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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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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
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!
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.
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.
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.
Highwood has always been the poor stepchild in a string of suburbs in the north shore suburbs of Chicago. It is surrounded by upper class suburbs and for years was known for its wonderful restaurants. It was also the only town that in the area that was 'wet', apparently ignoring the Women's Christian Temperance Union which I believe originated in Evanston, a few suburbs south.
As a result, people are used to traveling to Highwood from the other suburbs.
This show advertises itself as a chance for artists to sell end of season, extras, miscellaneous and even broken art at discount prices. Some booths had discounts but most were 10% or 20%. Others didn't indicate any discounts at all and one had discounts of 50% on most of their merchandise. I don't know if the 130 advertised artists were actually there as I was told by an artist at another festival this weekend that Amy had been sending out emails to artists all over the Chicago area saying if you wanted in at Highwood, you could get in. About 1/3 of the artists there were regular Amdur show participants. The overall quality was not as high as a regular Amdur show but there were a lot of fine artists there.
This isn't a starving artist's show with a price ceiling and it wasn't a 2nds show. I also did not see the usual newspaper advertising that Amy usually has before a show.
There were not a lot of people there but if they all bought as much as I did, the artists should have been happy.
And here is a little "street theatre" from the Plaza...http://guideforthearts.tv/?p=14777
Here is a wrap-up piece from the Star, a little more local flavor: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/26/2253126/plaza-art-fair-wraps-up-its-three.html
We did this art fair for many years and it was always a decent event, so many good artists, it was fun to hang out with the other artists. One of my favorite stories is that one year our neighbor was Emerson, a photographer, who always draws a nice crowd and is a great guy. This particular Saturday afternoon there was a movie he wanted to see so he just left his booth and asked us to tell people he'd be back later if they inquired. Then he went off to the movie!
My topic, The Atlanta Arts Festival at Piedmont Park 2010 in Atlanta, GA, is my personal experience. It may not reflect the experiences of all attending artists or even most of them.
This was my first Atlanta show and I had great expectations. My wife and I had heard that the set-up take-down procedures could be difficult due to the one-way, tight layout at Piedmont. Thus, we were prepared for a hassle. However, the folks who were responsible for set-up were well organized. Artists were given specific sign-in times on specific days. We reported to a parking lot about one mile from the park. There, we were given our packets and very specific instructions about how to set-up. We left at a designated time and drove out of the parking lot with a police escort. Hats off to the Atlanta PD as they shut down traffic on the road leading into the park and whisked us off to set-up. That part went super smoothly. When we arrived at out booth location, the area was a little tight but it didn't matter since there was no other traffic. We had 90 minutes max to set-up. With both of us working frantically, we finished just as a motorcycle cop showed up to tell us we needed to move our vehicle. Lucky for us. Most artists had not finished set-up and had to come back later to get finished. Everyone left as we had entered, in a caravan. We were given designated parking areas. Ours was the "coaches" parking lot adjacent to a school. From there, we had a 1/2 mile walk back to our booth. Since we were finished, that wasn't really a problem.
The show location at Piedmont was great. Beautiful, with abundant large shade trees made for an inviting site. We were lucky to have dense shade all morning. However, by 1 o'clock, we were cooking in the sunlight. Thankfully, dire warnings about keeping off the grass were not enforced. We were able to place all extra art work and gear behind our booth. Since it was shady there in the PM, we moved behind the booth for relief and rolled up the back wall of the booth so we could see what was going on and folks attending could see us.
The crowds varied. I'm not certain, but my guess would be that the entire distance around the park road where artists were displaying comprised 1/2 mile, perhaps more. Since it was so stretched out, the crowd was sometimes sparse and sometimes heavy. Many people seemed more out for a stroll than anything else.
Artist amenities, IMO, were ho-hum. The awards ceremony was outdoors in the heat and flies. Adjacent to the awards ceremony tent, was a rock band blaring so loudly as to deafen anyone nearby. Luckily, I am already deaf and wear hearing aids. I just turned off the aids for relief. The rest of the artists got their eardrums over worked. Evening food was pretty good.
Typically, I make $2,000+ on a weekend. At this show, I didn't sell a single piece of my work! I was flabbergasted. Since the area is near the affluent enclave of Buckhead, I was sure there would be lots of buyers. Guess this sort of misplaced optimism is why I've never won the lotto either.
Take down was, as usual, a bit of a rush. We were told to break everything down, place it curb-side and when ready to load, get a pass from one of the people monitoring different sections of the show. Luckily, we broke down fast (we also started early at 5:30 rather than at 6:00 as told) and were ready early. I got our pass and jogged the 1/2 mile back to the parking lot, got back , stuffed the truck full and got out when the first cop came through to escort artists who might have finished. Our escorted "caravan" consisted of me and one other artist.... :)
I won't be going back to Atlanta to either this festival or the Dogwood, held at the same location. It would have been better for us had we stayed home. Frankly, I don't know if this is typical for Atlanta or if the economy has smothered serious buying. It would be my suggestion to charge a gate fee. Yes, the crowd might be smaller but it would limit the number of people out for a stroll and those who did pay would likely be more serious about buying artwork. Of course, given what happened to me, if a fee was charged, maybe no one would show up.
We've had record heat - in the mid to upper 90's with humidity..... so it's been a bit brutal for the artists. Friday was a miserable sales day for me (I have mixed media art). It was the lowest sales day I've ever had. Many of the artists said the same thing - although I did have two booths near me who did really well. I haven't had much help for this show - so I've been stuck at my booth and unable to talk to as many other artists as I'd like.
Today was a better day for sales - but still really low for me. I don't think this is the show for my type of art. What I did sell was low end $30 pieces. Only one piece over $100.
Move in was great - very organized and full of friendly volunteers. I have no complaints at all with the organization or the support people involved with the show. Just the normal problems with an oceanfront show.... expensive parking and streets blocked off for the parade and a marathon.
I did this show last year and did really well. Big, big change this year. I'm so happy I'm local and don't have a hotel charge. At this point, I'm not losing money - and I'm counting on a good day tomorrow (should be about 15 degrees cooler). I have noticed that there are not as many out-of-town people attending. Last year that's where all my big sales came from.... not from the locals. This year it seems like just locals who are really hurting for money. I actually had someone ask for a better deal on a $28 piece - that really should have been priced at $40.
One other thing... I was soooo disappointed in the judge this year. Honestly, she didn't even slow down to look at my work. Just breezed on by. As she passed, I heard her criticize the work in the booth next to me.... ouch! The only slow down was by the woman with her who put the little dot on my name placard. In my book - it would be nice if the judge at least pretended that she actually looked at the work displayed.
At this point, I'm thinking I won't apply next year. Booth fee is too expensive for the return. We'll see about tomorrow. Got my fingers crossed.
I'll write tomorrow with the wrap up. Gotta have some wine and hydrate.
Kathy Rose
This was the second time I've done this show. Last year was okay, sales were a bit low, but there was still money left over after paying for booth fee, lodging and meals, gas and so on. It had nice crowds, and the show maker was selling a group of Alaska images to a family that went there and didn't know their camera wasn't working. This was a critical factor I overlooked when doing the show this year.
I got in off the wait list this year and was happy to do the show. It's laid out well, easy set up with unloading in front of the booth space, and has a good distribution of media. The organizer is a nice guy who appears to work his butt off.
I can't say the Friday afternoon and evening hours are worthwhile doing as nothing seemed to be selling and I didn't see much of anything being carried around. What started sounding an alarm bell was the low crowd turnout on Friday night. Most artists reported almost nothing on Friday night sales last year, but the crowds were good sized back then.
Saturday rolled around and the crowds were sparse the entire day which ran from noon to 10:00 PM. The night crowd wasn't nearly as heavy as the previous year. I sold very little on Saturday, and others around me were in the same boat. There were also few returning artists from the previous year. Sunday picked up a bit, but all it did was get the booth fee back and enough extra to pay for one night's hotel fee. I wound up losing about $300 doing the show.
The family that made the large purchase last year is what I should have factored out of the equation to return. Counting on a single big sale is overly optimistic, and a mistake I don't plan to do again. My sales were about the same minus the one big sale from last year. As much as the organizer is a genuinely nice guy and the setting is nice, if the crowds can't be delivered it would be foolish to return. The potter next to me managed to make a small profit selling mostly $13 mugs and no large pieces, and won't be returning. A jeweler across from us was doing miserably, and likewise won't return. Another photographer was next to me, luckily there was no similarity at all between our work, and he was counting the pennies to get his investment back. He won't return either.
There were other shows going on that weekend and it was a home game Saturday for Ohio State on Saturday, but the other two days were still problematic. I won't be back to the show.
Greenville, South Carolina
West End Historic District
120 Artists
Deadline: October 7 - paper applications
October 21 - online applications
Greenville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest corner of South Carolina, halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. Is is one of those lucky U.S. cities impacted positively by high tech development where industries such as BMW, General Electric and Fluor are flourishing.
What to expect:
- Since 2005 the Purchase Awards Program provided an average of an additional $17,500 in art sales
- An extensive advertising and publicity effort that publicizes the festival throughout the state and the Southeast region with media sponsors in print, radio, television and billboards. The festival will also be marketed through direct mail, social media and paid advertisements in tourist publications
- $10,000 in prize money
- a well-educated audience who have good jobs
- great time of the year for pleasant Spring days
Proceeds are used to produce the annual arts festival and are also distributed back to local non-profit arts organizations as part of Artisphere's Volunteer Arts Partnership Program.
On the fence about applying? Visit their website for a good overview: www.Artisphere.us
For a prospectus and more info, contact Liz Rundorff, Program Director/Artisphere, 864-271-9355, or liz@greenvillearts.com.
Download the application: www.artisphere.us
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Find more art fairs looking for artists:
www.callsforartists.com
www.callsforartists.com
Wow is one of the few words that can describe the 2010 ABE show. This one was the show to be in for the 2010 season. The show at the Pontiac site had been slipping for the last several years due to who knows what factors -- certainly not the work and efforts of the directors and staff -- they are some of the best in the nation. Chrysler dropped its sponsorship in 2009 and Ford picked it up and they moved the show to Royal Oak. Any move can cripple a show for the first year or so. Not ABE! It exploded this year and produced my best show sales ever. I heard the same from two photographers, a wildlife pencil artist (that consistently exhibits in top shows) and a glass artist. I do jewelry. Understandably, some artists did not have a good show as is always the case at any show. However, I will exhibit at 30+ shows this year, some of them ranked in the top ten in the nation, and this show had more buying energy from all age and income levels of any show I've been in for 5 years.
The crowds of people were huge -- it was reported that security even limited the people coming into the show for a time because there were so many people in the street it had reached a danger level. And the people were buying in the depressed Michigan economy. Go figure. Sure, many came for the food, beer and entertainment. But buyers were scattered through the crowds every day and at every hour. Staff was working hard just to get the buyers out of the booths on Monday evening so they could get the show closed down. When did you last experience that?
One thing is certain -- give a hand to John, Lisa and Connie for their work behind the scenes. The show was heavily publicized and promoted. They worked hard to get the really good sponsors and it all come together. Thanks John -- Thanks Connie -- Thanks Lisa -- Thanks to every other staffer who helped make this one happen. It was an honor to be juried into your show.
WHY OH WHY would anyone schedule an Art Fest on Yom Kippur/ this is like having a show on Christmas Day. Nancy and her crew did a great job in getting everyone in,(I escaped quickly); they kept us nurished in the heat, and were very attentive to artists needs. They deal with what the city hands them, dates included. Even though this is the 4th year for this resureccted show(???)- THE QUALITY OF THE ARTISTS WAS OUTSTANDING// FROM ALL OVER THE U.S.
Now the bad- a previous post sited $50 to 100 sales-- this was so true in my case also- my total sales were awful // and I am way too old for practice: A wood artist neighbor sold great tables-$2500-500 and alot // I saw some 2-d that came from the same source // I really stayed close to the nest trying to make something happen // my 2-d neighbors didn't seem busy although one sold 2 nice photos-at the end on Sun. to save the weekend.A few nice wood ,and glass sales, but NOT kicking at all. Many that I spoke to were way unhappy with meager sales, and small crowds. especially as I busted my ass // boogied// to get my vehicle across this 55-60 acre park// somehow. THIS LOCATION NEEDS TO BE MOVED.
The SET_UP, layout is back of booth to the curb/ car to the LEFT CURB// there is NO ROOM TO DOLLY PAST AT ALL// Cops couldn't get by-and we heard about it-Car Doors are open--CRAZY CRAZY-/once one car stops and takes 1-2 hours it was all over/ no matter how they have it staged- we unloaded in 40 minutes- waited 2 hours in a HOT lot to be staged into the park after driving 6 hours from JAX.- and then waited 1 hour till the artists were ready to move;;What a Hassle. NOT ARTIST FRIENDLY--crossing a park, tired, at night, dark, A PERFECT SET-UP
AND WE WERE ROBBED FOR A PIECE OF GLASS OFF OUR DISPLAY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS THAT ANYONE HAS EVER SWIPED A PIECE//// I EVEN LET PEOPLE TAKE PIECES AND SEND ME A CHECK;;; A $450 dollar piece--unreal-
The crowds were small/ and I have heard that they are required to maintain a certain level of attendence in the park???/ hence LITTLE ADVERTIZING// and this showw has a long way to go to attrack a knowledgeable; buying crowd. THANKS BUT NO THANKS
yom Kipper
Ordinarily this event is held on the last weekend of June. The festival layout features artists' booths interspersed with sidewalk cares and local gallery markets, enabling festival-goers to shop while they enjoy artist demonstrations and a sampling of wonderful food.
2. HELP WANTED! ARTIST COORDINATOR - ANN ARBOR STREET ART FAIR
Is this the opportunity you have been waiting for? What a cool job!
The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has an opening for an Artist Coordinator beginning mid October.
The Artist Coordinator position is a year-round part-time position reporting to the Executive Director. The primary focus of this position is to serve as the point person for all aspects of the organization that directly relate to the participation of artists in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. Hours are flexible around specific deadlines and prescribed timeframes, increasing as the Art Fair approaches each July: August – January, approximately 10-15 hours/week; February – March, approximately 15-20 hours/week; April – June, approximately 20-30 hours/week; July, full-time with overtime during the Art Fair.
Send resume and cover letter to mriley@artfair.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
3. MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MID-TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 24-26
Our old artist friend Jack Stoddart is up to it again: Jammin' at Hippie Jack's
Twice a year, the Stoddart farm, nestled on the banks of the Obey River between Nashville and Knoxville becomes the 3 day home for the Jammin at Hippie Jack's Americana Music Mark your calendar for the upcoming Fall Festival September 24, 25, and 26th. Campers day: people and music lovers from across the country will be treated to incredible live performances and can experience the filming of original singer songwriters of Americana, Bluegrass, Blues and Folk music for future episodes of the Jammin at Hippie Jack's public television series. The upcoming fall festival will feature recordings of Doug & Telisha Williams, Gary Nicolson, Whitey Johnson, Seth Walker, The SteelDrivers, Scrapomatic and Larry Cordel. Since January 2009, the series has been available to a national public television audience. The Jammin at Hippie Jack's music...here's the rest
I submitted entries to the Plaza show several times in the past, but finally saw the futility of such and have not and will not enter again. I was a participant in one of the very early Plaza Art Fairs many years ago when I first got out of college, and before becoming so involved in commercial art that I no longer had the time for fine art events until I retired a few years ago. Since that retirement I have participated in art fairs across the country. Not to brag, but a few of those shows are more highly ranked than the Plaza, and artists I know who are from other areas proclaim that their hometown “biggies” are impossible to get into, and they say we are probably passing each other on the highway as we go to participate in the other guy's big show! I think there is a lot of truth to that.
Without further goings-on... this is what I am so upset about: There are seven or eight local artists who are never (never) juried out of this show. They are not invited because of some award and the situation is not explained in any open manner... but their participation from year to year is never in doubt. I could write down the names on a piece of paper weeks before the participants are announced or the jurying even takes place, and my list would be 100% accurate and correct. Here is the point... if you, like me, have experienced entering and participating in art fairs of this caliber, you know how difficult it is to get accepted to a show like this on occasion, and that to be in a show like this frequently is an astonishing accomplishment... but to exceed ten or twelve years without tripping up even one time is, well... hard to believe! (FYI: I have the programs going back some ten years which confirm the claims which I am making.)
If this jurying is not taking place in an honest and impartial manner as is implied, promised and expected, then young, new artists are actually being cheated out of entry fees year after year as they aspire to participate in this great event.
Following is exactly what I emailed to the director of the show this year... word for word except for those artist's names...
Director Name,
We had email conversations about this several years ago and you told me that the unethical (by my standards) policy of jurying which was allowing people to secure a permanent pass around the jurying of the show was going to be addressed and changed.
I am not going to bother at this time to be precise about who is and who isn't a part of this mess as I see it. But off the top of my head right now, the names Name 1, Name 2, Name 3, Name 4, Name 5, Name 6 and Name 7 come to mind and are ALWAYS in the show. As I have said before in various ways, accomplishing that is just not possible under normal circumstances. Different people jurying, different work, times, etc. You as a director and I as an artist who has done hundreds of shows across the country for years know that it is next to impossible to be “perfect” in your applications to the Plaza Art Fair, supposedly one of such stature, etc. – 100% PERFECT!
As I have said before, because young artists pay money to be juried, I believe that what is taking place is criminal and certainly dishonest. And SHOULD be dealt with.
I am simply not going to let this pass. I have tried, and it just eats on me.
Sincerely,
Bob Stewart
In conclusion, I do want to say that if any of these artists has actually entered the Plaza Art Fair year after year and been fairly and honestly invited by each jury, each year, then he or she has my sincerest apology for any implication I have made here or anywhere else. And that person would in fact be an absolute champion of champions in my eyes. I am sure any of us would like to be that good!
Now the meat and potatos, sales. I'm a jeweler (metalsmith) $20 to 500 price points and my sales were 15 times booth fee (you figure it out). Average sales were in the 50 to 100 range so if you didn't have something to offer in that range you perhaps didn't fair as well. My neighbors, a potter and a printer were not happy with their sales.
Overall a very well run show that I will definately do again if they will have me.
Amy Baker, Downtown Community Alliance
(515) 286-4919 or (515) 577-7495
For Immediate Release
Des Moines Arts Festival is Recognized as
Best Overall Festival and Event in the World
Best Overall Festival and Event in the World
DOWNTOWN DES MOINES – The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the Des Moines Arts Festival® with 21 awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards competition on Sept.15, 2010 at the IFEA’s 55th Annual Convention & Expo in Saint Louis.
The highlight of ceremony was the Des Moines Arts Festival winning the Gold Grand Pinnacle Award. The Gold Grand Pinnacle is IFEA’s highest award, reflecting the best overall festival and event in the world.
“We would like to congratulate the Des Moines Arts Festival for their outstanding
entries into this year’s competition,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards represents the hallmark of excellence in the festivals and events industry. Entries in every budget category, from every corner of the globe, allow us to recognize the best in our business while raising the standards and quality of media promotions and events across the board.”
In addition to winning the Gold Grand Pinnacle, the Des Moines Arts Festival also brought home 20 other awards including:
Eight Gold Awards
Best Commemorative Poster – Jodi Perry’s Summer Daydream; Best Single Magazine Display Ad; Best Event Invitation; Best Sponsor Follow-up Report; Best Environmental Program – Hy-Vee Green Arts Program; Best Community Outreach Program – Prairie Meadows Community Outreach Program; Best Children's Programming; and Best Press/Media Kit.
Eight Silver Awards
Best Outdoor Billboard; Best Sponsor Solicitation Package; Best Single New Sponsorship Program – Hy-Vee Green Arts Program.; Best Sponsorship Program for Individual Sponsor – Prairie Meadows; Best New Promotion – Best Event (within an existing festival); Interrobang Film Festival presented by Nationwide; Best T-Shirt Design; and Best Overall Merchandising Program.
Four Bronze Awards Best Newspaper Insert/Supplement; Best Single Newspaper Display Ad; Best Sponsor – Principal Financial Group; and Best Hat.
Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition draws entries from among the world’s top festivals and events. Winning entries came from organizations as diverse as the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO; Borderfest Association, Festival of Lights, Hidalgo, TX; Shows Etc.-Idaho State Capital Building Rededication Celebration, Boise, ID; Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville, KY; Saint Louis Art Fair, Saint Louis, MO; and the International VSA Festival, Washington DC. International contenders included such diverse event organizations as Baekje Cultural Festival, South Korea; Ludwig Van Beethoven Easter Festival, Krakow, Poland; Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Festival Lent, Slovenia and Sentosa Development Corporation, Sentosa, Singapore.
The Des Moines Arts Festival is produced by the Downtown Events Group, a division of the Downtown Community Alliance.
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The Des Moines Arts Festival ® is presented by The Des Moines Register, founded by the Des Moines Art Center and produced by Downtown Events Group. The Festival is sponsored by Prairie Meadows, Principal Financial Group®, Aviva, BRAVO Greater Des Moines, Bank of the West, Des Moines Radio Group, GuideOne Insurance, Hy-Vee, Iowa Public Radio, Meredith Corporation, ME&V, Nationwide, U.S. Cellular®, and WHO-HD 13. For more information on the Des Moines Arts Festival visit www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.
International Festivals & Events Association
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) is The Premiere Association Supporting and Enabling Festival & Event Professionals Worldwide. In partnership with global affiliates under the umbrellas of IFEA A6frica, IFEA Asia, IFEA Australia, IFEA Europe, IFEA Latin America, IFEA Middle East, and IFEA North America the organization's common vision is for A Globally United Industry that Touches Lives in a Positive Way through Celebration," The Association offers the most complete source of ideas, resources, information, education and networking for festival and event professionals worldwide. For a complete list of winners and more information on the IFEA, go to www.ifea.com.
