Not a festival, not a happy place, not a fine art show...This was my first official show. It was small but smaller than expected. Matter of fact the promoter and another promoter are at odds because said promoter #2 was kicked off the team of Promoter#1. It seems the Fine artist of this show that got the memo moved over to Promoter #2's show. I had talked to promoter #2 and I was accepted but opt out of her show because she didn't want me to bring my nudes to the show. By the way most of my nudes aren't nude(long story) anyway so I stayed at Promoter #1 which was enlightening. 

I set up for the first time and just thought maybe I was there early, we we told we could set up at 10 am. I got there at 2pm. Yes my husband and I saw only 4 other booths up before ourselves. I set up in the wrong place and had to move my booth. How did this happen? I looked at the number wrong and there was no one to ask questions to. So I re set up. By 6:30 there were about 8 booths set up, and 7pm was suppose to be the deadline for setting up. Free booze and food that night at 8pm so I showed up with my hubby.

More people now had set up but there were only 11 people at the Artist opening, I'm not much of a drinker but at that point I managed to down 3 Corona beers and some of my husbands drinks. The map online indicates spaces for 94 artists. Once I received my map for the show it indicated 50. By the time of the show there were 32 booths filled but not all were artist. Some were timeshares, buy sell, crafts and that sort of thing. There were 12 Fine Artist and really not in my opinion there were 3. Mine was the most professional booth. How does that happen when it's your first show?

I had lots of people wanting to know where I get my ideas, if I take drugs (NO) and if my photos on my website were clear enough so other artist could copy my work. RUDE.

I broke 2 of my sculptures and lost it on a woman talking on a cell phone who picked up one of my sculptures by the head. I turned from pleasant sweetie to rabid dog B in 5 seconds. I shooed dogs away, concerned just one leg lifting would send my husband into a fit. No peeing on the pedestals.  

I sold $25.00 worth that day and it cost me about 3000.00 if I cant fix my sculptures. In actual money out it cost me about 900.00.

Day 2 the Forest caught on fire so 2 hours into the show I began to pack up slowly, since campsites were evacuated and people were either watching the fire or fleeing for their life. Last year apparently there was an earthquake instead! 

So I look at what I learned.

  1. If you get right into a show without an effort, ask why.
  2. I was able to set a goal to get ready for a show and I made the goal.
  3. I set up and learned about anything that might go wrong. I should change my banners and get an easier website address. Now I know why I needed in my list a fire extinguisher. I need to find a new way to move my sculptures.
  4. I learned how to use square for credit cards.
  5. I talked to many people that I feel I really connected with.

I had people come to the show. One my mother which means she also brought her husband. Which means next time come up with another way for them to visit cause there is not enough room for visitors and what people talk about that are visitors can make me look bad. Politics, Race, Other People. Uggh I had to tell them to shut it.

Also, by husband has a man he is doing a lot of construction work for and he told this guy, his wife and him knew the show wasn't what I said it would be and they felt sorry for me. I was a little embarrassed, they traveled 2 hours to get there and stayed over night. They bought us an expensive dinner. All this time I was trying to be positive.

So I found out at least the promoter will yell at the vendors and cuss them out. The promoter wanted us to not start packing until the end of the show at 4pm.  I never asked his permission.

I am like the animals, when the forest is on fire I flee the forest. I was calm and began to slowly pack small things. One other woman moved her truck closer.

The promoter yelled and screamed carried on like a banshee. The woman was selling candles in the sun of 100 plus degrees. No customers in sight. She yelled back. She wasn't trying to leave, she was by herself and wanted to be able to leave quickly at the right time, so she moved her truck closer. My independent self openly with a smile began to pack quickly. That was it for me. Why do people ask permission? Why hide it, why be subtle? for who?

The Promoter might have a nice part to him but I didn't experience it. When I made it obvious I was leaving he walked past taking notes. One artist asked me if I was leaving I said no, I was packing and it takes me a long time. The stores around us had already been told to volunteer to close early. I said I was a free individual who doesn't ask permission. That artist sat until then end. Yes I was still wrapping my sculptures and I could see the flames.

George my husband said the man who bought our dinner was stuck in traffic trying to get down the mountain. We got finished just in time to cruise without fighting traffic. We could see the flames above the tree line and the fire helicopters were diving down to scoop water next to us in the Lake where the festival was. Definitely something to remember.

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  • OMG! I was scared for you after reading the first paragraph and it went downhill from there! (I know you were there.) This business has a HUGE learning curve. Because what works for one won't for someone else. Best of luck to you. You have already had your bad luck all at once!

  • Hey Connie thanks, I finally won something:)

  • Its funny now but, there was an artist that lives up there and she said "my goodness it's like the Titanic. The music is playing in the background." Yes the musicians where still playing.:)

  • Kara, If I was close enough to see flames I would have wanted to be out of there.  Fire is scary.  I would think the police and fire departments would have wanted to clear any extra people away from the area, too.  Who goes to an art show with flames leaping up past the trees? 

    You might want to leave a review at www.ArtShowReviews.com to alert others who may get caught up in that show.  That will also give you a chance to look that site over.  Many artists use that site to check out shows they never heard of or haven't done before.  It can save you a boat load of grief.

    Your next show has to be way better than this one.

  • hilarious, the security. I forgot to mention set up night before the show started  Yes one poor woman had some of her clothes stolen over night and $10 from her booth. she had hidden money in a plastic container under a table inside a duffle bag they left the plastic container, and 3 dresses stolen off her display. Someone had time to do all that when there were only 32 tents and the artist party was that night at 9pm. Security only had to watch for 11 hours before people came to the show the next day. She reported it but she got no response.

  • By the way Aeon you were at Promoter 2's show there is another one of hers on the 5th-7th of September called Art on the Corner, you see Promoter #1 calls his Art on the Lake.

  • My show Aeon was August 22-23 so that would explain not seeing the fire on July 4th.

  • Yes, I really have hidden myself for years in my home and have been sculpting. So to get out and find every walk of life type person seemed to like my art was refreshing. I met rich , poor and in between people. I received many nice words and good vives from people. All on Saturday before the fire. I really did come back the next day thinking all I needed was one good sale. Big Bear Ca.

  • Jeez, where is this show located so I can avoid it, earthquakes, fires, oh my! Despite the difficulties sounds like you got a lot of positive out of it!

  • Was this the 4th of July show?

    I was in Big Bear at the 4th of July show (don't remember a fire) and it seemed like there were two separate shows going on in town.  And I sympathize about what I would consider "fine art" at the one I attended.  This show was actually one of the major reasons I have decided to begin attending art festivals as a vendor - the photography (my medium) that I saw was not what I would consider fine art and I feel that my stuff was better than what was on display.  it was a great help for me to make the leap when I watched people come up to the one photographer and give him compliments on his blurry photos!  I learned much that day... especially, there's a buyer for every piece of art out there.

    Big Bear - maybe I'll see you there next year?  

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