push their imagery. When you saw them at an art fair you never were sure what they would be exhibiting as they were serious about exploring the creative life.

Lenny left photography behind probably about ten years ago and has worked in mixed media and painting in recent years. They both left the art fair business about five years ago and settled in Lexington, VA, to open a gallery and get off the road. I recently received news about her recent work. The oldies among us are pleased to hear what she has been up to and the not-so-old may be inspired by her story.

LEXINGTON ARTIST APPRECIATES LOCAL SUPPORT
 
Lexington artist, Lenny Lyons Bruno, would like to say thanks for the enthusiastic support she received from so many Lexington-area residents over the past several years while developing the "Coal Camp Series," a collection of contemporary mixed-media paintings. "I was profoundly encouraged by friends and visitors who viewed the progress of the work at the former Lexington Art Gallery."

Part of the "Coal Camp Series" on display at the the Huntington Museum of Art in Huntington, West Virginia. Photo credit Jenine Culligan.

The "Coal Camp Series" is currently featured in a one-person show at the Huntington Museum of Art in Huntington, West Virginia. The official exhibit opening coincides with the Museum's Holiday Open House on December 4th from 1-4 PM. The artist will be present and the Open House will benefit the Huntington Area Food Bank. The "Coal Camp Series" will be on display at the Museum until February 19th, 2012.
 
  Lenny's memories of growing up in a West Virginia coal camp were the inspiration for the "Coal Camp Series." Her hardscrabble childhood experiences are also the subject of a recently published book, titled Blackberry Winter. Written by Beverly Tucker (also a Lexington resident), the book features Lenny's art, excerpts from her mother's journals, and the story of her childhood.

Lenny Lyons Bruno at work in her Lexington studio, 2009. Photo credit Celeste Simon.

In appreciation for the encouragement Lenny has received, she and Beverly are making the entire book available online, free of charge. If you are interested in seeing Lenny's art and reading the story behind the paintings you can access the book at:  http://www.blurb.com/books/2525500
 
If this hyperlink doesn't work, copy and paste. The thumbnails at the bottom of the screen will allow you to browse through the story, paintings and sculptures. To comfortably read the text, click on "view" at the top of your browser, then select "zoom" from the drop-down menu and reset to 200%.
 
The "Coal Camp Series" also has a Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/coalcampseries
 
The page contains links to articles written about Lenny's work and more photos of the "Coal Camp Series." If you are a Facebook member, please "like" the page to receive periodic updates. 
 
For more information about the "Coal Camp Series" or Blackberry Winter, please contact the Bruno family at lyonsbruno@mindspring.com.

Congratulations, Lenny, on all these satisfying ventures. Your friends wish you well.

this past week i sat down and wrote emails to a handful of potential shows.  we have several issues:  •  jay uses a wheelchair so we need to be sure that the venue is accessible and there is a fairly flat area for us that is within the venue (and not off to the side); • universal spiritual messages that i design use the hebrew alphabet (much easier to manipulate) - so, for example, the word 'teacher' in hebrew is embedded into an apple - and then the piece is 'an apple for the teacher.  messages are love, light, peace.  because of our designs, we need to have a strong jewish population and 'church population.'  tatoos are not our venue -- nor is a fundamental venue - because we are too out of the box.   

this is my email: