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Last year you either got soaked on Saturday or frozen out on Sunday.  This year, the weather could not have been more gorgeous.  It was as if Mother Nature was making up for last year.  

The knock on this festival was that in the past several years, they had expanded too much and had sacrificed quality.  Two years ago they said they were going to tighten up their jurying.  It was noticeable last year but I thought it was really obvious this year.  I've been going to this festival since we got here in 2003 so I saw it when it was good, as it declined and I am now seeing it improve.  The layout was changed this year to get more booths off the grass and that was the only problem.  The new layout was very confusing and I am still not sure that I saw everyone.  

The 2D art was beautiful.  That isn't an area I pay as much attention to as I am a pottery/glass person.  I saw more gorgeous paintings than usual.  The photography ranged from beautiful to whimsical.  (whatever that particular photographer was smoking, I want some)  The glass at this show was very good.  There was a wide variety of styles and techniques.  Pottery, as it has been for a lot of years, was lacking.  In a total departure for me, I couldn't tell you much of anything about the jewelry.  

Crowds were plentiful, didn't see a lot of packages but as Ray Mosteller told me, that isn't always an indication of buying as he was delivering a large piece that Saturday night.  

There were several AFInsiders there so I will let them tell you about load in/out, amenities,  and sales.  

It was a wonderful start to the new year, I have the lighter wallet to prove it.  I hope the artists have heavier pockets.

July 23 & 24
Geneva, Illinois
175 Artists
Application Deadline: February 1

Geneva, a chic and charming historic town located on the Fox River, will celebrate it's tenth annual Fine Arts Fair in 2011.

Presented by the Chamber of Commerce, the show is tucked along shady streets among 100+ specialty shops located in Victorian-style homes and century-old buildings.  A "hands on" kids art area, awards for emerging and seasoned artists along with warm small-town hospitality, offer a picture-postcard setting for this juried art celebration.

Note: Prints, photography, digital art and computer generated art: Prints must be produced by traditional printmaking techniques.  The only medium where Giclee (ink jet) prints are allowed is digital photography and computer generated art work.  All artists applying to either print, photography or computer generated art must submit a brief description of creative process from start to finish.

Emerging artists are required to fill out and abide by the same rules as professional artists.  However the jury fee is waived and if accepted the emerging artists space fee is $100.  Please note: emerging artists are considered those artists who have never paid for a booth space at a fine art or craft fair.  Each accepted emerging artist will receive one "wall" to display artwork on that is approximately 6 foot high by 8 foot long.  3-d artists will need to supply their own pedestals.  A limited number of photography spaces are available.

Festival Facts:
     Jury Fee: $20
     Booth Fee: $280
     Checks payable to: Geneva Chamber of Commerce
     No prints allowed
     Ribbon Awards: $4,000
     Attendance: 20,000

For additional information please contact: Erin Melloy - 630-536-8416

emelloy@emevents.com or visit www.emevents.com
Please mail application and checks to:
EM Events Ilc, P.O. Box 4332, Naperville, IL 60567

What: 35th Annual Spring Art Fair at Queeny Park sponsored 
by the Greater St. Louis Art Association
Where: Queeny Park in West St. Louis County
When:
     April 8th through 10th, 2011
     Friday,    April 8th, 6PM -9PM
     Saturday,    April 9th, 10AM - 7PM
     Sunday,    April 10th, 11AM - 4PM
 Artist's entry deadline:  January 15, 2011 (postmarked)


For more than thirty five years the Greater St. Louis Art Association (http://www.gslaa.org) has been providing opportunities for the public to see and purchase original works of fine art and fine craft directly from the artists who create them.

The Art fair at Queeny Park is presented in the indoor, air-conditioned setting of the Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park in west St. Louis County. Food and refreshments are available on site, parking for the public and artists is free.  Live music playing during wine tasting and peek attendance.  During Sunday afternoon, an interactive children's art education program encourages families with youngsters to meet and talk with artists and learn about their work.

Every year we produce two juried art shows (Spring and Labor Day Weekend).  Artists in all media are encouraged to apply. These shows feature juried local, regional and national artists' original work. From the pool of artists applying, about 110 artists from all over the US and Canada are invited to exhibit. These artists are selected by a professional jury process in eleven distinct media categories.

Highlights:

• Our 35th Annual Spring Art fair     
• Limited to approximately 110 artists     
• This is an AIR-CONDITIONED INDOOR ART FAIR. You don't need to worry about the weather, tents or security    
• Jury/Booth Fees ($25/$200; (FREE ELECTRICITY available for every booth at no additional charge)      
• Cash awards totaling $4,500     
• Booth sitters, 24-HOUR SECURITY. Rest easy knowing your booth is safely locked up at night. 
  
• Excellent marketing campaign, including newspaper, magazine and radio advertising, internet and e-mail promotion
• Promotional postcards, business cards and coupons provided free to exhibiting artists
• Live music throughout the art fair
• Wine Tasting Friday and Saturday Evenings
• Interactive art program on Sunday afternoon to encourage families with youngsters to meet the artists.

Important dates:

Artist's entry deadline: January 15, 2011 (postmarked)
Notification date: February 20, 2011
Booth Fee Due: February 28, 2011

Detailed information and to apply at: http://www.gslaa.org/GSL_festivals.htm

You may also contact:
Vic Barr, GSLAA President
314 997-1181
vicbarr@sbcglobal.net

April 29 & May 1
Kansas City, Missouri
190 Artists
Deadline: January 10

The Brookside Art Annual, presented by Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, is celebrating its 26th year on April 29, May 1 and 2, 2011.

Located in a vibrant neighborhood in the center of Kansas City, Brookside is just minutes from downtown, the Plaza and the southern suburbs. This is the first art show of the year and draws more than 70,000 people from the entire region. The focus of the show is on ART! This community loves art shows and it consistently ranks in the top 25 shows according to Art Fair Sourcebook.

Art Fair Sourcebook says, "This is a very pleasant, national caliber event attracting an affluent, enthusiastic and knowledgeable clientele." 

The Brookside Art Annual is produced by the Brookside Business Association. It is a non-profit organization of merchants working to promote and improve the community in the heart of Kansas City.

Dominated by quaint neighborhoods, the Brookside neighborhood becomes the center of the Midwest art community each May. The Brookside Art Annual is known for its festive atmosphere, hospitality, convenience, and has become a must-attend event for artists and art seekers alike. 

The location for the show is at 63rd and Brookside between Main St. and Wornall.


 2011 Calendar:
    Jan. 10, 2011: Application deadline on Zapplication.org
    Jan. 29, 2011 : Jury Notification- sent via email, your ZAPP
 account and website: Brooksidekc.org
     March 1, 2011: Contracts & Booth fee due from invited
 artists
     Late March : Booth Assignments and information to artists


Show Hours:
   April 29,  Friday 5pm-9 pm

   April 30, Saturday 10am-9     pm

   May 1,    Sunday 
11 am-5 pm


Artist Amenities:
    •    Art Show Not a Festival!
    •    Awards
    •    24 Hour Security
    •    Booth Sitters
    •    Artist's Lounge
    •    Saturday Night: Dinner with wine
         delivered to your booth
    •    Sunday Continental Breakfast
    •    Artist set-up starts on Thursday
         afternoon
    •    Advertised to entire metropolitan area;
          i.e., radio, e blasts, television coverage, newspapers and direct mail
    •    Volunteers that want to make your happy! 

    •    Electricity included in booth fee 


For more information contact Donna Potts at dpotts223@gmail.com or 913-362-9668                 

                   Apply today: www.zapplication.org

If you like this blog post don't miss our call for artists website where you can find more art fairs looking for you:  www.CallsforArtists.com

Recently I received the following email from Linda Post, who along with her husband Geoffrey, runs the well-regarded Paradise City Art Festivals on the East Coast. There had been some glowing reports on this site about their fall shows and I had written to congratulate her. I have her permission to reprint the following reply:

It does feel like the economy is slowly turning around. Both of our shows this fall (Northampton in October and Marlborough in November) were UP in attendance over last fall, and the majority of the exhibiting artists reported good sales. A number of our regular exhibitors reported their very best Paradise City show ever (this happened at both shows).  We are encouraged by both sales reports and gate numbers. For the most part, the show attendance has been holding its own during the past two years. But I must admit that as an organization we have had to be especially proactive to make this happen, spending much more time and money marketing and promoting the shows and being more innovative in attracting new attendees. I think this is true throughout the industry - if you (artists AND show promoters) keep on doing the same thing, you'll see a decline in show attendance and artist sales figures. Many of the artists who do best nowadays are those who introduce fresh new work on a regular basis, or are new to the show.

The reason I am printing this here is that we rarely learn what the show organizers are doing to combat the economic downturn. Not only, of course, are the shows costing the artists more money, they are also costing the promoters more money and work hours. 

Have you noticed any other events that are making new efforts to build their audience?

We just had an interesting email from the Cape Coral Festival of the Arts. in Cape Coral, Florida.

Here it is

What an interesting site ArtFairInsiders.com has turned out to be! So many excellent contributions from so many people that has allowed the site to grow and have an influence in Art Fair World.

Let's recognize these people who have developed this community. It's time for some community awards. We are looking for your input on the following categories. Please make your nominations:

• Personality of the year. Who intrigues you so that you always want to read their posts and makes you turn on your computer in the morning?
  
  
• Member of the year. To whomever made the highest levels of contribution to the community, a generous spirit makes the community grow.
  
  
• Funniest member. Who is the funniest?
  
  
• Newcomer of the year. Which newcomer to your community has made the biggest impact this year? It’s time to recognise that.
  
  
• Author of the year. Who has published the best blog post or show review?
  
  
• Best comment. Has there been any one, single, comment which is clearly the best of the year. Maybe it’s very funny, very useful or just powerfully delivered.
  
  
• Special recognition. Let's give special recognition to the members who made unique contributions to the community.

We'll be posting the "Best Blogs of 2010" soon and giving out Amazon gift cards to the winners.

Please nominate and vote today! Comment below:

I have traveled before.  Honestly.  Cross country on Amtrak, back east in a little purple rental car, on a moped in Italy and Switzerland, through Canada.  I've even held two driver's licenses from different states at one time.  At times, I changed addresses more often than I changed the oil in my cars.

But this upcoming trip across the Southwest is making me pant like a neurotic lapdog.   Somehow, stuffing a backpack and hopping on bus and waking up not quite sure what city or time zone I was in was child's play compared to this (and perhaps it really was, at 18)

....shoes....

I've got the art supplies nailed down.  I have my masonite, birch panel, 5 jumbo tubes of raw umber, 5 brand spanking new sable brushes.  All the paintings are tucked cozily into their moving blankets and snugly secured on their foam padding.  

 ...shoes...

Framer Dude Husband has got all his woodworking schtuff snugged away in every possible crevice in the camper. Saws, routers, sanders, workbenches, compressors.. I  will have to check the oven before I turn it on to make sure I don't inadvertantly detonate all his stains.

...shoes...

I've got the new tech purring under my control-the Droid 2, the Vortex, the PDA.net, Hulu, all CD's on my Ipod.  I've got the route programmed, complete with rest stops, Walmarts, and Cracker Barrels along I-10, into 3 different GPS systems.  Got post offices who will accept general delivery in Scottsdale.   I will easily pare down my kitchen.  I will miss it, for sure,  but I could eat chargrilled hamburgers everyday under a starry sky.  Like Jimmy Buffett.

However, unlike the Margarita Master, I am returning like a dog to rotten bone to the obsession over  what shoes are gonna make the cut for this trip.   I open that damn closet and see them all there, mocking me in my paralysis of indecision.  They shouldn't even be on the periphery of my consciousness.  For chrissakes, I lived a month  in flipflops!  In Albany!  In December!  I'm not a clothes chick either; on the days I actually decide to get out of my flannel pants, my good ole Levis are my go-tos.

...shoes...

I think the curse is in the more we can take, the more we get, the more it creates chaos in the mind.  Life was simple in the good ole college days, when we were lucky if we remembered to take any money on a road trip and hoped there was enough loose change in the cracks of the seats to buy 2 bucks worth of gas on the Thruway down to the city.  Cell phones? Ha! GPS? Triple A road maps!  

It's great to be connected, it makes our lives a helluva lot easier, but I am proud of the fact that I developed and possess an internal GPS from those days that could outnavigate Tomtom's "Samantha" blind drunk in a snowstorm.  Not that I've ever had to do that or anything.

Not too much about art tonight, but food for thought as many of us seasoned travelers are planning our routes to different regions of this great country for the seasonal migrations: I'm nostalgic for the days when a road trip was an adventure tinged with danger.  I truly believe I am of the last generation that went on roadtrips, without having the benefit of Google Earth to show us exactly what was around the next dark bend on a spooky back road in Georgia, or how to get back.  Maybe the shoes are a sign that I need to lose some of those safety nets and just go barefoot once more as I diesel up the truck on Monday and shut stupid Samantha off.  I should be able to get out of Florida without someone telling me to turn left in 2.4 miles!  All I have to do is go west, right?  ROADTRIP!!!!

40 Question Blog Series – Question #37 What can I do this New Year (2011) to ensure a happy and prosperous craft business?

First things first, Happy New Year!!! I am so thankful and lucky to have great and talented craft artists following me and if this is the first time reading this blog – welcome and you came in just at the right time. Each January not only do I feel relief thinking finally some time off, but I really look forward to what the New Year has to offer. To answer this great question , here's my Top 6 list to help you be more prosperous during 2011.

Question #37 What can I do this New Year (2011) to ensure a happy and prosperous craft business?

1. Get organized! Now is time to go through your inventory of already made art/craft work, clean your workshop, balance the books and organize paperwork. For all the excuses made of “I'll do it when I have more time”, now is a perfect time for this especially with little or no shows coming up and inclement weather, like snow, approaches. I personally am dedicating January to clean my full workshop, trash items that I haven't used, and find a better system to organize my own paperwork. The best thing about being organized is you finally know what you have and don't have preventing re-ordering the same thing over and over, get a clear picture of what is and isn't selling, and the best part is finally being able to find everything.

2.  Cut costs! Take the time to look over what you had spent in the last year and see if there are any patterns in spending too much on something you didn't need to. In addition, make sure you are buying items at wholesale, not retail prices. Now is also a great time to look at different suppliers to cut costs. One good thing about the bad economy is it is a buyers market and many suppliers are running sales and offering free shipping to stay competitive, while others are doing something completely different such as acquiring newer colorful fabrics, affordable eco-friendly alternatives, or better paints and other art supplies. I do this right now, I use 5 different suppliers for my candle supplies and some offer something different while others offer staple supplies at better than wholesale prices. Shopping around really helps cut costs.

3.  Improve the quality of your work. There is nothing more alluring to your customers than knowing that what they are getting is a high quality piece of art/craft and the craftsmanship doesn't change, unless it is constantly getting better. Craft artists switching from cheap fabrics to higher quality quilt fabrics find buyers are less likely to go their local fabric shop and “make it themselves”. The same can go for jewelry makers – strive to learn a new and edgy technique to create and even more unique and highly desirable pieces of jewelry art. Photographers may want to buy better quality paper for their originals/prints – offering a better paper so that the print won't fade or is eco friendly makes for a great selling point.

4.  Utilize social networking! We all can vouch that “word of mouth advertising” works, but many don't realize how super fast social networking gets that word of mouth all the more faster. Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook are just a few popular social networking websites with many others to boot. Starting with Facebook (as nearly everyone, group, shop, etc. has one), use this to create a personal page (such as sharing family pics) and one for your craft/art business. Next, look up friends and family members and invite them to be a fan/friend of your business site. Some content that is worth posting are announcements about upcoming art shows, any good news about your business (like how you are going to be interviewed for a news paper article or won an award at a show), or simply letting people know what you are up to in your studio/workshop – whether it is cleaning, creating something new - posting a photo of it, or simply asking fans questions on how to improve your work. Twitter is great for the “short and sweet” posts like “Just finished up at the XYZ craft show and sold out of my brand new pots!”. Linkedin is great for business to business networking. Of course there are tons more – simply learn about as many as you can and join at least two to start advertising your business to the world!

5.  Improve on customer service skills. The most effective way to attract and keep customers is to bend over backwards to ensure they have a happy and positive experience shopping with you. This means in person as well as via your websites. Service with a smile, offer 100% satisfaction or your money back guarantees, listening to customers needs first before you hiem 'em up by hard selling to them, educating your customers about your work, and simply be compassionate and friendly all goes a long way to win people over with great customer service skills. There are a TON of books, podcasts, websites, seminars, etc. that cover the topic of delivering good customer service and all pretty much free. You may think you are already great at delivering good customer service, but there is always and I mean ALWAYS room for improvement. As art/craft salespeople, it is hard to use all kinds of sales language ( body language is just one of many) and listening to what the customers needs are isn't enough because there are no cookie cutter, A-typical customers anymore. Everyone is different now and it is essential to learn how to identify ways to turn on their buying switch and turn off their “I'm just looking” switch.

6. Think outside of the box. Vague? Perhaps. When I talk about thinking outside of the box in this context, I want to bring to light that there might be a different and better way of doing what you do if you broaden your way of looking at things. With this time of year welcoming a New Year, new ideas and passions emerge. Some people feel they can only sell at art shows and nothing else – wrong! There are so many options, like selling online (through your own website, artfire.com or etsy.com) or try getting your work in local galleries or gift shops that may provide an even better way of selling your art/craft. Find a better “assembly line style” of creating your art – you can accomplish more if you do 5 pieces (lets say) at one time verses one at a time. This can save you a HUGE amount of money, raising profits too!

I guarantee if you do just one of these tips you will be putting yourself on the right, and prosperous path to a happy and more prosperous New Year. Along the line of resolutions, one I am making for this blog, and the readers of this blog, is to add more personal experience with what I am doing currently with my own craft business with future blog posts. I feel it is more necessary to give first hand accounts of what works and doesn't work from yet another angle. I hope you all resolve to keep tuning in and share this blog with all your craft friends. Once the 40 questions blog series is over, I will continue this blog however may try to do a podcast (maybe a video podcast??) with the 40 questions covered and updating those tips in the podcast and/or making the 40 Questions Blog series available via a narrated CD. What are your thoughts? Is this something you would be interested in? Let me know! Until the Question #38, I wish you all a Happy New Year! - Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com . Learn more about my craft business via www.bythebaybotanicals.weebly.com !

Well, I go to lunch, after promising Geoff Coe I was gonna write about Naples, and RC sneaks in on me and spills the beans.  Good report RC, you covered the basics, now I will give you all an extra filling of meat to whet your appetites on for 2011.

Back in September I was faced with a very hard decision.  One, I could go to the annual New Years Party at my best buddy, Richard's, in downtown St. Pete right across from the Vinoy Hotel.  We all would of course get to drink about 25-30 of the very best bottles of wine that come out of Napa and Oregon (think yummy Pinots).  We would eat deicious orts and just have the time of our lives.  I have been  fortunate to do this with Richard for more than 25 years.

On the other hand, I could send my money in and try to get accepted for the New Years Show in downtown Naples, now run by the local Art association.  Course that meant going to bed at 9 pm on New Years Eve, then getting up at some atrocious hour like 3-4 am in the morn to go downtown, cue up in an adjacent field and set up my booth.  Set up a booth or drink good wine--tough choice.  This year I went with Set Up the Booth.

Eh, times are tough, just came off a miserable December where you don't make diddle yet everybody still wants their money.  Looking at the prospect that I still had booth fees to pay for Des Moines, Artigras, Mt. Dora and Artisphere and a myriad others, it was an easy choice.  Go out and make moola on the first day of the year.

The Naples Art Association took over the former Howard Alan show for the first time this year. I know Mariane Megala well, she runs the shows down there for the association.  She is very knowledgeble and gets a tough job done well every time.  The show ran down the center of 5th Avenue for six blocks like the Howard show.  Difference was, there were about 50 less exhibitors with artists set up in quads of four.  This left you back to back with your neighbor, but you had a whole open corner on your booth with room on the other side for storage and hanging as well.

 Ellen, my wife and I got to stay with our good friends Terri and Lou Causey up in Ft. Meyers.  It was a 45-minute ride down Hwy 41 to the show.  Yup, we went to bed at about 9:30 New Years Eve--that sucked.  We decided to get up at 5 am and then roll on down the road to Naples for setup.  Worked perfect for us.  Easy setup, still had time for coffee, breakfest and the New York Times.

There were about 200 exhibitors in the show.  I figured with booth fee, gas, food expenses and a few tequilas, my nut for the show would be about $800.00.  Some had higher costs, some who slept in their vans or trailers had a little less.

Naples has always been a good venture for me over the years.  They are my kind of people.  Lots of mid-westerners who I sell to in the summer, and now they are here--and they buy, how can you go wrong?

Crowds were fast and furious for times until about 1 pm both days.  Then it got quiet and slow until show end at 5 pm, then we got a little finishing flurry each day.  Lots of europeans at the show.  I sold to more Germans then I have ever seen in 35 years at the shows.  Most are well-dressed, a little on the elderly side, but they are out there.  I had a great opening day, started off with a $300 sale and never looked back.  Sunday sales for me were a little less, but when I totaled it all up--IT WAS MY BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR!

Sunday morn I walked around and talked to about 30-40 people I know to get an idea about Saturday sales.  It was very uneven.  Some did real great, others had barely made expenses.  One european photographer I know, did as much on Saturday as I did for the whole show.  One woodworker had major sales on Saturday.  My wife Ellen sold one piece for $265--that was it for her on Saturday.  Many oldtimers who had done the show during the Howard years opined that this could be a rollercoaster show going up and down from year to year.

Sunday brought great weather (which we had all weekend) and some busier crowds.  Many artists who didn't do well on Sat. made up for it on Sunday.

Here is some real meat to think about if you are going to do this show. You are selling primarily to older well-off couples who have very traditional, I would even say very conservative tastes.  They buy for the decor not as much for the spirit of art.  Know that going in.  Also being early January in Florida, there are no real deals for hotels. If you have number in a row to do in January, then I would definitely include this one.  That said, this show favors those of us who live in the south.

For me, this is great start for 2011.  I have Cape Coral, Bonita, New Smyrna Beach and Ft. Meyers all in a row.  Could be a great start for my 36th year in the biz.

Happy New Year to all!  May 2011 bring us all record sales, vehicles tha never break down, plush hotels that are dirt-cheap, etc. etc.

Can anyone tell me anything about Crafts at Rhinebeck?  I haven't seen a ranking on it anywhere and all I know is what I've read on-line.  It sounds pretty nice but I'd like to know a little more than that before proceeding.  Any and all information would be much appreciated.

In closing I'd like to throw in a word for a couple of people whose names we see regularilly.  Obviously, Connie is the heart of all this and I think she does a great job.  It seems like an awfully lot of work.  And Larry Berman who has always been willing to share his knowledge and experience and he seems to have a pretty vast amount of both.  Of course there are many others but these two stand out.  People like these make things easier for everyone - especially those who are relatively new.

July 9 & 10
Beautiful downtown St. Joseph, Michigan
Voted Michigan's Most Romantic City
216 Artists
Deadline: January 13

Photo by Leo Charette

The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff has been listed in Sunshine Artist Magazine's 200 Best Art Fairs for 2010. This year the Krasl Art Fair was ranked number 25 from the 100 Best Fine Art & Design Shows for the USA.

Here is what the participating artists had to say in Sunshine Artist's October 2010 issue:

       Simply put, artists absolutely love this show, which marked its 49th year. It is known for its
       excellent sales and unparalleled management and artist treatment.

       As expected, artists reported stellar sales at the 2010 show. They averaged $3,232, which is a

       healthy total for any show you're likely to do.

       Great organization, many good volunteers. The sponsors delivered on all promised. Large and
       interested crowds both days.

Here is what they said at ArtFairInsiders.com.....

       The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff celebrates 50 years of art at Lake Bluff Park, overlooking Lake 

       Michigan. Drawing crowds from Chicago, northern Indiana, Grand Rapids and local cities, this

       charming community has long supported the art fair and is looking forward to the "Friday Night
       Kick Off" and other special activities in 2011.

Quick Facts:

Booth Fees: $250/$275 - spaces 15X15 (some smaller & odd sizes)
Average Sales: $3,232 to $3,999 (source Sunshine Artist & artist   post- event survey)
Produced by: Krasl Art Center, a 505(c)3 Non-profit serving the community for over 30 years
Awards: Krasl Board of Directors' Choice Award winner receives an automatic invitation to return with
no booth fee.
Friends' of the Krasl Best of Categories: $100 cash award for each category  

Amenities for artists include:

• Artist-only off-street parking close to fair during show & reserved overnight parking for RVs and vans.
• Curb-side unloading and loading.
• Estimated 70,000 patrons from all over the Midwest.
• Artist in Residence Program-residences hosting artists in their homes
• Roomy booths with storage space behind them and many with space on both sides. 
• Friday all day set-up with beverages and homemade cookies.
• Hospitality which includes tickets to Friday Night Kick Off at Krasl Art Center featuring local gourmet food, wine tasting and live music; gourmet breakfast on Saturday morning; continental breakfast 
• Saturday & Sunday mornings and an indoor hospitality room
• Electricity at no extra charge, booth sitters and roving volunteers 
• Round table artists discussion with committee and staff.
• A committee and staff that is dedicated to making our show your favorite art fair.

Our projected Jurying will take place February 4, at Lake Michigan College and is open for artists and the public to observe.

Please contact Sara Shambarger, Director, Krasl Art Fair, at 269-983-0271 or email sshambarger@krasl.orgwith any questions.

Apply today at www.zapplication.org.

Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff
Krasl Art Center
707 Lake Blvd.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
www.krasl.org

Artist Meredith Kuntzsch at the Krasl Art Fair

Looking for more art fairs looking for you?  www.CallsforArtists.com

I did this show for the first time in 6 or 7 years.  Back then it was run by Howard Alan.  I quit doing Howard's shows then for various reasons, not the least of which was his $15 jury fee for every show you wanted to line up.  When you do 4 shows a year with a promoter for 10 years, why do you have to pay for him (or her) to look over your work to see if you're up to snuff?

Remembering back to the Naples' New Year show my wife and I wanted to do it again now that it was to be run by a non-profit art center.  We were not disappointed.  Marianne Megela set up the show and, from what I heard, cut it by 50 spaces.  She laid it out in 4-booth quads so each artist had a corner and a few feet between his booth and his neighbor's.  Then there was a good 15 feet to the next quad.  It made for an easier set up and break-down not to mention a free flow of foot traffic.  I remembered back to old days when Howard filled every square foot of street with a booth (though to his credit, he did give us 12' spaces) you had to walk to the next corner of the block to get to the other side of the street.  I heard the merchants were happy with the new layout too.

The crowd was great both days and sales were the same for me and my neighbors.  Some, I heard, only did average, but I think most of us were pleased with the outcome.  The only thing I noticed that was different from other museum shows I do was that there was no judging and no awards were given.

My hat is off to Marianne and The von Liebig Art Center.