Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals

Advisory Commitees at Art and Craft show's, is the standard practice

I do a big show in the Phoenix, AZ area in March and December. Years ago one of the director's of the show (no longer with the show) put together some sort of committee of about 20 artists for the purpose in weeding out buy/sell . A lot of my friends are on this committee, I asked them what they do and it is not much These artists get preference when it comes to getting space in the show. I was informed about this just recently. I was wondering if this is standard practice with other shows. As far as buy/sell it is still in the show. These so-called advisory committee members get preferential treatment. Is this fair, and is it being done all over the country.

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Permalink Reply by Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney on December 31, 2010 at 2:09am

We have no such advisory committees, and no one (not even me) gets preferential treatment in either of the two shows I direct. We do not allow B/S and we do stand by the rules. Anyone who has been juried in with original work, but brings B/S is required to remove it and is blacklisted from both shows. Anyone who is juried in with one category and shows another is required to remove the work that has not been juried in. They are also blacklisted and not allowed to return. The applications are fairly straightforward and the rules are stated in both the prospectus and on the application. In fact, the application is a contract, and if they sign, they are indicating that they have read the rules. No signature, no acceptance. The jury knows that B/S is forbidden, and they do their best to weed it out.

The year before I took over directing the second of my two shows, there was a booth that I felt belonged in a carnival, rather than in a fine art fair. Had I been the director, that booth would have been removed entirely, leaving a big empty spot on a corner. The director at the time liked empty spaces about as much as she liked confrontation, so she never said a word. Bad move. We lost some good artists as a result of that one crappy booth.

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Permalink Reply by steve appel on December 31, 2010 at 6:28am

Good for you, i wish all directors that like you, but they are not. I do a show in boulder city, NV which used to be a quality show and lately it has become booths with carnival type art. The director gave us all apps in our packet and when i wrote to her about the buy sell she said she would make changes. Sent another app out and it was no different than the first one. i hope more people respond to this thread