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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