Just got back from Texas after driving for two days in a row in raging thunderstorms.
Ellen was accepted to the show.
I was number one on the wait list in my category. There were other numero unos in their categories.
I stayed in touch with the show coordinator for the wait list. She said after last weekend that they would just go by a wait list, irregardless to category.
I told her I was coming.
Ellen was in, I was going to help her setup Tuesday evening.
So Monday I gambled. I got in my van and prepared to drive 1200 miles to Texas. I said a prayer to Saint Anthony, patron saint of lost causes.
Monday, we drove nearly 800 miles, 13 hours of driving, and made it to Lafayette,LA.
Next morn, we drove another 420 miles and made it to Ft. Worth.
I helped Ellen setup her booth that evening. I let the show know I was there.
That night we checked the forecast for the show. It was the most ominous weather forecast i can ever remember. This is a four day show.
The forecast was as follows: First day, rain 40%. Second day, 20%. Saturday, 90%. Sunday, 80%.
Actually, it rained briefly on Thursday for all of 15 minutes, torrentially. Then we never saw anymore rain the rest of the show. We ducked a big one.
I think the forecast put a little doubt on artists coming.
All I know is that Wednesday morning, I got a text message at 6:30 AM. It said, "We have had a cancellation and we have a spot for you."
Now, that is a miracle!
I started setting up at 7:30 and I was ready to make moola the next morning.
And we both did. Also just about everybody I know made mucho moola.
Here is some good info about this show.
It is tough to get into. But you should still try for it.
They get over 2000 applications for a little over 200 spots.
I am a photographer. There were only about eight other photographers.
This was my fourth year in a row at this show. I have a great following.
They hold the show right down the middle of Main Street in downtown. Nearly 400,000 people attend.
Many of them are very well off. They have mucho disposable income. Can you say Oil and Natural gas money.
There are a lot of show-goers who are only there to walk the show, maybe buy a little something. But the rewards are plentiful.
To give an example.
One of the Bass brothers patronized the show. They are mucho wealthy.
He bought nine pieces from a good friend of mine who does wildlife. It was a sweet sale.
Then he hit my neighbor's booth who just happened to win Best in Show--he does phenomenal turned wood. Terry, my neighbor, was having a so-so show at the time, selling mostly lowend and barely making $3K. Then the brother came in and popped for a $5000 tea kettle.
Terry was now a very happy camper.
My wife, Ellen, ended up having her best show ever in her career. Her previous all-time best show was here, Ft. Worth, nearly ten years ago. This time she eclipsed that decade-old number. Gotta love those pastel cows she does.
Most of the who's-who of the circuit are there. There are no slouches. No questionable buy-sells. They run a tight shop and check your work you juried with versus what you show up with.
This a town that is proud of their cowboy heritage. Legendary cattle drives started from here years ago. So cowboy art definitely sells here. Along with wildlife and cattle inspired art.
But abstract painting does as well here too. Artful collages. Blown glass artists rake it in here.
Wood guys rule here. This year four of the top cash awards went to wood.
Most of the booths are setup in big tents that the show provides. Artist then setup their booths within. Most put their own roofs on inside the tents. Also most artists have their side tarps on as well as this front ones.
You need weights here. You are on concrete. It can be very windy here. The tall buildings act as a scary vortex with winds crashing off them into the tents below. It can be very hairy at times.
Also you are back to back in the tents. No storage room behind. So you gotta be creative and make your own storage space.
The show does provide free electricity. Single booths cost $600.
They do a great artist preview dinner-get-together the night of setup. They have a great artist breakfast on Friday, and awards are given.
The show runs at least til 8 PM but artists can stay open til 10 PM, some artists take advantage of this.
Setup is pretty mellow. They give you ample time. Teardown is pretty hairy. I was totally torn down in 45 minutes, Sunday nite, but had to wait another hour before they chased people off the streets and let the vans in. But, that is the way it is at most street shows.
For me, this is one of my top three shows I can do. Then there is Saint Louis and Kansas City Plaza. Anytime I get accepted here, I feel like I won the lottery.
Ellen and I drove home in some of the worst weather, ever, that I have experienced in my 41-year career. It was a torrential thunderous front from Texas to Florida. The semis were splashing our windshields big time. I could barely see 50 yards ahead. I was petrified. I thought I could be dead man any moment. It was not fun.
But, we both made it home safe. I got a little golf in, fed all the cats and can finally make some headway paying off mounting debts which include mucho inflated booth fees for the summer shows.
I hope this has been helpful.
I really think most of you should apply for this show, but you gotta bring your best game to it. The rewards are immense.
As one artist there put it, "We made more money here in three days then we did in the last five shows in Florida."
That ought to tell you something.
I am going to do a Tequila Report to accompany this trip. Stay tuned, and let me know what you think of this blog.
Comments
Fort Worth loves art. It has 3 world-class art museums (Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Kimbell, and The Modern plus the Fort Worth Community Arts Center which focuses on regional artists. The city has a professional resident ballet company and hosts an opera festival, as well as a symphony. Fort Worth appreciates the skill and talent that goes into creating fine craft. Fort Worth also has a diverse economy - not just oil & gas - but also manufacturing, defense, medical and universities. But there are only a handful of art galleries. Don't know why. Popularity of older, close-in neighborhoods has pushed up real estate prices, including retail rental space. Many here have summer homes in Colorado or New Mexico and buy art there. But I have things in an new gallery that had people coming in, before they were officially opened, no sign - just a hand-scribbled piece of paper on the door, and they were buying! I sell art at small, local non-art festivals in Fort Worth - not much money but fairly easy money.
Connie, Just a little bit of history on this show. We did the very first show in 1985 and did it for a number of years until we moved to Ky. Have done it off and on since then. When this show first started it was on Main Street as it is now. Main Street was primarily a street of seedy bars and low level stores with a lot of corner surface parking lots. The Blackstone Hotel which is now the Hilton Blackstone was a hotel for railroad workers and hookers. The Bass Brothers started buying up property and upgrading the entire area which is called Sundance Square and Main Street is just a small part of the total Sundance Square area.
One good story of the early years was that all booths were in quad tents with a 55 gallon barrel in the center. Another artist and I were staying at the Blackstone and getting ready to go eat when we saw something white fly by our 6th floor window. When we looked out a Tornado had come down Main Street and flew booths all over the place. There were booths that were found on the other side of the Convention Center which is at one end of Main Street. The next morning we were told that if we had our own tents we could set them up and that the show would try to place their tents as soon as possible, ended up being the next day before they got most of them set up.
Hopefully this will let you know where the show came from to what it is now. It was always a good money making show from the beginning.
Excuse me, Nels, obviously not a Catholic boy -- St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes. St. Anthony is the one who helps you find lost things. Nonetheless, the important thing here -- the moola! So happy for you, Ellen, Lu Fuller, Terry Evans and the rest of the gang.
What makes those folks in Ft. Worth so excited about buying stuff at this show? What are Jay Downie and the Downtown folks doing to have this outcome? A four day show is a lot of expense, so you've got to make good $$$ to be happy. This is about my favorite kind of news.
Wow, glad the show was good for lots of people. What a great shot in the arm!
Terry Evans is the bees knees. Hands down one of my faves in turning and art in general. Congratulations on your success, Moe Pho. WOOHOO!
Good news and a great way to kick off the season...congrats!
A great report Nels. I've never ventured out of Florida but your info makes me realize I need to.
Thanks Nels
Hopefully this will start a trend.
Good to meet you after reading your fine words for so long, Nels, and a fine synopsis of the weekend! Our first time to Texas, and this Ct Yankee and old Englander were humbled by the love we were shown here. Best show ever! Looking forward to your T.R.
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