August 21 & 22 Washington Park 29th Annual Lakefront Art Festival Michigan City, Indiana Sponsored by the Lubeznik Center for the Arts Saturday - 10 to 6 Sunday - 10 to 5 Deadline: January 29 The Lakefront Art Festival attracts thousands of visitors from surrounding states to a festive, high-quality event held under shady trees in a grassy park on the shore of Lake Michigan. Because the festival is sponsored by the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, it is overseen by arts professionals, committed to making every aspect of the festival a quality venue for artists and visitors. Where is Michigan City?
Visit this link. Why this should be of interest to you:
--small town art fair in the heart of vacation country --a weekend get away place for Chicagoans --$3000 in artist prizes --sponsored by an art center --an art purchase program --volunteers who understand artists' needs --very reasonable booth fee These days there is a lot of talk among artists about keeping their overhead down. One of the best ways is to exhibit at local events and the Lakefront Art Festival is in the heart of where a lot of artists live. Expect a $125 booth fee and a $25 jury fee. When we are all talking about events that seem to forget the artists this is a small show that "gets it". All of us need smaller shows to keep us going between the big ones. The Lakefront Art Festival could be one of those secret ones that everyone can appreciate. Advertising will include press coverage, ads, and billboards throughout the area and through LaPorte County Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more information and to download an application click on this link:
www.lubeznikcenter.org ******************* Find more art fairs for your 2010 season at:
www.ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentriesRead more…
Posted by Connie Mettler on December 16, 2009 at 12:30pm
Many thanks to jeweler
Idelle Hammond-Sass who forwarded this information to me today:
"This is a call for a WPA type competition for posters to "Save Michigan" contest and also check their website- there are places to write stories, upload pictures etc. " The creativity needed to revive our state will not be found beyond the Great Lakes - it is already here at home. At Let's Save Michigan, we're activating Michiganders to take grassroots action in their local communities to bring about the policies and legislation that will create vibrant cities and a more resilient economy. We believe you and your neighbors have the vision Michigan needs. This is why we're excited to be partnering with the Detroit Institute of Art to present the Let's Save Michigan Poster Contest. We're calling all artists, illustrators, and graphic designers to create an original poster to inspire Michiganders to revive our state - and we need your help! Do you know a Michigan artist whose work captures the spirit of our state and has a vision for a strong future for Michigan? Please share this
contest with your friends. We're asking artists to share their creative vision of Michigan's future -- whether that's renovating historic homes, planting community gardens, expanding public transportation and bike lines, or public art. The possibilities are endless. Now through February 15, participants can submit their entries online throughour website. Judges will select 25 finalists whose work will be featured on the website, and visitors will be able to vote for their favorites. The winner will be awarded $1,000 and the runner-up will receive $250. The remaining finalists will be eligible for other prizes. You or someone you know could win the Let's Save Michigan Poster Contest and inspire countless other Michiganders with your vision for our future. Make sure your friends don't miss the opportunity to
enter: Thanks for being a part of the Let's Save Michigan movement. By acting together, we are creating a stable future for Michigan and the cities we all want to call home. Sincerely, SEAN MANN Let's Save Michigan P.S. Need inspiration? The DIA exhibition
Government Support for the Arts is on view now through March 21, 2010 and features around 100 prints created under the Federal Art Project, a unit of the WPA. The era represents a very specific moment when art for the people was a true rallying concept.
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Posted by Marina Terauds on December 16, 2009 at 12:43am
I do Chicago show for 5 years and I always loved this show.I love the place - Merchandise Mart and holiday atmosphere and classy gallery look. Move in and move out are very easy: no dust, no mud, no darkness, and you don’t have to lift heavy things. Workers are very good in MM, they really do their job. I know some artists don’t like MM workers, but these artists did not try NY show.My expenses were big (double booth because of large format pieces), and this year sales were down, it was not my best year, but I still did ok. Thursday and Friday were very slow, but Saturday and Sunday were good. My neighbors and friends all complained that this year show was very slow.Critique : the show is too big now (600-700 ? artists) - it is difficult to see everything. Jury could be more selective: too many hobbyists at the show. I would not add Etsy pavilion (as it was) to the show either – it was too unprofessional and childish for such caliber show. I am very sorry to say that, but it is not $10-$30 items craft show in local school. There are some amazing artists also, museum level artists like Valerie Hector or Pete Zaluzec, and the contrast “hobbyist versus professional” is very big.NY show was completely different animal. Set up was horrible: no workers at all. I could not find any worker for 2 hours. It is the union like in Chicago, but difference is huge. There were empty dollies everywhere, but union stuff don’t allow artists to use union dollies. Bring your own (I did not) and do move in/out by yourself. Show was small, about 150-200 artists. The biggest categories were jewelry and clothing, and very small amount of fine art. Overall quality was ok, but of course there were some exceptions (junk). Etsy pavilion was better then in Chicago (imho) - some very promising jewelers and one very good ceramic. It was “first time show”, and it was very well advertised, but attendance and sales were very slow. I don’t have mailing list in NY, and I did not cover even half of my expenses, but my neighbors (jewelry and wood) did very well. Almost every visitor in my booth was invited by stuff or artist (I asked). In my opinion this show has very big potential because of it’s fabulous location (Manhattan, Pier 94). It just needs time as any new show.P.S. My medium is printmaking (intaglio).
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Posted by Connie Mettler on December 14, 2009 at 10:53am
Many, many years ago the Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis hosted its first art fair. It was started by (who can tell me her name, preceded Kathy Crick at the State Street Show in Ann Arbor) and it was a hit right off the bat! We were there and continued to enjoy this May event in St. Louis for a number of years. My favorite time was the year we were in St. Louis for the show then hung around the town for a couple of days with our friends Bill Coleman and Carl Inglesby and then we all headed to Dallas. That was when Dallas was hot.
Nonetheless, the show has continued on, some good years and some bad ones. Those of you interested in the event will be interested in meeting the new director of the Park, Marilu Knode, a curator and researcher. "Knode, 50, has worked at Future Arts Research at Arizona State University in Phoenix and at the Institute of Visual Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, two venues that specialize in experimental art and public programs," says STLToday.com.
I am reporting this here because we don't know if (1) Ms. Knode is interested in outdoor art fairs, (2) this might be a nice time to contact her, introduce yourselves and (3) see if she needs any input on exploiting this lovely park and bringing in the buyers. Getting in early could bring in fresh ideas.
Read the whole story here, pretty interesting: New Laumeier director plans to bring new life to sculpture parkRead more…
Hello Friends,I am a potter and I would like to buy a display rack for my mugs....yeah, i know it might seem easy to build...but I make pottery.....can't nail to boards together!! lol....does anyone know where I can purchase one???'thanks,michael
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I'm new to the art fair circuit, this was actually my first big show. I've done local weekend markets for the past two years here in TN - the Knoxville Market every Saturday and the Chattanooga Market every Sunday, but I'd yet to do anything that required more than a 2.5 hour drive. First of all, let me say that the Bluffton Art and Seafood Festival would be awesome if you lived close by. The organizers were super nice and helpful, the location was very picturesque, it was well organized and well advertised. I really, truly, honestly don't thing the organizers could have done things any better. We actually stayed in a hotel on Hilton Head a block from the beach (Comfort Inn close to Coligny Plaza) which worked out great because we could go to the beach in the evening. The hotel was super comfortable, roomy, and clean. We had a balcony, fridge, and microwave. I got it using my Check Inn Direct card for $39 a night for 2 people.But back to the festival. There were quite a few people there but I really didn't see more than 1 or 2 big purchases going by. Small prints and notecards seemed to sell well as did the amazing seafood (oh the gumbo!). The bands were great as well. It seemed that most of the people were just browsing as they walked past the art/craft booths on their way to their destination at the end of the line - the seafood tents and children's activity areas. There were a lot of positive comments as they browsed of course but not much money changing hands. I got the impression from other artists that no one was selling much but looking at their Sunshine Artist Magazine 'paragraph', it says that 85% of the vendors plan to return. This leads me to believe that most of the vendors were local and didn't have hotel expenses, etc. If I was local, I'd definitely do it again lol. All in all, we made less than $500, had 3 nights of hotel bills +food + gas expenses, I don't even think I broke even. It was disappointing for me since it was my step into the art fair arena but I'm not going to let it put me off, I just have to pick better next time :).
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I am kind of new at the ZAPP application process.....I applied at the ocala art fest last year and was put on a waiting list....when I spoke to the woman in charge of the show, she said don't worry, mostly everyone gets in......well...they didnt call until the night before the show......how could i do this show?..its like 3hours from my home, i would have to get a hotel, etc....so i said NO....my question is this....I am getting ready to put in an application for the melbourne show in april.....deadline is end of december......it asks if i would want to be put on a wait list....should I say yes to this?.....do most shows call you the night before?......this would seem rather difficult for me again since Melbourne is on the other side of the state.....If I say no....does that ruin my chances of getting in?.....thanks for the advice,Michael
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WOW! That's the best way to describe my sales this year at both shows (category: Jewelry, Other). Cincinnati was double what I had hoped for and Columbus was half again as much. I think people must have been tired of being "good" about spending all year and wanted to cut loose a little. I had to miss both shows last year due to health reasons so I didn't know what to expect this year as to crowd size and sales. Attendance was up on both and many artists seemed pleased with their sales although it seemed painters and photographers did not do as well.The patrons were a friendly lot, inquisitive and complimentary. The venue for the Cincinnati show is always decorated so nicely and the beds at the connected Marriott are soooooooooo comfortable, even though I need to bring a stepstool to be able to get up into it.
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Posted by mary barrett on December 10, 2009 at 10:03am
As a patron, I attended Winterfair in Columbus Ohio last weekend. As an artist, I had planned on applying to Winterfair this year, but missed the deadline (or so I thought; they extended their deadline the last that I noticed from early September to early October. Friends that I knew who were doing the show said artists showed up that were on the waiting list or just hopeful and where admitted at the last minute (Thursday's take in day). Most of the exhibitors were wonderful as always. A few of the booths looked flea marketish; crammed full of things for sale and not presenting a very cohiesive display. And most of the artists I talked with said they had been having a very good show. of course just hearsay, hopefully some exhibiting artists will respond. They liked the 3 day run. less expensive for them. The crowd on Sunday was huge!!One comment from a patron's standpoint, however. I feel qualified to say this as a buyer of art and an artist who does shows. I have had the bad shows where you just want to get done and go home. But you must show at least a little interest in the people in your booth, "Hi, how are you". One of the reasons I do shows is to talk to the people who buy my work, to tell them how my work is made, maybe something special about a specfic piece, whatever. On the other hand, I don't like to be pestered by an artist when you walk in their booth "what are you looking for, can I show you something, etc". But you must, MUST, as an vendor, at least acknowledge the presence of the person in your booth. I can't tell you how many booths I walked into and the person in the booth was either reading, talking on a cell phone, working on a computer, etc. More than a handful!!! In one booth I had picked out a piece that I was going to purchase and I turned and walked out, because the person in the booth totally ignored me, and I had turned and looked at him several times, nothing!! It was not a booth sitter, those people are at least polite. Artists, at least say hi. on the whole, everyone was in a good mood. Good thing it was last weekend, because like most everywhere else in the country, winter is here!!have a nice holiday season!!mhb, ohio
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I thought I would share our experience, in case anyone is considering making the investment to participate in this show. And yes, it is an investment. A $2000 investment! With that in mind, my business partner and I tried to go there with a full load (we make recycled wool accessories, primarily in the $50-$90 range). This is our second year, so we had some expectations and goals. We had what I would consider to be a good show, and if we had brought more $10-$30 items we would have made another $1000. We added them to the line in the 2 weeks prior to the show so we didn't know if they would sell or not...we sold out of everything in that price range.We talked to a lot of artists, and it seemed to be 50% happy and 50% reaalllly unhappy. I was thrilled to beat last year's numbers, as the rest of our year was down.Was the show worth it? If you look at cash brought in, it was fine. But the exposure that we got, both at the show and from the website, is great. We were offered a spot in the OOAK fashion show, a spot on the WGN coverage of the show, and another TV show contacted us for a future taping. That's the kind of opportunity that you might not necessarily get from an ordinary (ie. a not-$2000) show.My best tip is to set up on Tuesday (2 days before the show starts). We drove right up to the dock, as opposed to last year's Wednesday set up, which took 2 hours in the dock. Much less chaotic. And go ready to shop and/or trade, because there is soooo much great stuff there.
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I had originally put this info on a previous post but it got kicked off.I talked to the directors of the ArtWalk San Diego at the NAIA conference in Peoria last Sept. I was very interested in applying to the April show. The website shows a lot of pictures, but also raises several questions, to wit:Q. How secure are your panels, since the show supplies the tents and the artists everything else?A. You can strap your panels to the roof and also the legs, but bad weather rarely happens here [!]Q. How do you protect your artwork from the elements and overnight, since there are no side panels to the tents?A. We have security [300 booths] and you can hang your tarps over your work or suspend them from the tents.Q. If you get 1,000 applications for 300 spots, how do you determine booth placement, etc.?A. Returning artists get an extra point on their scores, thus ensuring that returning artists will have an advantage over new applicants; also, returning artists get preferential booth placement - new exhibitors are likely to get side streets [this info is not on the website].After this Q & A with the directors, who, by the way, seemed to be very nice and very concerned with putting on a class event, I decided to pass on the application.
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Breaking news -- it's official -- the hugely popular art, music and food festival held on Labor Day
weekend is leaving its birthplace, Pontiac, MI, to move to a new address -- cool, captivating, hip downtown Royal Oak. Jonathan Witz, producer of ABE, made the announcement this afternoon at Sangria Tapas Cafe in Royal Oak. I've been part of the arts of this event since its inception 12 years ago and have seen firsthand what was a very promising and exciting and financially rewarding event full of the nation's top artists slowly become a victim of the huge shoulder to shoulder crowds and the crumbling local economy. What had started out as a happy "Ann Arbor alternative" for those who were tired of the AA crowds lost much of its luster. Heck, it's been tough in Michigan for a long time now. The recent recession where the rest of the country seemed to be slipping into hard times was nothing new to people in business in Michigan. Therefore, this is great news! Royal Oak is a lovely residential suburb, full of young families, excellent schools, cool restaurants and good shopping. It is going to be really interesting to see how the huge event adapts to this new footprint, but I'm telling you, that if anyone can make it work it is Jon Witz, a man with more ideas, moxie and readiness to make things work than the average guy. Here's wishing you good luck on the move, Jon. Thanks to the city fathers of Royal Oak welcoming the event. Stay tuned for a solid economic turnaround. Read the announcement in the
Royal Oak Tribune.
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Today's call for artists is for the BIG ONE that started it all, the
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As most of you know there are four art fairs running consecutively in Ann Arbor in late July. All of them have excellent art, but this is the one that is universally acknowledged as the best, the original juried art fair. The thrill of this business is in participating in an event of this caliber. Will this be your year?
Why not apply now? I always have held that it is to your advantage to apply early because generally speaking the first images the jury will see are the early applicants. Be there first and be seen first, not when the jury has already seen thousands of images. See you in Ann Arbor? Here's the rest of the story:
July 21-24 - Ann Arbor Street Art Fair At the Tower On the streets and campus of Ann Arbor 175 Artists Deadline: January 14 The Street Art Fair is one of the highest ranking art fairs in the nation and for good reason:
--It draws collectors who rarely attend art fairs --It attracts the finest artists --It works with many cultural community and educational institutions to produce exceptional community art activities --It works throughout the year to be a blue ribbon presence in the Ann Arbor community --This is the original event on which the other Ann Arbor fairs have patterned themselves, as well as many other fairs across the nation. It is the creme de la creme of art events. The Street Art Fair has an distinctive jury process, unlike that of any other art fair. There are five separate panels jurying specific media or related categories. There are 4 to 5 jurors per panel, one of whom is a member of the Jury Group. The Jury Group meets in a sixth session after all the panels are complete to review the submissions with high scores and determine invitations in each category, balancing the scores, the range of work and the strength of category. Artists selected for the wait list are also determined at this session.
The jury meets over the weekend at the end of January and early February. All images are projected, statements read with additional information available upon request. The strength of this approach is that they have jurors (who are paid an honorarium) working 4 to 6 hours only in their own area of expertise, or related areas. Jurors see the work multiple times and are able to ask questions and to discuss the work, moving back and forth to compare it to other submissions in the category. Jurors are generally working artists and are often educators at area colleges or museums. They mix new jurors with experienced jurors. The Jury Group member brings a familiarity with the fair and knowledge of the goals and programs from having juried the fair on site the previous year. They will bring the overall sensibility of the panel to the final session. One of the unusual aspects of this jurying is that there is no booth slide required, but rather five images of your work. For more information on the Street Fair visit their website:
http://www.artfair.org/ To view the application and apply today, visit:
http://www.zapplication.org/Read more…
It was a cold rainy weekend in the sunshine state. During the 5:30am set up...the rain let up enough for us to get our canopy on...and then the drizzle....I did make show fees the first day...and that was it...no people...Sunday looked brighter...the weather was a bit warmer and the rain had stop...but where was the people????....I did this show last year and it was a good show....but this weekend left a lot to be desired...oh well...onto the next crap shoot.....
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I am a pastel artist and I wanted to share info about this show, which is a fairly new show I believe. It takes place in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, and have been told it is similar in layout to the Dogwood Festival in the spring. Piedmont Park is a beautiful setting, and with the rains in the summer, it has been reopened to festivals. The way the show is laid out, there seem to be no bad spots. The circular nature is very democratic. Load in is notoriously bad, because there is only room on the road for your booth, and a vehicle, but no room for any one to pass. The show directors had sent out specific times for the artists to set up, and it was important you be there on time. We caravanned in, and we had an hour and a half to unload. It was enough time to set up your tent, and get everything in, and then we caravanned out. I would like to have returned and continued setting up, but I could find no parking on the street, and the artists lot wasn't available until Saturday morning, as it was next to a school football stadium adjacent to the park. I was told by a returning artist that the lot usually used in the park was under renovation so we were stuck with this lot outside the park. It was way too far from the show, and as I needed to get larger drawings out of my van 'cause I had no storage space behind my tent. (I was one of the unlucky artists to be next to a construction fence. They are renovating the Riding Club building at the north end of the loop.) I really hope they have closer parking next year, and I hope the construction fence is gone.The crowds were okay. I kept hearing from other artists that the Dogwood show is much more crowded. I also heard patrons that the word had not gotten out about the show, some of them stumbling on it by accident. This said, I had a really good show. I have only been doing the art festival circuit for 3 years, so I missed the go-go days, but at over 6K, it was good for me. In my short experience, I have noticed the South, excluding Florida, has been less affected by the economic downturn. In Atlanta I found enthusiastic buyers, all whom had never seen my work before. Now I have to say not everyone shared a similar experience. My booth neighbors both didn't meet expenses, so you may need to take this review with a grain of salt.Load out was not that smooth. Getting in the park was not bad, but getting out was horrific. We broke down and put our stuff to the side, so there would be room to pass, but there is always someone who doesn't care , and blocks the whole road.I will try to get in again next year.
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Posted by Greg Burkett on December 5, 2009 at 2:51am
Hello all! I posted a link to this in the discussion board, but I was told I should make a blog post about it as well as it may be helpful to folks.I've developed a quick, (hopefully) easy-to-use online image processor that sizes your images down to the ZAPP standard 1920x1920 size, adding in black masks if needed. Just upload your image, let it do it's thing, and then you're presented with a download link to get the processed image within a few seconds.You can check it out at www.ripfish.com/zappLet me know if you have any suggestions on how to improve the utility. Thanks all!
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Top Ten Reasons to Apply to Rose Squared Productions, Inc.'s, Fine Art and Crafts at the Westfield Armory in Westfield, New Jersey · Twenty-eight years of experience promoting Fine Art and Craft shows in New Jersey · A first class mailing list of 30,000+ past patrons · A sterling reputation among exhibitors for being an "exhibitor's promoter" · Reasonable booth fees · A strong advertising campaign including direct mailing, cable television, newspapers and billboards · Unlimited publicity postcards and complimentary passes for your customers · Affluent demographics: median household income of $120,000 · A firm commitment to quality crafts rejecting imports, manufactured work and representatives · Carpeted aisles and a fully draped facility with an all day set-up Friday and early Saturday morning · A reputation with the public for presenting quality fine art and craft shows
About this new event: The
Westfield Armory is in an affluent area very near New York City. In prior years it hosted a well-attended contemporary craft show. Beginning this Spring Rose Squared Productions will be presenting a new event in this well-frequented venue. This is worth investigating!
Visit
www.rosesquared.com to learn more about
Rose Squared Productions, Inc., and download the applications for the Armory shows in April and November and their other four shows in Montclair and Verona, NJ. ***************************************** Looking for more art fairs for your 2010 season? Visit
www.ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentriesRead more…
Harvest season is almost over and especially here in the upper reaches of the Midwest we can't get enough
enjoyment out of our bounty, so you guessed it! We make art from it. Crop Art is a competitive category at the Minnesota State Fair where it even includes political commentary. The images are made from seeds, collected, roasted, toasted and glued!
Adherents say the crop art is even more artistic than what is exhibited at the fine art building. See it all!
Crop art is for everyone.
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