You know that a town is committed to a show's longevity when you arrive at your booth space for setup and see your booth number stenciled permanently on the curb.
But after two days, only eight buyers, and under $1000 gross to show for it, I can't help wondering if the locals look at it the same way.
Or maybe, given the town's decided "back to the Sixties" vibe (think Key West, but without the bar scene, cross-dressers, and roosters), folks who attended were looking for 1960s prices, too.
Whatever the case, this show really has me torn: I loved the laid-back atmosphere, beautiful scenery, Old Florida architecture, fun restaurants, and expansive waterfront views. A week's vacation here would be heaven on earth. But, at least this year, it was challenging to make money at this show.
The event has an impressive history--next year's event will be its 50th. Although the area surrounding Cedar Key is largely agricultural, the town itself is a tourist mecca; Gainesville (home of the U of Florida) is a straight-shot 70 minutes away, and I spoke with folks who'd come from far-flung environs like Jacksonville (2.5 hours) and Baton Rouge, LA (9 hours). And as befitting its long history as an artist colony, the artist amenities are excellent, with breakfasts both days, an awards dinner Saturday night, active and helpful boothsitters, and some really fine art. In an effort to engage the community, attendees got sheets filled with "heart stickers", and they were encouraged to slap a sticker under the booth sign of each artist they favored. (Personally, I was tempted to write underneath: "KIDS: Show me your stickers! GROWNUPS: Show me your $100s!" But maybe that's just me.)
The show expanded from about 110 artists to 150 this year, and in this area of relatively low income and low population, that's slicing the potential pie a little thin. The show had a heavy concentration of 2-D artists, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering that the area is a painter's paradise. But a very high percentage of the 2-D was photography: at the south end of the show, it seemed like there was a shooter about every third booth.
The weather was sunny and warm on Saturday, and there was a fleeting "buying vibe": I made four quick, small sales in the first hour, and the most of the artists I spoke with at the awards dinner got off to fast starts as well. But although the crowds continued to swarm the show until around 3 PM, there was very little art being carried around after noontime.
Sunday brought cloudy, threatening skies, and although the forecast deluge didn't hit until late afternoon, the crowds never materialized. I'll give immense credit to the show organizers, though, who continually came by with forecast updates and gave us about a two-hour heads-up that they were going to close the show at 4 PM. And then, when the first rumble of thunder was heard at 3:30, they quickly let us know we could start packing immediately.
The storm hit with a vengeance about 4 PM, and the half hour of packing enabled nearly everyone to get their art under shelter, or into their vehicle, before the deluge. Most of us knocked down our tents during lulls in the action; nearly everyone was on the road by 6 or 6:30.
The sporadic nature of load-out gave me lots of time to survey the participants, and sad to say, very few did well (though, as always, there were a couple of exceptions).
However, this show has a long history of support from the town, locals, and tourists alike, so there's a possibility that 2013 represented a one-year blip on the radar.
I hope the director (new this year) reconsiders the possibility of enlarging the show even more next year and ratchets it back to 110 artists, which would go a long way toward cleaning out the buy/sell that snuck in this year and give those remaining a chance at a few more sales. In addition, next year's show (scheduled for April 12-13, 2014) falls on the weekend before Easter, not the weekend after--meaning that there will be lots more snowbirds and tourists filling the Cedar Key hotels. No matter how much the locals love the show, we artists could use a little outside help to fill the coffers.
Comments
Jill, are you a show director trying to figure out how to "prove" a buy/sell person?
The ONE in question sold a lot of product. He was accused of importing his knives from china. people said they saw the boxes arriving at the hotels he's stayed at.
So I looked at his application and yes, there was the knife there -- in a lovely presentation box. Now he may have had the presentation box at his booth but I doubt he sold many. But knives, oh he sold and sold. That's what upset the other artists. Everyone bought one it seemed.
(and robbed the other artists of the available pocket money ... really? Maybe people have enough paintings and now have moved onto art in the kitchen and yard - oh, yeah, "yard art" was a big upset, too. As if art only belongs on walls or on mahogany)
Then I called him. Told him of the accusation. He said he was used to this now - but he makes his knives himself out of American wood - on a design he created - and now sees copied - and he mailed me photos of him working in his shop on the knives (dated 2007 and 2010). And he used a reference of another wood guy in our show who does many shows with him - who makes wooden spoons and such. I have not yet talked to his reference but I plan to. Now what's a jury to do? Now one of my jurors - a very high end guy - suspected a photographer being buy-sell and called him up. The photographer was very grateful because he knew of the accusations but no one ever called him before. He then went into great detail about his wife, who is from Thailand and where he goes to get such photographs etc, etc. My Juror was very impressed (and he's an accomplished mature artist with world wide renoun.) In another instance, he suspected buy-sell - and again, called up the guy and had the background to ask the questions that the artist would know if they were doing their own work. So having that knowledge base in your back pocket is a good thing. He also spoke about the cost of items being a give away of buy-sell - as he knows what foundry works cost.
BTW - there were also accusations about being "one step away from buy-sell" particularly a jeweler who made magnificent creations out of vintage jewelry and recycled items. Her creativity was amazing and the crowd loved it. Why is she one step away? Who among us actually creates everything that goes into our art? What actually is art? An expression? An inspiration? When I ask 10 people what is fine art - I get 20 different answers - so the parameters we have been using is that it is hand made. I don't believe that requires painters to hand make their canvas, paint and brushes - but that is the strict definition.
We certainly don't want buy-sell. ONLY those two references were made to me or my committee the entire weekend. So I'm very disheartened to hear this backspeak and rumor mongering post show. We have to look and investigate and follow through - and ultimately we have to go on our instinct - so there is no one determining methodology - but there is the willingness to have the conversation with eyes and ears open.
I'm curious how you determined an artist was not buy/sell. You say "However - the most important response we want to say is that there was NOT a lot of Buy Sell at the Cedar Key show and anyone saying so is slandering us. I've heard a lot of accusations but not one shred of FACT. When I followed through with the accused artist - they proved their case they were not buy sell" You also noted at least 5 survey respondents noted a buy/sell issue. So were they all complaining about the same one artist, or were they multiples? Your response seems to indicate there was only one.
How exactly did this artist prove their case and what did your investigation entail? We struggle with this, wanting to keep an open mind and maintain an innocent until proven guilty attitude toward the accused artist, yet taking the accusations seriously enough to investigate and respond to the artist that raised the issue. We have had artists offer to demonstrate, though we have never taken them up on it. And then we have had artists that seemed to have more work than they could seemingly produce, yet production is not necessarily the smoking gun. What is the smoking gun? Does it have to be an import invoice? What exactly did you look at when you say they proved their case? Did they say "No, I'm not and I'm not because I say I'm not" and that was good enough for you? I know you probably don't want to offer advice on how to get away with potential fraudulent activity, so if you don't want to reveal your determining methodology publicly, send me a private message. I need your advice on what to look for, what questions to ask, what answers to accept. Thanks.
Dear Artists: News from the backroom. Below is the survey of the artists at the cedar key 2013 show.
As you will see, we heard you on the size of the show and plan to reduce it. However, the assumption we are making money off the artist fees is erroneous. Even at the increased number of booths - most of the booth fee goes directly to the prize money and a base (very little) for the coordinator. Then we have to raise all the money for the requiements to put on a show, including a hefty advertising campaign stretching out to jacksonville and down to Tampa. Because of our location, we have to work ever harder to attract the audience who buy art - and especially with the plethora of art shows everywhere! We work hard not to be a "seafood festival" where anyone with $50 can get a booth. But I also wonder if the traditional fine art show approach is the way to go given our locale. We might be better served to find a niche angle and build on that. Right now, however, the Art Center continues to focus on juried fine art. Those of you there know the Weather did us no favors on Sunday. The word on the street from the audience has continued to come in positive - they loved the range and diversity and size of the show. People were buying. OFCA is not a high roller show and never has been. That some artists did well and others did not may seem to have more to do with the product offered. We also agree the town needs to do better in accommodating the artists but we do not control that...yet. However - the most important response we want to say is that there was NOT a lot of Buy Sell at the Cedar Key show and anyone saying so is slandering us. I've heard a lot of accusations but not one shred of FACT. When I followed through with the accused artist - they proved their case they were not buy sell. So please, be honorable with your mouth and make sure you have facts before you slander your fellow colleagues and shows. Anyone who wants a list of our artists showing this year to ID buy-sell - please go to our website and get back to me. I want to know about real offenders. www.cedarkeyartsfestival.com Below is our actual survey and our response to it as well. I don't know how much more listening and caring we can be.
Laura Matson Hahn, Event Coordinator
2013 ARTISTS SURVEY
We petitioned the artists through the free program SURVEY MONKEY which allows 10 questions to be posed. Of our 160 artists, 60 responded, a 38% response.
ANALYSIS: While SALES and ATTENDANCE slowed on Sunday, most artists attributed it to the threat of bad weather. While 40% made less than $500, 45% made $500 to $2500, so there was money being spent. 53% were high on the satisfaction scale. 57% want a smaller show (100-140) and 56% would be willing to pay $175 Booth fees. Word of Mouth was the biggest draw to the show by 53%, which we believe is linked to an Internet generated buzz. About half the artists were first timers. About half the show stayed at Cedar Key Hotel/Motel/Condos. The top three reasons for choosing OFCA was Organization, Hospitality, Love of Cedar Key (60+% each). 40+% valued the nice visitors and good sales. Last on that list of importance was the prize money, 15%. Regarding improving the festival, 60% voted for a one-street show and multiple judges.
COMMENTS ANALYSIS
NEGATIVE:
Cultivate Art Buying Attendance (15), Smaller Show(11),
Increase Exhibitor Quality (no buy-sell) (5) Judge Issues (4-10)
POSITIVE:
Great Organization (13), Excellent Amenities and Hospitality (12),
Exceptional Volunteers (9), Loved the Heart Program (5-9)
The Feedback of the Survey and Comments provide these considerations for next year:
1. One Street Show of 120 to 140
2. Reconfigure prize money (less to one, some to more)
3. Keep Booth Fees Reasonable (no more than 175)
4. Focus in on Attracting Art Buyers
5. Ensure elimination of Buy-Sell vendors
6. Employ two or more judges
7. Keep the great organization, amenities, hospitality, volunteers and heart program.
I am a painter from Gainesville, Florida. This show in Cedar Key was my first out of town festival. I found Geoff's assessment of the festival very accurate. I did very poorly at the show and did not even come close to meeting even my booth fee, much less meeting expenses. I had decided to make the weekend a family vacation and so we rented a condo. I was only required to pay for two nights at $125/night but opted for a third night at half price to keep the room until the show was done. That way my family could still use it.
The judge did come in my booth and look at all my paintings, he did not however introduce himself.
I don't know if I will consider this show for next year. I don't know if having it the weekend right after the Gainesville Spring Arts Festival hurt sales or not. It was VERY disappointing to have my first adventure into the festival world turn out this way, but I won't let it stop me from trying again.
Excellent points, all! Thanks for participating on the blog!
Bob, I especially liked your feedback, and think that the show organizers would, too. I've already written them, and hope you do the same.
With respect to the amount of money they make off the show: I grant your point about the increase in artists, but should have mentioned in the original post that the booth fee is only $150, which is about the lowest I paid all season for a two-day show, and about half what my average fee is. If they need to make more money, I think holding the line at 110 artists and raising the booth fee ever so slightly, to $175, would accomplish that (I don't have time to do the math here, but hope everyone gets my point without dragging out the calculations to two decimal points.)
I absolutely agree that if 125 artists are advertised, that's what it should be.
Hotels in beach resorts often enforce a minimum stay rule. (The Jersey shore is notorious for this.) I'd love to see that happen, but am not holding my breath. I did the same thing as you: stayed at the Best Western, over in Chiefland, about 40 minutes' drive from the show, for about $65/night (booked through Priceline).
You are right about the judge; I didn't see him either, and no one marked the sign. It is irritating to not at least get an introduction, though I never hold out any expectation that they have a clue what I do or how I do it. ;-)
I participated in this show this year as well, for the first time. I have to agree with most of what Geoff says. I have to add that it is hard to justify a show with 161 artists in a town that has a population of less than 700. Cedar Key is in Levy County which only has 41,000 people, mostly farmers and low income people. The nearest large city to Cedar Key is Gainesville, with a population of about 120,000, about 60 miles away. It was indicated at the Saturday awards dinner that there are hopes of adding more artists next year for the 50th anniversary event, which would be a great disservice to any artist attending the show. This could be a great show, but it has to stay small to be great.
I have a rule of only applying for shows with 125 artists or less. I did not break that rule this time. After I was notified that I was accepted and had paid my entry fee, I received notification that there were going to be 161 artists. I thought I must have read the show information wrong. After hearing several other artists complain about the large increase in artists at the show, I realized that the size of the show had increased by 36 artists, which represents a 30% increase, or an extra $5400 in booth fees for the event. You would think that some of that would have found it's way back to the artists in the form of a booth fee refund or maybe adding a few extra awards, but it was simply an extra 36 artists to try to sell art to a limited number of customers at the show.
Speaking of awards, I never saw the judge in my booth. The sticker that notifies you that the judge has been-and-gone was never placed on my booth sign. One of my neighbors informed me later that the judge actually did come NEAR my booth but did not enter because there were too many people inside my tent at the time. He simply glanced in and walked past.
It's not cheap to stay in Cedar Key on the weekend of the show either. When I tried to make my reservations upon acceptance, I was informed that I would have to reserve my room for 4 days at $95 a day. There were a few places for slightly less, but all had a minimum stay of 3 or 4 days for the show weekend. So I decided to stay in Chiefland, about 30 miles away, in a nice local motel for $45 a day. It was a nice enjoyable relaxing drive and I saved $300.
So, to sum it up, I really enjoyed doing this show. I didn't make any money, simply broke even after expenses, but I had a good time anyway (except the tear down in the rain). My biggest expense was fuel since I came all the way from Nashville, TN. I do have a couple of suggestions for the show organizer.
1. If you are going to advertise the show as having 125 artists, keep it at that number. Some artists like me prefer participating in more intimate small shows.
2. If you are going to have any awards, please make it a policy to have the judge introduce herself or himself to each artist. It gives the artist the feeling that they are being acknowledged and that the judge is actually interested in the art and not just the fee for services.
3. Try to get at least a few of the local hotels, motels, B and B's, and other sleeping places to cut the artists some kind of a deal. Making us reserve a room for 3 or 4 days that we will only use for 2 days is kind of like stealing. We're not making that much money anyway and if you want us back, you have to make it worth it to us. Besides, most of us want to get home as soon as possible after a show.
4. No one ever asked for feedback. I talked to a lot of artists Sunday morning and they did have a lot to say.
Thanks for the review Geoff, sorry to hear the show wasn't too successful for you this year, hopefully the new director will take the comments on board.
I did Cedar Key last year. I agree the town went all out to make us welcome. Tony's has what must surely be the worlds best chowder. (Photo showing artist breakfast). Food at Kona Joe's was wonderful. CK is a great place to take photos. But the sales were dismal. It was the only show I did last year where I came out in the red. Looks like I made the right decision to not go there this year. I hope things turn around for their festival because I love Cedar Key and the people who live there.
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