Blog

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is a very well run show. Attendance is high all three days, but the type of audience varies significantly over the weekend. Monday's crowd consisted mainly of tire-kickers, strollers and museum-viewers. Sunday was my best day, although the serious buyers were out early on Saturday morning. Sales for higher-end work seemed strong in our section of the show all three days, however. I was on Pan American Drive, almost at the end of the show. Traffic was slower than on Bayshore, but I still had a booth full of people until about 4PM every day. After that, it tapered off. We did have our share of fun people, including this guy who wandered in off the street.

Communication is generally good, although load-in instructions were vague. There were no instructions on how to actually reach the load-in entrance most appropriate to your booth included in the packet, just general instructions on a Google map on how to reach Coconut Grove. The load-in instructions specifically stated that no booth setup was allowed before 3PM, yet when we arrived at 3PM, it seemed like half the show was set up already. We drove around a bit before finding the right parking lot entrance. And I'm familiar with the Grove -- for artists that had never been in that area, it would have been a nightmare. Traffic in the area is very heavy, especially after they close Bayshore Drive. Expect to wait a bit. Patience will be rewarded.

Artist treatment is very good. There were many volunteers available to booth sit, and the zone captains were on hand to make sure that logistics ran smoothly. Security is great -- the show is fenced on the perimeter to allow them to collect the $10 gate fee, and it's locked up tight as a drum at night. Never had a worry about my work being safe in the tent overnight. They have a terrific hospitality area, with breakfast every day, and a nice artist awards dinner on Sunday night. They give you tickets for lunch too, but only one per booth, so if you have a spouse or a partner, you end up sharing the food. Which is decent. We had rice and beans, chicken, a bit of salad, and plantains every day. Plus a little sandwich. Enough to keep you going without having to resort to arepas, hot dogs or slushies. No free tequila, however. Boo.

The booth fee is higher than many shows. At $800, I suspect that it covers not only the venue, but also the labor costs involved in mounting the show, as well as an extensive ad campaign. There are many volunteers, good security at the entrances, and security 24/7 during the event. I even saw a volunteer on the street directing artists to the well-hidden artist dinner venue at the Atrium. Well-done, volunteers! And the artists have their own air-conditioned trailer potties, near the convention center. Bonus! And the free t-shirt was also a nice extra.

Patron traffic is very high, but the percentage of buyers on the low end was much lower than I expected. I made one really good sale, which helped to cover my expenses for the weekend, but overall, I was expecting better sales based on the reputation and the high booth fee. I did not sell a ton of bin prints, like I expected. Many of the artists near me did well, however, including two painters and a sculptor with larger work. Of course my work is less focussed on tropical themes, and here that does make a huge difference.

Reserved parking for artists at the expo center lot as well as at Lot 67, next to Pan American Drive. At $30 a space, this is a bargain. Thank you Coconut Grove, for providing affordable parking for trucks, trailers and vans. There seemed to be enough spots for everyone's trailer and van, too.

All in all, a great experience. The show was above my expectations for the artist treatment, weather and logistics. Sales were just average for me, but many of the folks around me went home very happy. The painter next to me made a great sale after closing on Monday night, and our friends up the road also had a good show. Others did not fare so well. I heard the usual rumors of zero sales, slow sales, no sales. I know I was expecting more sales than I had.

One artist did bail on Monday afternoon -- packed up, dollied out around 2:30. The show sent a golf cart down to block his vacant spot, as patrons were walking through the booth behind to get to the other side. (I think there's a chicken joke in there somewhere). Don't think he'll get invited back again.

Coconut Grove is a difficult area to navigate, and the police, security detail and show organizers did a fantastic job of getting everyone in and out of the show. The quality of the art is very, very good. The show is well-run, well-organized and deserving of its reputation. We made some new friends and connected with old friends. I'd be happy to do the show again. Four stars.

June 10, 11 & 12
Peculiar, Missouri
Friday 5pm-10 pm
Saturday  10am-10pm
Sunday  12pm-4pm
Deadline:   April 15


The Clara Brierly Festival of the Arts is held in downtown Peculiar, MO, a twenty minute drive from Kansas City.  The three day outdoor festival is in its third year.  There is live entertainment throughout festival, and at both ends of the street.  The stage talent, wine tasting, talent show and other events are all strategically timed to ensure sustained foot traffic.  



The festival is sponsored by the Downtown Peculiar Arts &  Culture District and has ongoing art workshops and demonstrations.

There is also a run/walk event which finishes at the festival.  There is an air-conditioned tent available for cooling off, and an artists' breakfast is provided on Sunday.
 
Reasons you should consider the Clara Brierly Festival of the Arts:
    •    Our reputation is important.  Eighty percent of
          our artists return each year.
    •    The jury process is very selective in order to be
          sure to have a good mix of mediums and styles and that those are of a high quality.
    •    The hosts of this art festival are a non profit organization dedicated to small town revitalization
          through a well planned arts and culture district and artist outreach.  Making sure artists are
          successful is the keystone of our mission.
    •    Publicity in newspapers throughout Missouri and Kansas, as well as radio, TV, and online social
          networks and media outlets.
    •    Booth fees are very reasonable.

How is this art fair peculiar?  Our overall vision of a small town artist community is growing and developing.  We are extremely active in state and local art and tourism organizations, and a very dedicated and invested group of visionaries.  This is evident in the way we develop our events and by the manner in which we treat artists.
 
Learn more:www.downtownpeculiar.com/clara_brierly 


Artists can visit the website to download the application: www.downtownpeculiar.com/downloads/2011_Clara_Brierly_Festival_Booth_application.pdf 


Or apply online at: http://www.zapplication.com

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Still working on filling up your 2011 show schedule? Visit www.CallsforArtists.com, new events added regularly

While I wish I could be in Florida and places further south selling at art fairs, but alas I am one of those people waiting for the Spring fair season to kick off here in the Mid-Atlantic.  I can't wait for Spring temperatures, Spring flowers, and yes, Spring art fairs. 

Each year I convince myself to not sign up for Spring shows as quite often they don't pan out profit wise.  And this year, I am not listening to myself.  My gut is saying "you choose to not do shows - granted I didn't have a whole lot of money for booth rent last year as I do this year - and what happened???  Missed opportunities is what!"  This year I have signed up for a few local Spring fairs from April - June and now just biding my time.  I chose local because I want to simply keep my costs low - little to no travel expenses (except gas) to try and maximize profits.  The other reason is I push the buy local initiative for craft business to try and get more repeat customers.  I am concerned that if some people learn I am local they may use it as a cop out and say they could just buy it any time - there's no rush to buy now, but always have a counter comment at the ready in case that happens to calm those concerns.  Another thing I intend to do with Spring shows is push newer work and use better signage - granted all the signs in the world still won't make customers read (who choose to ignore them) I am finding a quick sentence description or phrase (Ex:  "New this year") gets people to open up and explore more nooks and crannies in my booth.

So, my question to all is what are you all doing to welcome Spring and most importantly earn BIG SALES at Spring shows?

It's been interesting my first year in Florida learning about what shows to do and what shows not to do.  I decided to do this show versus the Coconut Grove, Artigras, because the Orlando area has been good for sales to me, and I was not disappointed with this show.  This is a two-day show that runs from 11-6 on Saturday and Sunday, and is set up around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.  It's a beautiful lake and the community around the area is an older area of well kept homes.  The weather was wonderful with temperatures in the upper 70's to low 80's. 

Set up for the show was easy, and I was able to park my one ton dually and trailer for free only a block and a half away from my booth on both days.  I did notice that a number of people on Saturday parked in no parking zones and at meters without paying, and a meter maid was doing double duty photographing vehicles and writing tickets.  Ouch. The show had fresh coffee, muffins, and apples for us on both days.  This was not grocery store items but from the Panera Bread bakery down the street.

This show was packed by any measure.   Anytime I looked from my booth into the isle, I counted from one to fifteen people.  This was pretty much all day Saturday and Sunday until around 4:30, but I was competing with the 70's light rock group Ambrosia.  Enough about the entertainment.  Let's talk about the money.

I'd estimate that 60-70% of the show had some pretty nice art work. I did see a number of larger items traveling by my booth and when I'd take a run to the break room.  Sales were pretty spotty for the booths in my area.  The photographer, she had some nice work, did zilch.  A jeweler across from me told me he did around 600.  In both their cases they were pretty new to shows and could use some display help.  The jeweler had a table with his bracelets out and would change his hand-written price tags depending how he felt for that hour.  I'm not kidding.  He changed his prices four times on Sunday!

I also sold a number of smaller items and two upper items so I hit my goal of 10 times my booth fee.  Additionally, I was honored to receive a blue ribbon and an envelope with a very nice amount of cash in it!  All in all, it was the right choice for me on this weekend.

One word of warning.  Book your room early.  I had a reservation and the motel had way overbooked and there online reservation was still booking rooms that didn't exist.  I called around 20 other places within a 20 mile radius and no luckola.  So I did what any true artist would do.  I found a Mexican restaurant and had a number of jumbo margaritas and fell asleep in my truck.  See you all down the road!

ARTPRIZE 2011  REGISTRATION DATES ANNOUNCED

Grand Rapids, Mich. - Feb. 11, 2011 - Officials of ArtPrize, a radically open art competition giving away the world's largest art prize, announced 2011 registration dates for venues and artists, and special dates for submitting art to go within the Grand River.

There was much discussion about ArtPrize on this site last fall - in fact the winner of the $250,000 grand prize is a man who participates in art fairs. Could this be your chance? Start thinking now!

ArtPrize 2011 will run from Sept. 21 through Oct. 9.

KEY DATES
Venue Registration
Open: Monday, March 14, 2011
Close: Thursday April 14 (5 p.m. EDT)

Artist Registration
Open: Monday, April 18
Close: Thursday, June 16 (5 p.m. EDT)

Artist/Venue Matching
Open: Tuesday, May 31
Close: Thursday, June 30 (5 p.m. EDT)

REGISTER EARLY
Artists will know all possible venues available by the time artist registration opens. Most artists that did not secure a venue in 2010 signed up at the last minute, after many venues had secured their artists. Organizers advise artists to register early.


ART IN THE RIVER
Any art proposed for installation within the Grand River, which runs through the heart of the ArtPrize District, must be submitted to the City of Grand Rapids and Department of Natural Resources and Environment. This process has separate deadlines and requirements.

Pre-application filed with the City
Monday, March 28, 2011

Application filed with the DNRE
Friday, April 8

(The DNRE will process the application using the following steps)
Public Notice Period Begins: Fri. April 22
Public Notice Period Ends: Fri. May 13
Public Hearing, if requested: Fri. June 10
Required Time for Comments: Mon. June 20
Permit Decision
Wednesday, June 29

    "This two-step process allows the City to review proposed work to ensure that there is artistic quality and structural integrity to the proposed installations," said José Reyna Fiscal Services Manager for the City of Grand Rapids. "The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNR) application will review the proposed installations in the context of environmental, structural, and navigability impact to the river."

EXHIBITION CENTERS RETURN
As in 2010, ArtPrize will partner with institutions like the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and others to form large neighborhood destinations where visitors can launch into surrounding venues. These Exhibition Centers will be professionally managed and bring a minimum of 25 installations to one site and serve as a launchpad into the surrounding neighborhood. Each will offer voter registration, an ArtPrize gift shop, and the ArtPrize shuttle stops. Exact locations of the Exhibition Centers are still being determined.

In ArtPrize 2010, Chris LaPorte of Grand Rapids, MI captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Cavalry, American Officers, 1921. In ArtPrize 2009, Ran Ortner of Brooklyn, N.Y. captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Open Water No. 24.
Sign up for announcements on blog.artprize.org.

Learn more about ArtPrize on artprize.org.

About ArtPrize
ArtPrize is a radically open competition which has no formal jury, curator or judge, and asks the public to vote and decide the winners using mobile devices and the Web. In ArtPrize 2010, more than 1,700 artists from all over the world participated in the unprecedented competition that awarded nearly $500,000 to the prize winners. More than 465,000 votes were cast during the 19-day event. For more information about ArtPrize visit http://artprize.org.
Sincerely,
The ArtPrize Team

I am hoping to get into my first show next fall.  I live in Ft. Myers and like to photograph old signs, weathered paint, rusty metal, old warehouses, abandoned structures, old colorful neighborhoods and business districts, etc.  Were do I go in Florida to find what I am looking for?  Everything around here is new.

Or subtitled - why I have a Jeep.

I found this link in my travels on the web and thought it very intriguing. 

http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0303/dw0303-1.html

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

You can apply online right now for the Guild's 2011 spring and summer shows. The Guild's fair applications can be found at www.juriedartservices.com and are open through midnight EST on February 28, 2011.
 

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

1.  May 14 & 15 - 30th Annual Art Birmingham

Held in Birmingham, Michigan, in the heart of affluent Oakland County.

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

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

                   Apply: www.juriedartservices.com

P.S. Many reviews on this show at ArtFairInsiders.com, search for "Birmingham" in the Show Reports.

2.  June 11 & 12  - 6th Annual Crocker Park Art Fair

Crocker Park, in Westlake, Ohio, will host the 6th Annual Crocker Park Fine Art Fair in June. The event will feature 130 juried fine art and fine craft artists. Admission is free, as well as parking for both fairgoers and artists. The fair is Crocker Park's most respected and best attended event; more than 100,000 fairgoers attend each year. 
 
A popular destination, Crocker Park is the $400 million innovative outdoor lifestyle complex just 12 miles from Cleveland. It features a sophisticated mix of national retailers and eclectic local favorites plus restaurants, cafes, a multi-screen movie theater, beautiful luxury apartments and office space - all together in a congenial neighborhood of parks and tree-lined streets. Crocker Park is an extremely popular destination for families of all ages. Community support for the complex and its events is excellent and growing.
 
Event advertising will be featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Jewish News, Westlife and the Crocker Park Press. Print advertising will be supplemented with radio advertising on WCLV, WCPN, WMJI and WDOK.
 
Apply: www.juriedartservices.com

3.  July 20-23 - 42nd Annual Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

The Guild's flagship event, started in the heyday of the art fair startups, continues its popularity with artists and fairgoers alike.

The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair is one of four official partner fairs that comprise the award-winning and highly respected Ann Arbor Art Fair. More than 600,000 people attend the event each year. The Summer Art Fair is located in the heart of Ann Arbor stretching from its charming downtown to the campus of University of Michigan. 
 
The Summer Art Fair has 375 artist booths. It consistently appears in Sunshine Artist Magazine's annual best shows listing and was recently named to the top 25 shows in sales by Art Fair SourceBook.
 
The Ann Arbor event receives exceptional media attention and is covered not only by local and regional media, but consistently gains the attention of media throughout the Midwest and beyond. You think you are part of the art fair business? Not until you've participated in this important rite!
 
Apply: www.juriedartservices.com

4.  August 20 & 21 - 7th Annual Levis Commons Art Fair

Held on the streets surrounding this popular shopping destination in an upscale area outside of Toledo, Ohio, the Town Center at Levis Commons, a unique "open-air lifestyle experience,"  features sophisticated shopping, superb dining and entertainment and is located in lovely Perrysburg, Ohio. It's the perfect setting for an exceptional art fair. Parking and admission are free. The event features 130 artists.  More than 35,000 fairgoers attend each year.
 
Event advertising will be featured in daily and community newspapers and magazines, including the Toledo Blade, the Toledo City Paper, the Toledo Free Press, Perrysburg Messenger Journal and more.  Print advertising will be supplemented with radio advertising. The number one radio station in the Toledo area, K100, has been and continues to be the major media partner for the event. 

Apply:  www.juriedartservices.com

5.  September 17 & 18 - 4th Annual Crocker Park Fall Arts Fest

Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio, hosts the 4th Annual Crocker Park Fall Arts Fest, September 17 - 18.

The event celebrates the change of season with art, music and dance. The focus of the event will be 99 juried artist booths on Crocker Park's Main Street, its elegant central avenue. Parking and admission are free. Community support for the complex's events is excellent and growing. Exhibitors can expect 80,000 fairgoers to attend the Fall Arts Fest. 

Apply: www.juriedartservices.com

6.  September 24 & 25 - Common Ground's 37th Annual Birmingham Street Art Fair  

Common Ground's Birmingham Street Art Fair, originally known as Art in the Park, continues as one of Michigan's premiere art events. 2011 finds the fair celebrating its 37th year of bringing outstanding and original artworks to a welcoming community. The event will be a stand out on South Old Woodward, the celebrated gateway to downtown Birmingham. The event features 190 juried artists in this sophisticated and dynamic setting. 

Apply:  www.juriedartservices.com

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Please...

Contact The Guild if you have questions about our events or need assistance with the application procedures, 734.662.3382 ext, 101, or info@theguild.org. We look forward to your application.

Thought I would give a little more info about this show, besides being visited by Webbie on Monday.  To give you a point of reference, his visit was the highlight of my show (see blog about cake at the Grove, just recently posted).

With 300-plus exhibitors showing everything from really good fine art to airplants on molded bowls this show was barely sustainable for most of us.  Yeah, we made a paycheck, but we sure didn't put much into the IRA or Tequila Futures fund.

Granted there were numbers of good successes there, where people did $5K or better.  But there were many more who didn't even break $3K for this three-day show.

Let's do a little economics 101 review here.  You have a booth fee (if you only have one) of almost $500.  Except for local artist who sleep in their own beds, you can add another $180-$200 for lodging, and that is if you are sharing.  Then add a minemum of $150 for fuel, and a lot more if you are coming from say, Chicago.  Oh, then there is that pesky thing called food costs, for me it is only $17.53, but my Tequila costs are $473.15, so it all evens out to at least $150.00 for food.  So most have a minemum of $1000 tied up in this show.  That is a lot of granola.  Like I said, I interviewed more than 50 different artists in different medias over the three days, and, I only heard a small number of real successes.  If you stood at the gate at the end of the show and watched people carting their work out, you didn't see too many smiley faces.

You notice I haven't once referred to my fellow mankind as "vendors."  I really hate that term.   Folks, we create, we don't vend.  Might make a great bumper sticker or a t-shirt.

We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather,balmy breezes, plenty of sun, but not too hot.  No rain.  We did have to put up with pesky dripping water on all surfaces of our tents because of the weather change.

Crowds were adequate, not bursting with mankind.  They charge $10 at the gate, or some people can by an event pass for all days.  To the shows credit, they did put in three free passes in our packets that we could give to patrons to come in on Monday.  Tell you how bad sales were for some, I saw one enterprising artist out front selling his passes for $7.  It was the most money he made that day.  

"Zero."  I heard that reply from more than one painter when I asked how they did at the show.

The show did have the guts to boot one buy/sell exhibitor out.  Good for them, needs to be done more often.

Oh well, I have nothing clever or more to say.  I earned a paycheck and that was about it.  I am grateful, I went home with a lot more money than most.  But for a show, on this date, and the stature that they like to crow about, it left a sour taste in my mouth.  Let's here some replies from others who did the show.  Hopefully, they will be ones of success.  Like I said, Webbie made my show.  My brain is teeming with improvisations for next year's date.

All I can say is I am glad they still have Rooneys Tavern there --it is like an oasis in the desert.

So there I  was sitting quietly at my booth at Artigras  on Monday and who walks up to me--Webbie. You all may remember him before he disappeared into the ether of last November's storms (think puff, puff).

He was wild-eyed and excited, there was icing smeared on part of his aloha shirt, his beard was filled with crumbs.  He goes,"Nelsie oh boy, wait til you hear what I saw at the Grove show." I bit.  I was open to anything but the deaf sounds of no sales at Artigras.  "So Webbie what's shaking?""Nelsie baby, what I am about to tell you takes the cake.  The Grove has stretched the boundaries of modern art to new heights never previously envisioned.  They let a guy into the show who makes cakes.  They put him in the sculpture category.  He even took one of his creations in for judging--I didn't know they had an award for Edible Art?"

I chewed on this info for about a minute, slowly digesting the future possibilities that lie in front of us.  "Webbie, you know what this means?  We can know bring naked women to the show and paint on their bodies, I think I will enter under acrylics."  Webbie went me one better.  "Nelsie I got an even better idea.  I can bring my tattoo gun and work on my body--in drawing--it will take the term "body of work" to new dimensions (Webbie is quite large, especially across)." Then we both smiled and said at the same time, "Jewelry."  We can enter as a team.  Think jelly-bean studded cupcakes attached to an edible string.  The folks will eat this up."

I flagged down a boothsitter and we both took off to Rooneys Tavern by the show for a well-deserved lunch break.  We both are in serious "Tequila-Swilling Training" to upend our nemises the Cubby Margarita Killer from Coldwater.  Also, I just can't wait to be able to apply to the Grove in 2012.  We are going to make a killing there.

An excellent blog from Copyblogger by guest poster, Robert Bruce, of relevance to this audience:

I walked into the small, yellow audition room and stopped twelve feet in front of the cheap plastic fold-out table.

There were three of them sitting in there, bored, distracted, glancing at their watches.

The big heart inside my chest was pounding on the rib cage, hoping this was the one.

“Hi, uh …. Mr. Bruise is it?” No. 1 said.

“Yes, it’s actually Bruce, but thank you, I …”

“All right, what do you have for us today?” No. 3 said.

He was looking down, rustling some outstandingly important paperwork into some sort of crucial order.

“Yes, thank you, I, I’ll be doing a short monologue from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and another from Sean Penn’s turn in Carlito’s Way.”

I heard one of them groan under his breath.

The rest of the article: http://www.copyblogger.com/be-the-hero/

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s resident raconteur and copywriter.

Sanibel Island is a big tourist draw in SW Florida for its beautiful beaches, natural setting, absence of "big box" retailers and grocery chains, superb shell collecting, locally-owned restaurants, and expansive bike paths. It's accessible by land only by a three-mile-long causeway that connects it to  the mainland (you've got to pony up a $6.00 toll when you leave the mainland; the return trip is free).

The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary has hosted this show for many years and it's a community favorite; there are only 4 outdoor art festivals on the island all year. Many artists return year after year to do this show.  Of those veterans, most said that crowds and sales, though decent, were down somewhat from last year.  It's not the fault of the Rotarians who run the show, however.  The weather was just beach-perfect, and SW Florida has been cool and cloudy for many days since Christmastime, so folks were eager to hit the sand. Showtime was 10 AM sharp (no early arrivals allowed), so folks stormed the gates early on Saturday morning (they paid $1 each) in a buying mood,dwindled somewhat after about 1 PM in favor of a beach blanket, then returned in the late afternoon. 

The Rotarians did a nice job managing parking, with an assist from the friendly Sanibel police who manned the crosswalk across Periwinkle Drive--the main commerce route on the island--from parking area to show venue.  Because parking is extremely limited on the island, a shuttle service was also provided. (Sanibel's the ultimate bike-and-pedestrian friendly town: signs provide constant reminders to drivers to stop and  allow pedestrians to cross, and bike paths are everywhere).

Sunday crowds were down at least fifty percent, and the crowds were more in "browse mode", but sales were still decent.  At most "shuttle shows" I've noticed that people will shuttle in, and if they find art that they like, they'll return with their vehicles to pick up and pay.  So several of my Day 1 browsers turned into paying customers to give me a decent, if not spectacular, paycheck for the weekend.

Setup/teardown:  You can set up anytime between noon and dark on Friday, or early Saturday morning.  Check-in at the parking venue (across Periwinkle from the show) was easy, and the Rotarians were organized: they'd hold you in queue and communicate by walkie-talkie to determine that you'd have a clear path to your booth on the show site.  When the coast was clear, they'd stop street traffic to let you drive across to the site and unload. 

The show layout takes advantage of every nook and cranny, and for the most part artists had only six inches of extra space...not enough to be useful.  I was able to borrow some space from friendly neighbors who had several extra feet of space they weren't using, or managing back-inventory would have been impossible.  The venue had no pavement and only a little grass. It's mostly very fine sand--the kind of sand that makes for great shelling, but also gets fine dust all over your artwork, and Heaven help you if it gets wet, because the sand locks itself into a proto-cement slurry when exposed to moisture. 

The show ended at 4 PM (not 5) on Sunday to allow everyone to get out before dark (there are no lights at the venue).  The Rotarians did their best to manage the logistics, but I felt that they'd have been better off if they'd simply controlled access to the show site, but not tried to micro-manage where artists parked their vehicles.  I wound up dollying about 30 yards, zig-zagging around a nearby artist who  broke down her tent and put her supplies (and her lawn chair), with the show's blessing, in the path I'd expected to use to shorten my dollying. 

All in all, this is a solid, dependable show, though, somewhat paradoxically,  one that provides better results if the weather doesn't lure so many folks to the beaches.  One last note: I always ask folks where they're from, do they own property here or are they vacationing, etc.  And there were a large percentage of Canadians among the show-goers.  I'll ship anywhere in the U.S. but I don't have a plan for shipping to Canada, and that might have cost me a couple of sales. I'll remedy that, if I can, before I return for the Lions Club show here at the end of March.

September 24 & 25
Peoria, Illinois
49th Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair

Peoria Riverfront Festival Park
150 Artists
Deadline: March 4

 $10,000 Total Awards:
     Best of show: $2,500
     10 Awards of Excellence of $750
     each




Location: Peoria is half way between Chicago and St. Louis

Friday: Patron Preview Party
Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm



Rated #73 in the Top 200 Art Fairs by Sunshine Artist Magazine



Ranked in the top 200 Fairs from 2010 Art Fair Sourcebook
    •    #103 in Fine Art
    •    #131 in Fine Craft

Whether you're a first-timer...

"This is my 1st year and I had a wonderful time. We don't always get treated well (after booth fee is paid). So the Peoria "Pamper the Artist" program is very much appreciated. Thanks to all who made it happen." 2010 Fine Art Fair Artist
 
Or back for more...(noted by Sally Bright, returning artist, in the Peoria Journal Star, Sept. 26, 2010)   "I love this show.  It's a whole community thing, not just an elite group of artists.  It's super fun to be around, and we feel appreciated by both the producers and the community at large.  One of the best things about the show is the location, and not just because it's on the beautiful riverfront."   

The Fine Art Fair is known for..

    •    An appreciative buying audience for ALL mediums  
    •     After-fair sales
    •    Easy set-up and teardown/level and accessible
    •    Convenient reserved free parking for artists
    •    Affordable and close accommodations (over 800 hotel rooms within walking distance of the
         venue)
    •    Over 450 energetic community volunteers-willing to please and deliver refreshments
    •    Booth sitters available if you need to grab a snack or take a break
    •    Overnight security Friday & Saturday
    •    Complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner all weekend
    •    Saturday night complimentary artist awards dinner (with entertainment)
    •    Opportunity to mix & mingle and pre-sell at the Friday night preview party
    •    Artist-only break room and information center
    •    Beautiful outdoor Riverfront venue
    •    The company of highly respected, nationally recognized, award winning artists
    •    ATM on site for IMMEDIATE CASH PURCHASES!
    •    Good old-fashioned mid-western hospitality!!

Ask the artists who have exhibited in Peoria.  No one does it better.  We excel in artist amenities from complimentary lunch and breakfast to an Artist Awards dinner that is standing room only.  We work hard to make your experience in the heart of the Midwest one you won't forget.  With 35% of our exhibiting artists new each year, we never tire of hearing, "Wow, I never thought I'd do this well or have this much fun in Peoria, IL!"
 
Visit our Facebook page to become a fan and view photos from the 2010 Fine Art Fair.
 
Application available at: http://www.zapplication.org  
 
For additional information, please call 309-671-1093, visit www.peoriafineartfair.com  

or email: artfair@peoriaartguld.org

What a journey! Personally, I can't believe I stuck with the discipline of doing a full 40 questions. Second, I can't believe the following from all the readers of this website and my blog website, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com . I must say a big THANK YOU to all who have followed me on this journey of advice and tips to help make any craft artist a better business person, salesperson, and a better artist. I thank everyone who emailed me for personal advice, rated the blog posts, took the time to comment, asked questions, shared this with fellow craft artists, and most importantly Connie Mettler for letting me share my wit and wisdom (if you call it that) here on this site as well.  This blog idea wouldn't be a success if it weren't for you! Now, onto the question...

Question #40 What is your craft artist story?

I had a hard time deciding what to do for the last question for this series. I have thought about summarizing or adding some final thoughts on past questions, but then it hit me... Your personal story. I have one and you have one and most are better than fiction or movie from Hollywood, whether you think so or not. The romantic idea of going from rags to riches IS the American Dream and everyone wants a piece of that pie or support others ambition for their American Dream. The story of finding your passion as an artist to how you developed your own personal style of work is all apart of your own unique story. That story will sell yourself to a jury through your artist statement or edu-taining customers via your website or at an art fair. It is powerful and you shouldn't be afraid to share it.

What are the makings for a good craft artist story? It must be factual, personal, genuine and short.

Just the facts. If you were laid off of work, became a cancer survivor, or came from a family of artisans then go with that. At the same time, if you are say you go all over the world to get the best gemstones for your work, you better have pictures or other proof (say jewelry pieces inspired from your travels) to back that up. A good story is based on facts which ends up being the “meat and potatoes” of your story.

Personal. The personal touch includes using your own dialogue and perspective on your story. Most importantly this includes emotion - how you felt when you first touched felt, painted your first stroke, sold your first piece, captured the perfect moment in time after waiting and waiting to take that perfect photograph. The average person thinks being an artist is easy, sometimes glamorous, but it is up to us to show these people that it is hard work and with hard work comes some nice rewards albeit financial freedom, a creative outlet, the joy of knowing you are able to make someone smile or give hope to others.

Genuine. This refers to the reputation of yourself and your work as well as your experience that makes you, well... you. To be genuine means you have a unique style, attitude, ideas, quirk, skill, etc. that you developed and created all your own proving what you create Is one of a kind.

Short. No one wants to hear your life story in a 3 part novel form. Your story needs to be simple and short, say a paragraph or two that has a lot of punch, yet no longer than a page. In other words you should easily recite it to anyone and they will be able to relate to it immediately.

The amazing thing about your story is that it should be changing as you learn more or experience new experiences. Here's my story...

I am Michelle Sholund, the craft artist and owner of By the Bay Botanicals which is run out of my 1930's farmhouse just outside of Baltimore, MD. I was an only child and found myself entertained for hours experimenting with different art forms such as making large pine cone wreaths from an artist in Pennsylvania, to floral arranging, drawing and playing the violin all while in elementary school. I continued in the arts through college having earned a degree in Fine Arts. A few years later I got married then pursued selling my homemade creations at local art and craft fairs.

In 2007, my husband and I moved into our dream home, a farmhouse on 1.2 acres of property – that is when I really found my inspiration and calling. That calling was gardening and working with all natural materials to create aromatic art. I taught myself to dry the flowers from my gardens creating my own style of potpourri and other scented products all inspired by various places in Maryland. The high end palm wax candle line, called Destination Scentations, is a new addition after a local store owner (and friend) nudged me to try making candles. Six months of frustration in teaching myself how to make candles, I started to experiment with waxes, unique jar styles, wicks, as well as creating my own fragrances through blending techniques. I also learned about the benefits of eco-friendly palm wax and why it is important to choose and use renewable resources for the betterment of our environment and our health. The result? Colorful frosted candles that captures the haunting aroma of popular travel destinations all over US and the world. Through handcrafted, aromatic creations, I hope others will learn that investing in Made in America ,eco-friendly products isn't just a great gift, but a step in the right direction to help make the world a better place for future generations.

What do you think, did I follow my own rules? Do you think you can do better? Are you open to want to know more about me or learn more about the items I create (granted I am not doing this to sell you my work, but demonstrate how this can be an effective marketing too)? Will this inspire you or at least find it to be a decent example on how to write your own story? I certainly hope so.

While this is the last question to this blog series, that doesn't mean I won't continue my blog, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com .  I will still post on artfairinsiders.com too.   Another reason stick to following my blog – click on the RRS feed button to get quick updates – is that I intend to start doing audio and video blog posts, and with luck share them on this site - as long as Connie doesn't mind :-) My door is always open if you want to email me or pick my brain...Thanks again for your support in this blog series, until the next blog post.... Wishing you much success with your craft/art business... - Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com www.bythebaybotanicalsonline.com

June 11 & 12
Annapolis, Maryland
Navy-Marine Corps Stadium
200 artists
Deadline: March 2

It is with great enthusiasm that we invite you to apply to exhibit at the Second Annual Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival. This premier event showcases the prized works of over 200 artists employing a variety of medium:  painting, sculpture, ceramics, digital art, mixed media, printmaking, jewelry, fiber art, glass, wood, leather, metal and photography.

With a population of over a half-million, the Annapolis area has a median household income 30% higher than the national average.  It is also the destination of more than 4 million visitors each year, accounting for $1.8 billion in revenue.   Maryland is the wealthiest state in the nation and the Annapolis jurisdiction the fourth most affluent in the state. Annapolis is also conveniently located approximately 35 miles from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and its affluent Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs.

Well known for it's maritime culture, colonial heritage and charming downtown shopping district, Annapolis was named one of the nation's Top 25 Arts Destinations in AmericanStyle magazine's 12th Annual Arts Designation Poll. Winning cities were ranked for the high quality of their art galleries, festivals and events and for their warm welcome to art collectors and arts tourists.  

To ensure widespread awareness of the festival, the event is being aggressively marketed throughout the region with a multimedia advertising and publicity campaign via TV, cable, print, radio and online, as well as through posters, postcards and brochures. The Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival is produced by City Dock Productions, an event management company with over 36 years of experience presenting arts and crafts festivals, music festivals, wine festivals and other consumer product shows and public events.  The festival is endorsed by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County,  Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The Navy-Marine Corps Stadium is an ideal venue for the Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival:
    •    Easy to reach, just off Rt. 50, and with ample parking for both exhibitors and the public
    •    the site is available for setup on Friday, June 10.  
    •    Artists can drive up and offload right at their booths.  
    •    Plenty of nearby hotel accommodations in every price
         range
    •    continuous shuttle bus service to downtown and all of
         the many shops, restaurants and attractions of historic
         Annapolis are just some of the amenities exhibitors will
         enjoy while participating in the Annapolis Arts and Crafts
         Festival.

The Annapolis Arts and Craft Festival staff takes great pride in our event--and in you and your work. We look forward to having you as part of our second annual event.

Learn more: annapolisartsandcraftsfestival.com, then

Apply today: JuriedArtServices.com