I'll keep one a little shorter than usual, since I've reviewed previous editions of this show.
Produced by Patty Narozny's Hotworks LLC, this was billed as the "seventh biennial" edition--it made a quick return following the successful November 2010 event. It was blessed with beautiful weather and solid, if not spectacular crowds. Even better, folks on Saturday were BUYING. Sunday visitors were a bit more in "browse mode" but there were still patrons with packages walking around. I was a bit disappointed with my Sunday totals, but only in comparison to a near record-breaking (for Florida) day on opening day.
The show is moderately sized, with 130 artists and a nice mix of media. Although this is nominally an upscale area, it's still been heavily dinged by the recession. So it's smart to have multiple price points available, no matter what your medium. As often seems to be the case down in these parts, many of the 2-D artists I spoke with who sell only high-priced originals reported slow sales (or even zeroes) for the weekend. Those who had quality reproductions, or whose originals were more modestly priced, seemed to fare better. The jewelry I saw was exceptionally high quality, and this category was not over-represented. Those I had a chance to spoke with seemed pretty pleased with their results.
Although awards were offered, I can't report on the results since I didn't win one, and I didn't see the judge while he/she was in my booth because I was swamped with customers. I'll take that over a chance to chat up a judge any day.
Artist amenities were available: water and fruit anytime; muffins and Starbuck's in the morning (no decaf: another sign that Narozny knows her audience ;-) ) . Booth-sitters were availble, too, and the artist packet included lots of coupons for mall discounts. Which came in handy if you didn't pack your own lunch: wishing to encourage the crowds to visit the mall's restaurants, mall management didn't allow any food vendors (save for a lemonade concession) at the show. Live acoustic music was featured all weekend, but it wasn't so loud to be a problem while you were chatting up your customers.
Two "dings" worth noting: Mall management addressed parking and traffic issues of shows past by banishing the artists to a far-distant parking lot on the other side of the sprawling mall. It took me 10 minutes exactly to make the trek, and I was hoofing it without any encumbrances (dolly, bags, etc.). Since I'm a runner with two good knees--so far--your results may vary! Although the organizers pointed out to each artist at checkin that you could park closer if you had a handicapped sticker, there was lots of grumbling about this...and many artists disregarded the instruction on Saturday, prompting mall security to crack down on Day 2. And one artist near me discovered at tear-down that vandals had broken a lock on his RV and stolen a GPS unit and other valuables.
Speaking of tear-down: The traffic flowed 'way too early, at 5 PM sharp, when a number of artists' vans drove to their tents while some customers were still browsing the show. This is a personal pet peeve of mine. For one thing, nothing kills a potential last minute sale faster than carbon monoxide wafting into the tent. Moreover, it's a safety issue: A woman finished browsing my photos at about 5:02, took a step outside, and nearly got nailed by an RV that was passing by--and none too slowly--inches from my entrance. I get it, folks--you maybe didn't have a great show, and you want to get home ASAP. But use a little common sense, willya?
Overall, though, the weekend was a fun one. This is a strong show with a growing reputation, and getting stronger. It's one worth keeping in mind as you plan your next Florida excursion.
