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Another Art Fair bites the dust, well -- maybe not!

Posted by Hannelore Jundt-Pritchard on July 28, 2012 at 11:35pm in Art Show Information and Discussions

Just got a letter from the Monument Square Art Fair (Racine, WI) that after 50 years the show was ending.  Both my husband I have done the show in the past, and while we haven't exhibited recently, I still have fond memories of the show.  However, the show has been losing money for the past few years and this year was, as the letter stated, a back breaker, so  the board decided to end it with 2012 being the last show.

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Tags: Monument Square, Racine, Wisconsin art fairs
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  • Connie Mettler August 16, 2012 at 9:35am

    Latest news from Racine! It seems that a gallery owner and his associates in Racine want to make this show happen again at its old location -- good news for everyone who loves this half-century old show.

    Here is the story: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/new-organizers-say-art-fair-...

    • geri a. wegner > Connie Mettler August 16, 2012 at 8:45pm

      One of the original articles about the art festival changing its date said that many artists who had participated for years had other shows on the new weekend and that is why they couldn't get the same number of artists that they usually did.  

      The new festival will still be held on the "new" weekend so that isn't going to solve the problem that so  many artists had this year.

      Racine is a cool place and they really try.

      • Linnea Lahlum > geri a. wegner August 16, 2012 at 9:36pm

        The first weekend of every month has too many shows clustered on it as it is. It would be helpful for scheduling if more art fairs would try the third or 4th weekend, which often go begging. I for one would be happy to try Racine; but there are so many options for the first weekend of June, it is mindboggling.

    • Paul Strohman > Connie Mettler August 16, 2012 at 12:22pm

      Thanks for the update on this show Connie.  This year was our first year to do this show and we really liked the venue.  The people running it couldn't have been nicer to us.  I think we would do this show again next year if they put it on.  Reading the article if they really do focus on the quality and not the quantity of artists it could be a big success again.  I hope to hear more about it.  Mary-Lou

  • Connie Mettler August 9, 2012 at 8:58am

    I just came across this "letter to the editor" in the Racine Journal-Times which suggests that some solid prize money could bring the show back. What do you think?

    Some monetary prizes could save the art fair

    A peak experience of the summer in Racine, as Jack Salbreiter said, is enjoying the Monument Square Art Fair. The answer to its continuing is simple.

    In the late ’60s and early ’70s, I served on the art fair committee — two years as president and many years on various committees. As stated in the recent Journal Times article, artists from many states exhibited. Many of these artists were state and nationally known; to name one, watercolorist Bob Johannsen.

    The simple answer to saving the art fair is money. Prize money. Even in the ’70s, I felt that money prizes were at too modest a level. My suggestion today to lure the top artists back would be a boost in these amounts. In this economy, many excellent artists in the area of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha are not selling much of their art.

    How about one $5,000 award in each area of painting, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture or metal work and mixed media. And five honorable mention awards of $1,000. That’s $30,000 total. This would ensure a considerable increase in artists wanting to exhibit, would tempt the huge number of professional artists in the area to exhibit and cover expenses at least for artists traveling from other states.

    I would suggest this is the only strategy that assures the continuing of the Monument Square Art Fair.

    Mary Jo Kaiserlian

    Mount Pleasant

  • Connie Mettler July 31, 2012 at 2:37pm

    The Journal Times in Racine did a story on the decline of the show and why the organizers are shutting it down. It seems from reading the article they did all the things artists ask shows to do, including being very reluctant to raise booth fees to cover their expenses. It was a true "art fair."

    Here's their story: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/monument-square-art-fair-clo...

    • geri a. wegner > Connie Mettler July 31, 2012 at 3:49pm

      I still find the date thing very weird.  It was always the second weekend in June, had been for years and no  one who works for the festival site mentioned this when someone else wanted to use the site that second weekend?  

      As recently as 2009, I bought so many things at this festival that I had to keep going to my car to drop things off.  

      The article did bring up a good point about the art community really expanding and thriving in Racine.

        This should be one of the coolest towns in Wisconsin but the school union was always a problem leading to bad schools and the executives of a lot of the corporations located in the city moved down to Illinois for the better schools and a fairly easy reverse commute.  

      Now all that is left is kringle.  

  • Connie Mettler July 30, 2012 at 12:09pm

    Yikes! I just heard of another one in Bloomsbury, NJ.

  • Connie Mettler July 29, 2012 at 12:05pm

    After you posted this (I know it has been a favorite for many artists in this region for a long time) I got the idea that maybe a podcast with the organizers about their experiences might be helpful to other show promoters, and artists too, to understand what goes on behind the scenes.  What do you think?

    Also, maybe another show or two organization could share their information.

    • Richard L. Sherer > Connie Mettler August 9, 2012 at 9:21am
      The more information about the business of art, the better.
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