Blog

Both super for me! For the Deland Arts & Crafts in March, see my comment to Tom Baron, Nov.21st. The Halifax Art Show has been on my list for awhile. I just got to it this year and will never miss it again! Loading in and out was the easiest I've ever done. I was on South Beach St. It is held in the "Old downtown" on the water, not on the beach. My neighbors were nice and had the same experience I did. There was some incredible art there. It was easy for me to stay in the area because my son lives about 10 min. away, so I set up on Friday. The judge breezed by without even a nod, which disappointed me because I made a couple of special pieces just for the judges. I've decided that at those really big shows, the judges preview from the slides and go straight to that artist's booth. No matter, I made $ and lots of admirers. The crowds were massive Saturday and Sunday, in spite of the bitter cold on Saturday and the wind on Sunday. They come before the opening time, so be ready. A friend came by and gave me a restroom break and I only had time to sit down 2xs on Saturday. There were booth sitters but not always when you needed one. I only had a couple of larger sales and everything else was $5-$50. A few customers walked the whole show and came back for good sales. There was serious consideration for my more expensive pieces but no sale. Customers were still being cautious with their $. This was the first time I actually sold out of my less expensive pieces! I had Flamingo Follies on the beach the next weekend and was panicked trying to get ready the next week. In talking to someone else who does copper sculpture, my experience was not necessarily the standard. The copper sculpture did not meet expenses even with small items like the tree ornaments. I kept my prices reasonable and did not bump up the silver price even though silver had shot through the roof that week. I think people realized the value for the dollar and were buying for Christmas. The show was huge - 252 booths, although I saw quite a few empty spaces?? People who paid the fee and skipped the show?? I couldn't afford to do that.

Now for Flamingo Follies - Ditto to above!! Only a couple of sales near $100 and every thing else was in the $5-$50 range. Not the crowds I remember from last year but we had 2 beautiful days and I was in the same spot as last year and customers remembered. It is harder to get in and out, but I had no trouble. It is one lane in the middle of the boooths, but with the side streets parking wasn't a problem. You set up in the a.m. and I got there a little late about 7:15 a.m. The restuarants on Flagler Ave. were accomodating for drinks and restroom breaks. Again I stayed at my son's so no motel expenses. An artist friend of mine had no sales on Sunday and she does mermaids and 2D work also. The crystal jewelry lady down from me wasn't selling on Sunday either. Still don't know how ppl found me and decided to buy, but glad they did!!

Best Italian restuarant in the area - We happened onto a fairly new restuarant on Rt 92, Speedway one block from SouthBeach St. on the intercoastal in downtown Daytona. EVERYTHING is made from scratch and it is family run. DON VITO'S ITALIAN RESTUARANT!! I've never had a meal so perfect in everyway. We all got something different and it was all delicious. Nice way to end a good show.

Hello, I would like to announce the website (with a few tweaks to come :) of the Florida Keys Art Guild.

We have been in exsistence for 10 years now and have recruited some new blood to bring the Guild into the 21st Century.

I would like to say a few things about the Guild which I hope will educate all who are interested.

We are a collective of hard working individuals who strive to bring the best artist from all around the county to our beautiful Florida Keys.

• We are painters(of all media types), photographers, sculptors, jewelers, mixed-media artist, glass blowers,woodworkers, potters, fabric artist and many, many more.
• We are staff artists.
• We are not an artists club.
• We are a Guild: a union of men and women in the same craft or trade.
• We jury artist based on a collective of different individuals who strive to bring high quality arts and crafts to the buying public.
• We don't fix prices or mandate pricing structure at our art shows.
• We need you. As more and more artist join our ranks, the bigger and stronger we become.

An advocate is:

• One who pleads the cause of another
• One who defends or maintains a cause
• One who supports or promotes the interest of others

The Florida Keys Art Guild is your advocate.

In closing, we are here to support artists of all walks. How about taking a walk with us.

Thank you.

Joey R. Smith (Large Format Photographer)

Show Chairmen

www.floridakeysartguild.com

I'm trying to decide between 2 art fests for March 26/27. 1 - Deland outdoor arts & crafts fest or 2. Lake Wales art show. I'm a fused dichroic glass artist, with most of my work being jewelry in the $25 - $40 range, and some ecthed dichroic panels in the $100 - $200 range, and kaleidoscopes in the $300 - $450 range. But by far most of my sales are from the jewelry.

I've never attended either show. In fact I'm new to the show circuit. Any input on either show would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I am wondering if anyone has any input on the Corus Christi festival of the arts held the end of March. For me it would be a 26 hour drive. I hear the economy is good in Texas.

Any information would be appreciated

Thanks

Linda

I participated in this show for the second time. It is held in a beautiful park in Ft. Lauderdale and the weather was perfect. Load in and out is very difficult, having to dolly in on cobblestones. There were no working lights in the park so we had to load out in the dark, causing some safety issues.

I never saw the judges and was shocked at the prizes ($) awarded to buy/sell, while obvious one of a kind art was ignored. No one I spoke with saw anyone judging. No check marks or stickers were put on the booth signs to identify that we had been judged!

There were some incidents that occured that I've never seen or heard about at any other shows.

The show committee works very hard and seems to want to improve the show in the future.

I would like to hear the viewpoints of some of the other participants.

Just when I was basking in the glow of a fine end of the year show at Bayou City and dreaming of the relaxing Winter ahead, that ominus email came from Main St. Ft. Worth.

You stare at the message header for a full 24 hours before you read the thing. It takes that long to steel yourself for the enevitable " thanks, but no thanks".But wait, there is always that chance it's good news you're in, or maybe even the purgatory of the wait list. Hell, you re did the booth shots after reading how much this counts in the jury selection, submitted what you felt was a creative representation of your work. You did the show two years straight, did killer numbers. Even schmoozed the director a bit for good measure.

Eyes closed, finger hovering over the mouse, gravity takes over and the finger plops down. Peeking thru parted fingers you slowly absorb the facts. They don't like me anymore. Damn.

It's tough to not take the rejection to heart. this is a show that will literally make the year, it's the Cherry Creek of the Spring (yeah, and waiting for that rejection too), the one show that people will make hotel reservations a full year in advance, and rent mules to haul their purchases off. Its two lanes of shoulder to shoulder,heel to toe happy Texans for four days and 8 city blocks just buying and buying and buying. But they ain't gonna be buying mine.

Maybe its karma, maybe I reamed a few show directors and there is this underground cult they all belong to that black lists people that call them out.Maybe the two years I was in was an abberation. Maybe my work really does suck.

Yeah. I know it happens to all of us.Photographers probably more than most others, simply because there are so damn many of us. Maybe I should become more run of the mill, stop trying to convey my own little take on the world thru my imagery.Become more mainstream.And maybe I just suck.

I have the whole cold and lonely Winter to think on it.

I am sorry to hear about Holly's death. We were participants at "her" show and agree with the post about her impeccable efforts. All the staff were well versed in how to work with the artists and that attribute can only come from the top down! I went back to Atlanta for the Chastain Park Show and heard something about her death but the person was not sure of all the details. We can not attend her service as we are from Orlando but we will keep her and her family and friends in our thoughts and prayers!

Don E. and Barbara Grannan

Photographs in Motion ...