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I spent the first five years of my full time drawing career exhibiting at craft shows.  I didn't have a display for nicer shows and they were the first ones I found.  I still exhibit at some nearby craft shows (Step by Step Productions craft shows are worthwhile in the Chicago area... they are heavily advertised, well attended).  So I decided to give the Lill Street Craft Fair - a new artist section in conjunction with The Taste of Lincoln Ave.  Most of my images sell best in Chicago, so I'm trying to start venturing downtown more often.  The fest was PACKED with mostly 20-something alcohol swilling partiers.  Not exactly my target market.  There was no sign pointing to our short, shady street of artists and only the more sober or shade-seeking attendees wandered down our way.  Many of my greeting cards seemed to be disappearing on their own, probably during extended conversations with friendly drunks.  If they improve the signage next year, it could be well worth doing.  At $275, the price was low for a Chicago event.  Set up was easy, parking was horrendous - definitely locate the parking garage suggested by the promoters.  I'd suggest paying extra for electricity, there were lots of shoppers after dusk and only those with electricity were being visited.  Tear down was a bit of a mess.  If you waited till after 9 pm, you could drive right up to your booth, but most tired artists carted their stuff away. 

I haven't been very good about posting show reviews, but an incident prompted me to write about this one.  I would like your opinion about displaying on side walls.  At this particular event, we were snuggled up every ten feet like sardines.  I always pray that I'll have some room to display my work on the side walls of my tent.  No such luck this time.  Because of the heat, my very strange, negative jewelry neighbor took her entire tent down.  "Finally," I thought, "some room to hang on the side."  Crabby jewelry neighbor had first taped her signage to my vinyl side wall.  When I took that down, she taped her sign to my mesh display wall.  I told her I was going to hang a picture and that she should move her sign (that she taped to my tent without asking).  She immediately became bristly and said that people would think that the work was hers and it would cause problems for her.  Granted the attendees were imbibing, but would they really be clueless enough to think a jeweler would have a random pencil drawing hanging on the next person's tent?  She was quite nasty about it.  If she had been kind in the slightest, as I had been to her the whole time, I might have skipped hanging it.  But I did anyway and she carefully crafted a sign with bold letters disowning the picture with arrows pointing to it stating, "This is NOT my work, don't ask me about it."  So... is it rude to hang work on your own tent when it faces the display area of your neighbor?  And a lesson... be kind to your artist neighbors.  We're all fighting for crumbs.  I bought work from the WONDERFUL jeweler on the other side of me and bartered with the sweet pottery artists on the other side of Ms Crabby Pants (who were making sympathetic faces at me about said crabster.)  Three surrounding artists were all taken aback by the negativity and nastiness of this jeweler.  Customers all asked me about the sign, and sober and drunk patrons alike asked, "What's with her?"  But regardless of the mood or the personality of my neighbor, was it wrong of my to hang work on my own tent on the outside walls?

After describing my experience with Central PA last week I've gotten some very good input from others on this site and one of the most frequent suggestions was to seek the advice/opinion of others who have done a particular show or may know far more about the show than I.  So, I'm about to test this strange, new theory!

First, my work is with wood and some have referred to it as art but I have a problem with that description and think it would more accurately fall under the category of fine-crafts.  When I do the Bayou Festival in Houston they put me in Functional Art.  I have price points from $38.00 to $200.00 so, there is something there for the person who doesn't want to spend much money and something for the person who doesn't mind shelling out $200 for a wooden container.

I have been accepted into two upcoming shows that are large shows, highly rated and both lean toward the craft side.  One is The Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles, MO in August and the other is the Frankfort Fall Festival in Frankfort, IL in Sept.

After CPFA, I've become gun-shy and would cancel the above if I thought there was a likelihood of having another one of those.

So, any suggestions, opinions, comments, etc. would be most appreciated.  Finally, there is a third show that I considered applying to and realize I quite possibly wouldn't have a chance of getting into. However, from all I can gather it's an outstanding show.  That, coupled with the challenge of just finding out whether or not I could get in and the fact that I love the State of Virginia causes me to be highly tempted to apply.  It's the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival in Reston in May.  Of course I could answer the question of whether or not I could get in and all it would cost is the app. fee.  But, if I were accepted, it would be difficult to resist going.

Connie, does this sort of thinking fall within the bounds of your comment regarding simply having the urge to hit the road again? Visit Virginia again etc.?

Thanks to anyone and everyone for any comments on the above.

I'm all set up for this weekend's show at the Chase Center in Wilmington, DE.  I'm space #132 in the lobby and will be demonstrating bead weaving and bead embroidery throughout the weekend.  Stop on out to say Hi if you're in the area.  It's all inside and very coooooool!

Megan

Do you live in Las Vegas?  Here is an opportunity you may not want to pass up.  This could be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity for you if you live in Las Vegas.   Your work could be on display in the Luxor!  Check out the project description below:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

There are 3 alcoves in Luxor Hotel and Casino that serve as a place to present temporary public art works by Las Vegas artists. The alcoves are located in the main front desk area, which services needs such as check-in, guest relations and bell services. This area is where both thousands of international and domestic guests first encounter the hotel. The Luxor Front desk alcove paintings will be a unique exposé of artwork that embodies the commitment to local arts. Luxor believes there is a great opportunity to create extraordinary art for this space to be appreciated by guests from around the world and valued by the community.

Does this sound like something you might be interested in?  The deadline to apply is September 1, 2011.  You will find all the information you need at the link below:

http://luxor.com/call_for_artists/

The Luxor will be hiring an artist or an artist team to provide temporary artwork for three display areas in the Hotel and Casino.  That artist might as well be you!

 This was the second year for the Blue Water Festival, and my second year. The previous year it was on Quay Street, a smaller and narrower street. It was a great move to move on to Huron Street. Much more Space and it seemed to draw more people who where interested in Art. The Crowd was looking at the Art, which the previous year not so much. It seemed to be more people about than the previous year even though it did get really sparse on Saturday afternoon when the boats had all left.  Connie you are doing a great job of building this event and I know that a lot of the time you get more complaints than Thank You's.  So here is a Thank You and Keep Building this event, its a hard one but I know you can do it. Port Huron has really been hit hard by the economy ( a lot of closed stores on main street) but we have to start somewhere to rebuild.

Thanks Again. Good Luck. and See ya Down the Road.

Lanora Hartway

Lanora Hartway Photography  

Off to Ann Arbor last week in the 100 degree heat, but we're tough, aren't we? We know how to dress and be prepared for all kinds of weather. I visited all of Main Street and Liberty up to State after arriving at 5 pm. Met friends for dinner, got lots of cold water bottles handed to me (many thanks to Nels Johnson, my first rescuer), met many of the members here (hello to Ray Mosteller), passed out Red Dots, gathered "yesses" from artists doing Arts, Beats & Eats on our promotion program.

Jody Depew McLeane with her pastel drawings in the Street Art Fair

Next year I'll bring a little camcorder and do some videos. The show closed and I was still going strong so went out to the Old Town Bar with old friends Jim Reinert, Mike and Karen Baum, Don and Dawn Shurlow and Jerry Davis.

Up early on Thursday and at the show before opening. Passed out postcards for ABE to Nancy Strailey (thanks to Mike Strailey for the cappucino), Jean-Claude Louis, Mary Cody and Xavier Nuez. Did lots of visiting on North University, all around Ingalls Mall in the Street Fair (a pleasure to meet you Michael Wommack) and visit with Patricia McCleery. Then down State Street to see Jim Parker, Jon Hecker, Bonnie Blandford and many others, members on this site. 

So many great visits with old friends including Larry Oliverson, Jim and Kathy Eaton, David Bigelow, Scott Coleman (who we met at our very first art fair in 1978!). Said a very tearful goodbye to Rick Preston and Barbara Bate. Rick is a fine photographer leaving the business after 40 years. They will really be missed in their swing through the Midwest every year. Best wishes to you both.

A friend, who will remain nameless, said that the sales were "pokey." The rules were being enforced in the Street Fair. Mo Riley, Street Art Fair Director, removed a person with reproductions, no repros allowed in that show.

I encountered Mo last Thursday as she was trying to get a bottle of water from the non-profit booth run by the Boy Scouts in her area of the show. They turned her down, having to idea who she was. We had a good laugh over this. It's pretty funny when the show director can't get a bottle of water in her own art fair.

Vintage photo: Ann Arbor on Main Street - 2005

Want some extensive reviews with art fair patrons and artists?This is an excellent link for some videos. Also, listen to an interview Mo Riley. http://americajr.com/entertainment/artfairs/2011/annarborreview0727.html

Ready for a good laugh? I found this online "Art Fair Rage Syndrome." Hey, a  new diagnosis?

http://markmaynard.com/?p=14782

This is a huge event. People love it and they hate it. Artists make big piles of money and they make none. It is crowded and it is sparse. It is overrated and it is underrated (well, not too sure about that one). My take is that it really is too large. All those booths sprawling around the State Street area are really dead zones for artists.  State Street Merchants I beg of you to go back to your original plan: Liberty, North U., Maynard and around the corner on William. Those additional booths on Maynard past William and the booths south of Maynard, plus the Thompson booths are really not fair selling spaces.  I know it will really hurt your pocketbook but it may be the salvation of the whole event.

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October 14-16
Suburban Collection Showplace
Novi, Michigan
200 artists
Deadline: August 2

www.GreatLakesArtFair.com/artistapply.html

We use for our online applications.

Visit the website for more info: www.greatlakesartfair.com

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Frozen Ember is an unique online art community where you can buy and sell your handmade works of art and connect to the art community. Come support your local artists and get your work out there! We are currently looking for artists to join our community. Sign up now to get 2 full months of free unlimited listings. Spread the word. You have nothing to lose!

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Come on Barry, Marquette is not that big.  How long are you gonna stroll around the place?  Without bumping into Rona and Patrick.

You said you were going to write a blog about Ann Arbor.  I can't hold my breath much longer.

Getting "lessly breathful."  Pony up, pardna.

Tho I have stepped back from the grind this year, I did want to do at least one show and was fortunate to have been asked to do my favorite (for the scene,vibe, the the money is OK) at Crested Butte.The last few years I have done a blog or two (Inspired in no small way by Nels and the like) to give a real view of the show, it's people, and the experience.

They liked what I did, and asked me to do a photojournalistic thing this year.And they gave me a minion to help, so it's gonna be fun to work the show from both sides of the tent.

We have all been asked questions, interviewed by the local TV, independent film makers, art students and the guy in the flowered shirt, shorts, black socks, flip up shades and the camera around his neck ( Nels incognito?). We know what not to ask (is this Photoshopped? Is this your work? What is your inspiration? Is this Photoshopped? Is this digital?Yadda, Yadda).

So help me out a bit.I need ice breakers and don't want to come off like my friend with the flip up shades.

What questions hit home with you? As a photograher I am purely, instantly emotionally wired in to what I do, as well as how I see others work. No cerebral art school interpretations to make the professor happy. I would love to her a heartfelt story, or simply directions there. If you are at Crested, a chance for immortality!

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.