Lu was accepted for the first time in at least 10 years. This is probably the most artist friendly show that we have ever done. Lu was impressed from the moment that she went to check in and came back to tell me about the most helpful woman who checked her in.
We then went to set up our tent and found that we had a fence post in the middle of it, as we were trying to figure out what to do, our block captain came by and asked if their were any problems, we told him about the fence post and he said wait a minute and I will make a call. The show director showed up and said to move our tent down a couple of feet to where there was not a post to interfere. Lu ended up being able to hang on both sides of her display.
The show has a catered breakfast each morning and a catered supper on Saturday night. we were constantly being asked if their was any thing that we needed and being told that this was an artist first Art Show.
On Saturday I noticed that one of the grease covers on my trailer axle was missing and I needed to replace it. I did not have a caliper to measure the size that I needed to replace it with. I asked our block captain if he knew of anybody who could help and he said he would check, about 20 minutes later one of the volunteers known as AKA McGyver showed up and asked what he could do to help and I explained my problem and he said he would se what he could do.
The next morning (labor day Sunday) we are walking to our tent when McGyver shows up and he has the right size grease cap for me. He had come back to the show after he had gone home and measured for me and then went out early Sunday morning an purchased the grease cap. He even refused payment for the grease cap and his time.
Now to the show! It was one of the best shows we have had in sometime, probably back to last years FT,. Worth Main Street. We sold one large painting and 18 in the $100 -$500 range. We were amazed at the buying that was going on around us. We had a furniture maker across from us who sold a $14,000 table and several other smaller tables and at lest one standup desk. Next to him was a Metal sculptor who sold several $500+ sculptures.
Comments
Happy to hear such positives things about the show.Glad you did so well. All shows should be run like that. I have been at shows where the the artists come in third in consideration of everything else! Thank you for your positive vibes!
Loved reading such an upbeat review and as Connie says, it inspires all of us. Wondering where Long's Park is though, what city and state were you in? Thanks for sharing...
Thanks, Wally, for the report. I know they are working hard at the PR to bring the buyers back to the show. I had no idea about the "artist friendly" part though. But still, if those buyers aren't there the friendly isn't quite enough, so it sounds like you had a double hit here.
This show used to be THE one to do on Labor Day weekend and was generally regarded as a great spot to sell just about anything. I really like it when I hear that paintings are being sold. 2D is always harder (to my mind), it has to match, it is hard to buy for a gift for someone, the walls are full, yada, yada, yada.
This is the kind of nice experience that will keep you going another 20 years, and the kind of thing that keeps us all hanging in there in the business. These good things that validate all the hard work.
What's next?