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Manifesting Hope in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 22, 2009 at 10:30pm

Last weekend took me away from talking with you. Leaving Michigan I met up with my sister in Indiana and we trekked to Washington, D.C., for the inaugural festivities. Her son was marching in the Parade so we had some good connections for parties and lodging. Who could resist being part of this historic occasion?

Among other things we visited the Mall (full of smiling happy people), the Freer Gallery, spent an hour in line to view the iconic Shepard Fairey original poster of Barack Obama at the National Portrait Gallery. The museum was mobbed, all the galleries full of people including the very cool Lincoln room.

After reporting on the Manifest Hope exhibit since July in these blogs we had to go to Georgetown to view that show. Again...long lines, wrapped around the block to get in! Is this good news when the galleries are full to bursting.

The Manifest Hope: DC Gallery celebrates the artists across the nation who used their voices to amplify and motivate the grass root movement and carried President Barack Obama to victory. It was full of images of Obama in all media and it was packed with people who had come to see them.

There is an interesting discussion on where the photo came from that Shepard Fairey used as the basis of his image of Barack Obama, was it okay or was it plaigiarism? Thanks to Duke Klassen at the NAIA Forum for sending this link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-sto...t-famous-photo/ Getting up in the dark and walking through the dark to the Metro station at 6:30 am as part of a growing group of

people came out of houses and joined us on the street was magical. Dark, cold and quiet, yet once inside the Metro there were huge groups of people and the excitement was building. We had a good vantage point from inside, out of the cold, but after the motorcade had passed through the crowds dissipated and we could reach Pennsylvania Avenue and cheer for the parade. Wish you could have been there, so much good will and happy people meant good spirits for all. We talked with strangers from all over the country, laughed and danced. How can we keep this good feeling going?

P.S. The only celebrity sitings were David Arquette, who was in line with us to view the Fairey print at the Portrait Gallery and Garrison Keillor who we ran right into at the Parade. Also we saw Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow at the Michigan reception where I welcomed my brand new congressman, Mark Schauer, to his new job.

Art Fairs Cancelled for 2009

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 22, 2009 at 9:30pm

Recent news is of the demise of these art fairs for 2008: Cancelled - Wheaton, IL, Fine Art Fair, held annually in downtown Wheaton in July. I do not have confirmation from the organizers, but from a reader who has been trying to contact them. I appreciate any information I receive such as this. Keeping the calendar up to date is a continual work of art! With the economy taking such a nose dive, I'm hoping this won't be happening a lot. I heard the Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, saying today (as Michigan hit double digit unemployment figures) that this state had never recovered from the tech bust of 2000. Those of you who have been doing art fairs can attest to the change in the sales at the local events. Nonetheless, the people still come and are looking for your one-of-a-kind goods and looking for you. I have had a record number of inquiries from art fair organizers in recent months. The art fairs are going to be there and I hope you will too! One of my phone calls was from a new art fair organizing near Flint, MI, at Swartz Creek with the community organized behind it to be held in late August. Stay tuned for the good news too!

Framing your life as an artist- St Louis Area Workshop

Posted by don crozier on January 17, 2009 at 2:43pm

Don's note- This is a wonderful opportunity for midwesterners to learn about the business end of art. This workshop is being conducted by top professionals in the St Louis area. Alton is just a half hour north of St Louis.Framing your life as an artist:Saturday, January 24, 10:00 – 3:00Jacoby Arts Center627 E. BroadwayAlton, IL 62002618-462-5222info@jacobyartscenter.org$40 fee.Advance registration recommended. Please call if you are interested, the workshop is filling fast.Since making art is only one aspect of our lives as artists - The goal of this workshop is to address those other areas of concern, identify resources, and explore a wide range of possibilities which exist, allowing us to move forward and sustain ourselves as artists.Agenda9:30—10:00Registration Coffee, Juice, Bagels10:00—1130Welcome: Susan Bostwick & Kate PossPanel: Opportunities, Options & StrategiesCharity Davis-Woodard, artist; Ken Konchel, artist; Laura Miller, St. Louis Art Fair; Mary Giles, artist; Kathryn Nahorski, Artistic Director Jacoby Arts Center; Emily Blumenfeld, VIA Partnership11:30—12:30Lunch*Networking, Building Tours(There are 4 restaurants & fast food chains within easy walking distance, or you can bring your lunch.)12:30 – 1:30,Panel: Law & ArtSue Greenberg, Executive Director VLAASteve Dawson, Bryan Cave LLC1:30 – 3:00Bookkeeping & TaxesSue Greenberg, VLAAStella Vivod, H&R Block1:30 – 3:00Photographing Work, Submitting Digital Images, Utilizing the WebJoseph Gruber PhotographyJim Cook, studiojmcResume & Artist Statement ReviewIf you would like feedback on your resume / bio, provided by John Harvey & Susan Bostwick - bring your documents (along with images of your work) on a disc or jump drive. There 15 available slots – first come, first serve. Comments will be emailed. Please include contact information / email address along with your materials.Portfolio ReviewKate Poss will provide brief portfolio reviews between 12:30 & 1:30.There are 8 available slots – first come, first serve. Sign up with paid registration.Please register by calling 618-462-5222Payment accepted via credit card, by check (payable to the Madison County Arts Council), or in person.Jacoby Arts Center627 E. BroadwayAlton, IL 62002

Please talk among yourselves :)

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 16, 2009 at 5:09pm

I am heading out momentarily for a five day trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the inaugural festivities and will probably not be posting here for awhile.

While I'm gone, please continue to talk among yourselves and invite your friends to join us. It's been great to watch this site begin to take hold. Welcome to everyone. Don Crozier, I'll bet you have some good ideas for some posts and I challenge the rest of you also. It is freezing here in Michigan, I am thinking of good friends (like David Bigelow above) and the warm and sunny days of art fairs.

You are not too late! Art Fair Deadlines Extended

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 16, 2009 at 3:36pm

In addition to the problems engendered by the crashing of the computer servers at Juried Art Services this week that halted the applications to the Chicago area Amdur Productions events, here are a couple of other events that have extended their deadlines. Krasl Art Fair, St. Joseph, MI - July 11 & 12, new deadline: January 18 Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, Ann Arbor, MI - July 15-18, new deadline: January 19 Amdur Productions, 12 Chicago area events, new deadline: January 28 In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to receive some administrator training on these online services. What is probably obvious to you, but what only just dawned to me, is that now that applications are online, when a deadline says "June 2 - midnight", that that is what happens. At that time the computer receiving the data closes the application. Long gone are the days when applications were actually closed when the postman dropped off the mail at the art fair office, allowing a nice piece of "wiggle room" in the deadlines. There is a nice list of art fairs with their calls for entries at my other website: ArtFairCalendar.com/call for entries. These events support this site and ArtFairCalendar.com whose mission is to bring patrons to art fairs. Please visit that page and take a hard look at the opportunities presented there. Thank you.

Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh to be a week shorter this summer

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 15, 2009 at 9:00pm

From the Pittsburgh Business Times today: "The 50th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival will be a 10-day affair, instead of the nearly three-week event of years past. “In response to feedback from participating artists and audiences, we have decided to change the festival to a new 10-day format,” J. Kevin McMahon, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said in a statement. “Given our planning timeline and current budget, the concentrated period will allow us to focus on ensuring the quality of the programming.” The festival will be held from June 5 to 14. It will include an Artists Market, live outdoor concerts and events for children. McMahon said he expects attendance to be robust regardless of the shortened length of the festival. Past attendance estimates have ranged from 400,000 to 600,000 people." This is an interesting development. In the past the event lasted for 21 days with three shifts of artists exhibiting their work, one group for each week. This seems to me like a good way to revitalize the event, albeit making a more challenging application for the artists. What do you think? Is this a good thing for artists? for Pittsburgh? Let me hear from you.

Breaking News for Amdur Art Fairs in Chicago

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 15, 2009 at 7:02pm

From Amy Amdur: January 15, 2009 6:16:48 PM GMT-05:00 Dear Artists: The company handling our digital jury, Juried Art Services (JAS) experienced record volume on January 12 which caused their computer server to crash beyond repair. JAS reports that most of the applications received after December 24 were lost. It is necessary for artists to go to www.amdurproductions.com and hit "Apply Now" and confirm that your application is complete and correct. If your application is not retrievable, it will be necessary for you to apply again. If you have paid previously by credit card or check, hit the new button that says: "Previously Paid." To give everyone a fair chance and the time to apply or reapply, we will waive all late fees, and extend the deadline to January 28. Notifications will go out as planned by email by February 9. We are so sorry for the inconvenience. We have more than 2000 places for artists at our summer shows and hope to see you this summer. Please feel free to call us with any questions at 847-926-4300. Amy Amdur, Amdur Productions To apply to our festivals, please visit www.AMDURPRODUCTIONS.COM Application deadline has been extended to January 28. All late fees have been waived.

Shary Brown to Retire from Ann Arbor Street Art Fair in Fall 2009

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 14, 2009 at 5:30pm

This press release is just in from the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair:

The Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has announced that long time Executive Director, Shary Brown, will be retiring in September of 2009 following the 50th Anniversary of the Original of the Ann Arbor Art Fairs. A lifelong resident of Ann Arbor, Brown, the granddaughter of Mayor William Brown, Jr, led the Street Art Fair organization for the past eleven years. During her tenure she helped relocate the Original Fair to a new location around the Burton Carillon Tower, developed many innovative community partnerships and new activities for the Fair, while continuing to build on the Fair’s many strong traditions. With the board of directors of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair she launched the popular Townie Street Party, a kick off to the Art Fairs. On a national level, she helped create ZAPPlication, an online artist registration and digital jurying process. Four years later the system is used by more than 40,000 artists and nearly 300 art fairs. She has been consulted by many of the major art fairs and events across the country, is often called upon by new shows seeking to emulate the Street Art Fair’s success, and served as a juror for a number of top art fairs and exhibitions, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago. On a state level, she most recently worked with the Michigan Festivals and Events Association to host the 2008 spring seminar in Ann Arbor, and over the past year helped develop the recently launched festivals economic impact survey with Michigan State University and the State Department of History Arts and Library. Locally, Brown is a founding member of Arts Alliance, the Cultural Leaders Forum, served on the board of the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, the Main Street Area Association and is currently a member of the Washtenaw County Accommodations Ordinance Commission. She started her work at the art fairs more than twenty years ago as the Art Fair Director at the Guild of Artists and Artisans, producing annually the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, developed the Greektown Art Fair and the Holiday Art Fair in Farmington Hills. “I have learned so much about art and the creative process over the years,” says Brown. “But the greatest pleasure of my work at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has been building friendships with artists. Working to connect them with our community has been a truly rewarding experience.” Shary Brown will complete her tenure at the Street Art Fair this fall following the 50th anniversary Fair, July 15 – 18th, 2009, and fifth ever Townie Street Party, July 13th, 2009.

Here is Shary as the Art Fairy. Shary and her staff welcomed and dismissed the artists each year "en costume." I've known Shary since her days with the Michigan Guild and stood back while she led the Street Art Fair through its huge wrangles with the South University Association. What a situation she stepped into there! With great tact and persistence she prevailed, with wonderful results. The Street Art Fair now has a beautiful site on the U-M campus where the fine art gathered there can be shown off appropriately. Has it only been eleven years, Shary? You have done a terrific job with the premier art fair in the country and you will surely be missed. Thanks so much for all your services to the artists. You are greatly admired by them and also for other art fair professionals around the country. Can't wait to see what you do next. Many, many people will miss you.

Call for Entries: Wyandotte (MI) Street Art Fair

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 14, 2009 at 4:08pm

July 8-11 48th Annual Wyandotte Street Art Fair downtown streets of Wyandotte, MI sponsored by the City of Wyandotte 250 Exhibitors Deadline: February 2 Where is Wyandotte, MI? Visit this link. Here is what artists are saying about last year's Wyandotte Street Art Fair: I have heard only really good things about this past fair. Word on the street is that everyone at Wyandotte was up (myself included). Best year we have had at Wyandotte and we are going into the 7th year. Everything went smoothly in our opinion, plenty of set up time and we really appreciate the girls that come around offering water and food. Looking forward to next year! - Cheryl Buttons I want to thank you and your staff for allowing me to be a part of the festival this year. The show has been my best all year. I am sorry we did not get a chance to talk longer however, as you can tell people were standing in my booth waiting to give me their money (Ha Ha). Shows this good are hard to come by these days. Many thanks and have a Blessed year!!!!!! - Jody Walker, The Art Gallery (3-D) We really enjoyed the Art Show this year. Had several comments from patrons as well as exhibitors. Congrats on a great show. - Tina Willis Wyandotte is the second longest running and second largest art fair in Michigan. It is well established and very well attended. This is one of the 'biggies' in Michigan and for many customers their favorite. It is usually held the week before Ann Arbor giving artists who are traveling some distance two events back-to-back. It is also one of those fairs where you hear people say that they don't go to Ann Arbor, giving you access to a different clientele. Over 200,000 people from around the metro area and Canada attend. The city really turns out to host the event and take pride in it. If you want exposure to a new group this may be the place. Are you feeling adventurous? Ready to get your feet wet in a strong established art fair? This may be the one for you.

Expenses are low: the booth fee is only $225 for a four day event, less than $60 a day, quite a bargain and housing in the area is reasonable. More good news: * pull up to your booth to unload and load * awards for best of show, best new artist, best booth * showers for artists, booth sitters, water * great hospitality to keep you comfortable during the fair Detroit area art fair audiences are some of the best. For more information and to download an application go to: http://www.wyandottestreetartfair.org/

UPDATE: Juried Art Services & Amdur Art Fairs in Chicago

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2009 at 6:00pm

From Amy Amdur and Amdur Productions:

UPDATE January 13, 2009 4 pm cst: JAS reports that the damage to the server caused by an unprecedented demand on their system January 12 was beyond repair and an entirely new server must be utilized and all data migrated to the new server and system. This will take 3 days. JAS hopes and plans to have the system operational by Saturday, January 17. When the server is ready, JAS will send an email announcement to all on its email list. Amdur Productions will send an email out to its list as well. Additionally, the www.amdurproductions.com home page will announce that the JAS system is operational. Deadlines are extended to January 23, 2009 and ALL LATE FEES ARE WAIVED. There will be no special handling fees, nor any additional fees for applying up through January 23. We are so glad that so many artists are applying to our 12 shows, and want to assure you that we have room for more than 2000 artists at our summer festivals. We are so sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please feel free to call the office between 9 am and 5 pm central time Monday through Friday, or email me at aamdur@aol.com with any questions. Amy Amdur, Amdur Productions

Technical Difficulties - Juried Art Services and Amdur Productions

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 13, 2009 at 2:30pm

Dear Artists: Juried Art Services (JAS) the company managing our jury has had continued problems getting their server operational after it crashed January 12 under extremely high artist application activity. THE JAS SERVER IS STILL DOWN. All efforts are underway to bring the server back up so that our application process for our 12 summer art festivals may continue. An exact time of problem correction is not known. Please check back the afternoon of January 13 for an update as well as the NEW EXTENDED DEADLINE which at this time will be January 14, midnight pending that the JAS system is operational today. We will give artists time to finish applying without incurring any late fees. I am so sorry for the inconvenience and extend my personal apology to all. Amy Amdur, Amdur Productions, Inc. 847-926-4300 aamdur@aol.com Deadline extended through Jan. 14th, 11:59 PM Central due to technical difficulties. Late deadline remains Jan 23rd.

How About a Secretary of the Arts? Does Culture Count in the U.S.?

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 10, 2009 at 3:17pm

Here's a message I picked up from photographer Walt Pinkus: Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, the United States has never created such a position. We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts--now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues. Sign me up! www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html

News from this weekend's Florida art fairs - January 10 & 11

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 10, 2009 at 3:00pm

Here are several news stories from the local press about the art fairs taking place in Florida this weekend. You can catch a glimpse of the ambiance surrounding them. Meanwhile, here in Michigan, the snow is piling higher and higher but we're still heading out and driving around. A little snow does not stop us! Beaux Arts Festival, Coral Gables - probably one of the loveliest settings for an art fair, the University of Miami campus, from the Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/gables_smiami/story/840800.html Cape Coral Festival of the Arts, Cape Coral - read all about it in the Fort Myers News-Press: "In tough times, art continues to bloom in Cape Coral" Here's a little more about the Cape Coral Festival: http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Bonita Springs National Art Festival at the Promenade in Bonita Springs, details can be found at the Naples News. This is one of the big art fairs where generally artists do pretty well selling to the well-heeled folks of the Naples area who mostly are second homeowners there. I look forward to reports from all of you participating on how it went. And, here is a bit of an update on Bonita: http://www.news-press.com/article/20090110/NEWS0102/90110006/1075

Great Lakes Art Fair, April 17-19 - Part II

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 9, 2009 at 4:00pm

As you may have read in Part I of this series I have signed on as a consultant for this new (revamped) event to be held in Novi, MI, April 17-19. The goal: to bring some fun and excitement to an area of the country that has been depressed for some time. The idea is that many people still have good jobs and all of us need something exciting to look forward to. Michiganders have always loved art fairs, having cut their teeth attending the Ann Arbor fairs and the others in lovely settings around all the lake shores and in small towns. Many fine artists have set up their businesses nearby and continue to thrive even in a challenging atmosphere. So here's the latest news: The application is posted on zapplication.org, but inadvertently the Zapplication folks left the event off their newsletters and we really wanted to reach their audience. So the original deadline has been changed from January 26 to February 2. We are definitely jurying on February 6 and here is our jury panel:

Bonnie Blandford - Michigan jeweler, www.bblandford.com, specializing in mixed metals, veteran art fair juror who volunteers many hours in artist organizations, Michigan Guild and NAIA Tom Hale - Michigan painter, www.TomHaleGallery.com, whose automotive paintings are widely collected, Gold Medal of Honor award winner from the A.W.S. and organizer of automotive art events around the country

Chris Roberts-Antieau - Michigan fiber artist, www.chrisrobertsantieau.com, specializes in textile applique, poster artist Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, new book "Sew Far" featured in O, the Oprah magazine Lisa Konikow, former owner of Birmingham's Xochipilli Gallery and art director of Pontiac's Arts Beats & Eats Here's the rest of the news: *WDET the local public televison station and the NPR affilliate has signed on as a partner *talks going on with BMW as the luxury auto sponsor *a landscaper is almost signed to design the entry way to the event *a call for entries is going out for a small student art area to encourage emerging artists from the nearby colleges and universities *partnerships are in the works with the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook and others *the Friday night charity opening party is moving along, with talks going on with several organizations Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Stay tuned for more details... and in the meantime, apply to be part of this cool event: www.zapplication.org, and more find info at: www.greatlakesartfair.com

More Legislation Out to Get You!

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 9, 2009 at 3:30pm

From my mailbox from jeweler Joseph Ignaczak: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) requires testing for lead for any product intended for children 12 and under. Toys and clothing are particularly affected. Every single component has to be certified and then after it is assembled, the completed product has to be certified!!! This is going to severely affect the Art & Craft show business. This law takes effect on Feb 10 '09 and is going to put thousands of small and home-based businesses OUT of business. Here are a couple of links: www.HandMadeToyAlliance.org and http://Blog.BuyHandmade.org Save our business, write your congressman, get involved!

Sign the Petition, Help Artists Keep the Rights to their Work

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 7, 2009 at 3:50pm

In my mailbox: BAD BILL IN CONGRESS - NEEDS TO BE STOPPED! There is a horrible bill being passed in Congress regarding copyright laws in our country. If it makes it through both the Senate and House all artists may lose the rights to their artwork. Big corporations who have more money will be able to go around and buy up artists' work and keep them from selling their work or making a profit. Please sign the petition against this bill. It was brought to my attention by a good friend and I'm passing it on to my group. If you are an artist, or know an artist, please send them the links below so they can sign the petition against this up and coming law that will hurt all artists, photographers, musicians, etc. Here's the link: http://www.petitiononline.com/Stop2913/petition.html To find out more about what others are saying: http://digg.com/business_finance/CORPORATE_THEFT_THE_ORPHAN_WORKS_BILL http://www.owoh.org The Orphan Works Opposition Headquarters

Once More Into the Breach

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 7, 2009 at 10:52am

One can get a touch of cabin fever in Michigan this time of the year, for entertainment--read others blogs. Do you think I lead a wild life? Here is ArtFairInsider.com member Pat Sorbini's attempt to handle her off art fair hours: Well, I ask you to open my studio door at the end of the season and not imagine a war having been fought there. Really bad. Really. So, I have some time off from the theater, my first app due in 10 days, a need to keep busy, a snowstorm outside. There will be cleaning. I am going to organize. Again. There will be plastic bins and labels. Old storage stuff that never really worked is already at the curb. New shelves are ready to be filled with those labeled plastic thingys. I have the most trouble letting go of things that I may use someday maybe if just in case I might somehow.....gone. Unpainted paper castings, A book that just need a repair...for 2 years now. Mirrors with designs that just didn't work. Cast bowls that never sold, the edges cracked from schlepping to show after show. Gone. I started this year with the same cleaning spurt, but this time I am actually redoing things. For instance, my paper cutter is on a surface just about 6 inches too low so I always hurt my back when doing any prolonged cutting. That will be moved up. Things i had stored right near my work area will be stored away unless it's something I use daily. Stuff like that. And so we start again. A clean room, a clean slate. A new calendar book. New plans. Guess I should get up there. One more coffee....... Pat's blog: View from the Attic

Call for Entries: East Lansing Art Fair

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 6, 2009 at 9:17pm

May 16 & 17 East Lansing, MI downtown East Lansing 230 Artists Deadline: January 31 Produced by Art Festival Board of Directors under the auspices of the East Lansing Arts Commission/City of East Lansing. Established in 1964, the East Lansing Art Festival is held every spring during the weekend prior to the Memorial Holiday weekend. The popular Festival attracts 70,000-80,000 attendees from across the region. In addition to the 230 juried exhibitors emerging artists are also invited to participate through a competitive selection process. Emerging artists must be affiliated with an institution of higher education within the last 2-3 years. East Lansing is a charming University town with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, galleries and the beautiful Michigan State University campus across the street. What to expect besides the art: Free performances on two stages highlighting a wide variety of music Free arts activities for children and families An international-style food court Having exhibited in this art fair ourselves here is what else you will like: *well-educated visitors, unaffected by the economic downturn in the State; professional people from State government and the University

*well-planned entertainment that enhances the art rather than distracts from it *a festive mood as this is the kickoff of the art fair season *affiliation with the Public TV and radio stations, bringing the right people to you *a well-seasoned staff who "get it" *easy load in and out Message from the Arts Program Coordinator, Corinn Van Wyck: We were rated 32 this by Sunshine artist in their 2008 top 100 fine art fair list. The 2008 festival was very well attended and our artist surveys indicate that most artists had very positive sales - doing better than expected regardless of the economic downturn and some nasty blustery conditions late on Saturday. The great thing we have going for our festival, now in its 46th year, is that this community really supports the event and the artists who attend. Our patrons are knowledgeable and dedicated - they look forward to the festival every and plan to come out and shop - regardless of weather or bad economic news! As a wise person said at an event I attended last week, "there may be a recession going on, but we have chosen not to participate!" I think that sums it up nicely. Sounds good, doesn't it? Visit: http://www.elartfest.com/ for more information. Then, don't dawdle visit: zapplication.org to apply. Today would be a good day to do that, don't you think? Looking for more art fairs for 2009? Visit ArtFairCalendar.com's call for entries page

Obama Art Report: Manifest Hope Art Competition - Deadline near

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 5, 2009 at 2:05pm

From the Obama Art Report website: Just a friendly reminder to all you artists (or friends of artists) out there... The Manifest Hope art contest is ending in just 6 days, so if you haven't yet, start submitting! Contest Basics: There are three categories for entry: Green Economy, Worker's Rights and Health Care Reform. Artists are allowed one entry per category. 15 pieces will be chosen for display during Manifest Hope: DC. Celebrity judges include Shepard Fairey and Spike Lee. This is going to be absolutely huge people, so break out the pens, pencils, brushes and spatulas... Contest deadline is midnight Friday January 9th. To enter, or for more info please visit: www.manifesthope.com

#2 Fine Art Fair, Where? Belleville? Where is that?

Posted by Connie Mettler on January 4, 2009 at 1:28pm

Once again the Art on the Square in little Belleville, IL, is highly ranked by Greg Lawler's Art Fair Sourcebook, and good for them! It goes to show what a small highly motivated community can accomplish. If more events were as community-centered as this one and their organizers had the manpower, energy and time to pull them together as excellently the newest generation of artists and art fair goers would see how this grand business got started in the first place. Ratings of events in the Art Fair Sourcebook are base on reported artist's sales. This is a pretty reliable source for finding out if you will make money. The only drawback is who reports and how truthful they are, but a good indicator of your chances of earning. Congratulations, Patty Gregory, your committee and the city of Belleville. Read the rest of the story at this link: http://www.bnd.com/372/story/600810.html Be sure to read the comments also, always a good insight into community attitudes and some times pretty funny.

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Note: this page contains paid content.