Blog

September 9 & 10, 2023
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Historic City Streets
Saturday & Sunday 11am-5pm
50 Artists
Deadline: August 15, 2023

Application fee: $10/Booth fee: $75

What to expect:

• a small boutique event
• easy setup, drive up to your booth, short hours, helpful volunteers
• cool food trucks, live music and buyers that appreciate unique and one-of-a-kind goods.
• A friendly place to spend the weekend AND you can't beat the booth fee!

Apply: 

https://westcentralneighborhood.org/apply-to-artsfest/

 

More info: https://westcentralneighborhood.org/

Contact: Connie Mettler cjmettler@icloud.com

52nd Carbondale Mountain Fair, Carbondale, CO, July 28-30, 2023

Fees: Jury $50, Booth $400, pick your space $435, corner $500

Medium: Leather: plain and hand carved equestrian, K-9,

personal leather goods and gun leathers.

Price Range: $4 cast iron skillet handle pad to $9,800 silver mounted

saddle.

Web site: https://www.carbondalearts.com/mountain-fair/

This event is not listed on Zapplication

     The 52nd Carbondale Mountain Fair was held in Sopris Park, a grassy city-block park with large old shade trees. The big draw for the event is the live music.  The stage is at the NW corner of the park, about 130 artist booths are along park perimeter and internal aisles. The booths are far enough away from the music, whose volume was well controlled, so artists could converse with clients.  All mediums were represented, the quality was high, and there was no buy/sell.

     Carbondale is a small town with a population of about 6,500.  It is in the northern end of the Roaring Fork Valley which extends from Glenwood Springs at the north on I-70 to the ski areas of Aspen and Snowmass to the south in the mountains. It is a bedroom community for workers in Aspen.  Forty-four percent of Carbondale is Hispanic. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent areas of Colorado and the US. The Aspen/Snowmass skiing complex and summer recreation drive the economy of the region.  Carbondale is about 3 hours from Denver and about 1 3/4 hours from Grand Junction, CO by way of I-70 and Colorado 82. Travel through Glenwood Canyon is still subject to brief or total closure due to flash flooding. Debris from burn areas has closed I-70 when it rains in the canyon.

     Mountain Fair is a BIG COMMUNITY DEAL! Besides the live music there are: runs, raffle, yoga, police-firefighter tug-o-war, aerialists, and a creative art canopy. Then there are competitions for: singers/songwriters, pie and cake baking, fly casting, horseshoes, limbo, pottery throwdown, and wood splitting by men and women. There is always something going on that draws crowds who then disperse to the artists’ booths. For a more complete list of events, visit their website. A bilingual program is published.

The event is ecofriendly.  Besides the usual “trash” and “recycle” containers, there were “compost” containers. No bottled water is sold.  Utensils and plates from the food vendors were also compostable. Single use plastic bags are banned. Besides the artists, there were booths for massage, Gay for Good LGBTQ organization, Hemp/CBD products, and silent auction. Beer was sold and there was an alcohol-free zone. Crowd estimates are over 20,000 and it is said that the town population triples during Mountain Fair. Besides locals, I made sales to people from all over the US. I especially like bartering with my Hispanic friends where I get to use my rusty Spanish.

     Locals refer to Carbondale and area as ”a bubble” different from everywhere else.  The crowd was a mix of 30 somethings Aspen chic; scruffy ski bums and snowboarders waiting for the first snow; a few bikers and ranchers; lots of ink, dreadlocks, wealthy retirees, young families, and everything in between and on the ends. Fashions, jewelry and bearing spoke of lots of money. Many arrived on very expensive bicycles and large bike corrals are provided.  Overall, I was thinking 1960’s hippies fast forwarded to 2022.  There were young girls, teens, young women and the older generation with flower crowns and theme of the day costumes. Saturday the police wore “oil slick” as they described it or tie dye. Bubbles the Rainbow Trout composed of over 4,000 salvaged aluminum cans paraded through the park. I felt right at home with my long locks, gold earring and headband. It was not the usual western saddle maker image.

SET UP AND TAKE DOWN. Check-in was at 2:00pm Thursday and extended until noon on Friday when the fair opened. The Rules say you have 30 minutes to unload before beginning your setup. Take down began at 5:00pm Sunday and artists were supposed to have everything down and ready to load before parking on the perimeter of the park.  This was well managed this year with volunteers after a free for all in 2022.  Musicians played after 5:00pm during take down.  Professional security is provided Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. During the day, Carbondale police were doing walk abouts.

     Show hours are noon until “dark” Friday, 10:00am until “dark” Saturday and 10:00am until 5:00pm Sunday. There was misleading information in the artist packet this year which stated the show opening 9:00am. I stayed open until 7:00 on Thursday and 8:00 on Saturday. Once the live music starts there are few buyers wandering around. Electricity is not available. 

Sunday morning was slow, but a gospel rock band livened it up.

WEATHER. The temperature was in the low 90’s. I errored in  choosing my booth by one space and the sun from 3:00 to 5:00 was brutal.  There was a brief light sprinkle Thursday, and a microburst and shower Saturday. It was humid for Colorado, but nothing compared to eastern US humidity.

THE SHOW.  This is a well-organized and managed show run by Carbondale Arts, a volunteer organization.  This was the fourth year I have done this show.  Sales tax of 8.4% is collected at the end of the show. This saves you from reporting it to the state.  They request that you have a FEIN or SS when paying your sales tax. Booth sitters were available.

THE NUMBERS.  Sales were slower this year than 2022, which was one of our record shows, however, sales exceeded expectations. There were sales of belts, holsters, canteens, check books, suspenders, billfolds, wallets, dog collars and small cases. Belts with sterling silver buckles and multiple item sales kicked up the gross. Sales ranged from $4 for a cast iron skillet handle to a multi-item $500 sale. The average sale was $66 and total sales were in the low $5K range. I will apply to this show in 2023 and pick one of the shady booth sites. Lodging costs in the Roaring Fork Valley were up this year and, in some cases, more expensive than ski season. We stayed in Battlement Mesa with our daughter and commuted 1 hour 10 minutes to the show. Fuel costs for the entire trip and the commutes ($385) were about equal to one night’s lodging.   

SHOW SUGGESTIONS. For the most part you could not ask for a better managed show but there is always room for improvement.

1. The no plastic bag rule was not observed by the popcorn vendor again this year. I specifically bought Kraft bags for this year after I was told not to use my plastic bags imprinted with my logo in 2022.
2. The website and program published the opening time as 10:00am but the artist packet says opening time is 9:00. I heard about that one from Jean who likes to sleep in.
3. Kudos to the volunteers managing load in, morning entry manning the barricades, and load out. It was a BIG improvement over 2022.
4. Suggestion: I had more than the usual number of returning clients from years past. Would management consider a page or two in the program for returning artists to advertise with business card size ads? It’s another source of income for the show and a benefit for artists.
5. Photos, crowd, Bubbles, Gospel rock group, early Sunday morning rockers

Alpine Art Affair, Winter Park,CO, 2023

Alpine Art Affair, Winter Park, CO, July 8-9,2023

Fees: Jury $25, Booth $215

Medium: Leather: plain and hand carved equestrian, K-9,

   personal leather goods and gun leathers.

Price Range: $4 cast iron skillet handle to $4100, 1860

             reproduction saddle, most items <$300.

The Alpine Art Affair was held in Winter Park, CO July 8-9 in the Rendezvous Event Center (aka Hideaway Park).  This was the 49th year for the show.  Show hours were 9-5 on Saturday and 9-4 on Sunday. Winter Park is primarily a ski resort about an hour and a half west of Denver. During the summer, cycling, extreme mountain biking, fishing, hiking and camping are popular activities. The drive to Winter Park is easy on I-70 and US 40.  The latter is a typical mountain highway with switchbacks and steep grades to the summit of Berthoud Pass and down on the Fraser River side.  The uphill sides have passing lanes.   Going down the Fraser Valley are the towns of Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash and Granby. Highway US 40 also provides access from Kremmling, CO. Granby is the gateway to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and it can be reached through the Park over Trail Ridge Road (US 34) from Estes Park, CO.

FEES. The jury fee is $25, and the single booth fee is $215.  This is one of the lowest booth fees for a Colorado resort area. Others are $350-$425. Participants are no longer required to purchase an annual sales tax license at $60.  Sales taxes are collected by the show late on Sunday. The sales tax rate in Winter Park is a whopping 11.2% (2.9% Colorado, 1.3% Grand County, 7% City) compared to around 8% elsewhere, but the park is a good example of how the revenue is spent.

SET UP AND TAKE DOWN.  Set up starts at 8:00am on Friday.  You unload on the perimeter of the park.  A golf cart and volunteer youth were available to assist.  There is a lower level of multiple booths in rows and an upper level with clusters of 4-8 booths.  Lower-level booths are on grass in front of a stage, and upper-level booths are on grass along curved concrete walkways. There are about 60 booths. Load out was equally easy.

WEATHER. The temperature during Friday set up was in the mid-70’s, and Saturday and Sunday it was in the low 80’s.  There were a few sprinkles Friday afternoon. It was one of those “blue sky rains” with large raindrops from a passing cloud. 

THE SHOW.  This is a well-organized and managed show run by a nonprofit group of local artists.  Student scholarships are funded through the collection of booth fees from participating artists and food vendors.  Graduating seniors, within Grand County, pursuing art studies are eligible for the scholarships.   The crowds were larger than previous Winter Park shows I have done.  The quality of the work was high and there was no buy\sell. There was a good mix of art with a dominance of jewelry and 2-D. Some musicians were performing on the stage Sunday, but nothing was publicized about that.  The Lions had an all you can eat pancake breakfast for $10, and complimentary coffee for artists. They also raise funds for scholarships.  

I had previously done this show from 2011-2014.  In these years, sales declined from around $3K to a little less than $2K, dropping about $150, $200, and $700 each year. During the hiatus, I did Steamboat Springs, CO in 2015 and Jackson Hole, WY in 2016 and 2017. I returned in 2018 planning to alternate Winter Park with another CO July show. Then there was the Covid hiatus, so we returned this year.

Belts were the best sellers, with some nice belt and silver buckle sales, and the usual dog leashes, wallets, checkbooks, and gun leather. I had some people pull out billfolds and cases they had bought earlier, and others commented they were glad I was back.

     Roving booth sitters were available, or you could phone in a request for one.  There was a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception Saturday after the show. There were lots of dogs at the show and we enjoyed each other’s visits.

THE NUMBERS. Saturday, I met my daily goal of $1.2K sales.  Sunday was slower, but we exceeded the two-day goal of $2.4K minimum. I had 45 sales, and the average sale was $58.  Sunday was a slow day. My margin was 59%, and comparable to other Colorado resort area shows.

OTHER STUFF. 

Advice for other artists: Hotels/Motels and restaurants in the resort areas are expensive.  I have found condos or rental houses to be more economical. I found a studio condo on Vrbo for $85/night ($106/night with taxes and fees) which was an amazing deal. There are USFS campgrounds along the Frazier River in dense spruce and fir timber. I sat on the patio one evening marveling at how far the tops of tall spruce and firs move in the wind.

Winter Park is at an elevation of 9052’, As with any Colorado mountains show, read up on altitude sickness and plan accordingly. Bears and other forest critters are around the shows and housing so follow local instructions that are widely posted.

I had an interesting experience with the 6’5” clearance in the condo parking garage. My booth and artwork are hauled in a 1988 Suburban (great mountain beast with second 350-V8) that got new leaf springs and overloads this spring. Getting in loaded was no problem. Saturday night another 2020 something Suburban parked next to us and I commented to Jean, “look, my old Suburban is a foot higher than that new one”.  Sunday morning, I scraped the roof barrier as the new springs had relaxed and raised the empty body up to the 6’5”. I never considered that happening.

February 2, 3, & 4, 2024
Fort Myers, Florida
Downtown Fort Myers
Daily 10am-5pm
200 Artists
Deadline: September 22, 2023

Application fee: $35              Booth fee: $464

ArtFest Fort Myers is stronger than ever, with 200+ artists and a great layout overlooking beautiful Downtown Fort Myers riverfront and yacht basin. ArtFest is a free, non-gated event for everyone in the Southwest Florida community to come shop your artwork.

· Two-day, FREE to the public, community event, with 85,000 attendees
· Year-round, full-time professional staff
· New and cutting-edge art is equally at home with more traditional work
· Loyal base of dedicated art buyers/VIP members who are focused on YOUR work
· Attracting young professional families with free fun art related activities for kids of all ages
· Oversized booth spaces and convenient Friday set up with drive-up access
· Discounted hotel rates, indoor bathrooms

Testimonials

"All Staff were Very Helpful, Friendly & Professional."
"Extremely well organized, helpful staff and volunteers. This is the area where it's artists that normally mess it up. You guys did your end superbly!"
"This was my best out of 5 Florida shows"
"Very well run show, quality of art was fantastic and I hope to be accepted next year"
"Our sales were more than double what we expected!"
"This year's ArtFest (2023) was the best selling show I have ever had, in all my years as a festival artist"

APPLY NOW:

artfestfortmyers.com/artist-info/

Contact: Annie Crouch  Annie.Crouch@artfestfortmyers.com

Hi everyone,

I will be in my first art show this summer. 

Should I bring my certificates of authenticity to the show and give it to the buyer at the show? Or should I mail it to the buyer after the show? 

let me know what you think! 

thanks! 

Briana 

2023 ART MARKET OF ESTES PARK, CO, MAY 28-30

PROMOTER: Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies

FEES: Jury $35, Booth $350 on Zapplication

NUMBER OF BOOTHS: 90 +

MEDIUM: Leather (equine, canine, personal)

PRICE RANGE: $4-$9800

This was the 22nd annual Art Market of Estes Park. You can apply to the show on Zapp. The jury fee is $35 and standard booth fee is $350. The application deadline was March 3 with March 20 notification.

GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, DEMPOGRAPHICS

Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Access from Denver and I-25 is by US-34 through Big Thompson Canyon or US-36 up the St. Vrain River.  Check the weather and road reports (www.cotrip.org). Trail Ridge Road crosses the mountains in the National Park, and the resort areas of Granby, Grand Lake and Winter Park are on the west side.  The road is usually opened Memorial Day weekend.   

“Parks” in Colorado refer to broad intermountain valleys.  You have all probably heard of South Park.  There are also North Park, Middle Park, Allenspark etc. Estes Park is one of these valleys at an elevation of 7,522’. Mountain weather can be unpredictable, and this is true of Estes Park.  It was all nice all three days with only brief afternoon showers followed by sunshine. There were a couple strong gusts of wind in the afternoon.

There are many summer homes around Estes Park and in the

foothills.  The area is a destination for metro Denver residents and both national and international tourists.  The crowd is middle class, many families with pre-teen kids, lots of dogs, and with a large percent from the Midwest judging from college sweatshirts.

SETUP AND TAKE DOWN

      I was anxious about the show this year with a change in management to Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies (FAGR)and the new staggered set up starting at 9:00 am instead of the traditional 8:00 am. Both were red flags, but all went well. I showed up a little after 10:00 for my 11:00 set up and wondered where were all the 9:00 and 10:00 booths. It seems that the early birds regulars with large/complex set up just showed up and others did not for that scheduled time. It worked out well and judging from the rest of the day scheduled set up was not necessary. Because so few had started set up, I was told I could drive in and drop the load around 10:30. Ninety booths are arranged around Bond Park, and in and along the City Hall parking area. All booths are on hard surfaces.  A few special considerations about doing this show are altitude sickness if you are a “flatlander” and presence of wildlife: elk, deer, bears and the smaller critters.  Cautionary information is in your information packet. There was none of this parking in front of your and your neighbors’ booths while you dink around unloading and setting up for several hours.  There was a designated trailer parking area with a shuttle back to the show. Booth sitters were available if a volunteer was available. Take Down is similar after taxes were paid at 3:00 pm on Monday.

SALES AND ANALYSIS

I have done the Estes Park Art Market ten times since 2009. It started as a solid $2K sales show for me and in most years, sales were mid-$3K. I met my target this year. My average sale was $73.50 and my margin for the show was 52%. It was a good 3-day show and I plan to return. FAGR also has a show in Bond Park two weeks after Labor Day. I plan to apply to that show next year following Rotary’s Labor Day show. I had good sales Saturday and Monday, but Sunday sales were off by $1K. Sunday there was an auto accident that closed US34 blocking the highway through Big Thompson Canyon, one of two major routes into Estes Park from the east. Belts with silver and utility buckles were my biggest seller followed by a mix of other leather goods: holsters, dog collars, checkbooks, canteens, and billfolds. Some sales were post show custom orders billed when completed.

The mediums were heavy on wall art (photography and 2-D) and jewelry but with diversity. There were about 2-3 artists in mediums of leather, ceramics, fabrics, wood, metal, and mixed media. I have a following at this show with returning clients and it was great to see clients who needed more adjustment holes in their belts.

AMMENITIES ETC.

      There was coffee and goodies every morning and a goodie bag with snacks for several days. There are clean accessible rest rooms in the City Hall and there was overnight security.  Food vendors are present.  There was a silent auction of donated art, and a high percentage of artists donate work. I donated and shopped the auction with proceeds going to high school scholarships.

MISCELLANEOUS

      Art shows in Colorado resort areas are mini vacations out of the studio for me. We have found it is less expensive to rent a modern cabin or condo in the area which in some cases are less expensive than motels. We eat in to save money. We rented a house with our daughter and family from western slope CO. The three grandkids helped with set up, take down and sales. Each was paid $100 for the weekend.

When sales were slow on Sunday I greeted and photographed many dogs who liked the attention.

      Estes Park has four major shows during the summer and fall. Rotary produces the Estes Park Art and Craft Show Labor Day weekend in September, and the Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies produces the Art Market Memorial Day weekend and the Arts and Crafts Festival in mid-September. There are other weekend events in the community.

I am wondering why so many artist's web sites don't list the shows they are scheduled to attend. I list every show I am going to do with a blurb about the show. So, what is it that prevents artists from updating their show schedule on their website?

Is it that they don't know how to update their website?

Do they not want other artists to know where they are going? (Best fishing spots remain confidential?)

Do their clients even look at their website for show info?

Is it some form of paranoia, to keep it secret?

I just find it odd that "if" you have a website to show your work, why wouldn't you let EVERYBODY know where you are going to be so they can come see you. A LOT of people I know don't email because they don't want the back and forth.

I bring this up because I have a lot of friends on the circuit who just don't update their websites to where they are going to show. Grant it, I am looking at their site so I can see where they are, but that is the whole idea.

It seems like a shame to have a powerful marketing tool and not use it to it's full advantage.

Let's see some responses...

Thanks,

Jeff Owen

www.jeffowen.com