ArtFairCalendar.com (the mother of this site) and ArtFairInsiders.com made the Chicago Tribune last week! I was interviewed by writer Leslie Mann about the future of fairs, resulting in a bunch of new subscribers to my newsletters. Thanks, Leslie.
Interestingly I knew almost everyone else she interviewed for the article:
--Zaki Knapen, artist, a member of this site and frequent contributor
--Amy Amdur, art fair producer, a member of the site and someone I've known for a long time as well as one of our advertisers
--Sara Corkery, a member of this site and the editor of the NAIA's newspaper, The Independent Artist
Leslie does a good job of assessing the impact of of the fairs and what artists are doing to overcome the economy. Read it here: www.ChicagoTribune.comRead more…
I did the Wells Street show in Chicago last weekend (June 13-14). I did very well there -- it was about time, as shows in Michigan so far this year have been lackluster. Briefly, the load-in is brutal, and was compounded by rain until about 1PM. After that, it gradually cleared throughout the afternoon, and people were out in droves enjoying the art, the music and buying. I saw a lot of prints going by, some larger pieces, and it kept up until Sunday night.For more in-depth coverage and a couple of pictures, read my full blog post, here:http://www.parkerparker.info/studio/blog/?p=649
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September 19 & 20 Ferndale, Michigan downtown on 9 Mile Rd. 120 artists Deadline: 6/15/09 Mark Loeb, the show director claims that his Ferndale show is,
"Twice as funky as the average fine art show..." Ferndale, Michigan, is a town that skews a little younger, a little hipper than much of the world. While traditional artwork does sell here, this show focuses on less pastoral work. As many as 40,000 art shoppers attend over the weekend. Not every art lover desires, or can afford ten thousand dollar art works. That does not mean that they are not people of taste, interested in acquiring quality work. The
Funky Ferndale Art Fair is directed at people with an appreciation for the best. Ferndale's vibrant downtown attracts people in their 20's, 30's and 40's. It is a lively community with varied shopping and exciting clubs and restaurants. These people have the means to purchase items that appeal to them.
Loeb continues, "We are looking for work that shows more than a bit of creativity, that challenges the mind, or simply sparks the imagination. Artwork that does not sit quietly, but invites a reaction. Overall however, keep in mind, this is a high quality juried fine art show." The art fair is organized by Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows a veteran organizer of metro Detroit events. Loeb's shows are widely praised for the effort placed toward supporting participating artists. He understands that your success is essential and does what it takes to meet your needs. Sculpture by
Richard Skelton Apply on line at
Zapplication.org, or visit
MichiganArtShow.com ********************** Looking for more art fairs to fill your 2009 art fair season? Visit:
ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentriesRead more…
September 4-7
Detroit, Michigan
Downtown
part of the Detroit International Jazz Festival
40 artists
Deadline: June 15
Do you love music? Does your art appeal to art audiences? If so, here you will find the perfect marriage as part of the exciting Detroit International Jazz Festival.
This year the Festival celebrates it's 30th anniversary by bringing back JazzART. What is JazzART? The Jazz Fest Director, Terri Pontremoli describes it as "Art that moves, Art that grooves." Essentially art that is inspired by music. Up to 40 booths will be included in the festival which annually attracts 750,000 music lovers. The Art section will close Art Fair each evening at 7:00 pm, while the music continues through the evening.
The selling of visual arts has long been associated with the Jazz Fest. JazzART had been a successful element though the event turned to a gallery oriented art show for the last few years. The return to individual booths will further increase the multi dimensional celebration of Jazz in all it's incarnations.
The art fair is organized by Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows a veteran organizer of metro Detroit events.
More about the Jazz Festival: www.detroitjazzfest.com
Apply: www.zapplication.orgRead more…
Held May 30 & 31, 2009 we had perfect weather for this enjoyable show in Deerfield - an affluent North Shore Chicago suburb. Friday night setup followed by get-together available. We chose to make the drive Saturday morning. Drive up to booth setup & teardown very smooth. Booth spaces had 3ft either side for spreading out art and 5 ft behind for chairs, desk & supplies. Kudos to Debbie Netter - D&W Events for well advertised, well coordinated event.Volunteers came around every hour or so with water and checked artists needs. Took menu orders for lunch and delivered. Food & entertainment court at one end with yummy, healthy food choices.Layout was two rows across from each other on pavement for about 150 artists. Nestled between beautiful and well used Jewett Park and the Metro Train Station. Relaxing flow as many families made a day of it picnicking & playing in the park and attending the show. With reasonable fees of $25 jury & $275 entry, it was easy meet expenses Saturday morning. Art Savvy patrons were careful with their purchases, but seemed to easily part with their money. Jewelry went well. It was the first show for the talented pencil drawing artist next to me and I was glad she did well. Many large paintings and photography pieces seemed to do well, as did I.Consistent flow of patrons both days, but not a crowd of people at any given time.No complaints from me, we had a marvelous time and enjoyed the laid back easy flow of the event. Great attention to artist by Debbie - well organized.You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1ZWdtpI3fY&feature=channel
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From Cynthia Davis at the NAIA (National Assn. of Independent Artists):
It has come to my attention that one of our long-time members, Anna Millea, has been diagnosed with a re-occurence of breast cancer which has metastasized to her bones. Currently Anna is undergoing 18 cycles of chemotherapy and has just completed her second round of radiation. She is also taking pain medication that costs in excess of $600 per month, and which will need to be increased significantly over time. Anna is uninsurable due to her previous diagnosis of breast cancer and has been unable to qualify for other types of financial assistance.
One of our members, Deb LeAir, along with several other artists are trying to pull together in an effort to help Anna defray her medication expenses. They are asking artists to help with this by any of the following things:
* Dedicate a piece of your art in your booth to Anna. When the piece sells, send a check payable to Anna Millea, to Steff Korsage, Chris Dahlquist or Deb LeAir who will then forward it to Anna.
* Make a direct donation to Steff, Chris or Deb, payable to Anna Millea.
* Make a small monthly donation. $10 or $20 per month doesn't sound like a lot, but if enough of us commit to that, we could cover or nearly cover the cost of the pain medications on an ongoing basis.
If you have questions, please contact:
Deb LeAir
1047 Earl Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106
651.793.3426
debleair@yahoo.com
Steff Korsage
7101 N. Glenwood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626
773.465.3456
steffik@mindspring.com
Chris Dalquist
519 Gillis
Kansas City, MO 64106
815.516.5981
chris@chrisdahlquist.com
Perhaps you have met Anna at a show. Here is her website to refresh your memory: http://www.milleafurnishings.com/index.htmlRead more…
There are reports on line about wait list spots being sold for a premium over entry fee, but I didn't personally hear of anyone who got in off the wait list with the premium entry fee added.Show takes place in older neighborhood in Midtown Atlanta area. Homes are mid 6 figures, house behind me was on the market for $900K, so there is money there. Set up was Friday or early Sat. Parking in downtown area can be a hassle, but it's doable if you arrive early enough especially. Committee gives you lunch daily and drinks, and provides booth sitters if needed.So how was the show? Well the beer vendors must have made a fortune! Large crowds, walking down the middle of the street carrying either a Red Stripe or a Guiness, barely looking to our booths. On Saturday, I handed out a total of 2 business cards. Sunday was the same, except my sales were less. How were my sales? Well, down about 75% from last year when the temps were in the 100's. I had free lodging in the area from family, and just barely covered my expenses. Some folks did make money - the artist across from me with steel garden art was selling them like hotcakes. Most 2D folks I spoke with were not happy campers, though some said they did ok.This year the music seemed to be louder than last year. I walked down towards the main stage and you had to yell to speak with anyone. I can't imagine anyone being happy in that area.
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November 7 & 8 Winnsboro, Texas Saturday 11-5; Sunday 11-4 Downtown in the Cultural Arts District Sponsored by the Main Street Partnership 75 Artists Deadline: June 15 In early November when the rest of the country is turning cold, the trees in Northeastern Texas are in full color and the daytime temperatures are in the 60's and 70's. What a perfect way to conclude your art fair season and make those last minute holiday sales! The quaint community of
Winnsboro, Texas, will be hosting its First Annual Fine Art Market November 7th and 8th in its historic downtown. Streets will be closed to traffic and transformed into an art buyer's Mecca. The area surrounding the town's restored train depot will have continuous musical entertainment and food from local restaurants.
For those unfamiliar with Texas, the "Upper East Side" is heavily wooded with numerous lakes, making it a relaxing retreat for harried urbanites wanting a little slower pace and a lot friendlier atmosphere. A short drive from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, second homes dot the seven lakes within a 12 mile radius of Winnsboro and the City has become the center of dining and shopping for tourists. Winnsboro is one of seven cities invited by the State of Texas to apply for one of the first Cultural Arts District Designations to be awarded in August. It is a Main Street City and a Certified Retirement Community. The economy in Texas has been holding its own compared to the rest of the country and event promoters believe this will be the first of many successful art markets. Because of its growing art community, the Winnsboro Fine Art Market will be highly marketed in
the Dallas area and we expect to garner a substantial turnout of patrons wanting a relaxing weekend. In addition: --Purchase Awards are being presold to guarantee purchases at the Market --a Patrons' reception will be held on Friday evening to kick off the event And my personal favorite: --To make the weekend relaxing for exhibiting artists as well, event promoters have made arrangements with a nearby retreat for the use of their newest addition-a lodge overlooking the woods with private rooms and baths for only $49 a night-the perfect chance to relax and mingle with other artists in the common area of the lodge. We hope you'll join them this fall for a profitable and enjoyable weekend in East Texas. For more information please visit their website at
www.winnsboroart.com or call 903-342-3438.
Find more art fairs for your 2009 art fair season.
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I am wondering how other folks handle this issue.I am finding more and more that those nasty little camera phones are enabling the theft of my original jewelry designs. I confronted one person about copying my work and was promptly told that as long as it was being sold, or pictured on my web site, or printed in a book, that she could "USE" it. I pride myself in the fact that I have one of a kind pieces, and then I find it at another show being sold on that persons table. Copied exactly as my pieces.What can I do to stop this, I have signs on my table stating "NO PICTURES" but they still do it. Is there somewhere I can go to get a paper or something that tells about theft of my work or using my designs without consent?
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1.
June 6 & 7 - A neighborhood art fair celebrates #62!! Visit the
57th Street Art Fair in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. A unique feature - if you don't know how to buy art they offer a free guided tour of the fair called "Art Buying Boot Camp."
Learn more. 2. Opening today and running until June 14 is the newly revamped
Three Rivers Festival in the downtown cultural district of Pittsburgh celebrating its 50th anniversary. It is is one of the longest-running free arts events of its kind in the United States.
Learn more. 3.
June 5-7 - Almost 250,000 visitors expected at the
Columbus Arts Festival this weekend in Columbus, OH. It is a grand party with 250 artists in the Downtown Discovery District.
Learn more. I have participated in all of these events. I really liked the old neighborhood at 57th Street. Loyal customers turn out year after year to add to their collections meet old friends and see what's new. This is not a really high ranked show but the artists who participate are devoted to it and the wonderful treatment from the committee. Downtown Pittsburgh was a revelation to me, having spent my downtown days in downtown Detroit! Wonderful architecture coupled with world class entertainment at the festival, a knowledgeable bunch of visitors who are drawn
by the diverse offerings. This year it has been downsized from a 21 day festival to just two weeks, so don't dally, get there before it is gone. Columbus has something for everyone. A wide variety of art, lots of food, long hours...terrific for visitors, but kind of tough for exhibitors. Yet the numbers are there. People attend, they buy art and artists reapply for the following year. Have a great weekend everyone. Me? I think I'm going to visit a tiny art fair near here in Winona Lake, Indiana, where I'll find old friends who are giving a try at smaller, cheaper events to see if that works for them. We'll see!
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September 25-27 Itasca, Illinois Usher Park 100 artists Deadline: June 7 The first annual juried Fine Arts and Wine Festival will take place in historic downtown Itasca in scenic Usher Park near the gateway to its newly created River Walk. September is Illinois Wine Month and Itasca is taking advantage of it. There will be music in the gazebo and the winding walkways of the park will combine wine tasting, fine art and painted iron benches. What to expect: --$5000 in prize money --Free parking, electricity and a hospitality area --Volunteers for setup, takedown and boothsitting --10 x 10 booths offset so you may use up to 2' on either side of your booth for outside display; 3' maximum of storage space behind tent
What else? Benches on Parade Some years ago Chicago's Cows on Parade (340 life-size cow statues on the city streets) set off a craze over the entire country. Streets in dozens of cities are now adorned with life-size or larger-than-life figures of people, animals or things. Here is Itasca's plan: Twenty-five, 6 ft iron benches with wooden slats, will be offered to the accepted artists interested in decorating one. The benches will be auctioned off on the weekend of the festival with 50% of auction price going to the painter of each bench, the other 50% to support the arts in Itasca. Fine art, fine wine and live music make a great combination. Starting a new event can be a challenge, but from these early plans it looks as though Itasca is taking it on. This is a great time of the year for beautiful outdoor days in Chicagoland. Worth a try? For more information visit:
www.itasca.com/artfestival or email:
artfair@itasca.com, or call 630/773-0835. Apply today:
www.zapplication.orgRead more…
Usually there are very decent relationships between art fair organizers and artists, but two different sources sent me this info recently about the Virginia Highlands show in Atlanta, Ga.
From Sally J Bright at the NAIA forum:
This weekend an artist told me he was on the waitlist for the Virginia highlands show, which had a $300 booth fee. He said the show contacted him and offered him a space for $400! He is now a new member of NAIA.
Another artist member, upon hearing this, told me about his last experience with the same show. He was offered the opportunity to set up one day early, if he paid approximately $50 additional. Considering the congested area and set-up hassle, he decided to do so but when he pulled out his check book, the show staffer told him cash only. After a few words he relented and told her/him to give him a receipt. That person had the audacity to say no, that could not be done. The artist refused to pay cash without a receipt and the show finally gave him a hand-written 'receipt'. He has not applied to the show again.
I'm pretty surprised, and I'd guess you are too. Can this be the whole story? Let's see if we can get an answer.
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Please send me your reports - really I'll take not-so-good reports also. But it is June and you know what that means across the upper part of the country! Art fair season!! So far this year we haven't had the torrential rains that were an every weekend occurrence last Spring. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Amy Amdur reports from Chicago: Arlington Heights..Great weekend, huge crowds, great sales..happy artists. I have had direct contact from artists on this also. Hopefully this one, as well as the Deerfield Festival last weekend, are the harbingers of a great season in Chicago. Arlington Heights Art Fair See you at 57th Street this weekend? Always an interesting event in a terrific old neighborhood.
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September 26 & 27 Bloomsbury, New Jersey on the historic Main Street 80 Exhibitors Deadline: June 15
This sounds like the September art fair for which you have been looking: "This is a community run festival and all proceeds go directly to our local elementary school, funding the cultural arts program. We have a very small school (pre-k thru 8th grade, one class for each grade) and a correspondingly very small budget...the festival provides for cultural and/or educational assemblies that our children would otherwise go without. We've had local artists in for an Artist's Day, authors in to do readings & workshops, dance/music assemblies and many more.
The festival was started 10 years ago by a former art teacher at the school, and when she moved last year community members took over the running of it. It's an enormous undertaking & many many people are involved & committed to its success. Bloomsbury Fine Art/Craft Festival is in Hunterdon County, NJ, a very affluent area of the state, and is easy to get to, directly off a main highway about 1 1/2 hrs from both NYC & Philadelphia. We usually attract artists from NJ & eastern PA, but have had people travel from further away (Florida, Ohio off the top of my head). The festival is held on Main Street, which is lined with old trees & Victorian era homes. Local non profit organizations (churches, PTO & the FD Ladies Auxiliary) run food booths, all featuring home-made goodies...we have a stage & feature 5-6 different musical acts throughout the weekend, and also have a children's area with various activities (magic, story telling, face painting etc.) that are run throughout the festival." --Lisa Thomas, Chair Visit their very nice web site for more info and to download an application:
www.bloomsburyartsfest.com *********** Looking for more art fairs for 2009? Visit:
ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentriesRead more…
Fine Art at the Lakes - New Event! Friday - July 31 Saturday - August 1 Walled Lake, Michigan 100 artists Deadline: June 15 Nestled in the lakes area of affluent Oakland County, the 1st Annual Fine Art at the Lakes Art Festival will be held on the grounds of Walled Lake Central High School in Walled Lake, MI. Don't miss this opportunity to participate in this new juried addition to the summer fine art show calendar which will feature some of the finest local and national artisans exhibiting their work in finely crafted art pieces. You will be pleasantly surprised by the level of organization of this new art festival and the attention given to every detail. The committee is chaired by an experienced artist with years of art fair experience and extensive knowledge of the needs of the artists and what it takes to host a first-class art festival.
The Walled Lake Central Marching Band is hosting this event and is supported by the Walled Lake School District with a Art Fair Calendar.compopulation of over 15,000 students and families. An intensive ad and publicity campaign will be held to promote the event throughout the region, including advertising in local and major newspapers, radio and television promotions, local cable stations, e-mail blasts throughout the school district, direct mail, and outdoor media. What to expect: * Lots of free entertainment highlighting a wide variety of musical talent * Free art tent for children and their families * Food court featuring local restaurants Our hospitality committee will assist artists by providing: * Friendly volunteers to help load and unload vehicles * Volunteers to booth sit throughout the event * Security throughout the event and on Friday evening * Plenty of free parking * Artist hospitality booth including hand-delivered lunches, booth signs, and much more. For more information: 1. visit the website at
www.wlcbands.com 2. contact the
Fine Art at the Lakes hotline at 248-956-4981 3. and apply on line at
www.zapplication.orgRead more…
Bar Codes by Robert Robert Carriveau(I want to pass this on as I got this email this morning). Thought it would be appropriate to pass on in this forum especially those looking to have a "leg up" on the whole "Made in China" stuff.)Very good info! I'm not buying anything else Made in China . We had 2 foreign exchange students from China living with us & they always checked bar codes. They would put some things down and say 'no good - not same as in China ' When we asked them about that later, they said China sends the inferior things to the U.S.A. , for what its worth.Bar Codes Identify Country of Origin - Be Sure to Check ThemThe whole world is scared of China-made 'black hearted goods'. Can you differentiate which one is made in the USA ,Philippines , Taiwan or China ?For example, the first 3 digits of the bar code reflect the country code where the product was made.All bar codes that start with 690, 691, 692, thru 695 are MADE IN CHINA.Bar code items starting with 471 are Made in Taiwan.Chinese businessmen know that American consumers don't prefer products 'Made in China ', so they don't show from which country it originates any longer.However, you may now refer to the barcode. Remember if the first 3 digits are in the range 690-695, then it is Made in China .00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA30 ~ 37 FRANCE40 ~ 44 GERMANY49 ~ JAPAN50 ~ UK57 ~ Denmark64 ~ Finland76 ~ Switzerland & Lienchtenstein471 ~ Taiwan480 ~ Philippines628 ~ Saudi Arabia629 ~ UAE ( United Arab Emirates )740-745 ~ Central AmericaPlease inform your family and friends.It is our human right to know, but its not the government's job to educate the public, just to rake in the taxes.Therefore, we have to protect ourselves & make everyone aware.
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Our second year at this 4 day fair in Downtown Denver over Memorial day. After the Texas shows (Bayou, Main St. Cottonwood) had my concerns about the economy in Colorado.The show was one of the most efficiently run to date. Jim Delutes is a show circuit alumni that runs the thing from the perspective of the artist. Load in, load out was a breeze with volunteers everwhere to help. The crowds were there, a testiment to Jim's marketing effort, a huge improvement over last year.The weather (rain all four days) and the Nuggets in the playoffs affected sales, but despite these obstacles we did close to our goal of 5K. I can see this one developing to a major show if the economy ever improves (sorry guys, just because it's off the front page and a few Bozo's say things are looking up, this is gonna take more than a wave of Obama's magic wand to fix). The show is in a fabulous location off the 16th St. Mall, Coors field just a stones throw away. It winds thru the Denver Pavilions, a "lifestyle" type shopping district that is a destination for tourists, the bars, eating establishments draw the locals.For us, to sleep in our own beds, cook our own food, was a rare pleasure.The motel life gets old fast. This one stays a keeper on my schedule. Mark Zurek
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Adjacent to the 8th Annual River Raisin Jazz Festival
August 8 & 9 Saturday 10-6; Sunday 12-6 in the newly renovated Historic Downtown of Monroe, Michigan Presented by the Downtown Monroe Business Network Booth fee: $100 Deadline: July 17 The 6th annual Downtown Monroe Art Fair is fast becoming one of the areas nicest places to pick up some fantastic artwork. Located in Monroe's newly renovated Historical District, the atmosphere is beautiful and relaxing. Booths are located around the scenic Loranger Square. There is live jazz in the pavilion located in the Square. The art fair is also held at the same time as the extremely popular River Raisin Jazz Fest whose main stage is two blocks away. These two events bring in a crowd of 40,000 plus people. Accepting all forms of fine artwork, and jurying each entry to obtain the best variety of exhibitors, the Monroe Fine Art Fair is a show you surely don't want to miss out on. Expect: * Booth sitters * Curbside loading and unloading * 24 hour security * Electricity and table rental available. Download an application:
www.dmbn.org Monroe is
easily accessible by many of my readers, located in southeastern Michigan. From artist Christy LaRoy:
This is the weekend to be in Monroe, they have officially estimated 40,000 in attendance to the Jazz Fest, and I know we have our own following just for the Art Show also, but I'm not sure on any exact numbers beside talking to all the people that come buy my tent. (I'm my own little pollster). Last year despite some bad weather some of the sales for some of the return artists were even better than any other year. There was a pottery lady right down from me who sold almost every piece she had. But we have good food, lots of restaurants and bars surrounding us and I haven't been to a street fair with such nice volunteers, even the artists seem extra nice at this show. Nice combination: jazz and art. This sounds like a good place to spend an August weekend - near to many of my readers, very fair booth fee, plus great hospitality. For more info and an application:
www.monroemainstreet.com Email:
monroeartfair@gmail.com or Jennifer Fountain at 734-242-1472
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September 4-7
Detroit, Michigan
Downtown
part of the Detroit International Jazz Festival
40 artists
Deadline: June 15
Do you love music? Does your art appeal to art audiences? If so, here you will find the perfect marriage as part of the exciting Detroit International Jazz Festival.
This year the Festival celebrates it's 30th anniversary by bringing back JazzART. What is JazzART? The Jazz Fest Director, Terri Pontremoli describes it as "Art that moves, Art that grooves." Essentially art that is inspired by music. Up to 40 booths will be included in the festival which annually attracts 750,000 music lovers. The Art section will close Art Fair each evening at 7:00 pm, while the music continues through the evening.
The selling of visual arts has long been associated with the Jazz Fest. JazzART had been a successful element though the event turned to a gallery oriented art show for the last few years. The return to individual booths will further increase the multi dimensional celebration of Jazz in all it's incarnations.
The art fair is organized by Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows a veteran organizer of metro Detroit events.
More about the Jazz Festival: www.detroitjazzfest.com
Apply: www.zapplication.org
