On Saturday, May 31, I'll be a guest on the Rudy Maxa Travel Show and the topic is one of my favorites, "Art Fair Tourism." This is a nationally syndicated show so it will be heard in all US markets.
The first segment will focus on travel in the US and I'll be talking about the best shows. I feel ready for that one. However, the second one is on a live program in Los Angeles and they've asked me to focus on shows there, or in a "getaway weekend" segment.
I'm feeling a little uneasy about this one. Can anyone help me out here so I can represent our business well? PLEASE.
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To get to Catalina you have to take the ferry and they don't allow cars on the island, so you'd have to bring everything with you in boxes I guess. I don't know how much luggage they allow on the boat. Once there, you have to rent a motorized golf cart (they don't allow cars!) to move everything to where ever the show is...it is a very small town (Avalon), just a strip along the harbor. I don't know what would be provided. It's beautiful there, very touristy, but I'm not even tempted to try it.
Yes, connie, I did Sausalito last year and I'm doing it again this year. It was one of my best shows last year and it is so pretty there by the Bay. I think it would make a great weekend getaway particularly since it draws a lot of folks for the music too. It's in August, and then in September I also like Mill Valley Arts Festival that is just a few miles away but in a completely different setting--it's in this grove of old-growth California giant Redwoods right along the coast that is pretty cool. Mill Valley is a quaint little Marin County town, and both it and Sausalito are only maybe 20 minutes outside of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Oh--the Sawdust Festival--I always forget about it because I can't do it! I would never have enough inventory because my stuff takes too long to make. I think you have a sort of wooden booth/shop/co-op thing and the festival goes for 6 weeks and you have commit to being there I think about 3 days a week (it is open 7days a week for the duration). I talked to a local Laguna artist once who does it and he said he was there every day because he never made a sale if he wasn't there, so its really like a full-time summer job. Its been there forever--I think my parents went about 40 years ago. It is a huge tourist draw and it's pretty much what Laguna Beach is famous for--kind of like the town of Ashland, Oregon which is a tourist destination because of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every summer. Laguna is a little closer than San Diego--maybe an hour if traffic isn't bad from L.A., and it is very pretty there...I remember it from when I was a child though, so when I go there now it seems over-developed and touristy to me, but I know plenty of people who love to weekend there!
This is a lot of helpful info. THANKS!
I spoke with my old friend Ted Gall who lives in Ojai last night who gave me some more tips. He suggested I call Paul Anderson at Sausalito to get more info.
Still looking for some more details. I want info that would bring a person to want to attend -- some alluring adjectives --
what about Catalina? is it a decent quality event, Pauline? I'm not looking for be achy trinket shows, which I've often seen when we visited beach front shows in California.
Catalina is mostly the trinket stuff you mentioned. Unfortunately it's very difficult to bring stuff accross, so you can't bring panels or large work, etc.
They have advertised with me in the past. They provide the tents and set up equipment, but don't know about panels, which definitely could make it difficult for a 2D artist.
Thanks Brian....I have not been to or participated in event so I was just going on what I had heard from CA artists. Good to have a more informed opinion.
I attended the Sawdust Festival a few times when my sister lived in Seal Beach. Bought a great raku vase pretty cheap and the artist shipped it home for me. It's a little unsatisfying as an art festival because many of the artists are not there - and isn't the whole point of an art festival to be able to speak with the person who created the art? I heard that the whole thing is now permanent but don't know if this is true or not. The only other art fairs I was able to find in that area were ones that happen about every weekend in certain locations along the beach and are heavy on jewelry and wearables.
The Beverly Hills show is probably the best that is closer to LA. There is also a show on Catalina Island and another on Coronado, both are supposed to be pretty good and would definitely be a little weekend getaway for someone from LA
Los Angeles isn't good when it comes to the type of art fairs discussed on this site. When you mention an art fair in LA, most will think of the shows shown in the hangars. These shows have artists from around the world and is a party people want to be a part of. Murillo got his start showing there, for those not famillar with him, he is the art star of today. They are not your normal weekend outside festival, you will not see crafty items here.
Right, Brian. That is what I think LA folks think are "art fairs". That will be part of the fun to differentiate what they "think" an art fair is and what we call art fairs. My sons both live in the LA area, so I get out there often and we've made stabs at attending the ones we find along the beachfronts in various communities, but definitely not "destination" events.
Lucia, I am in touch with Kathleen Hughes at LaQuinta and it will be a feature. I'm trying to get info about Sausalito from Ann Dickson also. That is good info you shared.
Have you ever done Sausalito?
Also, once when I was visiting I attended the Sawdust Festival in Laguna. It was very cool -- little encampments in a hilly wooded park where artist built (not set up) small galleries and hung around for weeks. Do you know anything about that or Laguna Beach?
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