calls (1)

So here we go again. Back in 2004 my son Scott said "build a website, Mom. Everyone is online, or is going to be there." So, ArtFairCalendar.com was born. We (my husband Norm Darwish and I) started gathering email addresses at all of our art fairs, instead of mailing addresses. We started this website to list the juried art fairs around the country so patrons could find the good shows and the site could help bring them to the art fairs. There was no intention of this becoming a business. We wanted to enable our artist friends to continue to earn their living at the nation's art fairs.

Fast forward: 2010 - ArtFairCalendar.com is the #1 Google-rated site for "art fairs", most of the time, but always in the top three. Who would have known? Thousands visit the site daily. Nearly 19,000 people subscribe to the newsletters. The site has become an excellent vehicle for people looking for art fairs. Even artists use it!

In 2008 Scott said that social networking was the next big thing and I'd better have a site to serve all the artist subscribers to the newsletter. People were meeting in communities online and artists were a community who would like to be in touch with each other outside of the art fairs. So along came ArtFairInsiders.com. Yep, it gets good Google ratings also and we are thrilled with its growth. Thanks, guys! Who knew this would work?

Last month we launched site #3: www.CallsforArtists.com. We are building it into a site where artists can quickly find deadlines for art fairs at a glance. It is also, of course, another place where art fairs can get some notice from you. Please take a look and let us know how it looks to you. We'd really appreciate it if you would encourage art fair organizers that you know to join us there also.

How are we doing here? What do you think of the new site? What should we do next?


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