Last week I received the following email blast from the
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. They need financial support. When you think of how much so many artists have depended on their annual income from one or another of the Ann Arbor art fairs, they have to be grateful to this event that started it all. Not only do the artists have much to be thankful for, but the art fair patrons who have flocked by the millions to Ann Arbor for the past 50 years for this vibrant rite of summer are also indebted for the enrichment and pleasure the fair has brought them. I am asking each and every one of you to heed this call from the Street Art Fair and show your thanks and your support to keep it going. I know you will.
$50 for 50th Campaign The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original Needs Your Support!For 50 years, The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has been connecting a carefully selected group of artists with an appreciative audience from Ann Arbor and across the country. During this half century, the Fair has won many awards, been a national leader in operational and program development, provided substantial economic benefit to the local business community, and often been recognized as the brand of Ann Arbor.
How Much Does it Cost to Put on This Free Event? While most events of this caliber are run on budgets well exceeding one million dollars, The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has managed to grow and flourish with
an annual budget of just $350,000. As a non-profit organization, the Fair has relied on artist fees, souvenir sales and national corporate support to meet these budgetary requirements and operate as a
free public event.
Why We Need Your Support Due to a combination of factors (poor economic conditions, reduction of revenue producing space due to construction, and general corporate pull out from the state of Michigan) the income generated from these key sources is no longer expected to cover the Fair’s annual production costs. Individual contributions could help offset the expected $65,000 shortfall facing the Original Fair. Donations will go directly to supporting our world class programs, including projects like the Zero Waste Initiative, the New Art New Artists series, the Art Zone/Imagination Station’s free art activities, art demonstrations, and the Townie Street Party.
How YOU Can Help Become a supporter of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair today! We’re asking for a
“Fifty for Fifty” commitment: $50 to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. But don’t worry if that’s not in your budget this year – your gift will be appreciated no matter what the size. If each of our 500,000 visitors donated even $5, we would have enough to run the fair for over seven years! You can
donate online by visiting our website, or you can send a check to our office at: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original P.O. Box 1352 Ann Arbor, MI48106 Thank you for considering a donation to the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. If you have any questions, please contact us by email (
kdelhey@artfair.org) or phone: (734) 994-5260. The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original is a 501c(3) non-profit corporation.Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
A Few Reasons to Donate Today: **More than
$78 million is spent locally in Ann Arbor hotels, stores, and restaurants by the estimated
500,000 patrons who visit during fair week ** The
Townie Street Party, a special free kick-off event for the community to celebrate the Art Fairs, is hosted annually by the Street Art Fair on Ingalls Mall and North University
**The Kid’s Art Fair gives young artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work and the
New Artist Program allows University level artists to experience what it’s like to participate in the Street Art Fair. **The Street Art Fair’s
Zero Waste Program was initiated two years ago with a goal of minimal environmental impact. This program was one of three invited to present at the MFEA Conference this year.
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October 17 & 18 Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda Row: Woodmont Ave., Bethesda Ave. & Elm St. 180 Artists Deadline: May 30Where is Bethesda, MD? This preeminent urban festival attracts art lovers from the metropolitan Washington, DC, region, displaying the works of a select group of highly creative and talented artists in the heart of Bethesda's Arts & Entertainment District. Bethesda Row is a popular dining and gathering place, covering four city blocks and features more than 50 fine shops and restaurants, and a movie theater. Low-rise, retail and office buildings create a very pleasing, human-scale, town-center feel. What makes the event unique is its continuing tradition of free attendance while financially helping kids through NIH Children's Charities in partnership with the Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce.
A bit about the patrons: * This year's show is expected to attract more than Art Fair Calendar.com45,000 visitors * They come from one of the nation's most affluent regions, with 40% of households earning $100,000 and over * The area is ranked 6th in the nation for the number of households attending arts/cultural events with 38% of households attending arts events and purchasing fine arts There are two ways to apply to the Bethesda Row Arts Festival: download an application at:
www.bethesdarowarts.org/application or submit digitally at:
bethesdarowarts.org/app For more information about the festival visit the website at
www.bethesdarowarts.org, or e-mail
info@bethesdarowarts.org, or call 301.637.5715 Have you attended any art fairs in the East? If not, this is a very hospitable event where you can find an audience if you have distinctive and sophisticated art. The date should be attractive to artists from the Midwest whose art fair season has ended. *********** Looking for more art fairs to fill up your schedule for 2009? Visit
ArtFairCalendar.com/callfor entriesRead more…
May 19 The photo is from the web. Last night, walking the dogs... we met a skunk, tail up. It chased us, we crossed the street, so did the skunk. Crossed again, heading home...quickly. We escaped. It must have babies or Rabies! A freaky moment.
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For a long time I lived in the Detroit area and as an artist's partner we were always looking at the land just across the water in Canada. Lots of people live on the other side of the Detroit River. But the complications of taking work for sale across the border were myriad. The customs people on either side could foil any attempt to enter into Canada or even to get back into the U.S. with a van full of art. But lo and behold a government official, Eve Lerman, who works for the US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration in a special agency called the "US Commercial Service" is working to change the rules. In her words:
Our job is to promote exports of US goods and services to overseas markets - this includes Canada and countries around the world. For the last 9 years I worked out of my office in the Pontiac, Michigan US Export Assistance Center to promote exports of automotive and manufacturing products. I spent 3 years as the Team Leader of the Automotive Team in our agency. In 2009 I felt the time was ripe to do our part to help diversify Michigan's economy. I took note, as well, of an initiative out of our headquarters in Washington DC, to focus some of our efforts on assisting business people who have never exported before. I decided to devote a portion of my time to working with artists and craftspeople in Michigan. The ArtServe organization in Michigan has generously allowed me, and some of my colleagues, to speak for a few minutes about this project at a series of outreach events they held around the state. I also made a separate trip to Marquette and Calumet in the Upper Peninsula to speak to artists about this effort. Several months ago when I started researching art fairs in Canada, I came across the "Art In The Park Windsor" website - www.artintheparkwindsor.com. The venue is beautiful (15-acre garden surrounding a historic manor), it is a 2-day juried show, and it is easier for Michigan artists to access than shows in Toronto and more distant parts of Canada. When I contacted the show organizer, the Rotary Club of Windsor, I was delighted to learn that this year, for the 1st time in 31 years, they had decided to open the show to artists from the US. We've been working on a collaborative basis to get the word out to Michigan artists. We've also been working with US & Canadian Customs officials, to simplify the procedure for crossing the border as much as possible. I am currently drafting instructions to share with artists interested in the show for this year or 2010. If you have additional questions I will be happy to try and answer them! Best regards, Eve Lerman, International Trade Specialist, US Department of Commerce, US Export Assistance Center, Pontiac, Michigan… Visit this link to see what she has set up:
www.artfairinsiders.com/events/invitation Join us Sunday, June 7 from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM to assess the venue, learn about taking art across the border, and decide whether exhibiting could help grow your sales in 2010. Well, I'm impressed. Thank you so much to the Department of Commerce for opening some trade doors to artists! Any of you who live in the region around the eastern Great Lakes and tries to travel through to Canada to Michigan will also welcome this.
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Friday and Saturday, August 15 & 16 Canal Fulton, Ohio 11 am to 8 pm St. Helena Heritage Park 50 Artists Booth spaces are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Where is Canal Fulton, OH? Conveniently located near Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Columbus,
check it out here. This is the third year of this event. The organizer, Dennis Downing, is a trustee of the heritage society, sponsor of the festival. Visitors to the event can enjoy a weekend festival of art and history, celebrating Canal Fulton's historical "canal era" and historical timeline of transportation from covered wagons, canal boats, and trains. Canal Fulton is one of the last remaining working canal cities in Ohio with an enriched historical district of over eighty nationally registered buildings and one of four remaining horse-drawn canal boats. This unique festival brings Art & History together. You will find artists, wine tasting, a civil war camp and reenactments, historical displays and lectures, museum tours, live entertainment and more. Who should apply to this event?
-artists with traditional work -artists whose work connects with the historical theme -artists with work that appeals to families -artists who enjoy the ambiance of a themed event
Please note that the event is held on a Friday and Saturday. The Ohio "Blue Laws" prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays and part of the fun of the festival is the presence of three local wineries. In the fall, nearby is the ever popular Yankee Peddler show with a similar historical theme, so there definitely is an eager audience. Do you live in the region? Have an open weekend? Then you may want to spend it in this lovely community. Expect low booth fees and a good return on your dollar. Eager to learn more about Canal Fulton? Visit:
www.DiscoverCanalFulton.com To request an application:
www.discovercanalfulton.comRead more…
About the show - it's set up on the streets around a downtown square and a side street. Lots of activity going on with music and kids stuff in the square. Attendance is usually pretty good. Set up is Sat AM with even numbered spaces arriving at 6:30 and odd numbered spaces at 7:30, and this works out pretty well. Parking is nearby, within a couple of blocks of your spot. Quality of the art is pretty good, and the committee treats you well with breakfast (bagels, fruit, coffee) both mornings, and they also feed you lunch with cold cuts you can make sandwiches from. They also provide sodas, and water throughout the day at the artists hospitality area.There are a handful of awards, and they had 3 judges. One was dressed up as a priest - don't ask, because I have no idea why. I heard he was a 'character'. I was not 'blessed' with any prizes.So how was the show??? Well, this was my 3rd year of doing the show, and the prior 2 were decent, though nothing to write home about. For this year - what do you get when you mix a bad economy with lousy weather? You get the picture. Saturday we had about 4 downpours followed by bright sun. Sunday we had drizzle in the morning followed by steadily increasing rain as the temperature started to drop. By 12:30 there were rivers running along the edge of the street and if you were unfortunate enough to be at the end of the street on the downhill slope you had at least 2 inches in the rear of your booth. By 1:00, those of us who inquired were told we could tear down, as long as we dollied out because vehicles would not be allowed into the show area until official end time (which would have been 5:00). By 3:00, I was on the road.My sales total covered my booth and gas, not lodging. Others I talked to at breakfast Sunday AM said they were down considerably from the prior year. I can't imagine anyone sold anything on Sunday, since essentially, nobody showed up, except for Mother Nature. Oh, well...Can't comment on any good tequila places, Nel. :)
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You really know it is Spring in the Midwest when you hear about storms closing the art fairs. Here is hoping that this season's events will not suffer from the terrible winds that closed many art fairs and caused thousands of dollars of damage at last year's fair particularly in Omaha and Evanston.
From the Belleville News Democrat: Reports of funnel clouds brought an early close to the Fair on the Square in Belleville, IL, Friday night. Read the rest of the report:
Art on the Square in Belleville wrapped up early Friday night, closing at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. as storms began moving through the area....
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May 16 & 17
Reston Town Center
10 am to 6 pm daily
Presented by the Greater Reston Arts Center
220 artists
Preview Party:
May 15, 6:30-9:30, Midtown-11990 Market Street
"The art and craft work exhibited will delight you in its variety, quality and vision. In these days of strip malls and cookie cutter chain stores, art fairs are undeniably the most interesting shopping venues left in the country." -- Art Fair Source Book, 2008
This top-rated annual juried outdoor street festival held in the heart of the elegant and bustling Reston Town Center attracts over 50,000 patrons and provides an interactive experience to view, purchase, and experience art directly from the unique and talented artists who have created it.
The 2009 festival will also feature outstanding music and entertainment, activities for families, and delicious food. Now in its 18th year, the festival is well known for the high quality and wide variety of spectacular artwork. You can easily spend a whole day chatting with artists, selecting wonderful treasures, creating art with your children, watch-
ing musical and acrobatic entertainment at the performance stages before your next foray into the wonderful world of fine arts and crafts.
Don't miss this opportunity to meet our featured artist Ginny Herzog and view her architectural art.
For more info: www.restonarts.org/Festival
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Here is a terrific, in-depth and lengthy article from Chicago's
Crain Business News about
one of the art fair businesses most well-known people, Chicago's own Amy Amdur, of
Amdur Productions. Amy has been producing art fairs around the Chicago area since 1984. This year she has eleven events ranging from the really wonderful Port Clinton Art Fair in Highland Park to a new venture this fall in Highwood, a "Last Call Art Fair", a place to sell end of the year stock. photo by Steven Serio If you are new to the business you should read this article to get some background on all the work that goes on behind the scenes, and if you are a veteran you will probably find this profile of Amy interesting. Congrats, Amy! This long story in Crain's is quite a feat. I hope your fairs this year are rewarding for everyone involved. Read the story:
The Festival QueenRead more…
My thanks to Vicki Munn for the following report on the first day at the Northern Virginia Festival of Art in Reston, VA - ArtFairCalendar.com's "Art Fair of the Month.
i bet we have applied for 15 years and finally got in. the drive out (from Bloomington in southern Indiana) we were wondering "what the hell we were doing" ...rain all weekend for sure. we just finished the first day with light showers in the early morning and a storm at 5:15 to close early. i do not know what normally goes on here but today seemed like a light crowd to me. we had a few small sales and thanks to the show gods and government jobs. ...two really good sales...so our day was fine. it is raining now so we will see what happens tomorrow. oh, have to say one of the best, if not the best exhibitor dinner we have had. thank you GRACE....
vicki munn
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This is my first time to do ArtFest in Dallas, TX. I am excited. I was just wondering if any of you experienced art fair artists have done it before and how has it been for you? I paint mostly Texas skies. God bless.
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Exude Success After putting some finishing touches on a art/craft business presentation I realized an overall theme occurring - exude success. Since the economic down turn (and even before that) I have seen countless craft artists get caught up in lively discussions in aisles at shows about the economy and how shows aren't what they used to be. I have noticed more and more craft artists are neglecting how important it is to obtain a "professional" appearance of their booth to attract customers - from new people just getting their feet wet to the seasoned vet who does the same display year after year selling the same thing year after year to boot. Tell me, have you seen those who just look like they threw in the towel before the doors open to the event? Maybe these people fall into a habit of doing Sudoku puzzles, or better yet ready to pounce on the next unsuspecting customer praying this is the person who will buy something expensive. I don't want to burst anyones bubble, but we are in control of our own success when it comes to our own art/craft business. If people are experiencing lulls in sales - of course it could be the economy and many other reasons, however if you are not putting your best foot forward then you are not exuding success. Why Exude Success? When it comes down to it people will buy from those who are successful or appear to be successful. It is almost like a popularity contest without the drama. When you see people in ones booth it is usually because there is something going on there that no one else is offering. Next time you go to a show observe the dynamics of what is going on in each and every booth around you. Notice who has something unique, what makes some displays attract a lot of people while others don't, and what are each booth owners attitude like. It shouldn't take long before you see it - the dividing line - booths with energy and booths without energy. Creating a happy vibe will in fact attract people who then pick up on that positivity which builds and builds where before long one person starts to buy something and the more follow. So, in a sense, if each craft artist would take the time to exude success using their time wisely at shows they too will find sales and others wondering what does he/she have that I don't. How to exude success:1. Be positive. If your day starts off bad, let it go, take a deep breath, move on. You don't need to be super perky as if you had 5 cups of coffee, but doing something like smiling, WELCOMING people into your booth, offering suggestions or help, all goes a long way in winning a customers confidence and trust. 2. Dress for success. First impressions means the world of difference when it comes to customer shopping. The way you dress directly affects the way people perceive your work. The little things like trimming beards or shave, putting on a bit of make-up can go a long way especially with a great shade of lipstick, and of course dress casually and for comfort all goes a long way. It scares me when I have see some sweaty men putting up a booth and then start selling with major b.o. and sweat stains. I have observed women with the most messiest of hair dos and no make-up complaining about how their sales are so poor OR question "why are so many people trying to barter with me?". 3. Make your booth pop! Are you selling at an art fair or at a flea market? Think of all the things that makes one show more elite than the other and you'll see it is all about the way the art work and craft is displayed and merchandised. Find a happy medium where you don't get people commenting more on how beautiful your booth is than your work. And on the other side of the spectrum that if the booth is too plain where items are just sitting on one table with no style or class you also will loose customers attention. Just think - your booth is much like a mini boutique and when people shop at boutiques and nice retail shops - they want that experience. When store names like a Godiva Chocolates, Crate and Barrel, or The Gap you automatically think about what they sell and how it is presented - the same should go for your work/business. Using good lighting, a styled theme, organized merchandising where your products are on different eye levels and more should be everyone's goal. The one thing that can make or break ones booth is to have it look like all the rest at the show - think about ways to make it memorable and you will surely find buyers verses passersby. 4. Use positive language. I usually get customers and other craft artists, when I do shows, ask, so how are sales today? I usually say "its too early to tell" or "I have made some sales, but I won't know until the end of the day". Whenever someone asks a question they are testing you to see if you are more successful than the others they have encountered that day. If the weather is at least nice (and sales aren't) mention how you can't remember such a good day as today and to thank customers for coming out in such nice or bad weather too - changing a situation to a positive one. If someone shrieks about something they think is over priced, calm the situation and explain what makes the piece unique and why people buy it, never giving into their opinions. Just as there are many situations that could result in negative responses, figure out ways to make a negative situation good. 5. Have realistic expectations. I am referring to setting the the bar too high regarding expectations that could result in loosing focus on the prize. Set simple and realistic goals when doing shows or in handling business decisions. The more you are able to complete simple goals the better you will feel when it comes to your overall businesses success. You can't expect every customer who enters your booth to buy, every show can't be successful (even if past shows were always good), and every show can't always be just right for your product. The sooner people realize nothing in life is guaranteed and each person holds the key to their own success, the more likely you are achieve any goal you have your mind set on. I am a big advocate of good customer service because you want people to have a good time, have a memorable experience to want to come back, don't you? There are so many times I see a snowball effect when one upset customer or artist rants to another thus creating and uninviting aura, an almost a dead zone where no customer would venture into. The sad thing is many don't even notice it happening and blame it on other factors when the most obvious answer is right in front of them - how their inability to exude success hinders their own success. As we move forward in our art/craft show seasons, don't let the economy or other factors greatly affect how your shows will go as you can exude a positive successful business in times of uncertainty. Please think about some of these ideas and try to apply just one to your own craft business. You may be surprised to see that if you do exude success you will find success. Check out more topics like this on my own blog - www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com ! Thanks - Michelle
Mostly not a good idea...restaurants, salons. etc, have to pay for everything that comes through their door, but they feel that their wall decorations should be free...after all their giving you this fabulous "exposure". However, if you're going to it here is some advice (yes, I've done it)Get a signed copy of what you are leaving.Don't leave it there indefinately...30 to 45 days should be adequate to see if there is any interest.Have a definite agreement of how and when you get paid.Hopefully live within 30 minutes of your exhibit so you can check frequently.Good luck to youChuck Benwitt
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June 27 & 28 6th Annual Art In The Park Lathrup Village, Michigan 100 Artists Presented by the Lathrup Village Community Foundation Deadline: May 18 In affluent Oakland County, MI, you will find the City of Lathrup Village which combines a historic past with a dynamic present. Gracious homes and planned city growth have provided an ideal environment for convenient, small city living within the larger metropolitan Detroit area. Where is Lathrup Village?
Visit this link. The art fair is situated in and around a lovely park setting that borders Southfield Road, taking advantage of the 50,000+ cars that pass through on any given day. A comprehensive advertising plan including articles in major newspapers, and increased radio promotions dedicated to bringing you the customers you deserve will be implemented. Returning this year is the "
Taste Of Michigan Brews" Mini Pub! This addition was a big hit with not only the attendees, but the artists themselves! The expanded food court will be centrally located for your convenience. Art Fair Calendar.com Our first rate hospitality is always a staple that includes:
* Staff who recognize artists needs * Friendly volunteers to help you unload and booth sit * Continental breakfast each day * Artist reception at the close of the day on Saturday * Spacious booths- 12 x 12 with ample aisles * Reasonable fee- $155 For more information and to download an application visit:
www.lathrupvillageartinthepark.com and click on the Artist Link. Or contact Maralee Rosemond at 248-557-2600 ext. 224 or email her at
recreation@lathrupvillage.orgRead more…
With the arts struggling everywhere, and Michigan being no exception, you might wish to subscribe to this excellent newsletter sponsored by the Arts Alliance, the Arts Alliance Cultural Newsletter. It covers art walks, gallery tours, job opportunities, creative resources, grants, lots!! It is pretty amazing in the breadth of its information. Here is the link for the website:
http://www.a2artsalliance.org/. You can subscribe on the front page.
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The Mayfaire show has a reputation for being a hot one. Every year the participants desperately hope that the weather will be a little milder for this notoriously hyperthermal happening. This year, however, the two days of the show set all time heat records for their respective dates. Sunday the reported temperature was 96 degrees at the airport. We were very fortunate to find ourselves close to an electrical outlet. Thanks to our two powerful fans the temperature in our tent never got above 98. Crowds were down 35% this year. In an innovative move, the porta potty company charged a little extra to report weights of their rental units at delivery vs their weights at pickup time. This provides data on which the above estimate was based. The judging was done by a recognized prestigious juror. I can't remember his name any more than he probably remembers my work. He did do a thorough job, however. It was reported by the Lakeland Ledger that he walked the whole show at least four times before breezing through the final lap with his dot sticking assistant running three booths behind trying to keep up. If your work sucks, it's best to find out from the finest. In a separate round of jurying photographer Nels Johnson took top honors for the best dressed category. Wasn't even close according to the jurist. The setup starts at eleven on Friday which gives one plenty of time to get organized. Nearby parking on the streets isn't difficult for early birds. Speaking of birds, Lake Morton probably has more birds per gallon than Cambell's chicken noodle soup. Thanks to their byproduct you don't see swimmers in this pond. Once every three years or so the City of Lakeland drains off and sells half the water volume to a nearby fertilizer plant. People with dogs weighing less than four pounds have to hand carry their pets to keep them from getting eaten by the swans and geese. Our neighbor, Rocky Bridges the mixed media legend, showed up and built a small gallery out of plywood and 2 X 4's. He then slapped on a fresh coat of white paint. He wasn't always at his booth, but friends and followers were able to track him down and drag him back to his booth to make an 8K sale on Saturday. On Sunday he came to the back of our booth to borrow a felt tip pen so he could sign a piece he was selling. Then this nice gentleman came in the front of our booth to borrow a pen for writing a check. He told us that he almost bought from us until he saw the work next to us and he wouldn't quite be able to buy from us this year. With neighbors like Rocky you'd better make sure to take notes. You don't often get that kind of opportunity. Our sales? Even if the show went for a couple of more days we would probably have covered expenses. But then again we live here. Three of our photographer friends pulled 1200, 1100, and about a thousand respectively. A popular functional potter did 1500, down from over twice that amount from last year. You can't blame the organizers for the heat and the economy. The Mayfaire show usually draws a nice crowd and if you have what they want, they have the money for it. Unfortunately, none of the artists were selling ice cold fifty cent beers. Miss Ruby was selling tomatoes, but she ran out by the time we earned enough money for a half peck of them. The organizers made sure that we got plenty of cold water and on Saturday we had bagels and goodies delivered right to the tent. Starbucks provided free coffee for the artists both days. I will do this show again. Heat and all. In all fairness to other artists, though, I must point out we live within walking distance. If you're a camel.
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