I would just like to say I will never enter another Paragon sponsored show again.
I am new to the Art Show business and have had only three shows to date. Paragon put on a show in Sarasota last November that I was invited to attend. I found the show producers rude and not at all accommodating for the Artists.
We were supposed to have a free breakfast, coffee and bagels, fresh fruit etc. The vendor didn't show up until the show began at 10 am, no time for coffee and even those who were lucky enough to have someone watch their booth, the coffee was ok, but the bagels and fresh fruit turned out to be packaged cinnamon rolls, that was it, yuck. The only "pay for" offerings were beverages, no other food at all. The only restaurants were blocks away.
Parking was blocks away and a lot of the other artists parked in spots considered "for patron only" even though they were behind a building close to the tents but not being used. If you got caught you were rudely asked to move, even when the spots were clearly not being used by anyone else.
The portable potties were in one location only, at the opposite end of the street.
I saw al least two buy and re-sell vendors, one across from me that used a blow torch to "melt" wax off stone, a ploy to attract attention. This vendor receives stone statues in bulk from African workshops then re-sells them as his own. He even got into the "Fort Myers" show, how does that happen?
I was at the show by myself, no one to help set up or take down, I am a 58 year old female. When we started break down Sunday evening about an hour into it the show producer, on bicycle smoking a cigarette, rode up to me and asked " Why is it taking you so long to pack up?" I was the last to leave and even though there were plenty of show people around no one offered to help. The producer and his crew watched me load the last piece into my trailer and drive away.
I heard the producer bad mouthing Howard Allen shows, my second show in Venice was produced by Howard Allen and I will say it was much better organized and the people were 100% more friendly. Never again Paragon!
Comments
Bill Kinney just gave me a call to let me know his application numbers are up 25% since this threads started.
Larry Berman
This site only allows moderating in that the original person who wrote it can remove their information. This post has gotten far away from its original intent.
Notice: Any further comments on this blog post will be deleted.
Wow.
I just read the entire thread. It was started by an exhibitor who knows nothing about this business, who has appointed herself the arbiter of what's allowed in shows and what is not, and because of one bad experience with a well known and respected promoter, has decided to bash him.
Robin, you are an artist, but an amature where this business is concerned. You have done all of three or four shows. You don't even know how to do a show yet. That takes time. You need at least an entire show season to even start learning. I learn something at every show I do.
You mention 60K. Sure, when you become known and have a following you can make upwards of 6 figures. I speak from experience. It takes years!
You are not the star of the show. You are nothing more than just another exhibitor. Something an old artist told me when I first started out applies to you. Be a willow, not an oak. You will endure much more shows like this one. You must learn to bend with the breeze like the willow, because mighty oaks only get knocked down.
Personally I don't think you were anywhere near ready to exhibit at a Paragon event. Yeah, you had a tent, and art, but that doesn't make you an exhibitor. I mean, you complained about the coffee?? Really? So you just learned something. Stop at Dunkin' on your way to the shows.
Your degree has nothing to do with this business. The people next to you may well have an MA too. I have seen people from all walks of life who have decided to walk away and do this. I have met lawyers, engineers, 2 mba's, and a dentist. And we're all friends.
I really believe you should take a long, hard look at doing this. This is not for everybody. You seem just a little self centered to be the team player we need in this business. You will encounter B/S at shows. Deal with it. You will be "juried" and find out that all they may have wanted is that the lady with the plastic canvas made it herself.
But your biggest faux pa was erroneously pointing out as B/S someone you didn't know. And you could face a defamation suit because of it. (And I hope the other B/S Nazis read this thread.) I have always said here and on other boards, that you point out your concerns to the promoter and your job is done. You go back to your booth and concentrate on your own 100 sq ft.
Unfortunately this one has prooved to be a backstabbing game. None of my assassinators has come directly to me for clarification on their hidden agenda other than running to show promoters to close on me. My prayer is that the promoters who have been approached will sacrifice their time to do a thorough investigation by liassing with me. Other than that my life has been ruined.My word to my assassinators is that what goes around comes around.
I import row stone, sculptures, masks, jewelry and other African sculptures for an African gallery which I set up in Greenwood, Indianapolis.
Anybody is welcome to visit my big project which I have just been forced to pre-empty. My idea is to educate and promote African art and fellow artists. Most of the imported stone and wood sculptures are too large and heavy for booth display. Photographs of these are available on request to the genuinely curious. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those promoters who have sacrificed their time to look into this issue without prejudice. Again, I'm available to offer any information to the genuine fellow artists and the like.
Maybe I should have said "useful" instead of "good."
Okay, that makes sense. I'll stop following and that will cure my problem; it's too bad when a good thread starts to fray.
couple of days ago. But only the person who started the thread can close it. As a moderator I can only delete the entire thread, which I'm not going to do.
Larry Berman
Forum moderators: is it time to close this thread?
Please keep on topic. If you want to change the topic, start a new blog, or better yet, a forum post in the jury forum:
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/categories/jurying-for-art-fai...
That's how blogs and discussion forums work.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
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