The truth, I do not anything or what it takes to put an art fair. Art fair are becoming more festivals. Artists see promoters like the villains of the story. Artist complain that promoters over saturate the market. Artists complain that promoters do not follow the rules that they establish. Artists get angry of other artists because they do shows of so call “bad promoters”. Artist had find out that is better to skip a show than talking to the promoters. Artists that complain to promoters are in the risk of getting black list. Artist wonder why shows are more pack with buyers. According to the artist that the job of the promoters. Artists complain that promoters should not charge for people to get in to see the artists. Artists believe that we are reason why people come to the art fair they should get a cut from the gate fee. Artists complain that the shows have more artist what the show can support. Artists do not offer help to other artists or solutions because they are afraid of the promoter black list them. Why they are afraid because they will be force to do a show where sales will weaker. A weaker event means less income.
Artists complain and complain and complain.
Times had change and artist need to deal with the changes.
The sad thing is that artist are not help each other. Artist are survival mode.
The truth is Amy Amdur provide a will ago a tip about maximizing sales. I believe even some you hate her she provide very basic points that we should do. The hope is that you will bring people that like your work in the past. Before you give away your business card away ask the person to sign your mailing list or email list. Scott Fishman told me once that the people you really need to work is the people that sign the list that did not purchase from you. So why you want to do all that? Simple answer just in case the promoter does bring enough people to the show that purchase your work. The only time you need the promoter to work magic is when you go to an area for the first time. After that is a combo thing.
Nobody really knows how advertise. We are becoming a mobil society and social media.
Some shows do not charge gate fees and other do. I really do not care about it but promoters need to figure out a balance. Attendance usually will tell you if you charging to much. So far I really do not know if anyone considering that. The truth is there are hidden fees that artist do not know. The choices could rise the booth fee to the artist or add note artist or increase traffic through gate or all before but who knows it may be just greed. Then again like any other owner, promoters do not see the need to explain.
The shows are becoming more festivals because we need place to enjoy life and be SAFE with the people you love. If that is the case why you need sale beer or worst. Why music needs to be loud that you can not ear yourself speaking. If you ask why there so many shows in the area. It did not matter before because everybody was expending money they do not have but did you ask why we have to many shows. Wow really, you do not know. Zapplication sometimes received 5 times more application for a show. Promoters gave us an alternative. That how Powderhorn and Loring park started. So when you tell me that the market has to many shows look at yourself fellow artist because you ask for it.
At the end we create the problems. If you do not like shut up and move on. Let the artist that willing to work with problems and turn things around. Now promoters you may have all the power now but things change.
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Yes, Barry, I too was attacked personally, and rather viciously IMO, by someone who didn't know me at all. That's why I, too, left TCB.
Sorry to hijack your thread Oscar.
I agree there's a lot of complaining from artists, however I think it's coming from a place of frustration and growing hopelessness. Some of us do try to offer constructive ideas to promoters and directors. Too often the ideas are not acted upon and that adds to the frustration.
I noticed a direct correlation between my own frustration and the period when I decided to do this "for real", as in trying to do it full-time and make a living at it. Everything becomes more serious when you're fighting to put food on the table.
That being said, I kind of enjoyed reading Oscar's long laundry list of our complaints. Geez, we really are pissed off, aren't we?
Many, many good points, Oscar.
Barry is right in that many good artists have left the business. Yet many new and very good ones come in. The complaining is tiresome. Yes, some show organizers do NOT get it right. Yes, some take advantage. But then there are the shows where everything is done right, where the show directors clearly know that what is in the artist's best interest is in the show's best interest, yet the artists leave disappointed.
How do you think the shareholders of the once mighty Sears, Montgomery Wards and JC Penneys feel? Where have their buyers gone? Gone away, just as they have at many of the shows.
I tried to buy some books yesterday at my small local bookstore. They couldn't get them and sent me to Amazon!! What about all those bookstores that no longer exist (and one of my other interests -- knitting), those yarn shops closing shop.
This is NOT all the shows fault, it is not all the artists fault. I hope you read the post I put up last week that has a few suggestions to answer your questions above: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/80-marketing-and-20-c...
Oh, please, Barry -- no one attacking personally? I have no time for fighting and rudeness.
The thing is that some post was delete or block the view to me. Really that was what did it for me. Barry I consider you a friend so when call me naive I know what you mean and not offended by it.
I don't recall anyone attacking anyone personally or their work, except for me calling you naive, which you shouldn't take literally. I'll go back and look. Everyone reacts differently to things that are said. The person in question has "tested" me before. I just laughed it off and gave it right back. She appreciated it. Just saying...
Barry, I believe you change your mind when post part 2 later today or tomorrow about me been naive.
Choose to leave the TCB because I do not fight with people are acting in anger. When you start calling people names and insulting somebody else works that means to me that you do not have class or education. I am guilty of that but I hope I had learned. People like that I do not want to associated. Since that person is the founder of the group why should be part of that group. I do not want to be associated with a person that goes nuclear on you because.... I will miss some people of that forum.
Oscar, I consider you a friend so I think I can say this to you: You are extremely naive. The bottom line is that directors have been changing the conditions for artists for the past 20 years. It's getting to the point where the majority of artists can't make a decent living. And it will continue to get worse if we don't stand up as a group and demand that directors make their changes that benefit artists.
We've already been dealing with these changes that you are talking about for more than 20 years. That statement that you made really angers me. It may be that you are making some money, but, sooner or later this will affect you, too. What you don't see is that 95% of the artists have dropped out in the last 20 years because they can't make any money. I blame this 100% on the shows by doubling and tripling booth fees to go along with increased gas, hotel, food, costs not to mention the cost of making the work. The only people complaining are the few of us who are still standing. The rest of us are long gone, so, you never will hear from all the truly great artists who aren't around anymore. If I was to blame artists, it would be because all we do is complain.
We don't act together to demand certain things from directors, like abiding by their own rules, like running their show like a business by cutting costs. Their only solution so far has been to put the burden on artists by charging us more. The Bayou City thing was not about Bayou City. It was about the further abuse of their own contract and then spinning it to artists as if we were stupid. When the 4th largest city in the US can only attract 30,000 people to come to it, there has to be something wrong with the people running it. I could get 100,00 people without even trying very hard. This is just one more, in a long line of actions taken by directors which have eroded our earning power.
By the way, leaving TCB was a wimpy move. I've never backed away from a good fight and neither should you.
I notice one mistake: is to add more artist no note artists. I certain that I have more mistakes but I hope you get the idea.
Wow, Oscar, I admire your opinions and your willingness to share them here. I'm not experienced enough to weigh in but I certainly hope some of the other artists here will do so. I do agree that we all need to change with the times in order to survive and it can be a healthy and creative process...anxiously awaiting the comments of those with more to say on the subject than I.
I wish I can post this in the corner booth but I remove myself from that forum.