Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals
Bethesda Row in the Washington DC area
There are a number of shows in the DC area, Reston, Alexandria, and 2 in Bethesda, and more I am not aware of. Washington has the advantage of being somewhat recession proof (probably an overstatement) because the federal government does well when the economy is not good. I have always thought this is a good venue in all economic climates. So here is my review;
First, the logistics. This is a Saturday morning setup, always not fun. Most of us had 6 AM load in times. It is dark for another hour. Where you are in the show makes a huge difference in how smooth this will go. There are streets where the booths are back to back, with no storage space, then there is the narrow road where the booths are against the curb, but there is no space for 2 vehicles, heck, no space for 1 vehicle. I have no idea how they all got out on Sunday night. Where I was was kind of perfect, wide street, space behind the tents. Do artists think this area gets less traffic? In my case, no.
I have done this show for 3 years, and the first year was encouraging. I did okay (3.5K). The second year we were cursed with a Nor'easter, and it rained the entire weekend, and never got above 45 degrees. So I was ready for a good show.
The crowd was never thick or heavy, but my sense is that Bethesda art fans are buyers. Not a big crowd, but more serious buyers than you would think. This turned out to be a better show than what is traditionally thought of as a high end show (like Cherry Creek) In my case, a much better show than before. My neighbors did not as well, and I wonder how others did.
Because my load in and load out was relatively painless, I would recommend this show. I would love to hear from artists in the hinterlands...
These pictures were taken on Saturday morning, when no patrons were there.
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Comment by Charlene Clark on October 19, 2010 at 12:32pm -
Hi Michael
Nice photos posted here. My booth was at the end of Elm and while the location was not as good for sales/traffic the load in and out went smoothly. We try to arrive as early as possible, unload and remove the van. The free parking in the county garage was very convenient. Load out was simple. I know not everyone had an easy load in/out. The veterans came prepared with big dollies and I admire their energy. As for sales I did fine due to my habitual self- promotion via social networking and emailing. My smaller sales came from new buyers and almost all of the big sales were tied somehow to my publicity. (It is an advantage to live in the general area.) The 2D artists with whom I spoke had mediocre sales. Some zeroed. The 3D art seemed to be selling well judging from the shape of the packages that were being carried by the patrons. Clothing and jewelry always does the best here. Many of the women are professionals and desire items of personal adornment for work and play. The clientele is, on the whole, a well educated group and so conversation is interesting for many exhibitors. This show is pleasant to do as long as the weather is good and everyone brings enough weights. It is always windy due to the height of the buildings and narrow streets. I find the staff alert and pleasant. Maybe I will meet you next time.
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Comment by Willie McTell on October 19, 2010 at 5:30pm -
i'm glad to hear it's recovered from its trauma.
the crowd that is.
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Comment by Bert Herrera on October 20, 2010 at 10:04am -
I was on Bethesda Ave. Show didn't cut it for me, as I didn't come anywhere near making expenses. This was my third year here, and two years ago (last year weather killed it), I had a decent show. So I came hoping for a return to 'decency'. Alas, didn't happen. I spoke with a couple of artists who had zeroed for the wkd.
One thing about this show, I have never seen so many dogs at an art show! Not to mention the rabbit, and the cat on the leash.
Unless the economy does a 180, don't think I'll return for this one.
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Comment by Connie Mettler on October 26, 2010 at 4:28pm -
We only participated in this show once, in 2001, just a few weeks after 9/11. The whole city was barricaded with bike rack and concrete barriers everywhere. It was exciting to be there. Definitely the "right" neighborhood with cool shopping and nice restaurants and good neighborhoods nearby. The clientele were a cross section of people from "elsewhere", lured there by opportunities presented by being near the nation's capital. Sales for hand-colored photography -- not great. So, we are with you on that one, Bert.
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