Hot, Hot, Hot! and Humid! It is coastal Maryland in June, but really! Traffic was light, very little advertising we could see ( we did see an ad in the local free paper) and $8 pp entry fees. The demographics in the area are very good, so it should have been a better attended show. Wine and local food tastings in the big cool tent where everyone hung out. Not a bad setup, but the staff was not to be found when a huge thunderstorm came thru at closing. They did learn from last year and moved the show onto the field (used to be grass) and off the black top - cooler, but very dusty and dirty. I had to buy bags of mulch to fill the big divots in my site. The show is held at the Navy stadium, not a place anyone just happens by - low visibilitiy.
Lots of very nice art and artists, but also lots of crap, obviously buy and sell. I dont belive it could have been professionally juried, but then they let me in! Perhaps too many booths to fill with not enough applicants?
This is only the second year for this show, but it made me appreciate shows run by neighborhood/business/arts organizations as opposed to shows run solely from the profit motive.
Comments
I just received a notice of deadline extension for this show's 2012 version through Greg Lawler/Art Fair Sourcbook. Before I plunked down any cash I searched for reviews of the 2011 show. Boy, am I glad I did!! Thanks to everyone for your show comments. They really make a difference.
I did this show as well for the first time. I had high hopes as the demographic and interest level in Annapolis is high. Disregarding the thunder storms I think the quality of this show was not what it should have been and was promised.
For starters let's see a professional looking logo.
I have no problem with the site. Yes it was dirty but it is the largest site within the area and may attract people also because there is a shuttle into the heart of town. The show would attract more of a croud if there was no charge or a much smaller charge.
The disregard of the staff towards the artists is another matter. There were three conflicting times that we could report on the first show day for set up and rudeness prevailed when staff was questioned about this. An offer to booth watch and offering of luke warm water happened ONCE for me on the first day and same on 2nd. Shut down time on 2nd day was conflicting-my papers said 6 but they shut down at 5. My helper did not arrive till 6. At shutdown it was absolute chaos with cars blocking isles everywhere. It should have been staggered.
My neighboring artists ALL said that they would not do the show again and several very good artists pulled out of the show before the 2nd day began (one due to gross rudeness on the part of a staff member)
I have plenty more to say but will close by saying that Annapolis deserves an upscale professional show and this is not it. The organizers failed and seem to be all about the money. (They also organized the Annapolis Food and Wine Festival and it was an absolute disaster-oversold tickets, etc). Many people asked for refunds.