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Art Business Resources - Here's my picks!

Posted by Michelle Sholund on January 23, 2010 at 11:00am

Connie Metler, after seeing the blog asked me to repost this here as both her and I feel it is timely and may help those who are new and old to the business.Looking for Art Business Resources? Here's my picks!It's a New Year - Happy New Year everyone! As with each New Year, I think it is the time we look at changing habits, looking for answers and advice on how to make things better, right? Today I am going to share some of my favorite resources I keep handy regarding art/craft business. Please note I am not paid to mention any of the following resources and they are in no particular order.1. Niche Magazine. This is a fantastic publication the helps unite retailers and craft artists offering advice regarding keeping great employees, market trends, wholesale show information, issues raised by retailers that artists should know, as well as business tips. It is put out by The Rosen Group the same group that is behind the Philadelphia Buyers Market of Art/Craft and the publication American Style. A quick Google search for Niche magazine will help you learn more about the publication as well as how to get your hands on a copy.2. The Art and Craft Show Yellow Pages. This is also a publication and it comes out every quarter and focuses on art/craft show listings throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. It also offers great advice for people who do art and craft fairs such as tips on attracting customers into your booth, organizing tips, financial tips (such as getting ready for tax time as well as insurance help) and much more. This publication isn't on newsstands, but available through the website www.smartfrogs.com .3. The Crafts Report. Another good publication is the Crafts Report magazine which can be found via some news stands and via their website. The Crafts Report covers a wide gambit such as photographing tips, regional vignettes, highlights art galleries and artists, chock full of art business tips, reporting on wholesale shows, art and craft shows, and more. Something of note - I was a freelance writer for Crafts Report and was happy to be apart of the magazine during its transition time. They are still working out the kinks to increase viewership, but the last few issues have churned out some great articles - for this reason I do recommend checking it out again if you are some that were turned off by them in the past.4. ArtFairInsiders.com . This website is a social network for art fair artists and crafts people. It just celebrated their 1 year anniversary in November and is growing like wildfire. I am lucky to be one of the people who regularly gives free advice and tips regarding doing art fairs - booth tips, customer service, finding shows, and most importantly review shows. I keep coming back to this site due to the wonderful networking opportunities as I am learning something new each time I am on the site as well as the feedback given regarding well detailed art fair reviews.5. "How to Start a Homebased Craft Business" by Kenn Oberrecht. I use this book off and on as a great resource for all things people need to know in order to run a home based business. Advice includes dealing with taxes and insurance, marketing your products via the web and shows, setting up a computer system, writing a business plan and why it is important to have one, marketing survey, and so much more. This book with others are available via Amazon.com as well as Barnes and Noble and Borders. I highly recommend looking at them first - via a book store or library - to ensure the information is right for you.6. "Handmade for Profit" by Barbara Brabec. This is kinda the bible on how to start your own craft business. I use it a lot as even though it is a guide on how to start a business it covers so much more. I also recommend all of Ms. Brabec's books - she has about 4-5 of them, her advice is spot on. Do check out her website as she offers newsletters and advice via her site too.7. "Crafting a Business" by Wendy Rosen. Did you know Wendy Rosen, the founder of The Rosen Group wrote her own book too? If you are looking to get into selling at retail and wholesale shows it is THE BEST book around. It offers advice on applying to events, customer relations, pricing, product development, and how to get free publicity. The downfall is some of the information is dated (in the resource area of the book), but all in all very timely advice. I use this book often - even today - because of the personal stories used to back up the advice, the sample sheets for writing up outlines of understanding(and other sheets) are something I refer back to as my business grows and new things need to be incorporated into my own applications.8. Sunshine Artists. A great publication that offers tips and listings of art shows around the country. There are some great reviews of shows and it does offer great advice too. What is great about this publication is it publishes a yearly review of the top 100 art fairs in the country as complied by surveys by readers and non-readers who sell at these shows.9. Bruce Baker's Cd's on Booth Design, Customer Service and Jury Slides. I love Baker's cd's as the advice given is amazing, revolutionizing the way artists think when it comes to doing shows. The advice is well organized and to the point (and I might add he covers everything). I often listen to his cd's as each time you hear it you pick up on something new and at the same time gets you in a motivated mindset if you listen to one on route to a show. The best tips are how to deal with negativity if it enters your booth, quips on how to deal with "I can buy that at Wal-Mart", and ideas on how to make your booth stand out from your competition at shows - for starters. Of these cd's I have 5 cd's on Dyanamic Sales and Customer Service Techniques as well as 4 on Booth Design and Merchandising (never opened) on hand right now! If anyone is interested in buying one or two from me they retail for $15, but I am selling them for $10 each (plus $4.50 for shipping and handling). If you want one please contact me via my website www.bythebaybotanicals.com and use the email form on my contact page to let me know which cd you are interested in. I accept major credit cards and checks and can send it to you the same day.I am hoping this information as well as all of my advice has and will continue to help you all in this new year as well as years to come. Feel free to share any other resources you like and others should know about via the comment button on my blog or here on artfairinsiders.com .Again, Happy New Year, Michelle

2nd Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling

Posted by Funky Finds on January 22, 2010 at 10:10am

The 2nd Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling is an indie craft fair to be held on March 13 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.The event will feature the work of over 120 artists, crafters & designers from various states. The first 50 attendees to purchase a minimum of five $1.00 raffle tickets will receive a hand-crafted swag bag full of goodies.All raffle proceeds benefit the Humane Society of North Texas and CASA of Tarrant County. The FREE indoor event is family and pet-friendly!

San Diego Artwalk

Posted by MICHAEL ALAN STIPEK on January 21, 2010 at 10:05am

I tried to get this note posted months ago about the San Diego Artwalk, which takes place in late April. Yes, Connie is right about their publicity, etc., but there is a downside to this show. I talked to two of the directors at the Peoria NAIA conference last Sept. I had a lot of questions to ask about the show, because I wanted to apply to it; it's near where I grew up.According to the directors, they get about 1,000 applicants for about 300 booth locations; previously accepted artists get precedence in acceptance over new applicants; previously exhibiting artists get preferential booth placements over first-time artists; the main street on which the festival takes place doesn't hold all of the booths, so overflow goes onto side streets, which doesn't get near the foot traffic of the main drag; and - the kicker - first time accepted artists usually get the side streets. In my opinion, you have to lose money the first year or two until you move up to the main traffic flow - if you have a product that sells. Take a close look at the images posted by the previous artists and the images posted by the show about the festival itself. If you think your work fits into this world, go for it. Enjoy San Diego in the spring, it can be quite lovely, with warm weather, lots of flowers, moderate temps and few, if any storms. Or, just fly out there and have a real vacation without doing any shows!Mike Stipek

Upstate NY

Posted by Donna Lilienthal on January 21, 2010 at 8:05am

I am looking for shows to fill in beween Corn Hill (7/10) and Park Ave (8/7)..any suggestions...I have a few in mind...Canadaigua and Syraccuse (although I got regected from the latter last year).Also..In august anywhere on the east cost. The few I tried last year were awful (Collingswood!)Thanks for inputDonna

Call for Artists: East Lansing, Michigan

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 20, 2010 at 5:22pm

May 22 & 23 East Lansing Art Festival downtown East Lansing 220 Artists Deadline: January 31 Produced by Art Festival Board of Directors under the auspices of the East Lansing Arts Commission/City of East Lansing Established in 1964, the East Lansing Art Festival is held every Spring on the weekend prior to the Memorial Day weekend. The popular Festival attracts 70,000-80,000 attendees from across the region. In addition to the 230 juried exhibitors emerging artists are also invited to participate through a competitive selection process. Emerging artists must be affiliated with an institution of higher education within the last 2-3 years. East Lansing is a charming University town with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, galleries and the beautiful Michigan State University campus across the street. Having exhibited in this art fair ourselves here is what else you will like: +well-educated visitors, unaffected by the economic downturn in the State; professional people from State government and the University +Well-planned entertainment that enhances the art rather than distracts from it +a festive mood as this is the kickoff of the art fair season +affiliation with the Public TV and radio stations, bringing the right people to you +a well-seasoned staff who "get it" +easy load in and out New this year: +booth fees went up slightly this year to $250 (an increase of $20) for a 10' x 10' - necessary to cover costs for city services that have been charged to us. But it is our aim to hold that number down even though we have one of the least costly booth fees around. We are a great bargain!!!

From the director, Corinn Van Wyck: Our artist survey from 2009 showed that artists have great sales at our festival - many, many artists reported that they had their best sales in quite a while at our show and were very happy to kick off the festival season in East Lansing! We have an informed and enthusiastic community of collectors here and they really appreciate the artists. Sounds good, doesn't it? Visit: www.elartfest.com for more information. Then, don't dawdle. Visit: zapplication.org to apply. Today would be a good day to do that, don't you think?

Kicking your art business forward!

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 20, 2010 at 12:00pm

Wasn't 2009 a challenge? Well, here we are on a headlong rush into 2010. What are you doing differently to effect a different outcome? Do you remember the definition of "insanity"? "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Here is something that I think can be helpful to you. The testimonials sound like this is the cure you need. Announcing smARTIST Telesummit 2010 - January 21-22 and 25-29, Build Your Art Career from the Comforts of Home Come learn from 11 art career experts and successful artists exactly what it takes to be successful in any economy—with focus and facts standing alongside your fabulous art. Attend an online art career conference and professional development conference that only happens once a year. What past participants have to say: I’ve been selling online and elsewhere for years now (started out on eBay in 2000) and wanted to focus more of my efforts into success. I learned so much at the Telesummit about things I could improve, and ways to tweak parts of my entire work process. Believe me, at first I was a complete skeptic about the value of the smARTist Telesummit. But there have been so many changes in my art career since attending last year! On my three main websites, I’m getting 600 sessions and 8,000 hits on average a day! WOW, and I owe a lot of that to what I learned from the smARTist® Telesummit. This conference starts tomorrow -- January 21 -- learn more and register today! You deserve this, www.smArtist.com.

Call for Artists: Oak Park, Illinois

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 18, 2010 at 4:26pm

May 15 & 16 Art in the Park Historic Mills Park Oak Park, Illinois sponsored by the West Suburban Artists Guild 140 artists Deadline: February 1, 2010 $150 booth fee 10x10 space $15 jury fee Set up Saturday 7-10am Show Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday 10am - 5pm Please join us for our juried fine arts show, showcased in a new setting in the heart of historic Oak Park. We are looking for handmade unique items designed and made by the exhibiting artist only. This annual event includes live music, food vendors, and on Sunday only a children's art table area. New this year: --new location: on the grounds of Pleasant Home, a National Historic Landmark, in the Frank Lloyd Wright district of Oak Park, IL --two days

--overnight security provided --a lock up area to store art pieces over night --$1000 in prize money --Mills Park is located at Pleasant Street and Home Avenue --3 blocks north of Madison Street and 3 blocks east of Harlem Avenue in the center of the historic district. Artists have an opportunity to buy ad space in a brochure/program book being sent out with three local newspapers to 20,500 area customers. If the artist is not accepted into the show, the ad fee and booth fee will be returned. Visit www.westsuburbanartistsguild.com for more info. For an application contact Mary Mieke at troutt7@comcast.net

Excellent promotion by SanDiego's Mission Federal ArtWalk

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 18, 2010 at 4:00pm

The Federal Mission ArtWalk in San Diego gets my award for being the most web-savvy and social media knowledgeable of any art fair out there. They showcase their artists, run contests, do newsletters, are active on Facebook and their site is interactive. Here is their latest promotion, a terrific idea for stimulating interest among art fair patrons and some excellent early publicity:

http://www.missionfederalartwalk.org/tshirt.htm

http://www.missionfederalartwalk.org/tshirt.htm Isn't this an excellent example of "no budget," or "low budget" advertising? How do you like this? Do you have a better idea, or another idea to share with us?

Rising Sun Festival in Indiana

Posted by Deidre Nabors on January 16, 2010 at 11:48am

Has anybody out there ever participated in the Rising Sun Art Festival in Rising Sun, Indiana. I just came across it but have not heard of anyone doing it. Since I live in Indiana I thought it might be worth looking into but would like some feed back from someone who has actually participated

Preview Massachusetts, February 2010

Posted by carole guthrie on January 15, 2010 at 2:30pm

I just got word that my work would be featured on the "See Your Art Here" page for the February Issue. Preview Massachusetts in a full color rag with arts content. If you want to send a jpeg of your work, here is the email to use: hcooper@valleyadvocate.com. for consideration. Heather is the person to contact. Family Heirloom pic will be used.

Animal Artists be aware!

Posted by Barnaby Parker on January 15, 2010 at 7:41am

The Animal Art Fair launches in London in April - there are still a few spaces for exceptional artists. How many artists are there who specialise in animals?

Are you having a problem sending back your booth request form to Gasparilla? Here is the solution.

Posted by Barry Bernstein on January 14, 2010 at 3:56pm

I got an email today from the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts saying that people were complaining because they couldn't save the PDF form, so they could send back their booth request. There is a simple solution to this problem. If you only have Adobe Acrobat reader, you can only save the file as is. You cannot fill out the form and save it because, as it says, it is only allows you to read the form. You need the full version of Acrobat to be able to fill out the form. You can, however, print to a file, which allows you to save the file to your computer. If you have a Mac, simply click print and then choose "print to PDF." With Windows based computers there are 2 small applications you must install before you can do this. One is the program called CutePDF Writer and the other is called Ghostscript. Both are free. Cute PDF Writer allows you to create PDF files and edit them, much like the full version Acrobat. The other is an open-source application that lets your printer read the PDF, for publication.Here is the link to where you can get the files: http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/Writer.aspAfter you install the 2 apps, bring up your booth request form, fill it out, and click "print" as if you were going to print the form. There will be an option called "print to CutePDF Writer." Chose that one and it will save the completed form to the folder of your choice, most likely your "Documents" folder. Then, just attach that file to an email and send it to the show.

Call for Artists: Summer Arts Festival in Omaha, NE

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2010 at 4:56pm

June 25-27, 2010 36th Annual Summer Arts Festival Downtown Omaha, Nebraska 135 Artists Deadline: January 20 The 36th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival invites you to be a part of one of the most lively art festivals in the Midwest. Located in downtown Omaha alongside a beautiful park, the award-winning Summer Arts Festival draws a diverse crowd of 80,000 people for a weekend of unique visual arts, great music, tasty food and hands-on children's activities. Festival patrons enjoy browsing and buying an eclectic mix of functional and non-functional pieces by 135 artists in 14 media categories. High-quality work in the $50 to $200 range tends to sell most frequently, but, of course, higher priced artwork does not go unnoticed (or un-purchased) by Omaha's fair share of art-lovers. "This is an excellent, well-organized festival," one artist said. "I have my highest sales here and always encounter enthusiastic, loyal customers." In addition to $2500 in cash awards, artists can expect hospitality and concierge services that are a step above the rest. The Festival offers you: * discounted hotel rates

* complimentary snacks and beverages * an Artists' Awards Brunch on Saturday and an Artists' Meeting on Sunday with continental breakfast * an air-conditioned lounge with indoor restrooms * booth sitters; water delivery; overnight, indoor storage * 24-hour security * reserved parking and electricity Artists also reap the benefits of the festival's substantial marketing efforts and media coverage. "[The Omaha Summer Arts Festival] is my favorite show to do; and [the] treatment of artists is the best! said one artist. Not many shows do anything for artists anymore-it is very important to us." This year, the Festival has transitioned to ZAPPlication, an online jury management system. Complete information about applications and digital submissions can be found on the website at www.SummerArts.org. Paper applications are also available. The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is introducing an online application this year to streamline the submission process for artists and jurors, alike, said Vic Gutman, Festival Executive Director. We are committed to making our Festival enjoyable from beginning to end! Interested artists may visit www.SummerArts.org to apply today! The deadline for applications is January 20, 2010. For more information about the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, please contact Elizabeth Balazs, Visual Arts Coordinator, at (402) 345-5401 or ebalazs@vgagroup.com.

Brandywine Art Festival - Part IV

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2010 at 4:43pm

We first reported problems with the Brandywine Art Festival in August: Art Fair Doesn't Pay Bills - Loses Permit - Moves to PA And then again, Not So - "Art Fair Doesn't Pay Bills - Loses Permit - Moves to PA" Then in September we learned some more: She Kept the Money! More Bad News from Brandywine In response to our inquiry about the festival's 2010 dates we received this message: We're sorry to inform you that the 49th annual Brandywine Arts Festival has been canceled indefinitely. This is a sad time for our staff, the community, and the artists who have all contributed so much to this loved tradition. We'd like to both thank and apologize to those who have supported this celebration of the arts year after year. There is a Sugarloaf Art and Craft Festival September 25, 26, 27, 2009 at the Chase center on the Wilmington Riverfront. This is a nice event I hope the community continues to embrace it. Click Here for more info We're in the process of acquiring an attorney; it will be posted here when we do.

Attend an Open Jury in Columbus, Ohio

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2010 at 4:32pm

Every time we get a rejection from an art fair we are puzzled. What went wrong? Here is an excellent opportunity to get some good insight into what is happening. Larry Berman is always telling you to do this and I absolutely concur. You will be amazed at what you learn, maybe just some tweak to your images, but most importantly you will see the competition in your category. If you live within a two hour drive of Columbus, you should be there. Here are the details: COLUMBUS ARTS FESTIVAL TO HOLD PUBLIC JURY PROCESS

TO SELECT 2010 VISUAL ARTISTS COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury panel for the Columbus Arts Festival presented by Time Warner Cable will choose the 2010 event artists at a two-day public meeting Feb. 6-7 at the City of Upper Arlington Municipal Building, 3600 Tremont Rd. Panelists will review the hundreds of artist applications from across the country to determine the approximately 230 who will be invited to participate in this year’s event, produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. The jury will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 6 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sun., Feb. 7. To attend all or part of the jury, please RSVP to Amanda Teague, Columbus Arts Festival Coordinator, at 614-224-2606 or ateague@gcac.org. Each year, artists who wish to be considered for the Festival apply through ZAPPlication™, an online application tool, by submitting four digital images of their work and one image of their booth display. A jury panel, selected by the GCAC staff, conducts a blind jury process, where jurors review the artists’ images and technical statements without knowing the artists’ names or hometown. The top scores, allowing for a balanced show across mediums, are invited to participate in the Festival. The jurors for the 2010 Columbus Arts Festival are: - Dr. Annegreth Nill, an art historian and independent curator - Kelly Malec-Kosak, a jewelry/mixed media artist and faculty member of the Columbus College of Art & Design - Matt Reber, manager and buyer for the Wexner Center for the Arts - Eva Kwong, a ceramic and printmaking artist and adjunct faculty member of Kent State University - Tony Cray, a glass artist from St. Louis, Mo. Artists will be chosen in the following categories: Metal; Digital Art; 2D Mixed Media; 3D Mixed Media; Jewelry; Printmaking & Graphics; Photography; Fiber; Drawing & Pastels; Clay; Glass; Sculpture; Painting; Leather; and Wood.

A Walk Through History - the Roots of the Craft Show Business

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2010 at 4:07pm

My friend, Richard Rothbard, recently came on this article and forwarded it to me. It is a thorough interview with Carol Sedestrom Ross, founder of the American Craft Council, who started the first wholesale craft market in the U.S. in 1973 at the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. Some of you will remember the excitement of those times, but if you don't this is an excellent look back at how art fairs and craft shows came to be. Just in case you don't read all the way, here is an important quote: Carol's idea, "If I could just figure out how to start some craft markets we could have beautiful things made in our own country. Probably 90% of the 500 people who showed in that first fair I organised at Rhinebeck in the early 1970's had some other job. When I left Rhinebeck ten years later probably 90% of the exhibitors were making their living from selling their craft." Interview with Carol Sedestrom Ross June l998, Copyright © 2003-2004 Craft Australia In June,1998 Craft Australia co-ordinated the visit to Australia of Carol Sedestrom Ross from the USA. Ross is the founder of American Craft Enterprises, the commercial arm of the American Craft Council which brought contemporary crafts into the mainstream of American merchandising. This article documents an interview conductedwith Ross by freelance writer Jo Litson, with Beth Hatton in attendance. Jo Litson: It seems that since you first became involved there has been quite a radical shift in the way that craft is perceived in America and the way that it is being marketed. Carol Sedestrom Ross: I actually started my career as a potter and, in the 1960s, I was married to a man who was teaching ceramics at the State University of New York. For years he graduated talented young people who went on to get teaching jobs in other universities because at that time craft education was just burgeoning. Suddenly in the mid-60's there were no more jobs and yet all these young people were still coming through the schools. At the same time in America everything that was beautiful, well-made and unique was imported even though we had so much local talent. If I could just figure out how to start some craft markets we could have beautiful things made in our own country. Probably 90% of the 500 people who showed in that first fair I organised at Rhinebeck in the early 1970's had some other job. When I left Rhinebeck ten years later probably 90% of the exhibitors were making their living from selling their craft. So it turned around very quickly. Craft marketing in the US seems to have gone through three major stages. The first big interest on the part of the public was totally nostalgic - they couldn't believe that people they knew were actually making things. In 1973 we did an exhibition at Rhinebeck called Living With Crafts. We installed a range of crafts in a house on the fairgrounds used to demonstrate electricity, and held the display over for the Duchess County Fair. Jo Litson: Which is like our Easter Show in Australia? Carol Sedestrom Ross: Yes. I was sitting in the entrance to the house, at a Wendell Castle desk, and people would say to me: "Everything here is imported from Scandinavia". I would say: "No, it was all made in the 13 Northeast States" and they simply couldn't believe it. So that was the first stage of marketing crafts in the USA. I used to call it the thumbprint era, you could sell anything that had a thumbprint on it, people were thrilled with homemade things, lumpy and bumpy and not quite perfect. That period went away and during the 80's we had crafts turning into luxury goods. Jo Litson: Greed is good. Carol Sedestrom Ross: With this burst of economic wellbeing in America, buying unique craft objects seemed a wonderful way for people to speak about their individuality. They could own something special that other people didn't have. Being populist rather than elitist, I found part of that movement unfortunate, there was so much money available that craftspeople started to make "collector pieces" selling for $5000, $6000, $8000, whatever. There was a lack of grounding in that era. Instead of well conceived design with a basis in function there was a drifting off into this other kind of craft. Then of course the 80's crashed and burned and this huge group of people, who had been fairly used to producing 10 to 15 big pieces a year and selling them for large amounts of money, suddenly didn't know what to do. Many started to develop a less expensive, bread-and-butter line of production work. Everybody was concerned that this was the end of the crafts but actually I consider it the true blossoming of craft in the US because people are now having to be very accountable to their audience. They are having to stretch their creativity to produce a craft that fits into what is going on rather than necessarily a personal statement. They are having to be clever about how to make it work. We now have so many mass merchandise stores in America - Gap, Banana Republic, Crate Barrel, Pottery Barn. You can go into the central business district in any city and find exactly the same goods for sale. Most Americans cannot afford to furnish their entire lives with handmade things so what they do, for example, is buy inexpensive dinnerware and supplement it with special handmade pieces - salad bowls, coffee servers, those kinds of things. Mass merchandising has created a huge appetite for craft in the US. The only way that small stores can make themselves different to the chain stores is through craft. So galleries, gift shops, even big stores like Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue are looking for those special items which no competitor has. This is what has brought craft from being marketed separately through its own circle of craft fairs. We now have almost 1200 craftspeople in our gift shows across the country. I don't know whether the same thing will happen in Australia. When I first started going to England about ten years ago the craftspeople there wouldn't hear of the idea of making your living producing craft. We now have about 80 British craftspeople coming to our San Francisco and New York gift shows and most of them are making their living from selling their crafts. So it may be possible in Australia too. Most of it has to do with what is going on in society generally as opposed to what is happening in crafts. Jo Litson: I am assuming that many practitioners don't want to get locked into too many production lines but then if you are really successful and there is a demand for your work there must be a compromise possible. Carol Sedestrom Ross: I had this conversation with a young man a few years ago. He was upset because a famous glass collector in the US wouldn't buy his one-of-a-kind pieces because he also did a mass produced line of wonderful goblets etc. So I said: "Let's have a look at this. Would you rather sell one piece to a collector who will put it in a closet or on a shelf in his apartment and show it to his friends so that maybe 30, 50 or 100 people will see it? Or would you rather make beautiful, useful objects which many people can buy, and in that way bring beauty into their lives?" It is quite a different perspective. Jo Litson: So the collector wasn't interested in somebody who was also producing. I suppose that is one of the difficulties for the crafts practitioners? Carol Sedestrom Ross: It is very hard to figure out. I am talking about craft marketing only. There is a whole other aspect of art/craft made by people who probably do something else, teach or whatever, and who produce and sell fewer pieces. There is quite a separation between the two. Some craftspeople were accused of selling out because they were producing multiples, of losing their way, of not being artists any more. It all boils down to how you define creativity. I think that if you are creative enough to make things that bring beauty into other people's lives, people who don't have thousands of dollars to spend, that is a wonderful achievement. Jo Litson: Craft is sort of halfway between mass produced and one-off work. Carol Sedestrom Ross: Maybe that movement is particularly American because we have such a huge population at mid-income level that supports it. Jo Litson: What have you come to Australia to do, will you be talking to craftspeople and craft organisations? Beth Hatton: Carol will be talking mainly to craft practitioners. Her tour is aimed particularly at advising people who are thinking about taking work to America because Craft Australia has been participating in the San Francisco Gift Fair ever since 1995. Carol will be giving craftspeople an idea of what they should be doing to develop their product for the American market. Jo Litson: Is it specifically for America or are her talks about developing their products for the Australian market as well? Carol Sedestrom Ross: I think both because I am going to be speaking a lot about how to present yourself with printed material or in a booth, and that can be anywhere craft is marketed. I am also going to talk about current trends. Since I first got involved in this I have become interested in how major sociological trends have driven the crafts. It was the Industrial Revolution that truly started the early Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and the US. Was there a similar movement in Australia? Beth Hatton: Yes, English practitioners and teachers came to this country and influenced the arts and crafts in late 19th century. Carol Sedestrom Ross: The Arts and Crafts Movement eventually died in the US, I think because the public was not particularly interested in handmade things. It was the first time in history that you could buy mass produced things and use them and throw them away and get more of them. I think that artists are always the first to respond to social change so it doesn't surprise me that Charles Rennie Macintosh and William Morris and other artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement were the ones saying:" Wait, wait, we can make these things, too". But nobody was paying any attention to them, we do now but not then. That was a "pushed movement" then, in marketing terms, the artists were trying to push their ideas onto other people. What is happening now is what is called a "pulled" movement because the public is very tired of mass produced things and prefers handmade so it is pulling the movement forward. There is now a huge appetite for craft in the US. I heard a lecture last Friday by John Naisbit who wroteMegatrends. He is most famous for his "high tech, high touch" concept, that is, the more technology we have in our lives the more things we need to touch to remind ourselves that we are human. It was the industrial revolution which started the craft movement and now it is the technological revolution 100 years later that is really pulling it forward. Jo Litson: The more time people spend with their computers the more they need the other side. Carol Sedestrom Ross: In the craft movement we forget to look at what is going on in the rest of society. The crafts are part of these huge sociological trends that cause things to happen. I feel that I wandered into marketing at the right time. When I started the Rhinebeck fair, which was the first big craft marketing initiative in the US, I'd say to people: "I must be doing the right thing because it is just so easy." I seemed to know intuitively what was ready to happen, so it just grew and grew. Rhinebeck was held outside on a fairground in the summer time. It seemed to me if we were ever going ensure crafts as a profession we had to do a winter fair. If buyers were going to be confident that they had craft as a resource they had to be able to buy it at least twice a year. So in 1977 I started a show in Baltimore, Maryland for which I was able to find 275 exhibitors. It was the first time in the US that crafts had been marketed in the winter in the city in a trade hall. I was lucky because Joan Mondale (the Vice President's wife) had promised that if her husband's party were elected she would start a campaign for America's craftspeople. So after the inauguration I asked her to open the fair in Maryland for us. That really started it and Baltimore is still the premier event for craft in the country. Jo Litson: In Australia our major art galleries don't show much craft. We do have craft organisations such as the Centre for Contemporary Craft which is going into Customs House. That is going to be really major, it is right down on the Quay where all the tourists go and there will be a whole floor of craft, but generally we don't see much craft and what we see doesn't necessarily register with us as craft. So do you think craft fairs are crucial for practitioners to be able to show their wares? Carol Sedestrom Ross: Well, they were in the US. For example, Rhinebeck is only 90 miles from New York City, a lovely little Victorian village that people love to visit - location, location, location. Then, because we had two wholesale days and three public days, I was able to spin the public relations. I released to New York papers and magazines the fact that Nieman Marcus was coming all the way from Dallas and Marshall Fields was coming from Chicago as well as Bloomingdales and Bergdorfs and all the big stores. When these names went into the local papers then the general public wanted to go and see why the big important stores were going. Then I turned it round the other way and released to all the trade publications and big store magazines the fact that we had 54,000 people coming to see these beautiful crafts. So that was how I was able to get the spin going. We had over 500 craftspeople in the fair so it was well worth making a trip to see - it would have been hard to get the steam engine rolling unless I had this kind of focus. So that is why fairs are important. They have come to be part of the fabric of American life. I now read novels which refer to going to Rhinebeck or to "that wonderful fair at the Baltimore Convention Centre" and I think wow, I started all that! Beth Hatton: You're part of history. Carol Sedestrom Ross: Talking about a downtown area which is showing crafts, when I was a child my father used to travel a lot. Whenever he came home with Marshall Fields bags I knew that he had been in Chicago and when he came home with Bloomingdales bags he had been in New York. You can't do that any more with either domestic or international travel. So it is important that there is some place in Australia where you can buy Australian crafts. In San Francisco I go to small galleries to find things that were made or bought in San Francisco. Tourism and the interest in tradition and heritage are feeding the demand for crafts. Beth Hatton: The desire for the local product, something that is identifiably from the country. Jo Litson: Have you seen much of Australian crafts, to have any sense of them? Carol Sedestrom Ross: I haven't seen much yet, only what has been sent to the [San Francisco] Fair in the past three years, which is different enough to be interesting to American galleries. Tom Peters wrote in The Search of Excellence that companies originally competed on price, then they competed on quality and next, in the wave that is coming now, competition will be based on design. So what is happening in the US right now is that a lot of companies are hiring craftspeople to design for them. I have a friend in San Francisco (Susan Eslick) who is designing for six companies. Not only is she a ceramist but she can also do painted designs which is not a combination you often find in craftspeople. Susan was in our show SURTEX (Surface Textile) which we started 12 years ago for people to sell designs. They bring portfolios of designs for sheets, towels, record covers, greeting cards, wrapping paper, whatever. That show stayed at about 120 exhibitors for almost nine years but it has now burst forth to almost double in size. That says to me that the exhibitors must be selling their designs. The Olympics will have a major impact on Australian crafts. The State of North Carolina did an economic impact study a few years ago and found that in 22 counties of a mountainous area, the crafts contributed 122 million dollars annually to the State economy. So they decided to do something with that. They published Heritage Trails which was distributed through all the tourist areas, listing various little villages where there were people carving corncob pipes or making ceramics. After the first year those small craft businesses had increased anywhere from 15% to 46% in terms of dollars coming in. Tourists love to see how people live and make things in small villages - it is part of this current wave of nostalgia - we don't know what is out there in the future so let's go back in time. That is why there is a retro theme going on now. All these megatrends are driving craft. If it hasn't started to happen here yet it probably will. Customs House could be the beginning of a focus. Jo Litson: So when is the San Francisco Gift Fair? Carol Sedestrom Ross: It is held twice a year and the next one is in August. Beth Hatton: Craft Australia is taking 12 people over this year, we have been going for the last three years taking a range of crafts. Carol Sedestrom Ross: It is an international gift fair. We have 18 British craftspeople coming as well as handicrafts brought by various Asian governments which makes for a nice mix. Beth Hatton: People are now designing items on computer which can then by produced by the computer. British writer Peter Dormer spoke about this at a Craft Australia conference a few years ago. He saw computer aided production as a great threat to craftspeople making things by hand in their studios. Eventually it could do craftspeople out of a living. What do you think? Carol Sedestrom Ross: The computer is coming to life within the crafts in a number of ways. For example, some weavers are using it in their designing. A number of crafspeople in the US have their own web sites, so they can photograph a piece, put it on the computer and phone a collector interested in their work. Beth Hatton: So they are using it as a marketing tool. Carol Sedestrom Ross: Yes. There are people who are hoping to create sales directly on the computer in this way. Many people are marketing through television home shopping networks and QVC or whatever. A woman who makes collapsible baskets did a demonstration on QVC of how they were made. She then sold something like 35,000 in an hour. So there are different ways in which the computer is being used. I am not at all pessimistic about craft until there is a global disaster and nobody goes shopping any more. Craft in the US is no longer an alternative, it is very much part of the mainstream. Crafts have become the darling of the gift industry in the US. On the opening morning in our gift show the craft section is always the most crowded. Buyers know that they are dealing with limited edition, small quantity merchandise and if they don't place their orders early they could miss out. There is a sort of mystique around craft, you can't order 400 dozen in two weeks, you have to get there first to get what you want. So in 20 years we have come from way outside the lines of society to being right in the middle of things. Beth Hatton: So you don't envisage companies buying up images out of copyright such as Monet and printing them on everything for sale? That is what craftspeople will be competing with. Carol Sedestrom Ross: I know. But a lot of craftspeople are selling their own designs to these companies, it is another source of income for them. Truly creative people won't have to worry about that sort of production. Jo Litson: It won't be special any more if it is copied. Carol Sedestrom Ross: When I go to the mass merchandise stores I recognise ideas from craftspeople I know. But they are never the same - they don't have that same attention to detail, they are watered-down versions and the stores only do a big thing on them for six months. Some craftspeople say they don't want to be in a gift show because somebody will steal their ideas and I say: "If you want to keep your idea you have to put everything you make in the basement. Once you get it out into the world it's fair game". Anyway there aren't many really new ideas around any more, it is just the way that you interpret them that is original. Beth Hatton: Keith Richards says something like that, too. He doesn't claim personal ownership of his ideas, he thinks that there is a great pool of ideas in the universe and he just puts up his antennae and picks them up for his songs.

Art Fair Insiders News - 1/11/10

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 11, 2010 at 12:36pm

Warm greetings for the new year (especially to those who spent this weekend in Florida outdoors at Cape Coral, BocaFest and Beaux Arts freezing their little tushies off). I'm back from Los Angeles and ready to work with you in making 2010 the turnaround year for this art fair business. Are you with me? Last year at this time there were around 150 members of this site. As of today we are past 1800. (Thank you for joining!) I've been working with my 'braintrust' to come up with strategies to maximize the usefulness of this membership for everyone's good. Among us we must have a bezillion years of experience to offer one another and I need your help to make the site even better. Here's the plan: 1. Greeters. As people join I need some official "greeters" to welcome them. Some of you have clearly taken on that role already and I was just going to ask you directly, but maybe there are some others who also would be interested. Here is what you would do: when someone posts in the "Welcome" section of the discussion area you would greet them and encourage their participation. Everyone who does this would be entered in a drawing to win prizes, books, ebooks, consulting and other ideas I'm working on. 2. Featured Member. There will be a monthly featured member to reward those who have been instrumental in the continued growth of the site. All members vote by submitting one name each month via email. There will be three winners each month. The winners will be featured at the top of the Members page, and on a special Featured Members Awards page (being created soon). More details coming on this. Would you also like to be featured artist of the month on ArtFairCalendar.com? 3. Contests: There have been some terrific blog postings, insightful comments, show reviews and helpful discussions posted. We will be featuring them and awarding Ning gifts each week for the following categories: --Best blog of the week --Best show review --Best comment on a blog posting --Best new discussion --Best contribution to a discussion (did you see Linnea Lahlum's contribution to the "latest rejection" discussion?) No one is eligible to win anything unless they have a smiling photo of themselves posted in their personal profile. This is a social network and we need to see who we are talking to! Please get images uploaded. What else is new? As anyone online knows SEO (search engine optimization) is an important way to increase business opportunities on the Web. Recently I started two new Facebook fan pages, one for ArtFairInsiders.com and another one for ArtFairCalendar.com. I'd really appreciate it is you would go to those pages and click on "Become a Fan". Free to you and very helpful to me in keeping these sites alive and well and bringing you the news from Art Fair World. These two pages will enable us all to put the force of Facebook behind us, bringing new faces to our pages and new fans to the our art fairs. Please help me help you in this endeavor. Did I say Happy New Year? Very best wishes, Connie Mettler

Press release from the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 11, 2010 at 12:30pm

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair names Maureen Riley as Executive Director

January 11, 2010 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is pleased to announce the appointment of Maureen Riley to the position of Executive Director. Ms. Riley was selected following an extensive national search process. “Mo Riley is the ideal person to lead the Street Art Fair into the future,” said Royce Disbrow, Chair of the Fair’s Board of Directors, “she possesses a true passion for the arts as well as many years of experience producing arts festivals.” Previously Riley was Special Events Director for the University Cultural Center Association, which produced the Detroit Festival of the Arts and Noel Night in Midtown Detroit. A Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Riley moved to Michigan in 1994 to work as an Event Manager for Palace Sports and Entertainment. Ms. Riley and her husband, Gerald Bernhardt, are relocating to Ann Arbor from Rochester, Michigan. For the past fifty years the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original, has embraced the mission of increasing public knowledge and appreciation for contemporary fine arts and fine crafts by creating opportunities that connect artists, the Ann Arbor community and the general public; culminating in a high quality juried street art fair. Continually ranked as one of the top art fairs in the country, the 2010 fair will take place Wednesday thru Saturday, July 21 thru 24, 2010 and runs in conjunction with the State Street Area Art Fair, The Guild Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, and Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair. The Street Art Fair is located on North University and the area surrounding Burton Carillon Tower. The sixth annual Townie Street Party, which kicks off Art Fair week in Ann Arbor, will be held on Monday, July 19. See you at the Tower!

How cold can Florida be?

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 10, 2010 at 4:17pm

OMG -- I hope you are not doing an art fair in Florida this weekend! Here are two reports on the January 9 and 10 Cape Coral Art Festival: Visitors come out for fair despite weather Cape Coral Draws about 10,000 Does anyone have a report on Beaux Arts in Coral Gables? How about Dunedin or Boca Fest? How about some tips on how to stay warm outside when the weather has other ideas?

Call for Artists: Novi, Michigan

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 9, 2010 at 9:00am

April 23-25 Rock Financial Showplace Novi, Michigan 150 artists Deadline: January 15 Happy customers departing the Great Lakes Art Fair Friday, April 23, 3 pm - 9 pm; Saturday, April 24, 10 am - 6 pm. Artist Reception - Saturday, April 24, 6 pm; Sunday, April 25, 10 am - 5 pm Please join us for the Great Lakes Art Fair. The GLAF delivers an exceptional event experience for artists and their patron. A unique fusion of lush landscapes, tempting food, and an optimal indoor venue create spring and fall events that are rapidly becoming established as the Midwest's premiere indoor art fair! New for Spring: * Art fairs are always looking for ways to enhance the event both for artists and the attending public. This Spring the show will open on Friday at 3 pm and close at 9 pm. Our marketing will target these late afternoon and evening hours as a special destination for people to plan their evening around attending. It will be billed as a "ladies night out" with half price admission. This has been a very successful promotion at other events. It also allows for Friday setup for artists. * new marketing campaign planned with media partners Please visit our website www.GreatLakesArtFair.com for images of past events and list of past participants. The juried component of the fair will feature 150 local, regional, and national artists. Expect an elegant entrance gallery showcasing your art, delectable cuisine, relaxing entertainment, community partnerships and other fresh components, which create a wonderful regional marketplace for artists and their patrons! Our goal is to offer fine artists and their patrons an expansive marketplace that brings fresh energy to the regional artistic community.

This event has dedicated clients -- a determined customer at the GLAF arriving by medical transport! Location: 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 first year for the spring and fall Great Lakes Art Fairs, the Rock Financial Showplace has become familiar to patrons as a premier indoor venue for specialty arts over the past ten years. 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. Advertising & Promotions: The Great Lakes Art Fair believes effective promotion is as crucial to overall success as the selection of artists. Our mission is to deliver a high quality experience for patrons and artists that will assure qualified buyers, return visits and exponential event growth. The superior local media and marketing relationships enjoyed by the Rock Financial Showplace contribute enormously to the overall success of the Great Lakes Art Fair.

A multi-level marketing and publicity campaign to promote the GLAF throughout the region, including media partnerships in print, radio, television, direct mail and outdoor. There is also a strategic web marketing campaign aimed at building awareness of this new regional event. Ron Niehoff sells a photograph at the Great Lakes Art Fair Participating artists are provided with custom Great Lakes Art Fair discount coupons, e-mail blast content and other collateral materials to distribute to their patrons. Drive up to your booth to unload and load. Artist hospitality area and reception. We want you to help us build this biannual event into an event that regional artists can count on. Please join us. Apply today: www.zapplication.org Questions: info@artfaircalendar.com Visit the website for more info: www.greatlakesartfair.com ************** Looking for more art fairs for your 2010 season? Visit www.ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentries

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.