This probably mostly pertains to the Michigan based artist on the forum. Can you help a newbie out on the better shows in the Michigan region? If it matters, my craft is metal art. I did a quick search for "Michigan" and saw some info on some of the shows, but for the most part, the information I found was a little old. So I figured it would not hurt to ask again.
So can you give me a short list of can't miss shows?
I will look over the forum's calendar in the meantime.
Ken Bayard
Replies
Any show can miss, there's no guarantees in this business. But with that understanding let me add Pentwater (1 day) and Ludington West Coast fair, the highly regarded Krasl in St. Joseph, which I have never done, St. Clair, north of Detroit, that wasn't bad. Try Leeper Park in South Bend IN, only about 5 miles south of Michigan.
1. Eventually you will be ready for the Garage Sale Art Fair in Kalamazoo in February.
2. The Guild of Artists & Artisans have good shows: in Birmingham in May, in Ann Arbor in July, and some in the fall, including another one in Birmingham.
3. Royal Oak's Art in the Park in July is a nice one.
4. E. Lansing Art Fair in May
5. It is hit and miss on the western side of the state at the Lake Michigan shows, but my favorite is the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Festival in August.
6. Up for fun and big crowds? Arts, Beats & Eats on Labor Day weekend.
7. Kalamazoo Art Fair, first weekend in June
8. Fallasburg Fall Art Fair in Lowell
Those are the ones we usually did. None of them are as fabulous as they were some time ago, but retail has pretty much gone to the dogs in a lot of places, so no big surprise there.
I attended a little show outside of Jackson in June at the Ella Sharp Museum and talked to an artist who was doing a whole string of "unknowns". Besides the Ella Sharp show, there is one in Monroe in August, Belleville in late July, Adrian in September, Shelby Township in August, Warren also in August -- lots of choices. Visit our site CallsforArtists.com to see some more of these events that are not as well known.
There is a lot of variety, one of the pleasures of this business.