Coconut Point (Estero FL) Feb. 12-13, 2011

As I loaded up to the van for the arduous 12-mile trek down US 41 from my home to the 5th Annual Coconut Point Art Festival, I had a little bit of anxiety.  Howard Alan's last three February Coconut Point shows had treated me well, but I'd had a brutal time at the "Fall" show in November, so I couldn't help but wonder: Was that swan dive the result of snowbirds heading north for Thanksgiving?  Or was it a sign that even winter visitors couldn't breathe life into the local SW Fla. economy? 

 

Well, not to fan the flames of the recent economic rebound buzz too much, but it sure looked like good times this weekend.  Despite cool breezy weather that had even the upper Midwesterners wearing sweaters and winter jackets, the crowds came early on Saturday and brought their wallets.  And although the buying energy seemed to fizzle a bit Sunday, the crowds were still strong into mid-afternoon.  All the artists I spoke with seemed downright happy, or at least satisfied, with their sales. 

 

Setup was all day on Friday, or starting at 6 AM on Saturday. ( Is it just me, or is Alan going out of his way to provide more Friday setups for his artists? The Hobe Sound show last week had one, too).  Anyway, it made for an easy time of it; I arrived at 1 PM Friday and was heading home to finish matting my show inventory by 2:30.  Saturday brought a steady stream of buyers and, happily, a number of repeat customers who came to take advantage of the email coupon I'd sent out on Thursday. 

Sunday brought more of the same.  I got off to a quick start when a Saturday buyer of a large canvas called to double down on his order, and another patron came in to order a wall-full of 16x20s.  But I jinxed myself, perhaps, by mentioning to Darrin Alan around 1:00 PM how well the show was going.  Although there was still plenty of traffic in the booth after that, most of them were browsing the 8x10 bins, looking for a nature photo with an not-occurring-in-nature color "to match the paint in the bathroom," or just whiling away the time before they headed to Target.  Still, the weekend's take was more than respectable, and I picked up a wholesale account at a high-end furniture chain to boot.

 

Load-out featured a controlled procedure designed to keep things orderly--one that (as Alan explained in a pre-show email) was made necessary, in part, by the complaints of mall customers at the 2010 show who got caught up in the phalanx of artist vehicles accessing the show area.  Basically, you broke down your tent entirely, then got your Purple Ribbon of Compliance from the show staff which (after you fetched your wheels from the parking lot behind the movie theatre--about a five minute walk, not so bad) would grant you passage from perimeter mall security. Finally, the show staff would direct you past the barricades. 

 

That had mixed results.  On the plus side: 

* It DID keep artists from queuing up at the barricades;

* Who says you can't get a ribbon at a Howard Alan show?

On the other hand,  for some of us there was a longer wait than seemed necessary between the time our tents were collapsed and the time staff pedaled by to hand us our "hall pass."  One or two more staffers circulating around would have helped...but all in all, it didn't go too badly. 

 

Overall, I'm tempted to say it was "like the old days."  But then,  I've been on the scene only 4 years, so I can't really say what those looked like.  This sure seemed like a weekend worth waxing nostalgic about someday, though.

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  • Here are a bunch of photos from the Naples News taken at Coconut Point: http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/galleries/2011/feb/12/coconut-poin...

    to give you an idea of the art exhibited there and the people attending...looks like a great turnout.

  • I love a Friday set up.  Setting up the trimline and pro panels,  hang the art, not to mention unloading the stuff, then having to work a whole day at a show is tough.   I set up and break down on my own, so a Saturday early morning set up is a long day, both mentally and physically. 
  • Personally, I like the Friday setups, even for out of town shows, because I'm usually checking into the hotel Friday evening anyway.  So I just leave a couple of hours earlier, then set up before I check in.  If it's a local show, it's no big deal to drive down at lunchtime and set up the tent.

     

    I've got a Trimline tent with mesh panels, and I usually can have it up and zipped tight in less than 90 minutes.  Hanging the display images and setting out the browse bins takes me another 60-90, so it's nice to have the option of splitting the tasks between Fri and Sat if I want. 

  • Just a couple of points about early morning set-ups (not the point of this thread I know!)  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I'm not at all an early morning person, but once you gear up for it, it can work well.  A separate set-up day adds an additional day to the show and to have a show take up only 2 days of your life is nice.  It's also one less night for your booth and work to be out there in the elements.  Specific to Howard Alan shows, I don't think it's a matter of Howard Alan allowing prior day set-up - he allows it wherever possible - it's a matter of the venue allowing it.
  • Solid report, Geoff. Thanks so much. Decent sales for you and some good contacts -- even better. I am almost getting excited about the continuing thread of people making money.

    Good for the Alans, allowing Friday night setup. I'm sure it is a hassle for some locations but we stopped doing their shows because we didn't want to be on the street in the dark in the mornings setting up. This is a good move on their part as I know we weren't the only ones who didn't like this.

  • Thanks, Melanie...I'd heard the same at Hobe Sound.  Two great shows, I must say.  I'm staying local the next couple of weeks (Sanibel, then Naples National and Naples Mercato) before I head out on the road again.
  • Glad it went well.  Almost everyone around me at Hobe were doing this show as well. 
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