Well I did the Plaza two weeks ago, it is always on the last weekend in Sept.
This has always been one of my biggies. I only get in once in seven years.
In 1999, this was the best art show I had ever done. Made thousands.
It still is a major show for most artists. It is hard to get in, you compete against the best in the circuit.
For me the sheen has fallen off it, for reasons I will explain.
One and most important, this has turned into a giant drinkfest with lots of loud music which gets in the way of talking to customers.
This used to be about great show for selling originaL art. Now, we are secondary to booze and music.
Show starts at 5pm on Friday with a morning setup. Goes til 10pm, on Saturday, 10am to 10 pm. Sunday, 11am to 5pm.
They gave us 12 foot square spaces, so your rear neighbor is two foot behind, close quarters.
They gave us one hour to unload and start to setup. Then go park and come back.
We bucked 20 mph winds setting up. The temps were in the 70's the first two days, then on Sunday it jumped to 92 degrees.
Just our luck, on Sunday, the NFL team had a home game starting at noon.
We had about one third the crowd of Saturday.
Friday night I mostly sold Lowend, did not clear $1500.
Saturday, was my big day. Made sales all day, but none were over $175. I also saw very few big pieces go by. Most customers had two fishbowl size cocktails in each hand. Not a lot of room for art.
Customers were mostly on the young size. Adorned in fancy shoes and outfitted with expensive satchels.
The crowd was polite and attentive. They appreciated the great art that was there.
A glass blower behind me was wrapping big pieces all show long. Winner,winner, chicken dinner.
Most people around me sold steadily. One great photographer I know, set a personal record record on Saturday. He was heading for the islands afterwards. Golden margaritas coming!
This is still a great show, but it is no longer in my top five.
This was my last time here. The setup is too hard on me. Four and half hour setups, no good.
Also this is a hard eleven hour drive. I am done with this.
For you newbies, aspire for the show, and make lots of moola.
Heading home to Florida tomorrow. Canceled my two shows for October.
So I guess I did pretty good in Kansa City.
Comments
I know this was one of your favorites, Nels, and one of your real biggies. It is hard to see a downturn in sales at favorite events, and as you well know, it happens. Sorry to hear about the party atmosphere, definitely interferes with sales ... large crowds discourage serious shoppers. This is one of the few I've heard about that did not produce good sales. I'm sure it did for some of the other folks. We roll with the odds, in one day, out the next. Your neighbor has great sales this time and you do the next time.
Straight home from KC to New Smyrna? I'd guess a trip back to Michigan to pack up. Sorry I missed you again this summer in Michigan, looks like I'll have to trek to Florida this winter. Btw, on my recent trip to Peru one of my fellow travelers was a board member of Images in NSB, cool guy. I filled him up with art fair info ...
Welcome to the Senior Citizen world. If it is too dificult or too time consuming then you stop. TO NOT LET IT INTERFER WITH GOLF OR TIME WITH ELLEN!