Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals
REQUIEM FOR AN ART SHOW--ANN ARBOR
Here is the long and short of it--the show royally sucked--I was off by sixty per cent--and aloha, can you say "sabbatical", cause I am taking one next year, and probably will never come back.
OK, here is some real meat. God bless Ruth and her review, lets just say it left you wanting to know much more.
I will give you the "much more."
First a little history.
I have done this show for 23 years since 1988. Was in the State Street show six years and have been in the Guild's Show, always on Main Street, the rest of the years.
The merchants of Ann Arbor control what goes on at all of the shows. They are a greedy bunch, who don't really care much a bout the arts, as they care about lining their pockets and getting rid of surplus goods.
The shows started, eons ago, as a way to attract people into Ann Arbor in the middle of summer when most of the college kids are gone. They figured if they held an "Art Fair" it would attract a crowd--plus--and this is really the key--it would give them a venue to move excess goods. They would set up booths right out on Liberty and State Street, right beside the artists, as is well-evidenced at the State Street Show.
You notice the shows all end on Saturday. No Sunday biz. Why is that? Because the merchants are not open to ,
make money, so they won't let the artists make money.
Of course the "party line from the merchants" goes something like this. We gotta close the shows on Saturday, so the cleanup crews can get AA back in shape for Monday. I say "BS."
On any home football weekend in AA they have just as big of crowds as they have for the art shows. Yet they manage to cleanup on Sunday so things are good for Monday. Bottom line, if the merchants can't make any money, then they won't let the artists make money.
History lesson 2.
For years, for most of us pros, who make a living at this biz, this was the biggie of the summer. You had four days to sell, you had crowds with moola to spend. We are talking pre-recession, before 2006. Many of us made $15K-$25K in those times. Some artists could live off their sales from the show for six months.
Those days are gone.
Then the merchants did an ironic money squeeze in about 2006, just as the recession started here. They made it so that booth fees doubled. Booths that were under $500 were now almost $800. Double booths and 10'x17' booths were nearly $1500.
Plainly said folks, the show costs are not worth it.
Let us talk about "NOW"
Here are the facts plain and simple why this business model does not work for 90 per cent of us.( Of course there are going to still be success stories out there, but very few. And for every one success, I can show you fifty others who barely made expenses).
You have more than 2000 booths at all of the shows, including the scab booths, chasing a paltry turnout of buyers with disposable income. Too many booths, too little buyers. A very thin slice for most of us. The model is broke folks.
Michigan's economy is not going to turn around for years to come. Disposable Income is almost an artifact in this state.
The only real remedy to help us make money is this: Reduce the number of exhibitors by one-third in all the juried shows. Make it a three-day show, drop Wednesday. End the show at an earlier time. Reduce the booth fees. They are excessively high for the return on your dollar.
I can tell you right now, nobody is going to do any of the things I suggested.
The merchants want more. They would love to push the Guild Show right off Main Street so that they can run their own show--with of course, ala State Street, their booths right out there next to the art.
Let us now talk expenses, or should we say investments, that the artist takes on to do this show.
Most of us, who have to travel to AA and stay in lodgings have a minimum of $1500-$2000 in operating expenses.
Booth fees--$750 for a 10'x10' 10'x17' are $1300 Double booths are double the 10'x10'
Auto costs: A minimum of a full tank of gas each way--so about $200-$275
Auto parking: $100
Lodging: A minimum of $50-$125 per night times six: $300-$750
Food: At least $50 per day or higher.
Sales; Ah, thought we ever get around to that.
Average exhibitor this year barely made expenses or a little over. In the past many people have had an"OK" show by doing around $5-6K. Other pros have cleared $8K or better. I am talking recession-era now.
Sorry folks, but that almost $2K in operating expenses could be better invested for a return on money, rather than AA.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?
Excessive heat way beyond the norm (It is always hot at AA) but this went beyond that.
People were fainting in their booths on Thursday with 100-degree temps. Crowds were almost non-existent. At times, you could have thrown a bowling ball and a cinder block across the aisle and not hit anybody.
When the crowds did show, they bought very little and very mediocre. Low end sales. I was off by 60 per cent over last year.
This is show in a death spiral. Things will get worse.
Take your money and invest it elsewhere. Ann Arbor is a bad gamble.
That is all I am saying. Aloha, Nels. You can fool me once, but you won't fool me twice.
Postscript: I am in the Guild show on Main Street. They run a professional operation. Plenty of help for the artists, water, food , booth-sitters. They do a creditable job.
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Comment by Annette Piper on July 25, 2011 at 9:48am -
Nels, a pretty good summation of an event that has become too commerical, getting away from the art and favouring local retailers too much. Everyone sounds like they want a piece of the pie - the organisers with their increased fees, and the retailers who want to profit just as much as the hotels and the food venues. Your point about their clearing excess stock made sense, particularly in light of Connie's recent Ann Arbor post that had a link where a merchant was talking about placing a tent outside with their $5 items.
Sounds like you're making a sound decision saying 'aloha' to the event in its current form.
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Comment by geri a. wegner on July 25, 2011 at 9:52am -
Great report Nels. A filet mignon report about what sounds like what has become a hamburger show.
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Comment by Connie Mettler on July 25, 2011 at 10:07am -
Here's an excellent article from AnnArbor.com also that includes interviews with all the show directors. They must all be exhausted and disappointed after a year's worth of work.
http://www.annarbor.com/news/strong-finish-for-weather-challenged-a...
As always, Nels, great to see you, hear your perspective and thanks for the cold water in your booth. This is the show that made us to decide to bow out of the business five years ago. If you can't sell it at AA (really our sort of hometown show, 28 years of exhibiting there), then we knew it was time to move on. I hope to make a report soon also.
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Comment by Bert Herrera on July 25, 2011 at 10:57am -
Nice report Nels. Sounds like AA is becoming just 'another show'. You read the article Connie links here, and you'd think you're describing two different shows. It makes you wonder how many artists the reporter actually spoke with.
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Comment by Ruth Jellema on July 25, 2011 at 11:25am -
Totally agree with you, Nels. The greed factor is killing Ann Arbor. Everybody wants their piece of the pie and the pie these days is the size of a mini tartlette.
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Comment by Marjorie S Rawson on July 25, 2011 at 11:31am -
Thank you SO much for your honest report. My experience was quite similar. I am native to Ann Arbor and it makes my heart actually hurt to watch it circle the drain. When I was a little girl my mother took us there. I remember being so small and looking up at so many creative and wondrous objects/pieces. It was then I knew I would be doing the same. Back then there were a few sidewalk sales of shoes and such. That was it. I took a walk around on Saturday down State Street near the Theater. My thoughts were that these Artists here don't stand a chance. What was going on in the center of the street was nothing compared to the fanfare of junk for sale by the merchants. I felt actual pain that all of these people were making money off of us being there. We were the 'draw" yet for the most part none of us were making money. In its day it was a lovely thing. Art was honored and celebrated and appreciated. I fear those days are gone here. And here in A2 its in our blood.
I live here and you are absolutely right about the football clean up and Sunday. There is no reason we cannot have one day without the merchants in the background. And you are dead on when you say that your suggested changes will never happen. When will the powers that be start to care...I know when. When it is to late. When we have all left and what will be left is junk behind the booths and junk IN the booths. That is already happening. To any director who is listening....It may SEEM that there is a Sea of Artists who will fill our shoes on the street..and pay your fee. (and for a couple of years they will....you will get a check from them) And it may SEEM that we are all the same and a dime a dozen and one is as "good" as the next. You are mistaken. In actuality the quality Artists are few. And because WE know this...and have known it...and told you about it....You also know. You have a choice to listen and DO something about it or not. Or...like the Auto industry you can make your quick buck and die quickly. I realize that many of you are not trained in the Arts. You have an opportunity here to bring us closer to you and trust us and consult with us. We want this show and others to make it too. We CARE about Art and realize its importance in society and in history and our everyday lives. And many of us know what is good and what is not. If you want to save your sinking ship for the love of GOD....use the resources you have available (US)....or not and the sad mass exodus will follow. It is such a pity.
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Comment by Marjorie S Rawson on July 25, 2011 at 11:33am
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p.s. I am also in the Guild show. Its is the only one I will support. I have done all of them .They are run by Artists and actually DO care about the Arts and the quality. They do a very good job and I fully support their cause. My dream is that its the only one that will survive in the end...
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Comment by Nels Johnson on July 25, 2011 at 11:36am -
Very impassioned response, Marjorie. Good on you girl. You showed a local's perspective and have had a chance to see it from childhood to adulthood. ANY AA MERCHANTS LISTENING? HELLO OUT THERE.
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Comment by Marjorie S Rawson on July 25, 2011 at 11:48am
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Connie,
I just read the article. I am thrilled for the few that did well. Glad to hear it. My sales where down by 50% and I had a prime location. Its true that the weather was also a factor. But it has been a downward trend for years. The older man across from me had been doing the show for its existence. His quote was "its the worst Ann Arbor on record" and that is saying something for sure.
I appreciate that the directors are putting a positive spin on the show and have enthusiastic reports for the media and crowds to read...I wonder what the reaction from the Annarborites would really be if they knew the REAL truth. Not the sugar coated one. Because this town LOVES a cause to fight for!!!
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Comment by Gary & Maureen Shull on July 25, 2011 at 11:53am
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Great report Nels! Gary suffered dehydration and ended up in the ER. I had to leave early on Thursday to take him back to the ER after a relapse and then stayed home with him on Friday to take care of him. I wanted to be sure a third trip was not in our future! I heard at the hospital there were more than 20 artists or spouses in for the same. We are on State St.in the Guild show and they couldn't have been kinder and more accommodating. Thanks Tony! We were 30% down from last year and I only had to suffer through 2 1/2 days of it, so I guess our total wasn,t too bad compared to others.
This doesn't mean I think it was OK. I saw too many people suffering for so little reward. The # of booths really needs to be cut and they can start with the State Street Area Show on Maynard south of Williams. I had a friend there who posted a picture of the street on Friday at 11AM. You could have rolled 10 bowling balls down it with no casualties! She said it was like that most of the show. To make things even worse, four artists moved, so they had to deal with the gaps. I can't imagine what the show was thinking other than $$$!
I agree with Nels, less booths, less days, and shorter hours is the only solution. The well-being of the artists needs to come before tradition and greed.
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