This is my third year exhibiting at Lake Wales. It's a very pleasant show, set up in a park on the banks of a small lake. Nice old trees dripping with moss all around. Lots of room to set up and you can even leave your van parked behind your booth... very convenient. Setup is Friday afternoon. It's an easy show to do (except last year on Sunday when we got that same torrential downpour that freaked out Gasparilla).
There are some really good artists showing at this show. One reason may be the generous prize money they offer (I didn't win one). Unfortunately there are just not enough attendees, and not enough money to make this a must attend event for me.
The first two years I did this show, it was my second choice. I didn't get in to Gasparilla. This year it was also my second choice. I didn't get in to Key West. I'm from Michigan, so when I come down to Florida in the winter, I have to fill up every weekend to make the trip profitable. It's expensive to hang out in Florida waiting for that next show. I apply to multiple shows to make sure I don't have an open weekend.
Before leaving Michigan for Florida this year I had a lineup of six shows that accepted me, Ft. Myers, ArtiGras, Naples National, Lake Wales, Gasparilla and Leesburg. I put together a press release with some pictures and sent it off to a bunch of newspapers around the towns I would be exhibiting in. I also sent the same press release to the art fairs themselves. Lake Wales liked my press release so much that that made me their featured artist and ran the story I sent them on the art fair program. Nice surprise. And although many of the people who came into my booth made reference to the story, I'm wondering if it made any difference in my sales. I could be that without the story my sales would have been much less (I sold just over $1800 for the weekend).
I did well at Ft. Myers and Arti Gras, less so at Naples National, and even less at Lake Wales. I'm hoping for a comeback in Tampa for the Gasparilla show. And I don't know what to expect from Leesburg (I wasn't accepted to the Vero Beach show which was my first choice for that weekend).
It's a big risk for us Northern artists to come down here to do shows. But, what choice do we have? It's hard to find an outdoor art fair in the frozen north during the winter. But this is where the shows are, and if we want to pay the mortgage and put some food on the table we have to go for it. We just have to make enough at the shows to put money in the bank as well as pay all the travel and accommodation expenses.
Oh yeah, the weather is better here too. That's another reason to travel south.
Comments
Thanks, John...it's interesting to hear about fellow Michiganders traveling south and doing the Florida circuit, it's not for me but I do love reading about it and thinking summer in Michigan thoughts...it won't be too long now before things start to perk up here. Best of luck on the rest of your Florida shows and thanks again for sharing your review with us.
Thanks for sharing how your shows are working out so far, John. Your tale brought back memories of the one and only year I tried the Florida circuit. I wasn't doing the A-tier shows, which didn't help, but if memory serves I covered my expenses and not much else. I could look up the numbers but frankly I'd rather not know.
You're right that $1800 doesn't go as far as you'd like once you add 5 extra days of hotel expense waiting for the next show, on top of the usual booth fees, cost of materials, etc. I know that many of our friends on AFI have found a way to make it work, but I must say that the mountain of expenses and time away from the studio keeps scaring me away.
Good luck on your remaining FL shows and don't get too sunburned.
Hey John, I was suppose to be at Lake Wales last week but my husband was having health problem and I had to cancel close to the show. I have never been there before but I have to say they returned my booth fee and as you know, most of the time that doesn't happen two weeks before a show. I am sorry to hear that it wasn't as good as expected. It seems to be in a pretty affluent area and with the amount of prize money you would think.....My hopes are for a good show at Gasparilla and no rain....I hear it's going to be nice and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Well, not for nuthin', and I know what it's like to have to pay my bills, but when the Northern artists come down in droves...it's hard for us Southern artists to get in! LOL! I wish I could travel up to the Northern climes to get into shows in the hot summers here, but I'm tied to the state by family and dogs...only weekend shows for me in Florida. So, although I see your point about the risks taken on shows down here, but even us Southern artists take those same risks! I think it's wonderful that you were a featured artist at Lake Wales! And $1800 is good for many artists. Just my thoughts.