I'm wondering about a sort of top-10 list of the best fine-art shows in the midwest. The ones that are really difficult to get into, but just amazing to be part of, the feather-in-your-cap shows. Any thoughts? Just to get things started, I'm sure Des Moines, IA would be on the list.
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With those parameters, I'd like to add two shows we always enjoyed for the hospitality and usually above average sales (and sometimes excellent), the Waterfront Art Fair in Charlevoix, MI, and Cain Park Art Festival in Cleveland Heights. All of the fuss about amenities pretty much originated there with the founders of that show teaching other shows how important it was to treat artists well. Many of us remember well the now deceased Audrey and Harvey Feinberg who were the impetus for lots of good things for artists.
In terms of being treated well, I would put Belleville and Salina's Smoky Hill River Festival at the top. At Smoky Hill there are loads of friendly, helpful, smiling volunteers, from load-in, throughout the show, and load-out. I have never encountered such wonderful people as at Salina. One time I was hanging my red ribbon to signify I needed a boothsitter and when I turned around from doing it, there was one standing right there! The Jimmy John's of art shows!
Jeez, thank you Kay - I don't know how I could have left out St Louis and Belleville - my two top shows EVER. I never did Madison.
I've been to shows that treated me wonderfully but ended up not being worth the gas and hotel costs (I won't name them - they could be good for someone else). If I don't make money after giving it two-three tries, I cross it off my list. A show has to fulfill the end goal of helping me make a living.
These are all great comments- I was mostly curious about those nice shows that treat the artists really well, and are enjoyable to do- the ones that you might go back to even though they might not be the biggest moneymakers.
Good point. One of the blessings and one of the problems of this business is that each show has winners and losers, meaning it may be good for you, but not for me and vice versa. Finding low cost semi-local shows where the overhead is low often returns great benefits over the show that is far away with big booth fees. The only problem with some of the smaller ones is that you can saturate your audience, but on the other hand, you might build up a fine collector base because there is time to establish a relationship.
I would say it all depends upon what you do. I've been in most of the biggies, but tout smaller shows since they have always been better for me. I've done Brookside and been an award winner there. That show is run by one of the best directors in this biz, but the show was not good for me otherwise.
I recently did gangbusters in Sioux City, Iowa's ArtSplash. A simply fabulous show for me. Committee, crowd, location, weather. Everything was perfect. Almost got too warm, but we were in the afternoon shade. Getting ready to go to sleep on Sunday night and looked at emails one last time. BINGO! Five emails from the same person wanting to buy a painting she saw at the show, the last of which was a paypal payment for the art. I called her at 8:00 the next morning and she came to hotel and we loaded it in her car. Also won Best 2-D there, a $500 prize.
I'll take a show like that over bigger more "prestigious" shows anytime. I've been in this long enough to know that a resume isn't necessary. No show ever asks for a resume. There are some that ask what other shows the artist has done, but it really doesn't matter. When you find a customer like the woman in Sioux City, IA, you know you've done your job and it's worth so much more than feeling good about getting accepted into shows that get 1,200 applications or more.
Those are ALL great. I know its not fashionable to say this, but we always did well at Ann Arbor. Krasl Art Fair in St. Joe, One of a Kind Show in Chicago ...
St. Louis Art Fair! Madison Art Fair on the Square, Belleville (Illinois) Art on the Square
Plaza Art Fair (Kansas City), Lakefront (Milwaukee), Old Town (Chicago), Lakefront (Milwaukee). Although it's not as prestigious as the Plaza, I've always liked and done very well at the Brookside Art Fair (again, Kansas City) & Des Moines. Sorry, I know that's only six.