This was my 3rd year at this festival. It is a local show for me. My medium is photography/digital art.
The show was run very well by an art association. Close parking, easy setup, indoor bathrooms. Very friendly, accommodating staff. The show is kept small, so that everybody has a chance to sell. For the most part this is a middle-income conservative crowd.
The show only had one judge, which I dislike, but he spent time in every booth and actually read artist statements. He was very stoic during judging, so you had no idea if he liked your work or not. The best of show winner, Jeff Eckert, was totally floored when he found he won. Could not have happened to a better person.
Weather was great on Saturday, with record crowds, but few packages in hand. When I did see bags, they were usually small bags. Mostly low-ticket items sold. The person beside me had people lined up all day buying his $5 hand-carved acrylic key chains and other small items, which he personalized on the spot for free. His larger, higher-priced pieces did not sell as well. The painter beside me sold several originals, which he was selling at prices that photographers sell their work. People could not pass up large original paintings of seascapes and such for $300. Another painter did sell a large expensive piece. Most of us just hoped to make expenses.
Sunday’s weather killed the rest of the show for most of us. The rain spit of and on in the morning and poured by the afternoon. The few people who were there were mostly carrying packages. Two photographers actually had a better Sunday. Their “be backs” were back and bought from the wall. I will be doing another local show this coming weekend, so people that might have been back might be back this weekend in Lake Wales, but I will not hold my breath. Rain is in the forecast again.
I ended up making what I did last year with an essentially one-day show due to the weather. My expenses were easily covered, but I live about 40 minutes from Winter Haven. My photography is abstract, so it is a harder sell than traditional photography. I believe representational work does work better here. The two photographers that I know of that did very well were excellent wildlife and landscape photographers.
It is a nice show, but I would not drive a long distance for it. If you live within a 2-3 hours it would be pleasant inexpensive one to do.
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June 26-29, 2009
35th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival
Downtown Omaha, NE
135 Artists
Deadline: January 20, 2009
You are cordially invited to Omaha to be a part of one of the most vibrant art festivals in the Midwest. Located downtown alongside a beautiful park, the award-winning Summer Arts Festival draws a diverse crowd of 80,000 people for a weekend of great music, tasty food, children's activities and, most importantly, wonderful visual arts!
Here's the rest of the story:
Festival patrons enjoy browsing and buying an eclectic mix of functional and non-functional pieces by 135 artists in 14 media categories. High-quality work in the $50 to $300 range tends to sell most frequently, but, of course, higher priced artwork does not go unnoticed (or un-purchased) by Omaha's fair share of art-lovers.
The mission of the Festival is to present a variety of high quality arts programs and exhibits in downtown Omaha for the general public to enjoy and appreciate.
"Sales are great!" one artist said succinctly. "The way artists are treated is truly excellent."
What to expect:
- $2500 in cash awards
- Exceptional hospitality and concierge services that are a step above the rest
- Discount hotel rates
- Artists' Awards Brunch on Saturday and an Artists' Meeting on Sunday with continental breakfast; complimentary snacks and beverages
- An air-conditioned lounge with indoor restrooms, booth sitters, water delivery, overnight indoor storage
- 24-hour security
- Electricity and reserved parking available for an additional fee
- Substantial festival marketing and media coverage
"[The Omaha Summer Arts Festival] is my favorite show to do; and [the] treatment of artists is the best!" said one
artist. "Not many shows do anything for artists anymore-it is very important to us."
The Omaha Summer Arts Festival needs to jury approximately one third of its 135 artists booth, plus its waitlist, with quality artists, even though the Festival invited back most of its artists from 2008 due to a severe storm that hit during the Festival.
Interested artists may visit 
One of a Kind Wholesale Show™ NYC
January 24-27, 2009
Jury Deadline: December 1st
The One of a Kind Wholesale Show NYC provides an exclusive opportunity for high quality artists and artisans to bring their works to independent retailers that differentiate themselves by offering one-of-a-kind product!
One of a Kind artists, artisans and designers who sell wholesale - we invite you to apply!
The perfect opportunity for artists who sell wholesale just got even better! In support of the art community, we have lowered our price to $1500 per standard 100 square foot booth. Apply now to take advantage of this incredible opportunity!
Be a part of the show and:
* Leverage The New York Gift Week which draws 45,000 top buyers of gift and home décor
* Exhibit within 7W New York, New York's premier high-design and style center for the nation's buyers of elegant
home décor, textile, tabletop, decorative accessories and giftware
* Access an elite audience of designers and buyers from galleries, museum shops, high-end specialty stores and
boutiques
* Immerse yourself in the New York City marketplace - the world's center for culture, fashion and trends
* Participate in an exciting new wholesale show concept under the One of a Kind Show brand
All applications will be juried by a selection committee.
Please apply by December 1, 2008, by going to:
From the Pittsburgh Business Times today:
"The 50th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival will be a 10-day affair, instead of the nearly three-week event of years past.
“In response to feedback from participating artists and audiences, we have decided to change the festival to a new 10-day format,” J. Kevin McMahon, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said in a statement. “Given our planning timeline and current budget, the concentrated period will allow us to focus on ensuring the quality of the programming.”
The festival will be held from June 5 to 14. It will include an Artists Market, live outdoor concerts and events for children.
McMahon said he expects attendance to be robust regardless of the shortened length of the festival. Past attendance estimates have ranged from 400,000 to 600,000 people."
This is an interesting development. In the past the event lasted for 21 days with three shifts of artists exhibiting their work, one group for each week. This seems to me like a good way to revitalize the event, albeit making a more challenging application for the artists.
What do you think? Is this a good thing for artists? for Pittsburgh? Let me hear from you.
