I saw the great post about Artigras and it got me thinking about the past.
I have done the show since the late 80's.
Originally, it was on RCA Victor Blvd. in West Palm Beach.
Then it moved to the PGA Gardens Mall, where it was the best it has ever been. Everybody made money there.
Then, in 1994, the McArthur Foundation sold a large parcel of land that was crucial for parking for the show. Exit the Gardens Mall and Enter Abacoa.
The show has been there 19 years. It is north of WPB and it attracts a different crowd then the Mall.
Our sales show that.
It is a paycheck. That is all I can say.
The Grove isn't exactly as it was in its heyday. So you takes your picks and live with the results.
So, I have done Abacoa 16 years. The Mall, at least nine years, and RCA twice.
Which brings me to several humerous episodes from the old days at RCA.
Back then, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson were quite the item.
Him, being a good ol' boy from Jupiter; her being some fabulous woman from another planet where certain body parts seemed to defy gravity.
They would always show up early the first day and do the Preview Stroll.
Burt would tip his hat. He'd chuckle and make smart remarks about the art. He let you know he was famous. She, just let her body do the talking.
They have both been off the scene for years now. My God! Burt's Dinner Theater is gone now.
Which brings me to the real rationale of this whole silly blog.
Somebody has to entertain you because I don't see anybody else out here doing it.
So, one time at the RCA show this glitzy couple are walking the show and buying up a storm of art from jewelers and photographers.
Heard about them before they got to me.
Saw them well before they got to me. It was hard to miss her with all the sunny reflections off her gold she was wearing.
This woman was good looking and well jeweled. She had stones and gold everywhere.
As the Pink Floyd song said, "Shine on you crazy diamond."
The guy was dressed smartly in elegant black. Nice hat, expensive belt and smart boots.
He was sure of himself.
Well, he had the good sense to buy about $750 of my images to hang in his yacht.
He pulled out his gold card and gave it to me. Noticed he had a little of a southern drawl.
His voice sounded familiar, but I could not quite place it.
I looked down on the card and it said, "Jimmy Dean."
Well, sugar, it was ol' BIg Bad John himself. This was years before he would be known as Mr. Sausage from Tennessee.
Impressed, I said," That sure is a famous name."
He looked me right in the eye and said, "Yep. Had it all my life."
He walked out of my booth with a big chuckle.
That was probably the high point of my Artigras in the last 31 years ago.
Thought you might get a chuckle out of it.
Any of you care to share info about any famous faces you have sold to at shows?
Hope you liked the story.
Comments
That is funny Margaret. Sometimes it just comes out.
Annette, you haven't run into Olivia Newton-John or Nicole Kidman at any of your Aussie shows?
This weekend at Coconut Grove, It was Sunday afternoon, by then I was tired and a bit flaky and two young people came into my booth to look. I was giving them their space and all of a sudden I looked over and blurted out "My god, You're ripped"...now understand that this coming out of a sixty two year old's mouth-was almost creepy. I swear, I never do things like that. But his arm was as wide as the leg of a buffalo-honest. The girl with him laughed, and he did too, and I turned a bright shade of crimson and apologized. I asked what he did and he said he played for the Dolphins-figures....I didn't get his name and they didn't buy anything but nevertheless, I tried to keep my inappropriate comments to myself for the rest of the show.
Very good, Geoff.
Next blog, I am going to talk about getting "Mo-ed!" It was every artists' dream back in the 80s.
Never sold to anybody famous, really...but a couple of years ago at Naples National I got busy with customers, and looked up from what I was doing when the wonderful painter of nautical scenes next to me kinda half-fell against one of the front poles, looking pale and a bit dazed.
I dropped what I was doing and ran over, thinking he was having a medical event. Before I could ask what he needed, he said to me, breathlessly, "Did you see the little lady that just left my booth?"
I shook my head no. "It was Judge Judy!" he said. "She just spent $10,000 on my two biggest paintings!" He spent the next half-hour crating things up while her husband, a very quiet, unassuming gentleman who waited patiently, out of the way of the crowds, to get his receipt.
Va -rum, va-rum--beat on my drum, baby!
Love it Nels, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous :)
No such luck down here though. The best Ive got meeting anyone famous was when I worked for an opal specialist 20 + years ago where I met some Australian olympic gold medalists, Rolf Harris and the drummer from Santana!