Nels Johnson's Page

Suggested music: Listen to Tom Petty "She Went Down Swinging" -- repeat 10 times



Ok. A novel beginning, why not, it fits, read on, there will be a good Tequila Report to follow, Art Fair Reviews, eat your heart out, nobody does a blog like me--and, delivers.

Uptown is in the heart of the district slightly south of downtown Minneapolis in a highly charged business district full of bars, retail, and restaurants that attracts thousands of people for three days, Friday to Sunday,… Continue

If you jury into this show and are accepted, plan on bringing plenty inventory.

Melanie Rolfes has already written a thorough blog about the nuts and bolts about the show.



I will try to give unique insights:

• I have done this show three times in the last 10 years.
• It is not easy to get into. About…

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This is a long running show in downtown, it has exhibitors set up on both bridges and along the streets leading to them. Additionlly, there are booths on the other side of the bridge.

It is a big show with nearly 300 exhibitors.

It is a long walk to get around to all booths, which discourages be backs unless they are in great shape.

I sell photos in the $30-$500 range. I always make money at this show. I have done this show since 1992.

Unfortunately for artists, the present… Continue

I am behind on my blogs for art shows. I did three great ones in June.

I will start with the KIA show which was the first weekend in June,.

Btw. I sell color photos and also have a line of iconic figures which are hand-colored b/w photos. My price range is $30-$500.

I am affordable.

This show is held in a lovely treed park in the downtown.

Small show, about 150 artists and the booth fee is not killer high one.

This show opens at 3pm-8pm on Friday.

Then 10-5pm… Continue

I put this show among my top seven in the USA.

Only 130 booth spaces, with more than a thousand artists applying.

This was my third time in. It was also my best one there, although it started off scarey.

First, a little history.

In the eighties, when I started going away for five months to do shows in the Midwest, I always stopped in Greenvillle.

I had a solid glass artist buddy named Loren Marshall who lived there.

In those days I was lugging a 21-foot…

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Ellen and I killed ourselves to get to FW in two days. So going home we said, let's do it in three days and enjoy ourselves.

Of course, that meant we would eat and drink reall well at

fun new places

So we left Monday and came east on I-20 to Shreveport and then headed south on I-49 to Lafayette, which is in the heart of Cajan country

So, about 40 miles south of Shreveport is a lovely town called Nachicthocies. The City of Lights. Definitely worth a stop

This charming… Continue

Putting it succinctly, I made more sales at this show than all the previous eleven shows I have done since January.

In my 42 years of doing art shows this was the second best one, only the 1999 Kansas City Plaza was better.

I was not alone. I talked to four other artists who said this was their best show ever.

Almost two thousand artists apply for about 160 spots. Many are called, few are chosen.

My wife, Ellen Marshall, got in and was selected as the poster artist and tee… Continue

This is a very labor intensive show to do for setup and tear down. It is held on the grounds of a scenic park on a bayou in downtown Tarpon Springs. It is fenced off and they charge a $5 admission.

There are only three entrances to the show where vans can park and offload. Otherwise you are carting work from the van parked on the side streets, sometimes as far as two blocks away. It is one giant clusterfuck for the 200 artists there.

It might be worth it if you were…

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