Hi,
I recently got accepted into the St. John's show. I usually do a local show the same weekend and it's not bad. Trying to make a decision and I am just wondering if anyone had any feedback on St. John's. I would appreciate any reliable information.
Thanks,
Amy
Replies
I've exhibited at this show for 18+ years. This is a well run, juried show that is fun to participate in. The weather is a huge factor. It could be 100+ degrees, raining or a perfect weekend jammed packed with buying customers.
This is NOT a show where "'jurying' process is 'whoever gets the money in first'". This show usually has a waiting list. There is a lot of jewelry at this show but I see that as being a trend right now for shows.
The crowd is upscale and, at least for me, doesn't question prices. The food is all in one area and very diversified. The entertainment is ongoing in a performance tented area and can be heard throughout the show which is situated along a walking track around a lake.
Set up - if you set up on Thursday (show is Fri-Sun) you can drive to your space as long as it hadn't rained for days up to that point. Friday the local marching band volunteers to help take your boxes/tubs to your spot. Sunday tear down is easy, just be a little patient you can again drive to your booth spot.
There is an outdoor Sunday Mass which is very well attended.
In my 18+ years of exhibiting at this show,I have yet to see "grandma's grape vine wreaths". There is, sadly, a small amount of buy/sell, but what show doesn't have it these days?
I wish the promoters/show directors would listen to the vendors. We know who is and isn't buy/sell. For those of us who are not buy/sell we can prove it. I have an open invitation to my shop to any promoter for any show that I apply for.
Enough of my soapbox chatter.
I really like this show as you can tell and have found it to be a stable, worthwhile show if the weather cooperates.
Genmarie- I apologize if I offended- I guess my experience was different than yours. I do agree that it is well organized and well run, and the logistics for setup are nice. I walked the show last year, and I do remember seeing a booth selling grapevine wreaths though. It was near the food section so maybe wasn't technically an 'artist'? Who knows.. :)
Becky,
No apology needed - we both had different experiences.
That's what makes this forum so important - we both can share our views.
Have a great day !
I did it once 4-5 years ago, and I live in the area, so I can try to give you my feel for it. It tends to be an extremely schizophrenic-feeling show in my opinion- grandma's grapevine wreaths next door to oil paintings and everything in between. I would say the only people I know who did well there were functionals and jewelry (probably more the beach glass, beads, wire wrapping type rather than precious stones/metals, though I can't speak to that directly). For example a friend of mine does glass luminaria with colored papers and polymer clay scenes- she did the show last year and she nearly sold out. I do 2D mixed media, and at the time that I did the show I was also displaying and selling my carved woodspirits, and I didn't even make my booth back.
My other comment is that from what I saw their 'jurying' process is 'whoever gets the money in first'- which would help explain the differences in types/quality of work there. I know that there have been some buy/sell there in past years too, again there isn't a lot of checking done from what I could tell.
With that said, it is a nice area, the campus is really pretty, the folks who organize it were really nice, and it is a fairly affluent area. Depending on your medium- especially if you sell personal adornment stuff- there is the potential to do well there, I just wouldn't recommend it for non-functional.
Hope this helps!
-Becky
I have the same question about this show, it's on the west side, people on the west side tend to be a little more conservative that the eastsiders, but I'de still like to know what the thoughts are on this show.
I have done a number of shows in the Westlake area (3+ years of Crocker Park and one St John), and especially in the last couple years the trends on what does well are the same as what I have seen at St John. Jewelry, accessories. Sometimes photography. I stopped doing the Guild show in Crocker even though it was beautifully run and I love the Guild, because 2D mixed media just wasn't selling enough to justify continuing to spend the booth fee and the time. And I live maybe 10 minutes down the road, so no travel costs to speak of.