Posted by Nels Johnson on April 27, 2016 at 5:50pm
Melbourne is on the Atlantic just down from Cocoa Beach.It sits inland on the river.you cross a bridge, east, to get to Melbourne Beach and the ocean. It is about 50 miles east of Orlando.So much for the geography lesson.This show has been going on 30-plus years in its downtown location. Next year, they are moving the show north and slightly west to a large county park. I will get into the "whys" of that later.This is a beachy community that thrives on surfers, space coast workers, city folk and country. It is definitely Red to the west.Just giving you some demographics To go along with the geography.In its day, they had one of the largest Patrons Award programs in the nation. Not bad for a small beach town.In the 80's and 90-s, photographer Steve Vaughn and I would friendly compete for the most Patron ribbons. Vaughn usually won, having as many as 20 colorful ribbons on his awning.Sadly, especially since 2006, the ribbons have been less noticeable. This year I saw about 7 of them in our end of the show.Disposable income is nothing like it used to be. Huge layoffs in the space and related industries have had a huge effect here. This of course affected real estate, construction and food businesses.It is slowly coming back, but it is going to take a long while to get back there.I used to come to this show and know I would go home with a minemum of $3.5K in sales year after year. In 2006 my sales went under $3K for the first time and they have stayed there since. This year was no different.I will dispose of info about the show setup since everything will be new next year.Typically, you can setup on Friday after 6 pm. It will be interesting to see if they will have an earlier setup since it will be in the park.This is a volunteer committee that runs it. They have their hearts in the right place, though things could run a bit smoother if only they would listen to input from the artists.This year it rained on us at setup Friday night. It was predicted. The rest of the weekend we had sunny weather with a slight cooling breeze.For me, this show was the direct opposite of Mainsail. I never made a sale til noon and only sold low end out of the bins. Saturday I did not even break $1K.Sunday was better, but I only sold two framed pieces the whole show.Melbourne people love beachy images. They are not into modern or abstract. There are a jillion photographers here. Same for jewelers. Frankly, the show is too large in exhibitors for the limited number of buyers.The thing is, there are a lot of artists who have been doing this show for years. The show has a very loyal following. So I do not look for them reducing it.Now, we will get into the stuff about the show relocating.All winter I was hearing the jib jab about this being the last year on the street.A Melbourne artist at Mainsail told me the Fire Marshall told the show they would have to reduce the number of artists by at least 60, or move the show.Then I had other local artists saying the merchants were unhappy with the show. Saying the booths blocked entrances to their locations. You would never know that by the number of bars and restaurants with standing-room-only patrons.I talked to the show committee twice during the weekend. Expressed my concerns.I told them about what happened when both Los Olas and Cocoa Beach shows changed their locations.Los Olas used to be the number one show in the country for years. The show was on the avenue by all the shops and restaurants. Then the museum who ran the show got cagey. Pulled the show off the boulevard and onto the grounds surrounding the museum. The show was gone in a decade. Meanwhile the merchants clamor end for somebody to put on a show on the boulevard. Enter Howard Alan and the rest is history. Howard has prospered and the the museum is poof.The Space Coast show ,Cocoa Beach, did the same thing. Moved their show out of downtown to the port. Another show came in downtown, same weekend. Not good.I explained all this to them and they basically yawned at me. Their minds are made up.The guy told me, "we will know in a couple of years." Is'nt that comforting.Tough cookies for the artists.I wish them success. But it does not bode well.Well, this weekend I am at Fernandina Beach at the Shrimp and art festival. I don't make oodles of money but I get to stay at Aileen's house where a gang of us have stayed for more than 25 years.Then it is on to God's Country--Saugatuck, Michigan, my summer home for the next five months.Finally, I will get to play off real grass at Clearbrook CC instead of the cow pasture at Clearwater CC.Later, gators.
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