Another one of the challenges of being self-employed is the uncertainty of medical insurance. Throughout our career in the art fair business we changed carriers several times and luckily have been able to find decent coverage at a not too extravagant price. Not so for many of you, especially those with chronic conditions.
I am linking here to a story from the American Medical Association's online journal that includes the story of one of our members, potter Paul Gerhold, and his search for medical care throughout the world, what is euphemistically called "medical tourism," Faces of the Uninsured.
Art fair artists joke about the delight of turning 65 because it seems to be the end of a long quest for coverage. Thanks Sally Bright, of the NAIA for sending me this link.
Are you letting your Senators and congressmen know how you feel about the health care debate? This is a defining issue for our times. Speak up and help make history.
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Our very good friend printmaker David Bigelow has been selected to be part of the inaugural
Yokohama International Open-Air Art Fair 2009, October 30 to November 1 in Yamashita Park. David, who now lives in Ozark, MO, with his wife Marcia, a former Michigander and University of Michigan graduate, was selected along with eleven other American artists. “It’s a great honor to be chosen among the first to represent American art to the Japanese in person,” says Bigelow. “I’m looking forward to seeing Japanese artworks firsthand, and meeting and working with other artists who share the same passion as I do.” David started exhibiting at art fairs right out of college. His finely detailed drawings and etchings have been a popular part of the Ann Arbor fairs since the late 1970's and they are widely coveted by the art buying public. The Yokohama Art Fair is co-hosted by
International Arts and Crafts Promotion, a non-profit association formed in May of 2009, in cooperation with the City of Yokohama. In 2008 Midori Ueda-Okahana had been studying art in New Jersey and decided to visit the Ann
Arbor Art Fairs with the view of becoming a participant. When she arrived she was amazed at the energy of the atmosphere and determined to replicate it in Japan. “I just felt we, Japanese, need the power and the energy of the (Ann Arbor Art Fair) artists and the fair in Japan to change not only the art scene, but also the people, the society, and to free rigid minds by experiencing a variety of art work created by many individuals,” Ueda-Okahana says. Read the rest of the story here:
Japan's first outdoor art fair draws inspiration, artists from Ann Arbor event "Dust and Dreams" by David Bigelow Anyone who has studied art knows the eminent place of Japanese artists through the centuries but there is not an art fair scene in Japan. Art is reserved for museums and galleries. This new event will give the Japanese an opportunity to interact with artists face to face, Japanese artists as well as an international group of exhibitors. Here are the rest of the artists recruited from Ann Arbor: Jenny Mendes, Julie Fremuth, Larry Oliverson, Michael Nemnich, Thomas Wargin and Tiffany Ownbey. Can't wait to hear the report! The organizers goal: We aim to facilitate rich life environment with art by bringing Japanese and American artists and community closer and creating a venue, where people can pick-up casually their favorite artwork.
Learn more.
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Posted by Bill Sargent on October 22, 2009 at 1:30pm
There was a bit of water management left to do at check in time. Yes, that white card on the string in the background is a booth marker.
Ann was trying to stay warm at fifty degrees. Quite a change from the hot, muggy 93 degrees in the booth at Gulf Shores a week before!!
..and here we have a special treat for Nels. With instructions. First of all, I would do Kentuck again if they take me. Once you’re set up it’s a fun show and the staff works very hard to keep the artists happy. It’s a good crowd looking for offbeat stuff. OK, that having been said, it was our first time at Kentuck and our first impression was one of confusion, dismay, and just a touch of fear. The day before the show it had rained torrentially and the park was in bad shape. Old timers who had done the show for teens of years said they had never seen anything like it. When we arrived at the noon check in time we were told to come back at two. There had been a delay. Front end loaders were at work spreading gravel and mulch so it would have been a chore getting in. I watched a couple of ladies staking out booth spaces through the middle of a ten foot puddle wading in water up to their ankles. We headed straight for Walmart to get rubber boots. The supply had been thoroughly picked over and I wound up with a pair two sizes too big on the label, but comfortable on the feet. The only pair Ann found in her size were steel toed and we figured in order to get our money’s worth we’d have to drop our 65 pound tent weights on her toes several times while she was wearing them. When we returned at two it was a chaotic scene. People were lined up at the check in windows thirty deep or so and the line did not seem to be moving. There was a line of cars already on the one lane strip of pavement circling the park. If you were in the line of vans waiting to get to your space and someone ten vehicles ahead of you had to stop and unload.. you’d better have a good book. Driving off the pavement would get you stuck. Just about the time this scene was sinking in I noticed that there were few complainers, people were laughing and joking about the situation, and many people shrugged and started dollying in from the parking lot, mud and all. We joined them. In the meantime the show crew kept working to fill in the mud holes and drain the puddles with electric pumps. By dark we were tired and cold, but we were pretty much ready to go. When we showed up the next morning there was a large puddle at the entrance to our row which would have stopped foot traffic. I mentioned this to the staff and they said they would be on it at first light. Soon after that I watched in amazement as a dump truck and front end loader filled the hole with railroad rock and leveled it off in a matter of minutes. We got an early buyer who was quite enthusiastic about our stuff and he made a fairly good purchase before the official opening time of eight. The rest of the day, however, we just tried to stay warm. We were thankful for our new rubber boots throughout the whole weekend. There were some spots that looked solidly mulched, but would sink you to your ankles if stepped on. Veterans of the show said the crowds were much thinner than they had been the previous year. Sunday was a bit better (a reverse of the usual pattern) but it was still slow. The few people who were there bought well but there just weren’t enough of them this year. A primitive artist near us had done as high as $4500 in previous shows. This year he only did a thousand. Our total wasn’t a whole lot higher. We did get a glimpse, however, of the kind of crowd this could be in better times. An afternoon flurry of sales on Sunday saved our show for us. The teardown wasn’t as difficult as the setup. We dollied out the first few loads and brought in the van for the last one. Mistake. We got stuck and the nice man with the tractor had to pull us out. We were only stuck about five minutes. By then he had lots of practice and had already pulled out a couple dozen vans. The old timers say that during check in you can normally pull out of line next to your booth and unload. This is the first year they remembered that this was not possible. We were glad to be out of there and were looking forward to the trip home after a month on the road during which we were alternately baked, frozen and rained on, and occasionally sleep deprived. Variety is good.
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Oh how wonderful is Tennessee!I fell in love with your photographs!!! I lived in Tennessee for almost 2 years, and loved the state. Your work takes me back to a simpler time and place. I remember the old barns & homestead buildings as they began to appear out from the morning mist. The muted colors of the passing seasons and the stillness of winter. So peaceful, so delightful. Thank you for your wonderful works of art. Sincerely, Linda Creager
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Posted by Bill Sargent on October 22, 2009 at 11:52am
The night crowd was something else. We expected them to start eating each other any second
lambert's, home of the throwed rolls, serves lots of good food at a good price in a nice setting. It's just a short trip up the road from the festival. This is the second time for us in this show. The setup was not bad, although some of the vendors have a tendency to block traffic and pretend not to have a clue when they are asked to move over. Once we were parked, however, we were able to take our time unloading and setting up without being in anyone’s way. The weather was so hot and muggy on Wednesday setup (It’s a four day show) that we decided to return early the next morning before showtime to finish up. We learned afterwards that several others had done the same. When we got there the next morning the humidity was just about a hundred percent (a fogged camera lens held in front of our fan stayed fogged) and the temperature was in the mid eighties already. Then it started getting hot. Fortunately we were able to set up a shaded nook behind our booth with two fans working full speed. That combined with our handy cooler made it just about bearable. The crowds were thinner than the previous year and even the food and beer vendors were more sparsely patronized this year. This crowd goes for low priced shiny stuff but higher priced shiny stuff will occasionally sell. Our sales were about the same as last year, but our spot seemed to have more of a crowd walking by. Walking by. The show stays open until ten, five on Sunday. Most artists pack up as soon as it gets dark. Oddly enough, the crowd grows quite a bit but by then they are shuffling by the booths without looking at them. Beer and food in both hands. We struggled to reach a total of $1700 over a period of four days. An artist who had $4,000 in sales at Marietta was up to about $1500 at Gulf Shores late Sunday. They had been our neighbor at Marietta. We are ambivalent as to doing it again. It’s a long show and the teardown can be difficult. Last year we had managed to dolly out by the time the tow trucks were being called in and managed to escape unticketed from our weekend parking spot in the middle of the street that had been closed for the event. If you park in the street you are told to be gone by six Sunday evening or get towed. This gives you an hour to get your display torn down and ready to haul. In reality we were able to stay there until 7:30. THEN they started getting serious. This year we just zipped up and left for two and a half hours. We were thinking about the heat and traffic chaos. Normally we don’t like to do this, because as difficult as a teardown can be, we’d rather get it over with. This time, however, we came back to a nearly empty site and were able to get everything down, packed and loaded with a minimum of hassle. The temperature, as predicted, dropped off significantly after sunset. It was worth it. If you’re thinking about doing the show, remember that it is a beach, beer and corn dog crowd favoring work that is more casually decorative than thoughtful. Any concern for the human condition has been numbed by the suds. One of the award winners features innovative well executed paintings with dogs as the main theme. For bread and butter he paints dogs in martini glasses. He was making loud framing noises during the entire show trying to keep up with demand.
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I did Westchester (White Plains, NY) last weekend for the first time. It's held in a community center and has an audience obviously familiar with the show. The load in and out were easy in spite of cold rain, and the show volunteers friendly and helpful. Coffee and pastries available in the mornings, apples and candy to keep us going. It's like doing a show in a tiny convention center. I think there were under 100 booths. Ppl seemed to come and hang around most of the day, taking coffee breaks, returning to shopping. Having said that, considering the cost of doing this show, I made only about a day's worth of $$, not 3 day's worth. Others barely covered their expenses, some old timers saying they couldn't afford to come back. A few I spoke with made zip. I would try it again unless the economy gets worse. It has potential and the reception for my work was very good.
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February 27, 2010 Kalamazoo County Fairground & Expo Center Kalamazoo, Michigan 9:30 - 4:00 Approximately 110 booths Deadline: November 1, 2009 (received by) You've heard how fun it is. This is your chance to find out for yourself! This is the show to sell your seconds, overstock, duds or things you're just tired of looking at in your booth, even your art supplies or art you've traded for!
It's only 5 ½ hours long with morning set-up. So make it easy on yourself, rent some tables and forget the normal time consuming display. It's run by Bonnie Blandford (jewelry) and Michael Kifer (clay) who both make their living doing art fairs so hopefully they know how to make it more fun! Besides, who doesn't need money in February? The scoop: * No application or jury feel
* Booth fees are the same as last year, starting at $90 for a 10x10 * Very few rules (no buy/sell) * Share a booth if you'd like * Mark things down and move them out! Applications, more information and pictures are at:
www.GarageSaleArtFair.com P.S. Okay, I attend this show every year -- fabulous shopping and fun for everyone! -------------------------------------------- Find more art fairs for your 2010 season:
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Out in Des Moines (home to one of the nation's top art fairs) an experiment will be taking place on November 7 and 8 at the Metro Arts Expo in the downtown convention center. The organizers, the Metro Arts Alliance, have been awarded a $25,000 grant from Iowa Arts Council, so they are opening the doors free of charge!
In past years the admission was from $5 to $7 and the arts alliance is hoping that a free admission will double the number of attendees. This is a very nice event (a fair number of years ago we participated in it), in an attractive building and there is good community support, usually around 5000 people attend.
"This is a really great event, and the most important thing for us is to be able to offer it free to the public," said Kim Poam Logan, executive director of the Metro Arts Alliance. "We've always wanted to arrive at this point."
Read the article at the Des Moines Register.
What do you think? Do you think that an admission fee (that is less than the price of a movie ticket) affects attendance? Are you affiliated with an art fair that could maybe squeeze some money out of a sponsor to make the admission free?
Are any of you taking part in the Metro Arts Expo? Please report back to me! I am very interested in seeing how this turns out.
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It was great fun meeting Connie, Ron, Peter and other artists at the lovely Rock Financial Showplace facility. The below describes my experiences - I hope others add theirs. Check In: Very easy and well organized. Load In: Artists had the entire day on Thursday for drive in load in & set up. There were no set times - ie: at some shows you are assigned a timeline to drive up, unload and drive away. This was far more pleasant. Booth Area: Nice spacious 10x12 booth area with about 4' to 5' of storage space behind each booth. Any artists that did not have panels that blocked off that storage space were required to purchase backdrop drapes from the facility. I had thought I would not need them, but my panels cover a 10x10 area (not 10x12) so I decided to add the drapes at the last moment and the facilities director made that purchase easy for me to do on the spot. I also decided on Sunday to purchase a one day connection to their wireless network for $20.00. There were three day packages also available. Staffing: Both the event staff and the facility staff were terrific. I left the facility several times throughout the day (take care of my dogs in the van) and I found security persons were very warm and friendly. Facility: This was only the second indoor show I've done and I will say it is so nice not to deal with weather! The inside of Rock Financial was beautifully decorated. The entrance was set up with mini gardens and fountains and had carefully placed artist items lining the walls - all well lit as if it was the entrance to an art gallery. A nice welcome to all patrons. There were (6) aisles of booths placed approximately 15 ft across from each other. A huge facility, the lights from the high ceiling were great, but each booth needed it's own lighting for appropriate viewing. Food: Beverages, popcorn, soft serve cones, pretzels and roasted almonds could be found at several corners of the show. The center held a food area that had catered items such as $7.00 Panini's, a salad bar and an Italian dish area. The rules of the show stated food/drinks could not be brought in and the types of food (and costs) did not appeal to me so Friday I lived on the popcorn & pretzels and Sat & Sunday had a sandwich from my car when I visited the dogs. A wonderful artists get together was held Friday evening. Absolutely yummy foods and each artists was given a couple of drink tickets. It was fun mingling with new friends as well as catching up with some old friends. The owner of the facility gave a nice presentation and Connie is a great speaker and handed out the awards. I was pleased that in addition to the top 3 awards $500,$300,$200 plus free entry to the Spring Event), a few awards of merit were also handed out. Artists: From my point of view I think that the mix was good.... not too many of each medium. I did notice a few that I would not have expected at a high end art show and I think this event could support more quality artists in future years.... more on that later. Sales: Well, I'll generalize my thoughts here as my sales were not typical of most Michigan shows I have done this year. First, let me say that from what I saw, advertising was well distributed. There were panels at the artist entry that displayed the advertising that was distributed locally. I also saw a tv promo during Saturday evening's news and Sunday morning's news. It could have been there on Friday, but I was drinking with my artist buds. Friday was quite lean on patrons, but a somewhat steady flow. Saturday morning we all were ready for the crowds, but they never came. My sales were less on Saturday than Friday. Sunday was likely the busiest, but still not huge. I did okay however and I did notice more patrons carrying purchases. I have some thoughts that may or may not be contributors to the low attendance: From my travels throughout my favorite state of Michigan.... I have come to the conclusion there is not too much excitement over the Lions (played GB on Sunday). HOWEVER, they love their college ball. Unfortunately both the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Michigan State (East Lansing) played on Saturday. Combined those nearby stadiums hold about 175,000 fans. Guess that explains Saturday, especially since Michigan State played Northwestern! The Detroit Marathon was also held Sunday. Methinks I will pay attention to these schedules before applying next year. My random thoughts: I would have considered that my low sales may have been due to my focus of work (Great Lakes Nautical & Nature) or the economy (which has been a factor all over this year) but I did very well (6 times the sales) at the Plymouth show and even at the very little Keego Harbor event (3 times the sales). Both were in close proximity to Novi. I also was surprised that I did better the week prior at a little festival in Alpena than at Novi. This show was well run and I absolutely love Erin (organizer) and Connie (consultant). They were marvelous and it was appreciated that great detail from them AND the owner of the facility placed artist comforts at the top of their lists. I think this event will grow in upcoming years with high end and experienced artists competing for booth space. There were quite a few "first time" artists attending and not being experienced, they did quite a bit of grumbling. The rest of us tried to educate them on art show set ups and expectations. I also noted that not many patrons entered the show area an hour or two prior to show close. Was there an afternoon discount offered Connie? My suggestions: I hope to be accepted next year as I would like to be part of the group that was in on the beginning - It will only get better. I would hope to see the Food area changed. Several shows I attended this summer have brought in great local restaurants rather than catering. Each restaurant submitted a menu of what they would offer so no two offered the same food. Most kept the menu to small portions to keep prices down.... Ribs, sandwiches (hot & cold) and speciality little items like won tons, mini tacos, soups & salads etc. And of course, there was the hot dog guys. This not only provided the show with a large variety, it provided the show with additional exposure (signs and promotions at the local restaurants). Perhaps the organizers, facility owner and artists could work together and offer entry fees returned to the patron after purchases. For example.... if a patron purchases $50 from an artist, that patron receives a stamp or card punch or similar indicating the purchase. At the end of the day, the patron could return the stamp or punched card for a refund up to the entry fee. Or, each artist could offer $1.00 back on each $25 purchase etc. There are ways to accommodate a patron in this manner and could be a part of the advertising program as well as encourage purchases. I have seen this work successfully at events that include an entry fee. Sure would be nice not to have to pay for a day or two of wireless. I'm a little on the lazy side and would rather not leave the show to drive to a McDonalds to check my email or website orders when on the road. It's the little extras that add up - internet ($20/day), additional drapes ($84.00), expensive food within the facility, and while I don't use flooring for my display, my neighbor was a little miffed that she had to use the facility tape to tape down her carpet at $14.00 per roll. Last suggestion would be scheduling..... sure don't want to compete with Michigan's college football or marathon again. Nonetheless - I sure want to come next year. I hope the attendance improves and this becomes the new mini Ann Arbor must go to show (that one is just too huge in my opinion). OK Connie, Ron, Peter & others I missed meeting....... please add your experience. I'm thinking I missed something. Oh.... I did miss mentioning Connie's gathering on Sunday morning. I was very tardy so Ron can you recap on the marvelous presentation she gave. I heard many artists - especially newbies - comment on how useful and informative her information was! Thanks Connie I'm still downloading my You Tube Videos..... I'll add them soon! Linda Anderson http://www.andersonphotoworks.comRead more…
This is a second year show. It is small with maybe 50 artists. Jurying was tight and I didn't see any questionable art and the overall quality was high. There are only 3 awards but they are generous at $3,000; $2000; and $1000. There is a big Jazz festival several blocks away, but it starts in the late afternoon and goes into the evening. There is a small stage in the middle of this show for jazz performers too. Many attendees to the show are carrying folding chairs and are on their way to the "real" jazz show. Set up was on Friday afternoon, but as soon as I arrived the heavens opened up and it poured rain for an hour. Many hardy souls continued with set up, but Kim and I waited it out. We pulled up to our booth and unloaded. Then parked and set up. The show is right in downtown Clearwater on a boulevard with grass down the center. There is room for only one vehicle at a time but everyone cooperated and all went smoothly. We set up against the curb and most spaces were 11 to 12 feet wide. We worked it out with our neighbor and had an outside wall to display on. There is room behind for storage. I would estimate that 80% of the store fronts were empty and there were homeless folks every where I looked. The police asked some of them to leave for the day. Clearwater is the Florida home of Scientology and someone told me 70% of the property was owned by the cult (as decreed by the Supreme Court). Down the block was the "Church of Scientology". It is a huge converted bank. The show opened at 10 AM to light crowds and slim sales. The day ended the same way with our total somewhere in the $300 range. Kim walked our pull-behind luggage bag and soft-sided cooler to the corner while I went for the van. The jazz crowd was building (while our show was closing) and it took me almost 10 minutes to pick her up. When she got into the van she said a couple of homeless guys took pity on her and told her to come with them as they were on their way to the food bank for a free supper. They too, were pulling everything they owned behind them! Sunday was more of the same but cooler and windier. We totaled out at $750 but our neighbors all around complained about not making expenses. Pack-out wasn't bad we were headed for home by 6:30. Kim had a long talk with the director of the show and said she had confidence that he would take some of her suggestions to heart and improve the show for next year. My inclination is to write this one off, but Kim wants try it again, so... we'll see.
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Winter Park is a well-to-do suberb of Orlando. The fall show is held in the same park where the spring show is held, but it has fewer artists (maybe 200). When I am able to get into the spring show, it is always my best show of the season surpassing Gasparilla, Mainsail and Coconut Grove. I therefore had high hopes of having a really good show. These are my people!I returned to Florida early this year (right after Louisville) in order to do the Winter Park Festival. I have applied for several years and have only gotten as close as the wait list. This year I got in. We left Michigan's 50 degree weather and arrived in Florida's 100-year record setting heat (95 and humid).We went over to Winter Park Friday afternoon and killed time until sundown to set up. Most of the booths were already in place. The heat was oppressive but we were able to pull into the park (crossing the RR tracks) and unload from about 30 yards away from our booth space. You can't drive into the park, but the fringe is assessable. Garry and Rita Seidel were setting up across the fountain from us and we had a good time drinking beer and trading insults (he likes to think he walks like John Wayne, I had to add, "A short, John Wayne).The show opened Saturday at 9 AM and a crowd was present when we rolled up our sides. Breakfast was available both mornings. We had a corner booth with space behind and 2 sides. It was perfect. Our neighbor said we had the spot he was in for the past several years. This year he said he couldn't afford the extra $50!Sales were average in the morning and by noon we were between 3 and 4 hundred dollars. We had one sale over $100. We ended the day at $600. Garry and Burt (Herrera) came by often complaining about low sales. Steve Vaughn and Dick Cunnimgham also had little to praise. There were good crowds but poeple were not buying.The show was top quality and the judges came around and picked a piece or two for judging. The awards dinner was well attended, but while we were lined up drinking beer and wine waiting for the food to be served it began to rain. Have you ever seen an artists stampede?All semblance of order faded away and it was every man/woman for themselves. Fortunately, Kim and I had plans to have sushi with Garry and Rita after the awards were announced and didn't have to vie for sustenance. We, therefore, were able to maintained our dignity.Sunday was a 9 AM opening again and it was in the high 80s. By noon it was 95 and breaking records. Sales were near to nonexistent. Again I had one sale over $100 and did $300 by the end of the day. I felt lucky. Many did not make booth fee. At closing time the clouds were building and the cops were swarming. This is a show that is held along a busy double railroad line in downtown Winter Park. Two years ago, an artist in a van pulling a trailer along the tracks got a front wheel caught over the rail and suddenly heard the wail of an Amtrak train coming into the station. He leaped for his life and lived to tell the tail! He is a friend of mine and told me it pushed his engine all the way to the back of the van.So, the cops are reluctant to give us a free hand at loading out. I had to cart out about 70 yards over the 2 railroad tracks: it was anything but easy and then the rain came. It poured for an hour and it almost fell good to be wet from fresh water as opposed to sweat.I think I'll pass this one next year and stay in cool, cool Michigan an extra week or two.
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In the midst of writing my weekly newsletter for ArtFairCalendar.com (you are a subscriber, aren't you?) I started reviewing this site for tidbits of activity. As they say in blog world, OMG! I really try to keep up but someone out there has been talking about ArtFairInsiders.com to others. Who in Virginia started that flood of
new members? Was someone talking about us at an art fair? At last count ten new members joined us from that state. Who do we give credit to? Was it Dave from Norfolk? Whatever, thanks so much.
Then I went looking for
show reports. Not only do we have the high profile ones by our stalwart bloggers Nels Johnson, Michelle Sholund, Linda Anderson (and many more), but I visited the
Show Reviews tab and saw lots more, including: Don Crozier, Jorge Caligiuri, Whitney Peckman, John Hatcher, Cindy Schmidt, C. David, Pauline Ross, Terri Drake, Kaelin Cordis, Genece Hamby, David Hipwell, Lizz Harris, and so many more covering art fairs from Missouri to Massachusetts. Very cool! There are over
3000 photos in the gallery! And, amazingly
274 discussions! We know Ron Mellott did not write all of those, or William Eickhorst or Paula Johnson.
We have had a few spammers that I have had the high pleasure of "banning" from the network. Thanks to those of you who ferreted them out and let me know. I'm still waiting for participation from DJ "Assassin" who joined in the winter. This is my sincere thanks for everyone's participation (even you lurkers). Art Fair Insiders is just about to celebrate its 1st birthday. Look what we have done together. I'm trying to come up with some presents to celebrate. Maybe you have some ideas? Are you recruiting for Art Fair Insiders? I hope so. We are working to help everyone out in this business and I need numbers so I can impress advertisers so I can afford to keep this running and pay my Internet bill. Right? You're there for me, I know. How about some suggestions below to let me know how I (we) can improve the site. Your input would be so welcome and it would be great to know I'm not just talking to myself.
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It's always a thrill when friends receive recognition for years of work. Recently in my mailbox:
The Board of the Tennessee State Museum Foundation Cordially Invites You to the Members’ Reception & Private Preview of Renaissance Jack: The Work of Jack Stoddart "Hippies, Hill People & Other Southern Marvels" And Celebration of The Museum Acquisition of The Jack Stoddart Plateau Collection of Photographs Thursday, November 19, 2009 6 to 8 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres with a Southern flair Tennessee State Museum 5th Avenue & Deaderick Street, Nashville RSVP by November 13 to beth.lekander@tn.gov or (615) 741-9255 These photos are his documentation of the hill people of rural Tennesse and his life among them. Congratulations, Jack. This is a well-earned reward. Tennessee loves you and we do too! Do you know Jack? Visit his
ArtFairInsiders page and send him a message. Comments below also welcome.
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June 25-27, 2010 Western Gateway Park Des Moines, Iowa Deadline: Oct. 31, 2009 The award-winning Des Moines Arts Festival invites you to be a part of the Midwest's premier celebration of the arts on featuring the art work of 185 of the nation's top artists and 24 juried emerging Iowa artists. Creating opportunities for people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds to embrace the arts, the Des Moines Arts Festival is one of the most respected arts events in the country, and brings more than 200,000 art enthusiasts each year to its downtown location in Iowa's capital city and largest metropolitan area. The Festival is a non-profit organization founded by the Des Moines Art Center, attracting over one million people to Des Moines' downtown since its inception in l998. Festival proceeds benefit the Des Moines Art Center and the continuation of the Des Moines Arts Festival. What the artists say:
"This is one of the most professionally produced events we have participated in that caters thoughtfully to both patrons and artists." "Des Moines Arts Festival should be a benchmark for all other outdoor craft shows. One, we are lucky enough to have had very excellent sales. Two, the treatment of the artists before, during and after the fair is so good, it's almost sad when it's over." "Stellar event in every way." "I was mightily impressed with the obvious effort extended for this festival and glad to have the venue to present my work within. I was proud to be part of it." What to expect: Projected Attendance - More than 200,000. * $11,000 in Cash Awards at the time of publication. $600 to each category award, $1000 to the Best of Emerging Iowa Artist; and, $1000 to The Des Moines Register People's Choice Award * Official Festival Guide includes color image for each artist distributed to 220,000+ households via The Des Moines Register; as well as distributed to point of sale locations and on-site during event * Web site includes full-color image with name and live link to artist web site * Free reserved parking
* Invitations to special events and receptions * Exclusive Hospitality Area * Free Electricity * Leisurely set-up (full day is available) * Booth sitters and energetic volunteers
Introducing New Directions We are implementing a new program for juried artists in 2010. New Directions is designed for professional visual artists (we make the distinction because we have an emerging artist program) who are juried into the show and who, between the time they are juried and the date of the show are exploring new directions in their current work. All artists will jury with their body of work as they normally do. Upon acceptance into the show, artists will be notified of the details of the policies surrounding its integrity. Should any juried artist find themselves exploring a new direction with their work and want to participate in the program, we will work with them on a case-by-case basis within a set of parameters that all of us (including the show) must follow. In order to keep intact the decisions of the jury, the rules will be: new work may occupy only a small percentage of the overall exhibit space; the work will be identified as "new work" within the exhibit space;
the work must be an extension of the work juried into the show; the new work must be clearly defined within the exhibit; and, it all must be original. What it may not be is a completely new body of work. Our goal is to encourage artistic exploration while trying to maintain the high standards of the jury process. We recognize that artists wander outside their box and often find themselves rejuvenated by the journey of discovering a new talent you had or wanted to explore, but didn't because you were working too hard to stay inside the box we created for you. And because we appreciate that we are collaborators in this industry we are reaching out to offer this "new direction."
Note from me: My husband Norm Darwish and I have participated in this event several times. It was our favorite. Terrific hospitality, wonderful promotion, friendly and interested visitors who actually thank you for coming to their city for the festival. Plus, they take art home with them. All art fairs should be this good! Apply:
Zapplication.org, For more info:
www.desmoinesartsfestival.org ***************
More art fairs looking for artistsRead more…
Posted by Terri Drake on October 13, 2009 at 11:00am
Just wanted to quickly introduce myself, know how busy you all are so won't take long . My name is Terri Drake and I have a newly formed company called The Drake's Nest Studio. I operate my business out of my home (temporarily until the 16 ft x 26 ft garage renovations into my studio are complete). I have an Associates Degree in Fine Arts (hope to go on for a Bachelor's, but that is on hold for a while). Not only do I do photography (put a few pictures on my page), but I also replicate children's artwork in fabric, right down to their tiny little signatures. As we all know glues disintegrate, maccaroni shells break, papers fall apart or become nesting material for unexpected and/or unwanted visitors. I help to preserve a memory by making a new one. I replicate the artwork, without any damage to the original. A few photo's of samples of the art work is on my page, there will be more as I complete projects and it will show a picture of the child's artwork and the completed fiber replication. I will travel to either photograph the artwork or to pick it up and any and all work that I do is secured by a written agreement.Being a fiber artist I work in many mediums, painting on fabrics, weaving, embroidery, quilting, crocheting and the like. Oh, I also make fully jointed teddy bears 1 inch and larger. The 1 incher's I don't make that often due to their being so time consuming.I look forward to any helpful advice, suggestions or constructive critique you, my peers, may have to offer. Just starting out and stretching my wings, as it were, I look forward to learning what pit falls to avoid, what seems to work in way of displays, tents, or shows.I hope to meet many of you in my travels or, if you're ever in Northern Michigan, send me an email, I'd love to meet you or even have you over for dinner! I have a beautiful 3 1/2 acre spread with a 1 1/2 acre pond. When the weather is nice, we can paddle boat around the pond and watch the sun set, makes for some nice photo ops as well.Guess my intro wasn't as quick as I had intended. Thanks for any and all help/advice. Looking forward to learning from the "experts."Namaste - Terri at the Drake's Nest in very fallish Ossineke, MI where geese are floating on the pond and a Giant River Otter is playing on the far banks.
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Posted by Dave Hinde on October 12, 2009 at 10:48am
Just getting ready to unload the truck from the weekend's show at Ocean View, in Norfolk, VA. The show was a great one-day show - but it lasted two days! First, the location is Ocean View Beach Park, in Norfolk, VA. Despite the name, the park is on the Chesapeake Bay. It's a nice park with grassy fields and paved pathway winding through the middle. Chesapeake Bay Art Association has been putting on this show since 1962.The weather didn't cooperate with us Friday or Saturday. Gusting winds both days, with rain on and off Saturday. Still we had people out walking with umbrellas and shopping on Saturday. Unfortunately a couple artists lost tents during the day Saturday. One came back on Sunday with another tent, one of the club members brought out a tent for another artist, and I saw a couple people set up without tents on Sunday! Sunday was a great day, weather wise and crowd wise. Sunny, slightly breezy, fall weather, with the temps in the 60s. There were a steady throng of people all day long and we could have stayed open later than 5 and still done good. I saw one sale being made while the artist was loading up their truck!Artist attendance was down a little from last year's 71. This year we had 62 spaces, although at least one canceled at the last minute for health reasons. Publicity was good, with two TV stations coming by, several newspaper articles, and radio announcements. Our "Student Tent" took up 2 spots, and was full of artwork from local High School Students. All the proceeds from the weekend will go to an Art Scholarship fund for one or two students.Next year, keep the second weekend in October in mind for a nice show in Norfolk. Booth spaces are about the lowest around (under $100), and it's an artist run show where we try to make everyone feel at home. To some of the artists it's just like a big picnic in the park with friends. Sales are an added bonus.
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Posted by Susan Lukas on October 10, 2009 at 9:41pm
$200 to do the show25 vendors at the show when promoter said there would be 125.Less than 1,000 people walking the show. Many vendors said they were leaving on Saturday, including us.Promoter, Debbie Netter, called my husband a bad name when he wouldn't move his van fast enough and said she would call security. We had only just arrived and were still taking down our tarps in the morning.Then if that wasn't unprofessional enough she had to say she pitied me being married to him.After a few inches of rain, the spaces were mud holes. She refused to get hay or do anything for vendors.Poorly advertised, small signs for show.This show wins the prize for my worst show of the year.
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Irving Penn whose idealized perfect images brought photography to a new level died this week at age 92. He was a
lucky man -- his first photo landed him on the cover of Vogue. He began his photography career in the l940's just as advertising was really hitting its stride. He had a lifelong career at Vogue, revolutionizing the shooting of fashion. He also traveled and put together museum shows. He constantly explored the boundaries of photography as evident in his stunning imagery. "Thirteen of Mr. Penn's photographs are being auctioned Thursday at Christie's, including "Guedras in the Wind," a 1971 image of two Moroccan women, with an estimated pre-sale price of $40,000 to $60,000. One of Mr. Penn's photo, "Cuzco Children," sold for $529,000 last year, including an auction house premium of 20%. Mr. Penn further developed his austere style that placed models and fashion accessories against clean backdrops. It was a radical departure at a time when most fashion photographers posed their subjects with props and in busy settings that tended to draw attention from the clothes themselves," says
Mary Panzer from the Wall Street Journal. Well-known for his fine black and white palladium prints he also did color work for clients such as Clinique.
"Woman with Roses on Her Arm (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn,) 1950," by Irving Penn. Read more about Irving Penn:
www.wsj.com Why am I writing about this here? I am a great admirer of Penn's work and sometimes despair when I hear art fair photographers discuss mass producing their images and how much it costs to have this done at Costco. Photographers like Penn led the way in turning photography into art with his fine sense of illusion and careful lighting and imagination. Call me old-fashioned. I still believe in the hand made image, carefully crafted and matted and framed under glass. Do you agree?
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Due to late cancellations we now have three spaces open for the
Great Lakes Art Fair to be
held on
October 16-18 at the
Rock Financial Showplace in
Novi, MI. Do you live near? We are working to establish a good solid indoor regional event that you can keep in your art fair schedule twice a year. We have excellent exhibitors for this date but need to fill out the show. The wait list holds only categories that are full: photography and jewelry, so we need you! The advertising is rolling out and includes TV spots, radio interviews and sponsorship by the
Detroit Free Press Homestyle section -- the "go to" guide for area weekend activities.
Glass by Shawn Messenger Michigan area art stars will be there (Jerry Berta, Tom Hale, Sonny Dalton, Shawn Messenger, John Leben, Cynthia Mann, Linda Chamberlain, Madeline Kaczmarczyk, Joe Cyberski), why not you? Help us build a fine event that can extend your art fair season. Booth fee: $400, includes electricity, 12 x 10 space with four feet behind; drive up to unload and load Learn more at:
www.GreatLakesArtFair.com While it is fresh in your mind contact: Erin Woody, Events and Marketing, Rock Financial Showplace -- 248-348-5600 ext. 236 Or email me for questions:
connie@artfaircalendar.com. Don't delay. The press begins with this story in the suburban news, The Observer:
Great Lakes Art Fair Comes to RockRead more…
A little late on this, but here it is:
September 26 & 27, downtown on the riverfront in Peoria, IL, 150 artists Since I was not exhibiting, but rather visiting I can't give too many ins and outs. Load in was all day on Friday (part of the day it was pouring rain), and early on Saturday. Vans could drive up to their spaces and parking was nearby. Friday evening the artists were served excellent pizza and beer.
Artist dinner: Doug Sigwarth, Andy SheaArtist (sorry, I don't know her name), Brenna Busse & Carol MenningaThe show was set up on pavement in a meandering pattern along the riverfront. There were flowers and fountains. It is a very attractive destination. The organizers said that years ago they held it at a suburban shopping center but about seven years ago when the Riverfront was turned into a park the city lured them downtown. They are not sorry.
Kim Armstrong, Director of the Art FairGlass artist Greg Heihn, Photographer Lou Zale and Jeweler Marilu Patterson
Saturday morning dawned misty and chill...but lo and behold show time arrived and the sun came out. I had to leave by noon, so no sales reports. I saw lots of artists I know and I have to tell you for the size of the market here (population 44,000) this was one fine looking art fair and the Peoria Art Guild really knows how to pull a community together for the arts!
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