Recently, I did Cape Coral down on the west coast of Florida.
At the show's end this young guy, who looked vaguely familiar, stopped at my booth. He looked at it real carefully. Eye-balled my 10-foot wide aluminum trusses.
He smiled. He said, "Wow! An original Newton's Port-o-Booth."
His father was Jim Newton who made these revolutionary canopies way back in 1985. This was in Ft. Myers.
Clyde Butcher, long off the circuit and well-known as the "Ansel Adams" of swamp photography in Florida, had first commissioned Jim to make him a custom canopy.
It was a free-standing unit. Eight metal panels linked together (mesh with white covers over them) all held together with four trusses that fit on top of the panels. Good zippered sides. A zipper on front and rear for additional canopy cover. Sturdy, able to withstand winds up to 40 mph.
I bought the third one in 1986. Best investment in art I ever made. Still got it.
Here is the story of how I came to get it.
It involves old KD canopies, a wee little woman and a vicious wind storm at an art show in Miami Beach.
Read on. It is a funny story.
EARLY CANOPIES
In the good old days (like the 1970's) everybody had their own homemade canopies. There were no commercial versions yet.
I came back, fresh from Hawaii in 1979, and started doing outdoor shows.
I had pegboard panels nailed together with 1x3s. Even had an orange tarp for the roof. Gave all my photos that sepia-toned look. Even the color ones.
I remember coming back from the Gainesville show in the spring of 1985. I was cruising home in my Datsun station wagon. My racks were fastened on my roof. Or so I thought.
I happened to look in my rear view mirror and noticed cars behind me were juking all over the interstate--trying to avoid my panels that had flown off the roof.
Naturally, they were smashed to smithereens. The panels, thank God! not the cars.
Well, being a smart guy I built some more of them--even used 1x4s this time--and stronger bungee cords.
This was the time of the KD canopy.
They were revolutionary for us. Instant shelters. Went up in a minute. Didn't cost a lot
and we looked like professionals.
Off course there was a major down side to them as we all quickly found out.
They did not fare well in high winds. Usually crunched up easily like a bunch of aluminum cockroaches.
Also, in heavy rains, they tended to collect tons of water. Bent the hell out of the canopy. But hey, you had plenty of fresh water for coffee.
Well, I bought one.
OK. OK. By now you are saying, "What the hell happened to the little old lady?"
Well. Now I will tell you.
Many, many moons ago, in the good old days, there used to be an art show held out on Miami Beach in early December. Right on the Intercoastal. Beautiful site. Small show.
People actually used to make money at it.
I know, that is a concept that will never catch on. But we liked it while we could.
So, this one weekend there, I am setup by this wee little lady who happened to be a sculptor. She also had a KD just like me. We were two peas in the pod.
Well, there was bad weather forecast for the show. Being dumb and optimistic, we figured,"Yeah, it will hit somewhere else rather than our show."
Well, it hit us big time, early Sunday morning.
Big rolling grey clouds. Buckets of rain. and winds that strained our KDs.
I was buckled down best I could. Like everybody else there, I was holding onto to my buckling walls with each wind- burst.
Faintly, I could hear a little voice crying out in the wind.
"Help me! Somebody help me!" It was my wee little neighbor.
All 95 pounds of her wee five-foot-three self were being lifted off the ground with each wind burst.
She was holding onto the cross bars for dear life. She was sometimes three-feet off the ground.
I had heard of the" Flying Nun", but never seen the "Flying Sculptor" until now.
I quickly got five of my cohorts to grab hold of each leg of her KD. We got her unclamped, pink in the lips, and shivering like a rabid Pomeranian. It wasn't pretty.
We peeled the roof off to reduce the lift. By then her canopy was trash. And mine was going next.
We all survived. Even made a paycheck.
The next week, I trekked down to Ft. Myers and bought my Newton.
When I first showed up at the Flint Art Fair, everybody said, "Cool, Nels. Where did you get that canopy?"
Next year there were 20 people with a Newton.
Well. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
BTW. My first art show, which was in Hawaii at Waimea Falls Park in 1975, I showed up and the guy said,"Here's your spot, put your booth here.":
"Booth."
I did not know you needed one.
Naturally, being Mothers of Invention, my surfer and Army buddies dragged a picnic table into the spot.
I got rocks from the stream. I set my matted and framed images on them.
We all set around the table and on the big Igloo. We drank Olys and Greenies, and smoked big hooters.
I met two beautiful women that day, and made $15 in sales.
I was juiced.
I said,"This is what I am going to do the rest of my life."
Nowadays, I don't do art shows by waterfalls in Hawaii. But I do make a living.
I miss those hooters and the Greenies. Those were the days.
Hope you enjoyed my tale. Nels Johnson.
Comments
I think Barry is right about when Newton's port o booth became a craft hut. I purchased mine in 1981, I think they sold both units for awhile. After graduating from A-frame peg board panels with plastic drop cloths clamped to the tops for rain protection in 1973 I splurged and bought a Jenkin's crafted canopy contraption used by flea market vendors. This was big time - the original Westheimer show in Houston and some other downtown Huston shows. After being wiped out by a torrential storm at the 4th Street festival in Bloomington Indiana, I decided it was time for a better system. The potter next to me had survived very well even in 18" high water which was running down the hill through our booths. I ask about her tent and the next week ordered my craft hut. All original parts are still intact, a few pieces slightly bent and as heavy as ever. Did have to replace the main canopy but the sides and awnings are still original. We have weathered many storms, tornado warnings, and asking people to please hold onto a corner while they sheltered under my canopy during a deluge. The cooler with a jug of wine and a child in a play pen were also staples. When my son was about 8 yrs. old someone asked him why his mother was an artist. Without hesitating his reply "because she meets so many interesting people."
Cute!!
I can't believe you guys just grabbed the legs off that woman's tent, why didn't you grab her legs? She was flying away too.
The last time we did Coconut Grove they were still smoking the hooters in the parking lot there in an open van. As we were walking through someone said, "oh don't worry, it's only Norm coming through."
Our first booth was made from the parts of an outdoor gazebo that Norm fastened together in an X, so that was four panels in the middle with some across the back. Then if rain threatened we pulled a heavy sheet of visqueen over it. The following year we purchased Armstrong panels and he built a structure from poles and white plastic sheeting (no yellow ones for us as the work was already sepia-toned) to cover a 7 x 10, that was so we'd always be ready for Ann Arbor.
John, Ted Gall is still doing art fairs and his work is still impressive.
Thanks Nels.. love how you "put pictures in my mind" with your wonderful descriptions! And make me giggle too.
Oh yes, the Good Old Days! In the early '80's I had my homemade pegboard display screens and a canopy made out of plastic pipe and a dining fly. One of these days I'll have to go through my archive of booth shots, if my stomach can take it. It should be good for a few laughs.
I retired mine a few years ago. I may resurrect it if I can find parts for it. I need some side posts and some zippered walls. I still think it is better than the ones they sell today. Thicker aluminum.
John. We look forward to breakfest at Ida Reds, late May, can't wait.
Barry. You are right about the time. Here is how Porto became Craft-Hut.
The Porto had solid 10-foot long aluminum trusses. Also a fixed layout for your display panels.
Artists wanted more options. Hence the Craft Hut. Now you had PVC trusses that broke down in half. Now you had a four-post canopy and you could arrange your panels anyway you wanted. They sold like hotcakes.
I have a relic.
Probably going to be retired into OldTime ARTISTS HALL OF FAME SOMEDAY.
GOOD LUCK, BARRY.
Great story Nels - I think you need to combine all these into a book of memoirs 'on the art fair trail' :)
Loved reading your story, Nels.
My first art fair was in 1972 or 73. I exhibited in the Burton Place Art Fair (which eventually morphed into the Wells Street Art Fair). My space was at the end of an alley off of Burton Street. I showed a lot of far out techno images from my student days at the Art Institute. I hung them on canvas panels that I built myself. My wife and I partied in that alley drinking Boones Farm Apple Wine and eating natcho chips. Didn't sell a thing. All I got was a big headache. I remember being most impressed by the sculptures of Ted Galt and a guy named Berlinni who did moving sculptures.
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