A artist/craft friend recently told me about a shop in a nearby town. Its a swanky Inn with rich patrons and their gift shop carries local artists' works. I spoke with the manager who invited me to exhibit in their "ART SHOW" for the Labor Day weekend.
I was not told it was a craft show, or a shopping show or whatever else someone wants to label it. I was told it was an ART SHOW and the poster for it clearly showed 3 paintings and no other media.
I went. I set up. I looked around and this is the FULL LIST of "artists".
Two painters - myself included.
An author and illustrator with her books.
A photographer.
A candle maker.
A woman who made lamps out of bottles.
A woman spinning wool. Not creating anything, just spinning wool on a spinning wheel.
and FIVE jewelers.
What sold at the ART SHOW? Candles.
Jen = the idiot who didn't do her homework and find out what would be at this ART SHOW.
:(
Replies
Dick Sherer
www.sherersaddlesinc.com
Ill add my favorite one. I got sucked in by a customer at a real show who "loved" my work. It was a local "arts show" in a community center. $100 booth fee and a 10% commission on sales. The woman next to me had knock off gucci bags, the woman behind me took plastic bins and acoustic ceiling tiles and personalized them with your kids names! The rest I cant remember, it was a large room, about 80 exhibitors and I only found two others who did their own work. I packed up Saturday night in disgust after two small sales all day. About a week later I received a bill for commissions for well over $100. They had miss read the receipts on top of every thing else. We have all learned this lesson some time or another, if you havent heard of them and they come to you--- run screaming!
Yep, been there, done that. One that stands out in my mind was a christmas fair for local artisans. Yeah right, and the white elephant stall, the hairdresser with her buy/sell jewellery .... and I believe I've blocked the rest out. It was appalling. Hardly any people and those that were there were only there for the entertainment value. I now follow my 'gut' feeling on these hyped up shows and if I do that, I'm OK. Doesn't help when the promoter makes it sound fantastic - so easy to get sucked in!
SOOO Sorry Jennifer. That does sound hellacious. Sorry you had to waste 2 days of your life but you 'live and learn'. HOpefully you'll do more homework next time.
I might be able to beat this! When I was still in college, many many moons ago, some friends talked me into doing an "art show". Everyone was going. Well we got there and ... It wasn't a real town! It was some sort of reprodution town by a river. I swear I have blocked this from my memory until I read your post. I can't even remember where it was. Kentucky or Tennesee, it was way out where no one lived and NO ONE CAME. It was just the artists! The only food was someone selling granola! ugh! I thought I was going to starve! It was my first show!
HAHA Laughing outloud because this was the last show I did. All these vendors just standing around wishing someone would walk past. I sold mini-paintings out of the kindness of children who annoyed their parents though that small entrance did not go any where near cover the cost of exhibiting and driving up to Massachusetts from NYC. I guess we all live and learn though, happy to hear that bad shows are not the commonplace but the exception and this really made my day Robin hearing your experience.
Daniela
Hey! if you had a sale, it doesn't count as a bad show! ;-) Ha!
Even if the sale is like for $8.00 ;.) I guess you're right I made a little girl happy and that's priceless!
Been there! Did a show on a busy "to the beach" road, on Memorial Day weekend. It was on the lawn of an old house that had been turned into a gift shop. Bumper to Bumper traffic all day. Not a single sign telling them that there was an Art Show going on! The only person that made money was the shop owner who charged us for the space. Probably would have been a good show if people knew we were there!
Naming names: The 6th Annual Labor Day Art Show at the Tides Inn in Irvington, VA. The rich river folk needed their afternoon entertainment. One woman, a larger than life personality type, blows into my booth space, asks loudly and incredulously, "Are you the artist??" with eyes bulging and in awe.
Yes, I say. She loudly and oh-so-gratefully gushes , "You made me smile! THANK YOU!!!!" And off she went.
(Can't make this shit up)
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