Piccolo-Spoleto Art Fair, 2 weekends

Charleston, S.C.

I was accepted to, and sold at, both weekends of this famous art fair (famous in its region). I sell very expensive, beaded jewelry, to put myself in context. It was my first time there. There was no assigned parking for exhibitors; just fend for yourself and hope you don't get a ticket or a boot. That was nerve wracking. The weather in Charleston, around Memorial Day, is so variable, and on set-up day it was 94 degrees with 87% humidity, very exhausting.

The venue was a dirt park, very little grass, so everything that touched the ground, including your shoes and feet, tent sidewalls, purse, etc. became instantly filthy. No one in the "office" tent seemed to know much of anything about anything.

I had the distinct impression that they simply expected you to know what to do because they invite the same vendors year after year and most everyone who does this show DOES know what to do because they've been there and done that. I was disconcerted by their cavalier attitude, though, of course, in the end, you simply do find your space and set up the tent and display and carry on.

I am ever so thankful that I had the foresight to look on Craig's list and, prior to the event, hire two fellows to help me schlep my goods onto the park grounds and lug the heavy stuff, as there were some volunteers, but none sufficient to dedicate two to me for a couple of hours. 

Cons: The show was full of low end, bazaar-style crafts: children's name puzzles, soap, funky chipped glass "mosaics", wind chimes, I'm sure you know the type I am talking about. (I was rather afraid that I would stick out like a sore thumb having prices on my pieces that ranged from $400 to $2400.) To me, at least half of the merchandise that was "juried" into the show should have been shunted off to a farmer's market or street bazaar.

The title of the show does have the words "FINE Art and Craft" but this was belied by the actual merchandise being shown. It wasn't bad, it just was NOT fine. There was one other high-end jeweler there who had gorgeous, fine jewelry. One!

The rack card, or, postcard handout, had an image of a lovely beaded necklace printed on its front. When I asked at the "office" in whose booth this work was to be found, I was told by two lounging show promoters that the woman who made that particular piece wasn't showing this year. I was aghast! Why, I asked, did you use someone's work on the most important promo piece of the event who you knew wouldn't be showing at this fair. I was told that she "usually" did show at the event, (year after year), and was in their guild, but she was having problems this year and couldn't make it. You can draw your own conclusions; I, myself, felt a little murderous at that explanation.

This cannot be pinned on the show organizers, but is a fact that anyone who is thinking of applying to this show for next year should know: The second weekend of the show was rained out Friday and Saturday of the three day weekend. As mentioned beforehand, variable weather. Quite a huge and scary storm on Saturday so the selling had to all take place on Sunday.

Pros: Every couple of hours, once the show began, volunteers would pull a wagon around, to every tent, offering water, snacks and boothsitting. Very nice. Also, the Fridays and Saturdays were catered by lovely church ladies who cooked homemade food and offered it for reasonable prices to the vendors. It was all delivered to your tent.

Despite everything icky about this show that I experienced, I sold quite handsomely, and won an award. The very best Pro of the show is that the buying public seemed to LOVE their art fair and were quite loyal and eager to support the artists. It was a strange dichotomy to me: kind of low end, nothing-special merchandise, with an eager-beaver, kind-hearted audience that were just itchin' to take home something wonderful every year. Very loyal and supportive. I have never seen that at an art show before. It was delightful.

So, despite all my objections, I am going to apply again for next year. You can't knock making money!

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  • The dirt won't hurt you but it will play hell with fabrics, and if it infiltrates framed work under glass, it will have to be disassembled and cleaned. I wouldn't advise a fabric or clothing artist to do the show because of the cleaning issues after the show.

  • This was my first year participating in Piccolo. I have lived in Charleston for 35 years until the last 3 living in Buffalo, NY. I found all the volunteeers to be wonderful and very helpful. There were many fine artist participating, beautiful large sculptures, lovely walnut furniture, gorgeous copper garden work and fountains, jewlry, painting, etc. Very high quality. A lovely experience I am looking forward to next year. As we all know we can not predict the weather, we can only plan for it and a bit of dirt never hurt anyone. 

  • I did the show about 2-3 years ago. The black dust was like talcum powder, and anything sitting on my white folding table would show the outline after about 20 minutes. Another artist close to me had brought a large garden watering can and would wet down the dirt frequently. I had to vacuum my Propanels after I got home. It would be an unlikely event if I went back. Photography was a hard sale there, local or outsider. There were maybe a half dozen or so photographers there, and maybe one did okay.
  • Hi Kathleen- I did the show a few years back.....also won a prize and sold very well- people were very nice too-  But the dirt...God, the dirt.....everything was covered in it....couldn't talk myself into doing it again....glad you did so well. Nice review.

  • Kathleen, I am sure you are right.  The Spoleto staff has been the same for many years now.  I am sure they think they can do it in their sleep.  As for the opinion that it is the "slowed down Southern mentality" -- as a Southerner myself, that doesn't cut it.  If you were "brought up right" you are going to be helping someone as much as possible.  Everyone knows Charleston parking is a problem.  They could have directed you to any number of public parking garages and asked volunteers to help you unload. I am impressed that you had the forethought to hire people from Craig's list. 

    Sounds like they don't much care and that they are getting the (artists) response they deserve.  Too bad.  Hate it when a good show erodes away. 

  • I have done many shows and I realize that I alone am responsible for getting all my display stuff to my spot. What got me was the "shrugged-shoulders, I dunno" attitude towards the dilemma of where to park so as to facilitate unloading and schlepping. There simply wasn't any way to avoid being in a tow-away zone for several hours. I am saying this somewhat to vent but also to future applicants so that they know what to expect when they get there.

    Yes, Karen, there were potters and 2D artists as well, some of it really nice work. I just felt that there wasn't much discrimination in who was selected as there were just too many booths full of craft-bazaar genre items. They should drop the word "Fine" from the title of the show. Both weekends had empty spots; the second seemed at only 2/3s capacity, with empty spaces everywhere you looked. I am only guessing, but it seemed like anyone who paid got accepted in order to fill the ranks.

  • Haha - Karen Holtkamp -- I'm with you: with very few exceptions there are rarely volunteers who will do more than help you raise your tent!  Although at Cottonwood in Dallas, you can hire the Boy Scouts, who are there to earn badges and will work their little teenage butts off schlepping your stuff.

  • I attended Spoleto and Piccolo-Spoleto several years ago as a tourist, and it sounds like everything is still the same years later.  However I mean that in a good way.

    Perhaps I can add some context.  You were in the South.  Not Florida-South, where snowbirds descend for the winter, but the Deep South, where confederate flags still fly, people still have manners, and the gentlemen and ladies are still genteel.  Charleston, SC is a no-hurry environment, sort of like being in the Caribbean but with more clothes on.

    So the promoters were likely not lackadaisical for the purpose of this show; they are likely slow-moving and slow to disturb by their nature.

    In addition, Piccolo-Spoleto is the "little Spoleto", and by little they mean free (to the patrons).  For readers who are unaware, the annual Spoleto is a celebration of fine and performing arts, where you can go to the opera, the symphony and a play all in one day.  Dozens of events are held in splendid locations around town during this festival, and tickets to all of them are very pricey.  So Piccolo-Spoleto began long ago as a way for the less advantaged folk to rub elbows with some art and artists at no cost.  The plantation owners were doing their best to make art available to the plebians, no doubt.

    So my guess is that PS is nothing grand because it was never really intended to be.  All the grandeur is held elsewhere, for a price.

    When I attended I remember seeing several 2-D artists, potters, glassblowers, etc in addition to some lower-end work.  Kathleen, you would have to tell us if those kinds of art were available this year as well.  The park you describe was in the center of the historic district, very accessible, and had grass at the time.  Although the show may be difficult as an artist, I must say that as a tourist I've been wanting to return ever since my first visit.

    BTW, Kathleen, it's a good thing you hired those guys from Craigslist.  I've never done a show where there were more than a handful or two of volunteers, and certainly not enough to give me two people for a couple of hours.  Really, schlepping stuff is part of the job as an art-show artist, and getting five minutes of help from anyone should be considered as icing on the cake.

  • I showed at Southeastern Wildlife Expo for a few years and spoke with Charleston artists who said it was their best show of the year, every year.  The FINE ART show is limited to SC artists.  The craft show is open nationally.

  • Spoleto was started by an Italian composer in the 60s to complement the same festival in Italy.  He set out to attract the well-heeled opera set from throughout the US, and he did.  Piccolo Spoleto was an effort by the city of Charleston to balance that, and have music events that were afforadable and appealing to locals and the art event that gave local artists a chance to be seen by a national audience.  That is why you have the passionate buyers.  As for the cavalier administration?  Well, it's very nearly a government job......(full disclosure: I worked for the Spoleto USA Festival in the 90s so I have a little "inside")

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