Just returned from a super show in Rochester Hills, MI… the weather was so-so and the buying crowds were out in small numbers…The Paint Creek Center for the Arts staff and crew really did their jobs… all of the artists around us seemed to do fair to middling well with one glass artist doing much better than "well". The painter next to them said that she was told they did $15,000 on Saturday and $15,000 on Sunday. Of course the painter is French and has trouble with zeros, so it may have been $1500. Actually, I bet it was closer to $150. Still, not a bad take. And the painter had a couple of big sales on Friday night.
The rain pretty much held off after the Thursday afternoon setup, and the Friday night open was downright steamy. A few folks made money Friday night (the aforementioned painter), but most just sat around whining and snivelling about the lack of sales. Saturday was good for me, Sunday not so many sales. I did a couple of deliveries on Monday, to people that had come to Arts, Beats and Eats and followed up with me at the show in Rochester.
And to make matters worse, I won an award, which came with a big check, which is something you can expect if you show up five years in a row, and have great stuff, like I do. I was happy to stand up on the stage with the other winners (7 in all) and accept my kudos with grace and honor. They like me, really they do.
Even without the awards, I like this show. I'm local, which helps. No travel costs, no gas. Just show up, set up and sell. It's a pleasant venue, usually cooler weather, and a nice stroll through the trees in the Rochester Municipal Park. Booth fee is reasonable ($300), and they have great pie. But many artists say that the show has been slipping over the years, and a lot of buy/sell has crept in. There were three or four of those "alphabet" photographers. You know, assemble your name out of pictures of not-so-interesting architectural elements. More than one kids puzzle maker, too. Joy Taraweiscz is the original, she's been next to me for several years. There were some good jewelers: Trisko was there, as were Marc & Wendy Zoschke. Luciano was there, in his usual spot. And Dog Remien was there, too, texting me in full detail things I just didn't want to know. Dog's a good friend, though, so it was ok. We share.
This show has good potential. The locals do come out, they love it, they love the relaxed atmostphere, and they do buy. Occasionally. My average transaction was up this year, but number of customers lower. People with cash are still spending it. Occasionally. I think if some of the good national artists would come back to the show, they'd be pleasantly surprised. Besides, there's good pie. It's hard to build a show when the only folks that apply are local or buy/sell.
And I heard lots of whining and snivelling. Personally, I'm quite fond of snivelling, myself. I do it all the time to clear my nostrils. I do get a lot of snot up there, and snivelling helps to… Wait, what's that you say? Snuffling, not snivelling? Never mind… Did I mention that they have apples and pie for sale? This is really more of a vegetarian show, but they do have a nice pulled pork sandwich. But mostly apples. I guess that's why they call it Art & Apples.
Comments
As far as publishing your schedule online,it's a necessary evil. If you just send postcards to your guest list, what if a thief signed up to get notifications of upcoming shows? Seriously, the more people you reach, the more opportunities you have to make a sale. Everyone you meet at a show is a stranger, and they all know you're not at home. People who work 9-5 have the same problem. They leave the house five days a week on a regular schedule. Think about it.
I do see PCCAs reasoning behind expanding the show. But I think it would be just as nice (better?) if it were a bit scaled down w/a better filter, IMO.
I hear what you're saying Ruth - I sell OOAK and have a shop on Etsy. I see both sides of your statement - I feel there's a definite market on there for unique items, but then again, I feel like my sales would be so much better if someone could pick up/touch my stuff. (I'm actually doing my first craft show this year so we'll see how it goes!) I just would never give up an online presence b/c like Connie said, you want to be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. It just seems crazy not to be online in this "day and age".
"Which come first, better artist, or better customers?"
FIRST, comes the show organizers, in this cast PCCA, having the right priorities. They doubled the size of the show and let quality be an afterthought in a short sited attempt to generate more money for their organization. PCCA is an arts organization by the way-- any irony here?
It's hard to turn it around once it's allowed to go south.
Oh I know. And you're right, that's a risk to take. I do buy an occasional item like that - fall in love, OOAK, have to have it. But my pockets don't usually run that deep. :) I generally just love an artist's style. And would like any number of pieces by them. My point was more that there's a huge market online that these artists are missing out on. And that low sales don't always mean that no sales will occur b/c of the show. I plan on purchasing a few things I saw that day (including some jewelry and some photography).
We did, however, buy a few pies that day. MmmmmmMMMM!!
Speaking as a customer: I enjoy this show as it's local for me and I feel like there's a great mix of talented and interesting artists. I don't do ABE b/c it's just plain too insane down there for my tastes - I don't care about the "eats" or the "beats" - just want a nice art show. So Arts and Apples is the one we tend to go to.
I agree that it's a bit large. If they could cut out some of the not-so-great sellers and limit the number of repeat stuff (like the alphabet photographers and kids puzzle people, etc. as was mentioned) I think it could be a lot better.
Again, speaking as a customer - and maybe this will encourage some of those who didn't get such great sales? :) - we saw MANY artists who we truly loved, but were not prepared to buy from that day. I collected a small stack of business cards/contact info and will surely be visiting these artists' sites as the holidays get a bit closer. If there are others like me who shopped A&A - then you've still got some sales to look forward to!
(PS: Sidenote: I wish more artists had a stronger online presence. A lot of the artists I liked could easily be on Etsy, but aren't. And some artists I liked were not online at ALL! Crazy to me...I like to be able to browse at shows and come back to purchase when I'm ready.)
I have been doing Art & Apples since God was a child. I too had patrons come, who had seen and purchased at ABE and purchase again at Art & Apples. Very nice. I was next to Parker at ABE and across from him at Art & Apples.
In the old days, Art & Apples always generated well into a 5 digit income. Patrons would be lining up in your booth before the show opened. I did better at Art & Apples in 2 days than I did in 4 at Ann Arbor. Bonnie will attest to that, as she was across from me.
So what happened? Well they went from a 2 day show, to a 3 day show, they charged a gate, and doubled the size of the show. If you were a first time exhibitor, you would probably get a less than desirable space. And the best pies, made by the OPC (Older Person Commission) moved across the street to the other show. These were the kind of pies that you would remember your Grandma making.
To answer Parker's question, the better artists come first. They used to get 1,500 to 1,700 applicants. All the biggies from all over the country were applying. The show was fantastic. Can it be again? Major changes would have to occur and I'm not sure the PCCA can afford it. It would help if the better artists applied. The word would get out, more patron would attend, and the PCCA would get more of a gate.
They do have a wonderful plan for setup. You have all day on Thursday and most of the day on Friday to set up. That is great. For take down, we sip up the booth and walk into town, buy an early dinner and when we come back, most of the artists are gone.
Will I return? You bet I will.
Give the show another chance, but apply early, as they do consider application date, when assigning spaces.
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