The Wickford Art Festival, like many of the festivals I attended in July and August, was harmed, in my opinion, by the weather. If it wasn't sweltering this summer, it seems, it was cold and rainy, and that was the case in Wickford, which took place July 13 and 14. 

I had a pretty good show, though not as good as I have in years past. I sold $1400 of paintings, followed by a couple commissions after the show. My small paintings sold first; then people bought some of the larger ones. My total was roughly seven times the booth fee of $240.

At Wickford, the main action is on the major street in town, which is Brown Street. The secondary action is Main Street. There are two or three small side streets, and I've been on one of them for the four years I've done the show. 

It looks like the side streets are not the place to be, but the artists who are on those streets generally love them, and ask to be placed there year after year. Set-up and tear-down are much easier than on the main streets.

There's storage space behind the tents, and they are spaced far enough apart that I could hang paintings on both sides. On the two major streets, you are cheek to jowl with your neighbors.

While you get more traffic on the major streets of this festival, I have found that if someone is there to buy art, he or she walks the entire festival, including the side streets. The side streets are far from the port-a-potties, however.

The show had a new director this year, and he was very visible, introducing himself to people and solving problems as they arose. There were plenty of volunteers on Saturday, and while there were fewer on Sunday, they were flexible and willing to come back. 

The quality of the work is pretty good in this show. It is mostly 2-D stuff, and I don't think there's jewelry. 

When you are juried in in Wickford, you're in for three years before you need to be rejuried. I would definitely do this one again. 

I'm attaching a photo of a little bit of the street in Wickford, with a buyer (not of my stuff) passing, and one of my booth at Wickford. 

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