Here is this years Chastain Park Arts Festival review. Links to past reviews for info on logistics like set up, break down, booths and the basics plus more pics are below. None of that has changed.
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/chastain-park-art-festivall http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/chastain-park-arts-festival http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/buckhead-spring-arts-and-1 http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/chastain-park-art-festival
This location is where the wealthy live in Atlanta. Big houses many many mansions. There are smaller beautiful million dollar homes that are considered tear downs to build monster homes. This show is where the people in this neighborhood go to shop and it is one of those rare shows that people have a bunch of empty walls.
Since the show is the first weekend of November the weather is a crap shoot. This year it was COLD and windy on Saturday. First real cold snap so many hadn't been in their attics getting out the winter coats, gloves and scarves. The forecast was bad. Wind advisory and freeze warnings. It scared the citizens.
I even fell for it. Saturday morning I did something I never have done. I called my friend who was showing a couple booths away from me and asked her to open up the front of my booth and I stayed in my warm bed an extra hour. I figured there was no way anyone, not even the dog walkers, would be at the show before noon. I arrived at 11 am, an hour after opening, and was surprised that a women was waiting for me. She came and walked the show and had decided on one of my pieces and had already bought 2 more large 2D pieces from other artists.
An artist not far from me sold an original pen and ink drawing in the first hour of the show. Another artist on Friday during set up had a designer walking through the park and bought the entire booth before he had even finished setting up! There was even an artist who opened then left the booth to go stay warm.
One of the show directors made an $800 sale for this artist since they were A.W.O.L. Now it was cold, really cold to the bone. We couldn't really sit, had to keep moving. The crowds were not there. Mainly artists, but the patrons that did show up were on a mission. A photographer sold 5 framed pieces and I teased him that 80% of the people who showed up bought from him.
Back to my cold Saturday show, most of the people I talked to had already bought from me. I have showed here many many many times. I was starting to think maybe I needed to take a break from this show. Well I started to have people come to me that had been thinking about a piece or were finally ready to buy a piece show up and we talked commissions. Saturday I closed a few commissions. In the afternoon I sold the biggest piece I have ever brought to an art show, 65"x80".
The show closed at 6pm. It was dead and so so cold by 5pm. I decided to deliver my work early, and warm up in my clients home until 6pm then went back to close up for the night. If any of you know me, I am usually a Sunday girl, almost never sell on Saturdays. This was my Saturday. Almost every patron that came bought from someone, BUT there were not many patrons and not everyone had a good day. Especially those that had lower price points and needed a big crowd.
Sunday, daylight savings. I have found when a show is in a park and you are dealing with daylight savings you need to remember that the dog walkers still need to get up and walk the dogs at the same time. I don't like this because I am always ready for an extra hour in bed BUT I make it a point to show up early on these days. The weather was much better, sunny, no wind and a bit warmer.
Everyone had gotten their winter gear out of the attic. After I opened my booth early I walked the show and talked to the other artists. Like I said, the higher priced point folks had decent Saturdays, lower price points were hoping for a better day. By the time I got back to my booth, around official opening time, patrons were ready to enjoy a sunny late fall Sunday. Crowds were decent. Not huge like we all hoped but good enough. I saw my regulars and more folks ready to buy a piece.
After break down I delivered my three next largest pieces to a beautiful mansion that had an elevator in the home large enough to fit 50"x68" piece. They also had an amazing art collection and I walked around the home recognizing 9 different artist that I know. My point is this is an area where people collect art.
All in all a wonderful show again, but the weather kicked my butt. Recovering these past two days and no rest for the wicked, installations scheduled all week. Also wanted to add the show has added Nuloo. I love this trailer bathrooms. Usually I love it for the A/C but this show it was great to go in and warm up. They also offer wifi and a charging station for tablets, phones and laptops. Another thing to keep in mind for this show, it is the last one in Atlanta, people are wanting to get their homes ready for the holidays plus buy gifts.
Comments
Melanie, You're right... you have more insight than me- I don't live there, even though I do some shows there, and that make a big, a huge difference..... Suffice to say that my experiences were different than yours and every artist at every show will have a different unique viewpoint. That is why we write these reviews after all...so other artists can chime in and tell us their experiences too. Keep doing what you're doing because it sounds like it is definitely working for you and that is great.
I thank you for that Melanie, you are a very giving reviewer and we all appreciate and benefit from it. Since I also do quite a few Atlanta shows, it is interesting to hear about this promoters shows from a totally different perspective. Very sincerely glad you do so well at them.
Glad your show was good Melanie....nice review...but I bet there were a lot that went home empty handed because of the cold. I did Chastain about 4 years ago and it was terribly cold too. People know you in Atlanta and you have a thriving clientele but many that do Chastain don't even make booth fee. It was a dog walkers show the time I did it and from your remarks, it seems still to be.....apparently they are stopping to buy from you and I congratulate you. But too many shows in Atlanta means that the pie gets cut into smaller pieces for everyone. While it might benefit you... I am questioning if it benefits all that many artists....
Have you ever done the Atlanta Arts Festival in September? do you think Piedmont Park is just too much of a festival area and you do better at these more targeted events that are in the best neighborhoods and so accessible for folks who don't want to put up with the riff raff ;)
Melanie, such a solid thoughtful review. Do you consistently sell well at this event? And you get to sleep in your own bed? Do you have an established clientele who keep coming back to find you? How many shows a year do you do in Atlanta. Is it a large enough city that the patrons stick to their own neighborhoods to shop like they do in Chicago or Detroit? so you meet different socioeconomic groups as you exhibit at different events?
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