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This year was the second year for the art fair at the Blue Water Festival (Port Huron, MI) and my first at it. The Blue Water Festival is for the big boats for regatta and has music stages, and a carnival. There were 42 artists present with a wide range of quality. The show was Friday (11am-9pm) and Saturday (11am-8pm). Total booth cost is $200. Electricity was free, so you could run lights and fans!!

Set up was supposed to start at 11pm on Thursday. I arrived at 11:15pm to a street that had not been closed off yet and a vehicle parked in my spot. I, along with a couple other artists, was told that the street would be closed at midnight, but towing of vehicles would not be towed until the morning. There were no signs telling the public that the streets were being closed at a certain time and that their cars would be told.  I waited until 12:30am to start setting up in a different spot since there was still a car in my spot, which did not move until 2am. I set up my tent and walls by 2:30am and completed setup the following morning. The last car was not towed until 9:30am. I would have hated to have been that artist with my 4 hour setup.

As was expected the show was slow Friday during the day. Most people were locals and were on there lunch break. It briefly rained in the afternoon. It picked up again after 5. I finally made my first sale at 5:30. I made $1000 on Friday to people there for the regatta in 4 sales. You could stay open as late as you want. I stayed open until 10:30pm. I made my last sale at 9:30pm.

I hoped that the show would be as good on Saturday, but it was not. The regatta started at 12 noon, so mostly locals were left. The street was empty most of the day. I had 2 sales that totaled $305 from local be-backs on Friday. It closed early on Saturday due to lack of customers at 7pm.

Most I spoke to did about what I did or much worse. The glass artist beside me packed up Saturday afternoon due to his poor sales.

The show had awards. They were determined by the artists. Were where given tally forms for ranking our top 10 artists, best fine art, and most funky art. I got 3rd place and a vintage ribbon the the Coconut Grove Art Festival that said 3rd in Photography. It was fun going around to see what each ribbon said. Some were from the 1980's.  

The show has potential, but has several things to iron out. It might be better as a 1 day show on the Friday or Thursday-Friday show. Thursday was family day, though one artist actually zeroed on Friday and made their $600 or so all on Saturday. At least I made money since my expenses were not as high as AA.

Tried a new show this past weekend that we had heard great things about from other artists in the past. It has been on our "list" for sometime but there was always a show that had higher potential that we were accepted in for the past few years so it's been a second or third choice for us.  This year it fell on a weekend when we didn't have any other shows so we were thinking, great, we'll try it.

We should have stayed home, yep, that bad.

Port Angeles is a town on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula, the show is held in a park right off the City Pier, right next to the ferry terminal which shuttles tourists to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC. Port Angeles is also where the tourists make the turn to go into Olympic National Park and the Hurricane Ridge area.  However, due to lack of signage, I doubt most visitors to the Olympic National Park knew there was an art show as their turnoff to the park occured a few blocks before the ferry docks and the city pier. Tourists following Hwy 101 around the Olympic Peninsula might have had a clue that there was maybe, something going on, but again, not much signage, not great parking, especially for anyone in an RV or towing a trailer.  So, in a location where there's a lot of tourism in the summer, it wasn't capitalized on very well at all, especially for a show that's been around for a while.  Even some of the locals remarked that they were surprised, they thought it was the last weekend in July, having 5 weekends in July and the show is the 4th weekend seemed to throw things off a bit which indicated not enough marketing had been done to get the word out.

Show was smaller than we expected, only about 45 artists, 25% was jewelry and they were proud of the fact that they limited it to that (yes, we scratched our heads at that comment), they had an established chain maille artist (really a hobbyist, her one show a year with really LOW prices) who had done the show for 11 years, another local artist who did sea glass and crocheted pieces.  Why they let us in, (Chainmaille, knots, crocheted and knitted jewelry) when they had 2 similar artists in such a small show is a mystery that I can't explain.  So 25% of the show was jewelery, 10% was soap, 15% was glass.  Hmmm, not very well balanced.  I will say the potter near us did very well, but she was the only potter in the show, the fiber artist with her wonderful reversible hats made on an old fashioned foot tredle sewing machine did very well, one jeweler with a prime location seemed to do well.  Everyone else we talked to, including artists with very nautical themes seemed to be suffering.

Load in was easy, with either Thursday PM or Friday AM times, show started at 2 PM on Friday so as long as you weren't one of the last artists to arrive you could park and unload near your spot and then park your vehicle elsewhere while setting up.  We loaded in early Friday, around 8:30 AM after driving over on Thursday evening and setting up the RV for the weekend at a local county campground. Set up went smoothly, sun was shining, nice breeze off the ocean, looked like a great setting.  Came back about an hour before the show was to start, by then it was cloudy, chilly, and overcast.  We opened up the booth and sat there waiting for people to show up. We did have 3 sales all day Friday, but other artists kept saying, wait until Saturday.  So, we left, not really happy, but ok that we had almost made booth on a show that was beginning to sound like a show that was scheduled for 3 days with only one day of real selling opportunity.

Saturday, quiet when we started, didn't make our first sale until 2 PM.  It was foggy and chilly when we arrived, fog fianlly burned off around 11:30 and the sun came out but still, not many people, especially not down our aisle due to a really funky layout.  I think we got about 1/3rd the traffic of the entire show.   Knew at that point the show was not going to be a winner for us, knew we were going to be lucky to cover booth (a modest $175) and expenses.  Not a good feeling.  About 4 PM we had the 2 ladies who were our big spenders from Friday show up, each purchased yet another item.  Without them we would have not even coverd booth between Friday and Saturday, they were 2/3rd of our sales over the 2 days.  About 5 PM, as the show died for the day, knowing we were open until 8, I started chatting with other artists who had done this show before. Their reports, everyone was way down, except for a couple of artists with prime locations, and everyone said Sunday was the slowest day of the show. It didn't give us much hope.  We had covered all expenses but had little hope of making a profit.

So, after lots of discussion, we decided to do something we've never done before and always said we wouldn't do.  We packed out Saturday night after closing time, went back to the campground and drove home Sunday morning.  As my husband quoted that famous country singer, "sometimes you have to know when to fold them", we decided that a Sunday afternoon at home to start prepping for a 4 week road trip made more sense than a Sunday afternoon with little to no sales and what promised to be a horrendous load out Sunday night.  BTW, we were not the only artists leaving Saturday night and there were a few who saw us packing out that said if they weren't local and didn't want to get a bad name for themselves in that area, they would have also left. 

So, we went home, got a few chores done and started working on packing for our "road trip to summer".  http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/road-trip-to-summer

As I woke up this morning, yet again to the sound of rain and realized that summer once again was being elusive after  a very short appearance this past weekend, I couldn’t help feeling relieved that we are getting ready to escape this year’s lack of summer in the Puget Sound Region.  For those of you outside the Pacific NW that have been suffering through horrible heat waves you have my sympathy and you may not totally understand the excitement we’re feeling right now.  Having lived in Dallas for 11 years, I really do not miss the stifling summer heat.  However, I do enjoy summer and this year seems to be a year when the Puget Sound Region is just not going to be granted a summer.  We’ve had way more rain, way less sun and much cooler temperatures than usual and our results at the shows have reflected the fact that people are disgusted with our non-summer.

Forgive my exuberance, but YEAH!! We are hitting the road for 4 back to back shows in Richland WA, Couer D’Alene ID, Sand Point ID and then Chelan WA.  All beautiful locations, all shows on the grass in parks or a college campus, all next to either a river or lake.    3 out of the 4 shows are the same ones we did last year, had a blast and are anticipating another great trip, bringing along the portable BBQ to enjoy a few dinners with fellow artists and time to relax and socialize after the shows.  The last 3 shows are also in popular summer tourist destinations which is usually a plus for our sales.

We’re hitting the road with Tazzy cat (our sun worshipping, overly spoiled kitty), our travel trailer, a few tools / supplies for projects to work on while we’re on the road and plans on how to have the most fun possible during and between shows.  Wineries to sample, bikes to ride, family to visit, sunshine to enjoy, evening swims after each show day, we are looking forward to each and every experience that will make this an enjoyable road trip.

This is one of those times when I’m really grateful that my “real job” is 90% work from home, or in this case, the RV and I’m very thankful that they have yet to implement video conferencing!  I've saved a few vacation days to spend some time in the sun and am really looking forward to this trip.

I promise a report on the shows after the road trip, I may not be posting much while we’re on the road because the less time I spend in front of a computer and the more time I spend in the sun, the happier I will be!

Okay, so I didn't really offer a free bag of ice with every purchase at the Long Beach Island Crafts and Fine Arts Festival this past weekend.  But it wouldn't have been a bad idea.

Loveladies is a casual but moneyed town at the north end of Long Beach Island, a popular barrier island off the Jersey coast.  There were record high temperatures along the Jersey shore, like everywhere else:  The high on site was 101 degrees on Saturday (this, only one block from the beach!), and surprisingly it wasn't as humid as advertised:  relative humidities were in the 30-35% range all afternoon.  It was a dry, searing heat, and the clear skies and white-gravel parking lot made it a blinding heat, as well.  I had two fans running for much of the day but it helped only a little.   Luckily, the host venue (The Long Beach Island Center for the Arts & Sciences) made their air-conditioned building available for a number of high-end artists and artisans, so I could take an occasional respite from the parking lot, get a towel soaked in cold water to wrap around my neck, and change out of sweat-soaked clothing.  It was a four-shirt day, for sure!

Traffic was moderate in the building most of the day, near as I could tell.  But out in the parking lot?  As they say in these parts: fuhgeddabout it.  Hardly anyone ventured down the rows of 100 or so outdoor tents, and you could hardly blame them for staying away.  I pitched a shutout for the first time ever, and counted only 30 folks in my booth all day.  There was genuine interest, but most folks said it was "too hot to think", didn't linger long enough to make a buying decision, and said they'd come back tomorrow.  So I made the easy 55-mile drive back to my Mount Laurel, NJ hotel hoping that a promised cool front would materialize and produce a Sunday miracle. 

Which, it did!  Sunday dawned a skosh more humid, but about 10 degrees cooler, and the traffic picked up considerably.  And, as if to answer my muttered prayers, every be-back returned, and all but one bought large.  Only five sales on the day, but four were big-ticket items. 

Based on the folks I spoke with, results were all over the board.  A fine jeweler across from me was very happy with her sales; several purveyors of fine crafts (baskets, fabrics, and the like) didn't fare so well but were philosophical about the heat and will try again next year.  It would be interesting to see how big the crowd would be in more typical summer temperatures.

Other observations:

* For my wallet, anyway, the booth fee is very affordable: $275 for an outdoor spot (corners, of course, are  extra).  Indoor spots vary in size and are $375, but, as already noted, are tough to get.  The area motels, mostly Mom and Pops, are quite expensive, however, and they don't subscribe to the likes of Priceline.  So plan on camping, if that's your style, staying with friends, or driving an hour or more from an inland motel.
* Setup was Friday from 5-9 PM, or Saturday beginning at 7 (a tight time frame, given that the show opened at 9 on Saturday).  Promoters Barbara and Marcy Boroff (of Renaissance Craftables) expect you to know what you're doing, find your spot, and set up; there's no formal check-in.  Same was true of breakdown: The show closed at 4 on Sunday, and radar showed a a line of thunderstorms with Loveladies in the crosshairs, so folks hustled to get out.  For awhile, the lot looked like a Manhattan rush hour, but everyone cooperated, and by 6 PM the lot was nearly empty.

* There are facilities inside, including a water fountain, but no restaurants within walking distance and, so far as I saw, only an Italian Ice vendor on premises.  So bring our own food and beverages. 

* An on-premises lot is reserved for artist parking, but it filled rapidly.  However, there were plenty of spots along the road, particularly on Saturday, due to the heat.  The local police did a great job managing traffic in and out of the site. 

* There was a visitor admission charge; I heard variously that it was $3 or $8. Probably not a deterrent to residents, given the local demographics, but it may shoo away the "looky-loos."   

* The show quality was mixed, though one could also say accurately "there is something for everybody."   The indoor spots are given to very high-end artists and artisans and those artists, according to reports, return year after year. Some of the fine craft and painting I saw in the parking lot was stunning.  Although the show bills itself as a "juried fine arts and crafts show," there were kits and buy/sell in evidence in the parking lot. 

Overall: A good demographic, fair booth fees, and a casual but well-run show by promoters who know what they're doing, and, as noted, provide "something for everybody."  Heat notwithstanding, I liked this show, and will plan to do it again. 

Here is the long and short of it--the show royally sucked--I was off by sixty per cent--and aloha, can you say "sabbatical", cause I am taking one next year, and probably will never come back.

OK, here is some real meat.  God bless Ruth and her review, lets just say it left you wanting to know much more.

I will give you the "much more."

First a little history.

I have done this show for 23 years since 1988.  Was in the State Street show six years and have been in the Guild's Show, always on Main Street, the rest of the years.

The merchants of Ann Arbor control what goes on at all of the shows.  They are a greedy bunch, who don't really care much a bout the arts, as they care about lining their pockets and getting rid of surplus goods.

The shows started, eons ago, as a way to attract people into Ann Arbor in the middle of summer when most of the college kids are gone.  They figured if they held an "Art Fair" it would attract a crowd--plus--and this is really the key--it would give them a venue to move excess goods.  They would set up booths right out on Liberty and State Street, right beside the artists, as is well-evidenced at the State Street Show.

You notice the shows all end on Saturday.  No Sunday biz.  Why is that?  Because the merchants are not open to ,

make money, so they won't let the artists make money.

Of course the "party line from the merchants" goes something like this.  We gotta close the shows on Saturday, so the cleanup crews can get AA back in shape for Monday.  I say "BS."

On any home football weekend in AA they have just as big of crowds as they have for the art shows.  Yet they manage to cleanup on Sunday so things are good for Monday.  Bottom line, if the merchants can't make any money, then they won't let the artists make money.

History lesson 2.

For years, for most of us pros, who make a living at this biz, this was the biggie of the summer.  You had four days to sell, you had crowds with moola to spend.  We are talking pre-recession, before 2006.  Many of us made $15K-$25K in those times.  Some artists could live off their sales from the show for six months.

Those days are gone.

Then the merchants did an ironic money squeeze in about 2006, just as the recession started here.  They made it so that booth fees doubled.  Booths that were under $500 were now almost $800.  Double booths and 10'x17' booths were nearly $1500.

Plainly said folks, the show costs are not worth it.

Let us talk about "NOW"

Here are the facts plain and simple why this business model does not work for 90 per cent of us.( Of course there are going to still be success stories out there, but very few.  And for every one success, I can show you fifty others who barely made expenses).

You have more than 2000 booths at all of the shows, including the scab booths, chasing a paltry turnout of buyers with disposable income.  Too many booths, too little buyers.  A very thin slice for most of us.  The model is broke folks.

Michigan's economy is not going to turn around for years to come.  Disposable Income is almost an artifact in this state.

The only real remedy to help us make money is this: Reduce the number of exhibitors by one-third in all the juried shows.  Make it a three-day show, drop Wednesday.  End the show at an earlier time.  Reduce the booth fees.  They are excessively high for the return on your dollar.

I can tell you right now, nobody is going to do any of the things I suggested.

The merchants want more.  They would love to push the Guild Show right off Main Street so that they can run their own show--with of course, ala State Street, their booths right out there next to the art.

Let us now talk expenses, or should we say investments, that the artist takes on to do this show.

Most of us, who have to travel to AA and stay in lodgings have a minimum of $1500-$2000 in operating expenses.

Booth fees--$750 for a 10'x10'   10'x17' are $1300  Double booths are double the 10'x10'

Auto costs: A minimum of a full tank of gas each way--so about $200-$275

Auto parking: $100

Lodging: A minimum of $50-$125 per night times six: $300-$750

Food: At least $50 per day or higher.

Sales;  Ah, thought we ever get around to that.

Average exhibitor this year barely made expenses or a little over.  In the past many people have had an"OK" show by doing around $5-6K.  Other pros have cleared $8K or better.  I am talking recession-era now.

Sorry folks, but that almost $2K in operating expenses could be better invested for a return on money, rather than AA.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?

Excessive heat way beyond the norm (It is always hot at AA) but this went beyond that.

People were fainting in their booths on Thursday with 100-degree temps.  Crowds were almost non-existent. At times, you could have thrown a bowling ball and a cinder block across the aisle and not hit anybody.

When the crowds did show, they bought very little and very mediocre.  Low end sales.  I was off by 60 per cent over last year.

This is show in a death spiral.  Things will get worse.

Take your money and invest it elsewhere.  Ann Arbor is a bad gamble.

That is all I am saying.  Aloha, Nels.  You can fool me once, but you won't fool me twice.

Postscript:  I am in the Guild show on Main Street.  They run a professional operation.  Plenty of help for the artists, water, food , booth-sitters.  They do a creditable job.

Me and many artists set up Friday at 5am so we could be open at 10am. Friday was optional to stay. I stayed. A storm came out of nowhere while setting up and another one at 1am on Saturday. I was monitoring the radar from my house and wanted to drive to the show at 2am to try to save my booth. I just went to sleep knowing my tent and my art were going to be destroyed because I had an EZ up and it stormed and rained for 8 hours in a row. Well, Saturday morning when I got to the mall at 8am, they were piling EZ ups that got destroyed by the storm. They said there were about 15 of them. I was feeling helpless because I have another show in two weeks and no money. Well, Thanks to the show I can now buy my new Trim line and try to be able to sleep a little better when it comes to storms.

It stormed Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, I was nervous about the show thinking that it was going to be a slow weekend because the weather. By 11am sun was shining every day like nothing happened. It ended up being a good show for me, but my expenses in Illinois shows are minimum because I am local. I got a great custom order from a client that saw me at the Arlington Heights show. I also sold my biggest piece to a couple that didn't go to look for art, they went to Bloomingdales to buy a suit for a wedding. I also sold several of my small original pieces that pay for my expenses and some times for my booth fee.

What I found different about a show that takes place in a mall is that there are too many distractions for the clients because the great stores, including that Apple one that has never heard the word "RECESSION". I was shocked of how many people bought computers, iPhones and IPads during the weekend, out of control, almost like a joke. Also there's a bunch of people that because they are not art shoppers but they are clothing or shoe shoppers they don't get art prices, "so much money" even a 40.00 dlls 6x6 painting seems like an abuse for them, but oh well, that comes with the package.

Lots of traffic but I didn't see the same interest in art like the shows that take place in parks or downtown area. But I can't complain because I made money, my art is safe, already repaired most of the ones that got damaged, Met a designer that I hope she calls me back when she decides what she wants.

Amdur productions staff were amazing helping people that lost their tents setting up again with new tents that they brought from Costco. I asked Amy Amdur for a covered area because I needed the money from a new Costco tent to be invested on a Trim line tent instead. She assigned me a great covered location and I set my pro panels without a problem. All her staff was amazing, especially her guys running all over the place that always have a smile, always ask if there is anything they can help you with and they get things done quick. They had 2 or 3 golf carts to help artists and they were on fire helping everybody. They all set me up again in seconds, helped me to dry my art, to move it, etc etcVery pleased with Amdur Productions and hope to get my new tent soon so I can be ready for my next show in 2 weeks :)

If anyone ever doubted the depth of talent of the artists participating in art festivals around the country, this weekend helped demonstrate it.  This was especially true in the midwest where Ann Arbor with its hundreds and hundreds of artists were baking in the heat of Michigan and another 150 artists were baking in Geneva, IL.  

My cousin and I had never been to Geneva,  it is kind of out of our geographic comfort zone but AFI'er Teresa Dever told us it was one of the best shows around and really not that bad of a drive.  (the participation of a certain John Stillmunks was an added incentive for me because I wanted to check out if he really had those long ears or three noses, depending on which picture he used to identify himself).

The day starts out like the last two, almost pitch black sky, thunder and lightning  in the distance and a promised temperature in the 90's along with a similar number for humidity.  But, weather.com said the skies would clear by 10:15 and if it did rain again, we had a 2-3 hour window of no rain.  We decided to trust the forecast, a 50-50 proposition at best and headed out.  

Not only was this a high quality art festival but a target-rich AFI environment.  In addition to those menitioned, Linda Hobdy was there with  her jewelry, Diane Ferguson was there, with her very talented husband in the booth next door, Karen Seymour-Els and her beautiful enamels and I finally got to meet Donna Sauers.  My cousin bought a wonderful pair of earrings from her.  If I missed anyone, I am sorry, it may be that I don't recognize everyone's names.  

This show is 4 blocks long, not at all unsurmountable and made "be backs" very easy for us, we didn't get lost or forget where someone was.  It was a well-balanced show for the most part.  Most of the pottery was functional more than decorative, there wasn't a lot of glass either but best of all, every third booth was NOT a jeweler.  It was nice not to be overwhelmed by too many jewelers but still have a wonderful selection of quality jewelers.

This was the second show I have been to promoted by EM Events and I am impressed.  The overall quality of both shows (Northbrook is the other) was excellent and there were a lot of artists I hadn't ever seen or hadn't seen in a while so the shows felt very fresh.

Thanks to all the wonderful artists that let me see their work. 

Quick few lines before I pass out, the heat took it out of everyone...we're at the COC Old Saybrook arts and crafts festival, and I can't complain.  I saw more people in the first hour here than all weekend at Hyannis last weekend, and although the quality ran the gamut from those bedeviling BS to a few really high end fine artists, turnout was great on Sunday and people were pulling out their wallets. Did the requisite 10x booth fee, sold originals, and lotsa contacts.  More to follow.  Must rehydrate now.  On to Mystic!

Just back from Ann Arbor and spending a quiet Sunday recovering.  I sent off an "Ann Arbor  report" e-mail to my family and realized it would work as a blog here.  For reference - I'm in the Guild show on State Street and have been there for a long time.  Just bear in mind this report was geared for family.  Hope this makes me worthy of the red dot Connie brought me!

Tuesday - high of 96
Our setup time was noon. We were all psyched up - cooler full of Gatorade, plans to take it slow. Got all unloaded, partially set up, and when our time limit to have the van on the street was up, I continued while Dave went to check in to the hotel. I tried the Gatorade/taking it slow plan, but by the time he got back I was totally drenched in sweat, short of breath, and seeing black spots in front of my eyes. So we shoved everything into the booth, zipped it up and left. I had to stand in a cool shower for a while, then lay on the bed, and then go back in the shower to wash my hair since I didn't have the strength to lift my arms the first time. It was really pitiful!!

Wednesday - high of 96
Woke up totally refreshed. Had to go early to finish setting up. Walked out the door around 7:30 and it felt like walking into an oven. I could hardly breathe. Our booth has shade in the morning, plus it was overcast, yet by the time we finished at 10 we were once again totally drenched. But we had planned ahead and had a change of clothes and had bought more Gatorade. The sun came out strong and it was really brutal. One of us would mind the booth sitting under the sun umbrella and the other one would sit somewhere where there was tree shade. We brought 2 fans and had one going in the booth for the people and the other behind the booth on us. Customers actually came and it was worse for them walking on the hot asphalt. We had some sales, but it was pretty poor - no surprise!

Thursday - high of 99
No overcast - pure bright sun all day. We decided to do half hour shifts. One of us would be at the booth, the other over on the lawn under a tree. We brought a new secret weapon - we wet small towels, froze them, and had them in zip-loks in our cooler. Mmmmmm - refreshing on the neck, face and arms. Surprise - higher sales than the previous day! We get a daily newsletter and it was full of "it's so hot that. . ." jokes.

Friday - a cold snap - high of 91
It did feel a bit better, but very muggy. In the late afternoon a storm came through - not too bad and it didn't last too long and it did cool things off a bit. People came out in the evening and we had a somewhat decent sales day.

Saturday - high of 91
It was supposed to be overcast all day, but instead it was bright sun and felt super hot. I was feeling pretty weird - had to lay on a blanket under a tree for a while. A storm came through but didn't cool things down. Just at packup time another storm came making packing really difficult. Then when we were almost loaded up, of course another storm came and since the booth was mostly down we got totally soaked. BUT, we were packing up happy. We had resigned ourselves to a pretty bad sales year, but on Saturday, for whatever reason, we had really excellent sales. When I added it all up I found that we actually did better than last year! Got home around midnight.

Today - who cares what the temp is - I haven't gone outside!!

Attending the Krasl Art Fair in St. Joseph, MI, last weekend I gave myself a photo assignment: find booths where the artists are not using standardized setups such as Pro Panels and see if I can find some that were designed by the exhibitors. Frankly I had trouble getting good shots -- way too many people in these booths :)

Woodworker Peter Czuk's, booth. He made these interchangeable panels that adapt easily to different sites. I wouldn't like this if there was a storm, but Peter's been in the business a long time and I'm sure he would set them up differently if the weather forecast wasn't so benign. I like also that he can repaint them a new color any time and change the look.

John Gutoskey's mixed media assemblages -- he has the mesh panels on the outside but has used the velcro to add panels that really set off his work. The side walls are white and the accent walls are red.

Jewelry booth of Kara Aubin and Daniel Juzwiak -- I know jewelers are always looking for good ways to display. What I liked about this booth was the different levels of the cases and the shadow boxes on the walls. It felt like a boutique that you wanted to explore.

Fiber work by Ana Petercic - Another case where you could wander around and explore the different parts of her booth. Also, if you notice the gold panels they complement the work, plus have a function with the poles run through the tabs to display the hand painted work.

Wooden orbs from Daniel Keith - nothing manufactured here. Obviously Daniel has an advantage here since he is a fine woodworker, these are all finely milled wood panels. Nice presentation, isn't it?

Lou Michaels' mixed media work. I'm not pleased with this photo -- but basically Lou had this very tall booth with about five pieces of work. It is a standard tent but he had these huge pieces of white fabric covering each wall and doing his best to make the booth look like a gallery. It really worked and the presentation was excellent, no Pro Panels, just plain clean walls.  (The work is bronzes on a shelf attached to vintage photos that replicated the bronzes)

Metalworking by Jon Michael Route - a totally handmade booth, hollow core doors and pedestals that he made -- again paintable for when he wants to change his look.

Digital art by Joy Wallace. Joy told me that many years ago both she and her husband were traveling in one van to shows with two bodies of work so she devised this set up. She bought canvas, gessoed it and then painted it in complementary colors for her work. The panels just roll up and are easy to store and carry. It was very pretty. I have done this also when we needed an extra wall for a special display.

Donald Shelton - metals: clearly a blacksmith and woodworker, Donald made these panels which look great with his work from galvanized metal with weathered wood framing. A most unusual booth with the perfect look for his work.

Leroy Bayerl - Wood: all wood display that Leroy built to showcase his work, note all the levels, which lead the eye from piece to piece

Ceramics by Glynnis Lessing - really pretty display that showcases the work beautifully. All hand made at very little expense. They bought the galvanized pedestals at a nursery and figured that if they didn't make it at the art fairs they would have some nice pots for the garden! Don't you love that picture window (that has an actual screen it it!) that accentuates the view of Lake Michigan?

Candra Boggs - Mixed Media 2D: This work which is created on wood, looked pretty cool in the all wood paneled booth -- not something you'd want to haul around the country, as it would be pretty heavy, but it was a nice presentation.

Brian Jensen paintings - lightweight plywood panels set in metal frames. Brian said the metal frames are really easy and inexpensive. He designed them and had a welder put them together. He can paint the panels to work with his color palette.

But I am admitting that this display on Pro Panels was quite nice - photography by Chris Dahlquist

Do you have a booth that you have made yourself? I'd love to see it. Post it below.

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Today I was reading how one artists was planning to keep herself cool at her next art show.  I think this could be a very timely topic as we are in the midst of a large heat wave.  What do you to keep keep cool?  What tricks work for you?  Have you ever had a heat stroke at a show?  Did you have to leave the show and go to the hospital?  I think this is a great time to share a few of your secrets to help artists who may be starting out and haven't given much thought to this topic.  Please post some of your cooling tricks. 

Jacki B

If you live in the midwest, or anywhere near Michigan, you want to do the Ann Arbor Art Fair.  The show is huge, the crowds are huge, and an artist's sales can be huge.  The show opened today and you can read what CBS Detroit had to say about the anticipation of the start of the show:

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/07/19/ann-arbor-art-fair-opens-wednesday/

Are there any Art Fair Insiders doing the 2011 show this year?

Hi Everyone! I've been lurking for a long time so I thought it was about time to earn my keep around here. Sorry there won't be any pictures. I was actually too busy all three days to take any!

Ok, here's the meat-

Artscape is a 3 days arts festival in Baltimore, MD. This year it fell July 15, 16, & 17. It is the largest outdoor free festival in the country. The organizers claim that 300,000 people attend over the 3 days and I wouldn't argue because I think I spoke to all of them. It's mobbed from 12pm-10pm Fri & Sat, 12-8pm on Sunday and seriously, I mean MOBBED.

Booths start at $500 and for that you get a 10x10 space under large festival tents + electricity. Some tents are 10x20, some 16x56 so you need to bring a frame to define your space. You can set up as early as Thursday afternoon and this definitely makes it easier. They change the layout of the festival every year but usually about 50 of the artists booths are lined up Mt Royal Ave. This street is divided by a large island and with the tents in the road you can't always pull up right in front of your space to unload, but I've never had to park more than 100' away. It's easy to dolly over. I think the other half of the booths have room to pull right up front but I could be wrong.

I got there on Thursday, checked in, got my welcome bag (1 warm bottle of water & a magazine about Baltimore), took my time setting up the display, then came back early on Friday to put out the jewelry. Traditionally this weekend is very hot, usually mid 90s with very high humidity, but this year we were spared! 80s with low humidity, hotter on Sunday but not by much. I was comfortable in my tent with a single fan. Friday and Saturday you have to pay for garage parking which will run $10-$20 depending on where you park. Sunday you can park for free about 5 blocks away.

Officially the show opens at 12 on Friday but my first sale was around 11am. Friday is a little slower than the weekend with the most people showing up after work. The crowd is extremely diverse. If you enjoy people watching this is the show for you. Baltimore is a crazy town and the crazies do come out. What I saw-- old women in bikinis & daisy dukes, old men dressed as gladiators (leather strappy things & bare chests!), lots of girls wearing very short butt-hanging-out rompers & wedge heels, 2 guys who would let you staple (yes, staple!) $1 to their bodies, a woman wearing a bird cage on here back with a parakeet inside, many tripping teenagers/20 somethings, piercings galore, tattoos of course, etc . But there are plenty of people who are shopping. I would say the funkier your work the better it will do at this show unless you already have a large customer base in the area. The majority of the jewelry I sell is under $60 but at this show I sell a lot. In the past people would buy 3-4 pieces, this year about 90% of my sales were single pieces. I sold less jewelry to more people so it made it seem like I was busier than I really was. Does that make sense?

Because of the crowds and the area theft is often a problem. If you do this show you have to have at least one other person helping you. There are no booth sitters and no one will really ever check on you so be sure to bring everything you need. There is a large police presence but you will be hard pressed to find an Artscape person to help you. The best help you will get will be from your neighbors. They usually put us veterans in tents with the newbies. The most annoying thing about that this year is the artists in the 16x56' tents are supposed to pull back to the curb leaving 6' in front of their display so people can walk down the aisle under the tent. I made sure my neighbor did this, then EVERY OTHER ARTIST in every other big tent pulled out to the front and no one made them move back, so I seemed like a jerk. I've done the show for 4 years and we've never been allowed to pull out but this year no one took charge. Oh well.

Back to the details-

as well as 100 10x10 artists booths there are also 50 (I think) 5x10' DIY booths, and 3 stages of music. Depending on where your booth is it can be very loud. The first year I was midway between the "urban" stage and "dj" stage. I thought I was going to die from the bass. It was also the year I made the most $. Go figure. There are also art installations, art cars, 2 kids areas, one sponsored by Target, one by lunchables. There are a lot of corporate sponsors, some are near artist's tents and can be very annoying. We had balloon bouquets at the end of our tent and it wouldn't have been an issue if there were very loud POPS every 15mins or so. There is a ton of food, but there is also a ton of beer and liquor. I don't remember hard alcohol being sold in the past but this year there were margaritas, lemonade w/vodka & some drink being served in a coconut carved to look like a head. Be prepared to have something spilled in your booth/on your display at least 1 time during the show.

Load out is a free for all and can be difficult to get your car in. They don't do a good job of clearing out the crowd so you also have to be very careful not to leave anything unattended.

Artscape is the most difficult show I do but it is also the one that is the most lucrative. And I think it's the only one where people ask to have their picture taken with you. I always feel like a rockstar here. It is a 3 day outdoor party that just happens to also have artists. And plenty of BS that somehow gets past the jury. I don't know if I would ever recommend it to anyone. I got back today and I'm sore, exhausted, hoarse from talking, and happy to have survived another year. And while I swear every year I will never do this show again, when it comes time to apply I send my best picture and keep my fingers crossed.

I must be crazy.

I thought I'd share with everyone something that nobody but the artist gets to see when creating marquetry (wood inlay) artwork... the way the picture magically changes when you apply the first coat of finish.

The video is included below...

Background info: My work is made of hand cut pieces of different exotic woods from around the world fit together to form a picture. There is no stain or dye used... I use only the natural wood colors and grain patterns. The true art of marquetry is to use those unusual grain patterns to look like the part of the picture it represents. If you can get the wood grain to look just like sky, water, sand, grass or leaves then the picture truely comes to life.

The wood's apperance drastically changes once a clear coat of finish is applied, as you can see in this video...

 (after you start it, hit the button in the lower right corner to make it full screen, then hit the "esc" button on the keyboard when it is done to go back to normal)

I always thought that it was a shame that I was the only one who got to see this exciting aspect to creating artwork from wood. So, once I started doing commission work, I thought it would be a nice touch to record that moment and give the client the DVD for them to enjoy. They have responded very positively to it. And, I'm glad I have this record for myself of these fleeting moments.

Here is another, if you are interested....

Let me know if you enjoyed the magic...

Charles Bingham

Although this show has been going for 37 years, it is our first time attending the show. It is organized by the local Art Museum, which is located directly across the street. The show was reorganized this year, with the booths being placed around the perimeter of park. This made loading and unloading very easy. We were on the side street, which is narrow, just wide enough for 2 cars (works for me!). They are very accommodating to the artists, with easy parking and signs at the food booths asking people to let artists go first in the lines, so they can get back to their booths.

The booths are very roomy. Plenty of space between the 85 exhibitors and yet close enough for attendees to walk the entire show. There does seem to be room for expansion in this show. The quality is good, although it is the same weekend as a larger show in Koehler WI, which probably cuts into the number of artists who come to this show. It is timed 2 weeks prior to an other good show in neighboring Appleton, WI. This offered attendees a chance to look at art, go home, think about it and (hopefully) buy it at the Appleton Show. There are plenty of volunteers to help you, if you need it.

It was VERY hot, with heat-indexes over 100 degrees. We had a beautiful view from your booth and a little breeze, which made the heat a little more bearable. The show opens at 10:00, but people were checking out the show by 9:30---wanting to "beat the heat". It was slower in the afternoon. I think the heat did affect traffic. I has a couple of ladies come back to my booth who said, they were not going to come back because of the heat, but really wanted to so do. Overall, its a nice show.

Ever notice how some shows get labelled for reasons that are not entirely under human control?  Well this show is turning out to be a hellish show to do and attend.  This is entirely because of the weather.  Temps in the 90's, no clouds and very little breeze did not make for a fun time.  This happened last year also. 

This is really a pity because there was some great art at this festival.  There were artists I hadn't seen in several years and some I had never seen before.  I love when that happens.  

I'll let the AFI'ers that actually worked at this festival tell Nels and everyone else about load-in/out, amenities, etcetera.  I have other things to discuss.

I understand that artists are trying to hit a wide variety of price points  so they can attract all customers but if you jury in under one category, bringing something else into your booth that will be a lower price point (cough, jewelry, cough) just doesn't seem fair to the other artists.   At the same time, promoters are being hit with either not enough applications for their shows or artists are canceling more than before due to the economic situation.  This means that artists that would not have ordinarily gotten into a show, are getting in to fill up the spaces.  I saw jewelry that I could have made in 5 minutes with beads I bought at Michaels.  I saw other things that were of poor quality when seen close up.

I got to see Carla Bank before she melted, Diane Ferguson wowed my friend with her jewelry and I finally got to meet Bo Mackinson and see her wonderful photography.  (Bo-the guy across from you sold 4 climbing people in a matter of 10 minutes after I saw you.)

Maybe next year the weather will be a little more temperate so everyone can have a great time at what is a very nice show.

ArtFairCalendar.com/featured artist 

You'll enjoy meeting Nancy, seeing her work and hearing her stories. Next show:
      July 20-23 - State Street Area Art Fair - Ann Arbor, MI

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Just in case you didn't know the art fair business reaches its zenith next week with the presentation of the Ann Arbor Art Fairs - July 20-23. This is really four sanctioned "official" shows, but in actuality it also encompasses just about every square inch of downtown Ann Arbor with "vendors", as the merchants cash in on the popularity of this annual rite of summer by selling storefonts, front yards, and spaces behind fences and parking lots. Around 500,000 people don their walking shoes, slather on sunblock and wear UVB protective clothing to view, purchase and have fun on the streets of the city and the University of Michigan campus.

Do we love this show in Michigan? Oh, yes, we do. Busloads of people also come in from Indianapolis, Chicago, Fort Wayne and Cleveland, and who knows where else. It was always our strongest selling show. We'd come back from Des Moines and Cherry Creek with big smiles and we'd do even better at Ann Arbor. I'm not going to pretend it is the powerhouse selling show it was in years past, but worth a glance at the very least.

Here is what I'm seeing in the press:

Preview: Downtown Ann Arbor retailers, restaurants plan price cuts, menu changes for Ann Arbor Art Fair --- Ann Arbor restaurateurs and retailers agree that the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair represents a major opportunity to generate sales — but actually convincing customers to make a purchase requires a defined strategy.... from AnnArbor..com

Townie Street Party offering locals an evening of free music and art activities --- Although thousands of Ann Arbor Art Fair visitors will soon take over the streets downtown, and surrounding U-M’s central campus, locals can stake their own territorial claim on Monday night, when the seventh annual Townie Street Party happens on East Washington Street...  from AnnArbor.com -- This little baby is hosted by the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair so the locals won't feel left out when the shoppers come to town.

And here's a very well written story from PureMichigan.org:

During the school year, the streets of Ann Arbor are filled with coeds, football fans and wolverines. But in the summer time, the streets open up to those enjoying a Michigan summer in a special place. A place that reminds some of the East Coast or perhaps an oasis in a state that is so diverse that no one city...

and when they run out of things to talk about they talk about the weather: