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I'll follow up Alison's nice report on Maitland Art Under the Stars with a quick take on the Melbourne Main Street festival 50 miles to the southeast.

Melbourne is a friendly Atlantic coast town near the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. This festival is part of a weekend celebration where Main St. is cordoned off so folks can grab a streetside cup of Budweiser and stroll the local shops, restaurants, and music venues, It's a nice idea, and there are lots of fun restaurants in the area, but the expanse of bank-owned empty properties is a telltale sign that the economy is tough here and getting worse: The space shuttle program has only months to live, and it can't be a good sign that the space agency laid off the legendary "voice of NASA" and cut ties with a major contractor only three days ago. The volunteers and show director are friendly, and the weather was sunny and dry, but there's no getting around the nervousness about the local economy. Crowds started very slowly both days but built steadily in the mid and late afternoon (a sign that the patrons are there as much for the other festivities as for the art).

But the sales weren't there, for the most part. Although the show's quality and mix was quite good and the show offered decent-sized category awards, most of us worked very hard for the few sales we got. I was selling notecards and 11x14 mat sizes to scrape by, until finally selling a large canvas late in the day on Sunday to keep the show from being a loser. I spoke with about a half-dozen artists and all said the same thing: better sales on Saturday than Sunday, but disappointing overall.

Finally, logistics: Load in/out was a snap; you could pull up very close to your booth location. Artist parking lots were noted on a detailed map provided in the artists' mail packet, that was only only for setup. After a futile search for an "artist parking pass" I realized that we, like the browsing/buying visitors, were on our own from then on. It wasn't hard to find free parking on a nearby street early on Saturday and Sunday morning (or to pay $5 in one of the designated lots), but the organizers should have called out this detail. It was also disconcerting (and potentially dangerous) to have folks walking through the streets (enjoying Friday-evening festival activities) while we artists were driving vans and trailers around and setting up our booths.

In sum, not the best kickoff to the Florida show season, despite the best of intentions. It's always nice to visit the area; my mom and dad lived here during World War II. and there are great wildlife photography venues nearby. But until the economy rights itself, I'll come with my cameras and leave my Trimline at home.


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North American Sea Glass Festival!

You are all welcome to join me at the NASGA sponsored annual sea glass festvial held in Hyannis, MA this upcoming weekend.

Here are the details:

North American Sea Glass Festival: October 9th & 10th

10am to 6pm on Saturday

10am to 5pm on Sunday

At the Cape Cod Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis, MA

$5:00 admission

over 50 sea glass artists, displays, lectures and a "Shard of the Year Award" with a first prize of $1000.00

My booth Sea Glass Jewelry by Danielle Renee' will be at booth #2. Please come by and say hello!

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Maitland, Florida - Art Under the Stars

This is a grueling show to do. Friday hours until 10PM and then Saturday from 10 – 10 and Sunday from 10 – 5. It is worth it if the money is good. Unfortunately it wasn’t this year. There is ongoing entertainment which pulls potential buyers away from the booths. It didn’t seem much of a problem in 2009 but this year there were long stretches of time with no one in my booth and very few people walking around. Even counting the people crowding around the entertainment, the crowds seemed much smaller.

The person next to me seemed to do well with many small purchases but most people I talked to reported almost non-existent sales. I did less than half of what I did last year and just barely made expenses.

Aside from some issues regarding my booth space and layout in general the show seemed well organized. The weather was perfect, maybe just a tad warm but not the oppressive heat that Florida can deliver this time of year.

I am a little worried about my next two shows that are in the same general area.

Most likely I won’t be returning next year. I hope to be moving out of the area and this show is not worth traveling for.

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40 Questions Craft Artist Blog Series – Question #33


Nothing probably irks craft artists more than after going through the jury process dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's than finding a re-seller who also made it through and sets up next to you. What do you do? Say something to the promoter? Pack up and leave? Sell that day but vow to never come back? Granted, you feel something needs to be done, just what road to take... This is why I am talking about this questions today because it is something that needs to be handled delicately. (Picture is from the "Oil Painting Village" of Dafen, China)


Question #33 How should I approach promoters when it comes to spotting re-sell at their events?


First, know the rules of the event. Every show is different and more than likely ran by different promoters/show organizers who set their own rules – some strict while others very lenient. This means read the fine print. Does the application say “homemade only art and crafts”? Or does it say “All art must be made and sold by the artist and the artist must be present during the duration of the show”? At the same time, notice what is said on the application regarding what actions the promoter will take if they spot re-sell at their event. Knowing what the promoter expects and how they intend to discipline those who break the rules is key to knowing how to proceed.


If you do see re-sell and no one is doing anything about it, when it clearly states that something will be done, here's what you should do... First, make sure what you suspect is re-sell is actually re-sell. It is almost like accusing someone of stealing – you must have some sort of proof or you could be opening yourself to much more than you might be prepared to deal with. Just imagine if someone accused you of re-sell when you are a true artist, it can easily cause quite a stir! If you have proof – say you saw them at other shows and were asked to leave for passing off re-sell – this is grounds for bringing it up to the promoter. At an opportune time, for you and the promoter, take him or her aside and talk them. Don't just attack them, but GENTLY tell them. It is better to assume they have no idea this person is a re-seller and mention that to them... “You might not know this , but I think the person in booth # ___ doesn't make their own work. I am only bringing this up as a concern, both to you as a promoter who I am “assuming” you want to maintain a great reputation for high quality of art and crafts, but it does bother me as I do play by the book and it doesn't sit well with me that this person who isn't playing by the rules is able to sell at the very same show. What you do about it, I truly understand is up to you, but in my good conscientiousness, I felt it necessary to bring it up to you.” If you bring up concerns to a promoter – whatever the concern is – in a polite, calm and concerned matter, more than likely the promoter will be respect and take action as well as thank you for bringing up the concern. Good promoters do rely on the help of others, such as good Samaritans, to be the eyes and ears for them because they can't be everywhere all the time.


Now what if you bring up a concern and the promoter could give a rats behind? This is a sure sign that despite your good intentions, this promoter just happens to be having a bad day, too busy to be concerned with a matter that seems low on the totem pole at that very moment, or is a plain and simple jerk. The best thing here is still be a better person, do what you have set out to do – sell your work to as many people as you can and at the end of the day leave and don't look back. In other words, do not go back and patronize that particular show again. It is just one of those lessons you can't learn any other way, but by experience.


What if you can't say anything at the show, what other options do you have? Fill out their questionnaires – they do read them! You can find a staff member and ask if they can get the promoter to come to your booth and talk to him/her then. One of the other options I recommend is send a business letter stating your concerns after the show. Sending a business letter might be a better option as it is a professional form of communication and you can state your concerns without being interrupted. Doing the very same thing via an email may work, but easily hastily written and can easily get deleted too. The letter must be professional in proper business letter format, proper grammar usage, and free of spelling errors. In the letter, start off by stating what you liked about the show, then follow by suggestions you have for them. The letter shouldn't be a “nasty gram” hard hitting and full of emotion right after you state “dear Mr./Mrs. ___”, but genuine and professional. The last thing you want is to come across as a prima donna and better than everyone else – you will never be taken seriously if you choose this direction. All in all at the end of the day, both the craft artist and the promoter are both human . We all make mistakes (as promoters can only judge a person's art by what they submit for jurying for example) and we all have feelings which can easily get hurt and ultimately you could be blacklisted from his/her events as well as their friends.


There are good promoters out there that are consistently getting better and better with each show. Then there are those out there who are more concerned with filling a show just for the sake of having a full show to show customers they offer many “vendors” to shop from. Sturdy bridges need to be made with both artists and promoters as we both are in the same boat – we both want to have successful shows. Sharing the knowledge craft artists have by stating when you are in an environment with like minded craft artists, everyone benefits – attendance grows when more high quality art work is offered, the quality of shoppers improves too, and more and more artists will want to apply as well – everyone wins. If no one raises their voice to promoters with regard to re-sell, then they will assume everything is fine and continue doing business as usual. Do realize you can only lead a horse to water, but with open minds and talking about your concerns with promoters will help to build better bridges and better shows... The next question will deal with how to spot re-sell at art fairs – this is great for both show coordinators and craft artists . Stay tuned! - Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com

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Anne Marie Gardens show

Two weeks ago had another great show at Anne Marie Gardens Arts Fest. in Solomons Island Maryland. Great great show! Sold almost 50 carvings in 2 days. Every year this show gets better and better for me. Over 100 artists make the show. Set up and breaking down can either be easy or hard depending on where you are. They have 3 areas. The path, the circle,and inside the main building. Lots of help with setting up and breaking down. The customers were coming thru all day both days and the weather couldn't have been nicer. If you get a chance try to apply for this show next year really top notch show . Wish I had a show like this one every month!
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Rose Squared Shows?

I have not seen anything on this site about Rose Squared shows. They are all in NJ, like around Montclair. Does anybody here know anything about them? Thanks, Linda
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Off to St. James! The whole story...

Here is the "insiders" story on St. James Court...the true story of a very popular event, an excellent long article that discusses these topics:
  • Why does the St. James Court Art Show Exist?

  • How is the show run?
  • How are the artists chosen?
  • Here’s how the judging process works:
  • How does the show make its money?
  • How is the revenue spent? --- (really important for artists to know this)
  • Economic Impact on the community --- (over $10,000,000 yearly)
and in closing:

"When you come to the show, know every dollar you spend goes to help an artist pursue their passion and add beauty to the world. It also goes to make Old Louisville, and our region in general, a better place. Most artists at the show make their livings from touring nationally with
their art."

Read it to truly get a grasp on the economic importance of this long-running art show: www.insiderlouisville.com

Any members here going to be at St. James?



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October 15-17
Art Fair Calendar.com
Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, Michigan
200 artists

Saturday - 10 am-6 pm
Artist Reception:
Saturday - 6 pm
Sunday - 11 am-5 pm

Due to late cancellations we now have a few spaces open for the Great Lakes Art Fair.

Do you live near? We are working to establish a good solid indoor regional
event that you can keep in your art fair schedule twice a year. Wouldn't it be great to have a nearby show that you can count on? We have excellent exhibitors for this date but need to fill out the show. No jewelry and glass - other categories are open.

The advertising is rolling out and includes a WXYZ-TV Ch 7 TV sponsorship, Magic 105.1 radio sponsorship, numerous newspaper ads and stories across the region, plus a very cool social networking campaign to bring in new buyers for fun with their friends.

Midwest area art stars will be there (Tom Hale, Sonny Dalton, Cynthia Mann, Linda Chamberlain, Joe Cyberski, Robert Bridenbaugh, Shawn Messenger). Why not you?
Help us build a fine event that can extend your art fair season.

Booth fee: $400, includes electricity, 12 x 10 space with five feet behind; drive up to unload and load.

While it is fresh in your mind contact: Kristina Jones, Events and Marketing, Rock Financial Showplace -- 248-348-5600 ext. 236 or email info@greatlakesartfair.com

Special for Fall:
  • Art fairs are always looking for ways to enhance the event both for artists and the attending public. This Fall the show will open on Friday at 12 pm and close at 8 pm. We will be returning with the hugely successful Friday Ladies Night Out promotion that drew over 2000 women to line up for entry on Friday! It also allows for some Friday setup for artists.
  • Robust marketing campaign planned with media partners
Please visit our website www.GreatLakesArtFair.com for images of past events and list of past participants

Location:
Art Fair Calendar.com
hauling home the goods!

The Rock Financial Showplace is located in Novi, Michigan, situated in Western Oakland County, one of the nation's most affluent areas. Although 2009 marked the first year for the spring and fall Great Lakes Art Fairs, the Rock Financial Showplace is familiar to patrons as a premier indoor venue for specialty events.

Attendance:
Over the past decade the Rock Financial Showplace has been host to premier indoor art fairs each year during the months of April and October. Attendance figures from these fairs have averaged in the tens of thousands.

6a00e54fba8a738833013481cb1566970c-200pi
Fiber artist Sharon Snoeyink
Artist Amenities:
  • custom Great Lakes Art Fair discount coupons
  • e-mail blast content
  • free tickets, postcards and other collateral materials to distribute to their patrons
  • drive up to your booth to unload and load
  • artist hospitality area and reception
  • artist gallery
We want you to help us build this biannual event into an event that regional artists can count on. Please join us.

Call Kristina Jones today for the rest of the story: 248-348-5600 ext. 236

Visit the website for more info: www.greatlakesartfair.com
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Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park Art Fair

Sept. 26-27,2010

Hamilton, OH

Booth Fee: $100.00

Jury Fee: $25.00

I loved the location of this show, the artists weren't cramped, we had tree lined "streets"- (they were golf cart streets). Plenty of trees and permenant sculptures behind and around the exhibitor spaces which made for a beautiful setting. Parking was close and people were there to shop. Set up was completely painless since there was room to bring your car right up to your space and get back out on Friday all day so noone was there all at the same time.

My sales were close to the 10x's the booth fee, so that rule of thumb worked for me. Sales were about the same on Sunday as Saturday so don't panic if Saturday doesn't do as well as you think it should. Another jewelry artists did better on Sunday than Saturday. If you do metal sculpture, you will do well at this show! People were walking all over the place with those things. (they were cool!) The photographer next to me did well and I think she would consider coming back, forgot to ask her. The water colorist on my other side did great work but didn't seem too happy with his sales. His stuff was great so that was unfortunate. I think the biggest thing with shows in this climate is to make sure you have a lot of options for people to look at. If they feel you don't have a big enough selection, they will go to the next booth. I found that demonstations work fantastic at shows, especially for a jeweler. Men don't always like to get stuck in our booths, especially if the show is heavy on jewlery (which is most of them), but guys like to see how things are made and will stop to look at least for a minute which is a minute more than you would have gotten. I'll be back to this show next year.

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The Plaza Kansas City - a review

This was my first time at this show. I do pastels that range from $450 to $3200. I had heard lots of good things about this show, and did not get in last year when I applied. I have to say that I found the good things to be true.



We had until 5 PM, when the show opened to the public. The public were there more like 4 PM and we were told to expect early birds. The weather was perfect on Friday, and the crowds were there all night.


I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the buying energy I experienced through the whole weekend. Many people had seen my work at Brookside in the Spring, and sought me out here. It seems to me that Kansas City folk use these two shows to shop for fine art. I wonder if the gallery scene is lacking, and these shows fill that void? I could be wrong about that, not really knowing the city.


Saturday started sunny, but with a warning of rain. This came around 2PM and stuck around until early evening. While Friday night was crazy busy with wall to wall people, Saturday was not dead. The rain kept some away, but there were serious buyers out in the rain. Works on paper are not good in the wet, but I sold 4 drawings (wrapped carefully) which I have not done in the rain before.




Sunday was beautiful again, and while most the big decisions were already made on my work, I noticed a lot of activity in the booths with smaller 3-D items. I saw quite a lot of artwork being carried around.


Breakdown was really easy, what with the wide streets. There was no system for being completely broken down before retrieving your vehicle, 'though artists did it this way. It seemed to flow well in my area.


I talked to my neighbors, who said they had an okay show, so my experience may not be typical. But while not my best show, it was my best "Original only" show. Price sensitivity seemed low as well, unlike every show I have done on the East Coast.

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Peters Valley Craft Fair 2010

This was our worst art fair that we have EVER done. The setting was beautiful and the organizers were friendly and vendors were very nice....BUT very low traffic flow and people were just there to look and not buy. We were also very disappointed with the "Best in Show" winners since booths and wares were not up to a particular standard that we keep our own work and booth display at. Since we drove the 6 hours to get there, it is a definite no for next year.
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Chicago Area Art Festival Boot Camp - October 22

At this time of the year I know you are thinking and planning for your 2011 art fairs. In the interest of that and to learn how to make art festivals work better in the current economy read carefully below and consider this excellent Chicago area Art Fest Boot Camp seminar to enhance your chances of success in the new year.



Look what past participants are saying!

"The seminar gets an A+. The mock jury (alone) was worth the fee."--Mike Brown

"This was the most valuable time I have spent in the development of my business. As a new artist, I appreciate the resources you provide."--Judith Foster, Jeweler

"Thanks to all I learned at Boot Camp, I now have a 'killer' set of jury slides!"--Donald R. Boudreau, 3D-wood
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Don't do Birmingham Art Festival unless...

you want an exceptionally well run show, plenty of advertising, artist friendly and artist advocate organization producing the show (The Guild), artist amenities with even cupcakes from Cupcake Station, plenty of storage space, and weather updates delivered to the booth!

Now for the real stuff-my dear artist friends, what do you want? Sales! What do you want your customers to do? Buy! Do they have to buy? NO. Do they want to buy? Maybe. It's clearly a buyer's market now. Not a seller's market. Does this community have the means to buy? Maybe if they are not overextended. Will some of them buy? If you have want they want/need for themselves or their family/friends.

I saw paintings, sculpture, small bags, just about any size of purchase go down the street. Qualified customers, just not as many as needed for most of us. Was weather a determinant? You betcha. Undoubtably when there are bitter winds blowing down the street and it's chilly out people contract. Can't control the weather. Along with musicians who often continue performing in the rain, this is our platform: the outdoors. That puts us in a problematic state that you either have to accept, dodging raindrops as you go through the show season, or realistically make the decision to get out. Of course grumbling is what most of us do!

Have you noticed how sales associates are relating to their customers lately? I have noticed that they are super friendly lately, seemingly really interested in 'me.' This is the paradigm for selling now in the recession environment. It's all about them and their family/friends and their wants/needs, not about us. If you haven't grasped this and continue think your art is going to sell itself, you will be disappointed. Adopting a persona of genuine interest in your customers, engaging them in a non-threatening way, keeping patient, knowing your market and whether the public will have an interest in your work along with having fresh new work is a start in this new business climate.

Everything has changed. Have you changed to adapt to it? Learning what to do is the challenge. The POTENTIAL is still there. Fortunately people love ART! It lifts their spirits, gets their imagination going, and gives them, actually does give them a reason to spend money over and above spending money in other venues. Realizing that one basic fact, if you love what you do, gives you a lot of mileage on going forward. Yes, people are cutting back. So give them a reason to spend. Be passionate about what you do. Keep positive even if sometimes it's impossible. Search for solutions as they are always there. Continue to have fun and enjoy your art, your work, your expression. This could be the Golden Age of Art as we are transitioning to a new era of global awareness and communication!

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small art fair near St Charles, Mo

I love small art fairs... if they have some potential customers walking through. The day gets mighty long when no one stops by your booth. You run out of one liners to amuse your neighbor and you need the restroom. NOT work, but not fun either.Every once in awhile we get lucky...
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Whenever we asked any other artists about Warrens Cranberry Festival we got mixed reports. If you're not familiar with this event, it's touted as the world's largest cranberry festival and boasts "2010 will mark the festival's 38th year. Since the first festival in 1973, attendance has grown from 3,500 to over 110,000 each year. Cranfest features over 850 arts & crafts booths, 350 flea market booths and 100 farm market vendors." Yep - 850 booths! Over 100,00 attending!

Artist friends gave us very vocal, very mixed, reports. Yes, there were huge crowds. Yes, it was a buying crowd, if you had the "right" merchandise. The 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily sales hours were brutal. Some artists said they hated it, but went back because their sales were so good. Some said they nearly ran out of merchandise. Others refused to ever go again. Some complained about the sap "dripping from trees." Some said it was just too much trouble and hassle to ever take part in again.

So, with a booth fee and "sanitation fee" adding up to $325 for the three days, we thought we would try it out for ourselves. The first inkling we had about how widespread the impact of the event was, was when we tried to make a motel reservation near Warrens in March (nearly 6 months before the event!) The closest we could find a motel in was in Eau Claire - 75 miles away! Everything else was booked up! We were told to try again closer to the event - maybe some reservations would be canceled and openings would be available. Luckily, closer to the event we were able to find a motel only 30 miles away. It was a 35 minute drive on an interstate highway.

Thursday was a set-up day. It had rained very hard the night before and caused severe flooding in the entire area.The grass was soaked, the dirt roads were mud. The rain turned to a mist, while we set up our tent. We were happy we brought along an indoor/outdoor carpet or the inside of the booth would've been a "slip-n-slide" because we had to set up on a slight incline. It appeared that we, and a whole bunch of other tents, were next to a muddy alley-way next to a huge number of bright orange port-o-potties.

When we left our tent set-up to get to our motel, we saw the rest of the town. Every inch of space had tents, food tents, etc. along and in the roadways. It was huge! The parking lots were huge! We were glad to get out of town.

The next morning we forced ourselves to get up at 4 a.m. to get to out to the tent by 5:30 a.m. to get ready to open at 7 a.m. It was chilly and misty out. We thought that we wouldn't have customers in that weather, but they came out in droves. We were already making sales before 8 a.m. Most of Friday's sales were cash sales, which showed us that the people came prepared to do serious shopping. Many knew that we were "newcomers" to the event. The weather continued to be brutal all day - cold, windy, wet . The entire grounds cheered when the sun came out for a few moments. Saturday was cold, but dry. Sunday was cold and sunny. (Sunday morning it was 38 degrees at 7 am.) Sales were best Friday, less on Saturday and even less on Sunday when there was a big parade.

The area we were in had about 150-250 artist tents and I never got to see them all. (The grounds were terrible for my wheelchair - tree roots, gravel, hilly bumpy terrain - and I already broke a wheel two weeks ago in Schaumburg..) My husband and daughter said that they saw more crafts than art, and the artists were all complaining about the weather and sales... Of course everyone we talked to who had been there for six - eight - ten - fifteen years said that sales were declining every year. The old complaint about how it "used to be better". We never got a chance to see the other areas with artists. They were all over the place.

I wish that Cranfest had a listing of the artists who were there and what their art was. That way we'd have a better picture of the type of stuff that was there. Some of our aisle neighbors that I could see were a dulcimer musician selling CD's (he'd been there 9 years), two metal garden art collage artists (this was their first year there, and they left early because their farm's water supply was contaminated from the flooding), a potter selling his sister's dip mixes and his pottery dip bowls, a lady who was selling framed pressed flower collages, a stained glass artist, a glove and hat artist, country wooden yard art - snowmen, and a mixed media artist. But I really could not see that much...

Of course there were tons of food vendors selling everything you could think of, from traditional "fair food" (corn dogs, corn on the cob, brats, burgers etc.) and ethnic specialties (Jamaican, Cajun) to deep fried everything, including cranberries on a stick. There was a huge farmers market and a resellers area. Lots and lots of competition for the visitor's dollar.

Set up and take-down was pretty good for us, but we have no idea what the other areas were like. After we packed up Sunday, we were so tired we just couldn't make the trip home safely, so we opted for another night in the motel. We all slept 12 straight hours!

Would we go again? Most likely not. With 4 nights of hotel expenses, and a 4 hour drive home, and sales that were about the same as a pretty good two-day "art" show, the numbers just don't work. If sales had been much better we might have reconsidered.

We'd be interested in other artists experiences there. Was our "take" on this show on-target or off-base?

.


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Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts 2011

Just looking for some input on this show. They seem to do things a little bit differently.

Can anyone tell of their experience at this event? How did they do? How were they treated?

It's close and I'm thinking of applying. Thanks. fran leblanc, fleblanc.com

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Rained out at Atalaya

Atalaya is a well run, well organized art fair at Huntington Beach State Park just south of Myrtle Beach, SC. It offers a picturesque setting, cash awards, friendly and helpful staff, and though music and food are available they are not intrusive. What they were unable to provide, however, were buyers. Crowds were good on Friday, indeed, there was a long line waiting for entry when the show opened at noon. Everyone looked and commented on how nice the art was, but did not buy. All the artists said to one another, "They will be back tomorrow". They did come back on Saturday, the weather was clear and a little hot, but tolerable, buyers did not materialize. On Sunday, the weather forecast was for "scattered showers". The show opened at 10:00, and at 11:00 there was about an hour of moderate rain with some scattered lightning and thunder, just what you want in an outdoor show, right? The weather cleared, patchy sun came out, and a few brave souls came and looked around, but did not buy.

The show closed at 6:00 PM. At 6:05 PM the skies opened up and it rained buckets. The tear down process turned into a combination mud fest and wet T-shirt contest. In addition, we we got back to our room we found that it had rained so hard that we were also into money laundering because the cash inside my wallet was sopping wet! My cell phone died from getting soaked in my pants pocket! All in all, it was an experience I would have rather heard about than experienced!
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Your Chance to See an Art Fair Jury ONLINE!!

Even to seasoned art fair artists the ins and outs of the jurying process are a mystery, so I am pleasedstacks_image_1242_1061321.png to share the news that ArtFest Fort Myers is broadcasting their jury LIVE from the jury room on Thursday, September 30th. Here are the details:

JURY LIVE

We are excited to announce that artists can watch the ArtFest Fort Myers Jury Day live - on-line - in real-time.

Due to many requests from artists to watch a Jury Day but knowing that it is not practical for many to come in person - we are broadcasting live from the jury room.

We will begin about approximately 9:00 AM this Thursday, September 30th. If you would like to watch – go to ArtFestFortMyers.com - click on the big ArtFest Live button. On the ArtFest Live page you will see the category order and other information about the day.

If we are on a break or at lunch the video screen will show "Off Air" but look at our schedule and we'll be back.


Jury Preview – Come In Person

Artists are also invited to preview what the jurors will see on Jury Day.

We have invited artists to this preview for the past several years. Many artists had never seen their images the way jurors do and found it a great experience.

During our set-up day, Wednesday, September 29th, artists are able to watch images being displayed, look at the ZAPP projection equipment and on-line scoring system that will be used.

Artists are also welcome to talk with the ArtFest Fort Myers Staff and each other about the process & images and the many aspects of art festivals. What a wonderful opportunity for all of us to share information.

If you would like to join us Wednesday, September 29th between 1PM and 3PM please email us at info@artfestfortmyers.com and we will send you directions.

Thanks ArtFest Fort Myers for this service to the artist community.
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Midtown Art Festival

This was the inaugural year for Midtown Art Festival. It was only one week and a few blocks away from Atlanta Art Festival so I was concerned about the timing.

The show is on Peachtree Street. So set up was kinda crazy at first. This is one of the main roads through all of ATL. They did not close down the street until 8pm Friday night. People were given different times to come in to set up, starting from 8pm until 10pm. There were those of us who are rule followers and got and stayed in line and those who drove thru the barriers and just went for it ;) I was second in line, but I really should have just gone for it and gone down a side road to get to my booth, but I I am one of those rule followers. It was a late night set up, but much better then setting up the morning of a show IMO.

As far as parking, I think they did a great job. There were at least 3 different parking areas and you were assigned to the one closest to your booth. In my area I was able to park just on the otherside of the sidewalk from my booth. Since it poured rain on Sunday this was a HUGE help.

The crowd was excellent on Saturday. A sea of people, the way I like it. The crowd was also made up of young professionals, D.I.N.K.s, and art buying couples. I actually have a stroller rule. If a mom, dad and stroller comes into my booth I am very friendly and welcome them but I don't put a lot of energy into them. Either the kid wants to get to a moonjump or the dad is impatient. If it is two women with strollers then that is a different story. Anyway, I have only ever sold to a stroller set once before and that was because the husband stayed out too late with his buddies the night before and was in the dog house during the art show and had to get anything the wife wanted ;) Midtown was the exception to my rule. The kids in strollers were very well behaved and the moms and dads were there to buy art together. The crowd walked around with wine and beer, but it didn't turn into a huge frat party like some of the shows do. Everyone had just enough of a buzz to be happy.

To the important part, I paint large abstracts and my price point is between $500-$1000. I do offer inexpensive small prints as well. At this show I didn't sell any cheap prints but I did sell many large paintings. On Saturday night I actually went home and packed up 3 more large horizontals because I had sold out of them. Sunday it poured rain most of the day. Many people packed up early, but that is not my style. I figure what is the point. I spent all this time, money and energy setting up I will stay as long as they let me. I am thrilled I did because people still came out and wanted to buy. I sold another 2k on Sunday. The booth next to me had price points between $200 - $500 and they did well. The otherside of me the price points were $1000 - $2000 and he had his best show ever. I will say that some of the booths were shabby and some stuff was VERY crafty. Many of the patrons were disappointed that there wasn't more Fine Art. All of the people that had what I would consider Fine Art told me they were "happy" whatever that means. I do know that the "craft" booths I talked to were not "happy".

The show was cancelled 2 hours early. I wished they would have stayed open but by then at least 1/2 the booths had left. Except for the constant rain, tear down was easy. We didn't have to wait for passes because there were so many different ways to get to your booth with a car.

If the weather would have held out for one more day this probably would have been my best selling show ever. I hope I am invited back next year. Any show done in Piedmont Park in ATL is off my list at this point. Holly and her group does a much better job for the type of art I do.

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Itasca Benches on Parade a big disappointment !!! :(

It was Itasca's 2nd year and from one or the reviews on here I decided to give it a try. It had a very nice setting, it had good wine,It had great awards for a small show $2500 for Best of Show, and it had a great artist..... along with bead stringing jewelers, buy/sell, craft, and manufactured art. (The jury was snoozing or just didn't care and wanted to fill spaces)
What this show didn't have was customers, it was very poorly attended and the ones in attendance were just curious lookers. I received a booth award which meant I could attend next year for free. I took the ribbon around to my neighbors and tried to give my free booth space away and I couldn't get any takers. I fear that next years artist will consist of locals and anyone uninformed they can dupe off of Zapp.
This was my 1st negative income show in 3 yrs, I expect better from the Chicago Land area.

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