The really excellent Cherry Creek Festival in Denver was held this weekend. It is one of the best in the country and a bit of a bellwether for sales around the nation so I'm always waiting for the reports.

Here's a story from the Denver Post -- looks like the weather got out of control: 

"Rain began to fall along the Front Range about 4 p.m. Saturday and in some areas dumped up to 2 inches in less than an hour."

More: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21033246/rain-doesnt-dampen-artists-spirit-at-cherry-creek

This is not an unheard of phenomena at CC - the last time I was there we were bailing out the gutter behind our booth. Would we go back again to do the show? Silly question for sure.

We surely could have used some of that rain here in the Midwest!

Looking forward to hearing from some of you who were there.

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  • Rather raging discussion about role of sponsors at CCAF on nationalartistadvocayinstitue site. Artist complaining that art wasn't featured on Facebook but sponsor ads were. Geez get over it. Without sponsor's money going to the arts, things would be a lot worse. They need to get something back for their bucks. It's good business for them.
    • The issue is keeping the needs of sponsors and artists in balance, and for an Art show, the balance should be towards the Artists.  Too  many shows seem to exist only for the benefit of sponsors, beer and food vendors.  In reality, the concept of "sponsors money going to the arts" is a little shaky.   A good example of sponsors undermining the arts is Coconut Grove.  Ask anyone located within shouting distance of the Verizon Stage.

      • Do you think CCAF would survive on patron support money only? CCAF needs Janus a lot more than Janus needs CCAF? If beer, entertainment and the like bring in more people, open the gates and let um in. The more people the more opportunity for artist to capture their percentage of art appreciators/buyers from the lot. I believe in learning to operate within the system that exists to make money. The art world isn't perfect.
        • Richard makes a pretty well-thought point, but if I agreed with him, we would both be wrong.

          One the first link is a point Richard made and my response on the NAAI (believe me, not the NAIA site). As of this writing, it is located way down on two of the last three posts - so scroll way down if you don't want to read the whole thread.

          http://nationalartistsadvocacyinstitute.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/wh...

          The second link is to a site with an important point on this discussion just in case you don't want to read what I write on the thread above.

          http://wp.me/p2Al8r-v

          • As we say out here, when our trails cross we need to enjoy a cold one sometime and shoot the breeze.
        • Bringing in a lot bodies, and hoping some of them happen to be art buyers is the absolute worst model for running an Art show where Artists sell Art.   Have you heard of Coconut Grove?  Used to be a great selling show for Artists.  Ask the artists who have been there lately.  They'll tell you it's all about the sponsors and everything thing other than the art.  My concern is that Cherry Creek not go that route.   

  • Heavy rains like this can occur at any Colorado show during the summer. Stay out of the gutters and advise neighbors to do the same. A couple years back artists weren't told this at Crested Butte and water spread out 8-10 feet from the curb. Next day I found a pair of silver ear rings on a card in the gravel bar in my booth. They were from an artist a block and a half up Elk Avenue. Also something els they don't always tell out of state artists about: most of the mountain towns have bear problems. Don't leave and food or fruit in your tent overnight. To get the latest bear report,ask one of the police or security people. Raccoons can be a problem too.
    • Bears! Now that's one I haven't heard of before!

      • Steamboat Springs, CO a couple years ago: I went out to the dumpster at the condo around 11 pm to dump the trash. As I lifted up the lid on one side, there was a great commotion on the other. I thought, darn that is one big raccoon. It was a black bear. We watched it go down the hill and then go door to door at condos across the road. Hollered "BEAR" for a cyclist on the road. Saw it the next day going through another dumpster. Bear proofing trash containers is a big issue in the mountains.
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