Call for Artists, Making Money at Juried Art Fairs, Craft Shows and Festivals

Christina L. Towell Ferndale, MI United States Fiber: Like

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Midwest Art Fair Business

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Christina L. Towell's Discussions

Detroit Urban Craft Fair

Started Dec 8, 2014 0 Replies 1 Like

Well, I went, I saw, I was underwhelmed...not to say that there wasn't some really unusual, creative and interesting stuff there, there was but as far as fiber artists, I only saw one booth that had…Continue

Ridge Fine Art & Handmade Wares Show

Started this discussion. Last reply by Connie Mettler Nov 26, 2014. 3 Replies 0 Likes

I attended this show last saturday, November 22nd, which happened to be right next door to where I live in the basement of a Presbyterian church. As inauspicious as this sounds, it was truly a…Continue

Maybe Next Time?

Started this discussion. Last reply by Christina L. Towell Oct 21, 2014. 15 Replies 1 Like

So, I recently applied for my first big juried Craft Fair and waited for what seemed like an eternity for them to close the application process and let me know whether I was in or out. In fact, I…Continue

Tags: not getting into the show, rejection

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Started this discussion. Last reply by Pat Sorbini Apr 22, 2014. 17 Replies 1 Like

Just out of curiosity, what shows / art fairs are you most looking forward to doing this year and why? Are there some that you intentionally avoid? How come? Continue

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Gifts Received (3)

Red Ribbon From Laura R. Bentley Red Patent Heels From Connie Mettler Blue Ribbon From Connie Mettler

Christina L. Towell's Page

Latest Activity

Stacey Pope left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you!"

yesterday

Bill Moore left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thanks for the welcome, Christina...glad to be a part of the group!"

Aug 5

Valarie Garber left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"thanks for the welcome"

Aug 3

Valarie Garber left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Hi I can not understand how to post. After preview it says go back to discussion to post. I go back to discussion and see no way to post :("

Aug 2

Joe Kight left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you for the very kind welcome! Joe"

Jul 24

Heather Sooder left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Hi Christina, I have a question about my eligibility for craft shows. My craft is sewing, not surface design. I do not do the batik and hand-painted work on my dresses. But my sewing is more sophisticated than anything I have seen in art shows.…"

Jul 23

Michael Riggs left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Christina, Thank you for adding me and the nice welcome. I hope to learn from and contribute to this forum. Michael"

Jul 10

Ronen Pollak left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you Christina"

Jul 10

russell satterthwaite left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thanks for the welcome "

Jul 9

Debbie DiCarlo left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you so much for the warm welcome!"

Jul 1

Michelle Bowman left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thanks for the add! I appreciate the resource. "

Jun 27

Barbara J. Wagner left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you Christina for the welcome, this is a wonderful resource!"

Jun 23

Rebecca Rea left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thanks. I've been following along with the site for years. It's been helpful a million times."

Jun 19

Tisha abrahamsen left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Hi Christina, Thanks for the welcome! I'm buried in work for a show on the 4th of July but hope to take some time after to really dig into the site. I have plenty to learn! Best,Tisha"

Jun 18

Ryan Rabbass left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you for the welcome! "

Jun 17

Laura Bray left a comment for Christina L. Towell

"Thank you for the welcome Christina!"

Jun 16

Profile Information

Your Medium: Fiber

Years in the Art Fair Business: Three

First show ever: The Old Granary ~ A Gathering on the Lawn ~ 2011

What is your website?: http://Handbasket Originals on Etsy

What are the best things about art fairs: Networking, meeting and talking with buyers, connecting with other artists, selling.

Best show ever and why: D.I.Y. Festival in Ferndale, MI
Great show, lots of people, food, and quality art.

Worst show ever and why: Strawberry Festival in Coldwater, MI
Lots of people but only interested in food and junk.

Who referred you to ArtFairInsiders.com? Please be specific.: Constance Mettler / Art Fair Newsletter Editor

What is one fun fact about yourself?: My alter ego and business name is Helena Handbasket...pronounced Hell in a Handbasket.

Christina L. Towell's Photos

Christina L. Towell's Blog

Thanks and Giving Artist Market - Pleasant Ridge, MI

Posted on November 23, 2015 at 9:59am 9 Comments 1 Like

This was my first real show and I didn't really know what to expect. I was attracted to it because it's close to home, the booth fee was only $30, which included one 6' table and two chairs and I was able to bring along another table of my own. The show hours were also appealing, 6 to 9 on Friday evening and 10 to 4 on Saturday. So, not a huge investment, great location, affluent area...all good, right?

So, on Friday evening they had appetizers and wine for show-goers and…

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Funky Ferndale, D.I.Y. and Rust Belt Market

Posted on September 30, 2015 at 9:42am 7 Comments 1 Like

Well, Funky Ferndale was indeed funky, exciting and chock-a-block with art lovers last week-end. The D.I.Y. Art Fair takes place east of Woodward Ave. on Nine Mi.Rd. (in Ferndale, MI) and extends on through the city's library parking lot. I don't believe this is a juried art fair but I could be wrong about that...it is, however, delightfully quirky and attracts hordes of Ferndale hipsters and arty types. On the other side of Woodward, also on Nine Mi.Rd., is the juried Funky Ferndale Art…

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What Am I Doing This Week-End...I Thought You'd Never Ask

Posted on July 26, 2015 at 9:11am 2 Comments 0 Likes

Maybe I missed it but I couldn't find the discussion on What Are You Doing This Week-End, so I decided to start my own...on Friday I had a consultation with my Art Mentor, Andrea Rosenfeld. For those of you not familiar with her, she started the Detroit Art and Business Institute (D.A.B.I.) and works with artists to help them with the business side of art, something I clearly need help with...so with her good advice, I'm off and running. In fact, I was contacted on Saturday by someone I…

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How's Your Day Today...How's Your Day Tomorrow?

Posted on May 27, 2015 at 5:01pm 4 Comments 2 Likes

My two-year old grandson likes to ask the question," how's your day today, grandma?" "How's your day tomorrow?" We're tickled that not only is he concerned about how our day is going but that he's thinking ahead to tomorrow as well. This query caused me to think about the general status of Art Fairs 2015. How is it going so far for those of you out on the road and have you been able to predict how it will be "tomorrow"?

Is the concensus one of a general uptick in the…

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Comment Wall (517 comments)

At 4:44pm on October 18, 2013, Connie Mettler said…: Welcome to Art Fair Insiders, Christina. I'm pleased to see you here and look forward to having you as part of our community.

When you have a chance, please stop by the "Discussions" area to introduce yourself to the rest of us. We all look forward to your participation here. Also, visit the "member map" and add your location. We have a lot to offer one another, experienced and newbie alike. Let's make this a dynamic site!

Many topics have already been discussed here before you joined us. You might like to try a search of your topic before you post your question. Just put your topic, canopy tents, jurying fees, Ann Arbor Art Fair, etc, into the search bar at the top of the right side of the page. You might be surprised that someone has already asked your question.

We also ask that all new members take a few moments of their time to read the code of conduct. You will find it at http://www.artfairinsiders.com/page/code-of-conduct. There are a few guidelines that all members will need to follow because , as in any social community, we all need to work together.

Best wishes, Connie Mettler

p.s. The best way to make this system easy to use is to click on the "Follow-Email me" link at the bottom of each Forum discussion that interests you. That way the system will email you automatically whenever anyone responds. It's a great time-saver.

At 8:56pm on October 22, 2013, Jacki Bilsborrow said…: Hello Tina and welcome to AFI.

At 7:21pm on November 18, 2013, Connie Mettler said…: So, that is what happened. I saw something as I was scrolling through and thought to go back and then today it was gone. Right. That is the kind of stuff that goes in a group. Thanks for catching that.

At 9:42pm on April 23, 2014, Jacki Bilsborrow said…: Tina, here is a show in Dexter, Michigan that looks like a show you might like to try:

https://www.facebook.com/ArtontheFarm

At 10:00am on July 22, 2014, Lindsey Lehman said…: Hi Christina! Thank you so much! It was so nice to be welcomed with such a pleasant message. My two businesses are both handmade items by me, but one is more crafty than artistic. I make all natural, organic Bath & Body products, and sterling silver and gemstone wire wrapped jewelry. I also like to paint and throw pottery, but do both as hobbies and don't sell my work in those mediums. It looks like you do some very nice fiber art!

At 10:34am on July 23, 2014, Josephine dakers-Brathwaite said…: Hi Christina,

Thank you for such a warm welcome. I look forward to being part of this artist community. My business is both quilting projects, as well as felted accessories including nuno scarves, small wallets, smartphone cases, etc. I also do some knitting at times, but lately prefer to focus more on felting. I have done a few small shows where i exhibited along with a cousin who is a jewelry artist. I'm looking foward to participating in a much larger outdoor event in Oct at Lincoln Center in NY, where you get thousands of locals, tourist, etc passing through. I do hope it will be successful, thus lead me to do more in the future. I'm also selling on my own website now, and plan to expand onto Etsy in the future which brings a broader audience. thanks

At 10:16am on July 31, 2014, Juju Maudlin said…: Hi Christina,

Big thanks for checking out my site and also for the feedback! I am still new to fiber and felting (just about a year), having transitioned out if ceramics. To say that I am unsure of myself would be an understatement. I did one juried show last year vut for scarves....haven't yet tried to sell these bowls because I have been busy trying to learn what is possible with these. But i do hope to have enough inventory to start applying to juried shows next year. So being part of this group will very helpful! Cheers!

At 10:21am on August 6, 2014, Tomboy Pretty said…: Thank you for the welcome!

At 11:03am on August 12, 2014, Lynnea Bennett said…: thanks for the welcome and compliments on my work.. I'm learning as fast as I can!

At 10:36am on August 16, 2014, Michael D Wilcox said…: Christina, Thanks for the welcome. I checked my website and it is working correctly but unfortunately I typed in the wrong URL on my information. I have corrected it so it will show correctly.