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Call for Artists: Shaker Heights Art & Music Festival

Posted by Connie Mettler on April 7, 2011 at 12:00pm
                 June 18 & 19ShakerHeightslogo
                 Shaker Heights, Ohio
                 Sat. 10am-8pm
                 Sun. 11am-5pm
                 150 artists
                 Deadline:  April 18

The Shaker Heights Arts and Music Festival, formerly the CraftFair at  Hathaway Brown, is back for another successful year!  Last year, ODC, a  non-profit organization serving artists for over 45 years, joined forces  with the City of Shaker Heights and the Shaker Heights Arts Council to  create an exciting, new, community event, endorsed by the mayor of this  affluent suburb, and attended by thousands.  This year, we'll be  welcoming back the crowds with the same successful format.

ShakerHeightspicLocation:         
  • New location between the Van Aken Shopping Center and Shaker Heights Country Club, just one mile from Hathaway Brown School
  • High-visibility  paved surface in a busy shopping, dining and residential area with  ample, free parking, ATMs, restaurants and a gourmet grocery.
Event Features:
  • Free Admission
  • Live music by area bands 
  • A variety of food and drink vendors
  • Children's activities and entertainment
  • Artist demonstrations
Artist Amenities:
  • Reduced rates at nearby hotel
  • Sunday Breakfast Party
  • Complimentary beverage
  • Proximity to shops, restaurants, hotels and services
  • Booth sitters
  • Courteous, professional staff
  • Show  limited to 150 artists, selling to an elite clientele, including the  loyal Hathaway Brown audience, the Shaker Arts Council's music festival  audience, and hundreds of area shoppers
6a00e54fba8a7388330133f50cbefa970b-pi?width=177The booth fee is just $299!

Apply today! Go to ohiocraft.org to apply online or to download a paper application. For further information or assistance, call 614.486.7119
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A New Website for Us...www.CallsforArtists.com

Posted by Connie Mettler on October 28, 2010 at 8:55pm
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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40 Questions Blog Series - Question #25 - Why do I need business insurance if I already have homeowners insurance?

Posted by Michelle Sholund on July 6, 2010 at 5:21pm
40 Questions Craft Artist Blog Series – Question #25 – Why do I needbusiness insurance if I already have homeowners insurance?

Iwas one of these people who felt secure having a home based business andbelieving that it was covered under my homeowners insurance. It wasuntil I heard horror stories about studios getting flooded (during and after Hurricane Katrina), seeing firsthand neighboring craft canopies going airborne and crashing down ondisplays, and the dreadful theft issue that made me really look at whatdoes my homeowners insurance cover when it comes to my home basedbusiness. Here's what I learned that EVERYONE needs to know when itcomes to insuring your business.

Question #25 – Why do I needinsurance if I already have homeowners insurance?

First,homeowners insurance does cover some home based businesses, but I stressit is just SOME. It doesn't cover what you do away from the business –while on your way to shows, at shows, and equipment/display furnituretoo. It is one thing to have a garage sale in front of your home andsomeone accidentally injures themselves testing out a saw – here you arecovered. However, if you have a fire in your house insurance will onlycover basic stuff – furniture, computer, etc NOT your work, your rawmaterials, your display furniture and so on. Let's say you are at ashow and while you weren't looking you noticed several sets of jewelrysprouted feet and walked away. Not I am not a jewelry artist but I doknow finished jewelry precious metal pieces don't typically cost $20 orso. Your homeowners insurance won't cover it. Why you ask? It isbecause the theft didn't occur in your home.

Better to be safethan sorry. More and more shows are requesting proof of businessinsurance mostly because promoters know we are living in a lawsuit happyworld. If a customer trips in your booth and sprains their ankle, restassured they will go after the promoter and the artist to get what theycan for pain and suffering – not that we would like to think peoplewould do that. It happens and this why you can't risk loosing a ton ofmoney – when many of us artists are really on a shoe string budget,living from show paycheck to show paycheck. Customers see you as abusiness and businesses are expected to have insurance – those thatdon't, oh well, tough luck!

When it comes to finding insurance dolook into what your homeowners insurance does cover first. I learnedthat if you let your insurance company know you do run a home basedbusiness from your home you might be covered for more than just the lossof some equipment. The next thing is to look into what art/craftbusiness insurance companies are out there and compare prices and whattheir insurance covers. One popular one is RLI Insurance who advertisesin many art/craft publications. Look in show listing directories orthrough CERF's website for leads to others. Insurance, for one year,can be as low as $250 a year. There are companies that offer coveragefor one day (while at a show) which is far better than nothing at all,yet can add up to far more than $250 a year.

The point thatchanged my mind from relying on homeowners insurance and get businessinsurance is when I started selling my work in stores and adding candlesto my product lines. When there is more risk for injury (on my part orthose who receive my work after it leaves my hands) I couldn't avoidit. Granted 2D art might not hurt anyone, but it can get damaged, andthe risk goes higher for those who work with glass or pottery. All ittakes is a gusty day to knock down a display full of your precious work.Have you ever asked those who have had this happen to them, if theyhad insurance? More times than not, when I ask, they say no, butquickly realize today is the day “this” won't happen to them again. Forme, and I am sure I am sure I am not the only one, “you” will think itwill never happen to you, but all it takes is that one time to realizehow foolish it was to think that. Don't wait, but look into gettinginsurance now – you can't afford not to (especially if you find you areon a tight budget). All it takes is a wind storm to twist your canopy,theft, or someone injuring themselves to find $100 - $500 a drop in thebucket compared to the other costs that can be incurred.

Now Iam sure you have some stories about how you saw damage at a show orpersonal experiences that convinced you to get insurance. Please sharethem! The more people learn from others mistakes, the reduction insimilar mistakes will occur. Thanks for reading this long winded post,but I strongly feel it is something that needs to be talked about on amore regular basis. Have a great week everyone! Michelle Sholund,www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com
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Call for Artists: Artsfest '10 in Maryland

Posted by Connie Mettler on March 19, 2010 at 3:30am
September 18 & 19
Solomons, Maryland
Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center
In Association with the Smithsonian Institution

Saturday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
September 19, 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
150 artists (140 outside/10-12 inside)

Application deadlines:
Artists: March 31
Performers: June 30
Food Vendors: June 30
Organizations: June 30

Established in 1993, Artsfest is an annual juried arts festival organized by Annmarie Garden - a public sculpture park located in Solomons, Maryland - about an hour from the Baltimore-Washington Metro area.

Recognized as one of the top /font>outdoor arts festivals in the Mid-Atlantic region, Artsfest will bring together some of the country's most accomplished artists for a weekend of art, music, food, wine and micro brews at beautiful Annmarie Garden. Bands and entertainment acts perform
continuously throughout the Garden. Artsfest has a loyal crowd.

There are three booth areas - the Tent Circle, the lovely Wooded Path, and indoors in the award-winning Arts Building. Booth space prices range from $25 up to $150. The event is well run with great volunteers who are available to booth sit. We hope you will make Artsfest a must-do on your list of shows!

To apply download the application form: http://www.annmariegarden.org/Events/Artsfest/index.htm
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Call for Entries: Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival

Posted by Connie Mettler on March 13, 2009 at 12:30am
amish_acres_header_010208.jpg July 30 - August 2 Nappanee, IN 350 exhibitors Deadline: April 1 The 47th annual Amish Acres Festival is seeking talented artists and craftsmen to exhibit and sell their wares around the pond at Amish Acres. Amish Acres is an 80 acre farmstead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in the heart of Indiana's Amish country, Nappanee, IN. It is an historic attraction demonstrating three generations of the legacy of the family who lived here and a destination for travelers interested in learning about the Amish a way of life, a life nearly forgotten in today's fast paced world. Helpful information: * This event pulls from a wide region and includes an effective advertising and marketing plan that encircles Nappanee from Chicago to Detroit to Toledo and Indianapolis - expect visitors from a large geographic area who call this their favorite show * The readers of Sunshine Artist have selected Amish Acres as one of the 200 Best for the 10th year running, further ranking it the 7th Best Classic & Contemporary Craft Show in the Country * The American Bus Association chose Amish Acres Festival as one of its Top 100 Events in North America in 2008 for an unprecedented third time (2005, 2006 & 2008) * New this year: a partnership with a national pharmacy chain in our and surrounding 5 state region for Art Festival promotion amish.jpgNote from Jenni Wysong, organizer of the event: I have proactively created an Exhibitor Stimulus Package with 10% reduced fees and increased artist benefits to effect each exhibitor right in their pocketbook. I want to show them we are supporting them for our shared future health. See page 4 of the application for the details. Expect authentic Hoosier hospitality that includes: * free accessible parking * electricity * no jury fee * exhibitor discounts on hotels, theatre tickets, food and drink * $10,000 in cash awards * 60,000+ is the expected attendance based on previous years A casual family oriented atmosphere abounds as Amish Acres remains a family run business. The Festival was started in l961 and is still owned by the same family, on to its second generation of management now. There are many activities on this historic farm but the Art and Crafts Festival is a singular event and eagerly awaited by past exhibitors and patrons. Visit the website to learn more about Amish Acres and to download an application: www.amishacres.com
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call for artist

Posted by david therriault on December 18, 2008 at 12:30pm
I am hoping to start a art fair, show and sale at my retail gardenshop in maryland. we have been in business 20 years at this location and i was hopeing to gather artist that would attract more attention to this countryside location. I am a stone sculpture and would like more exposure for my work .Any suggestions on how to begin this process would be helpfull. how do i find artist to attend and how do i promote it?
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our paintout in October

Posted by Sarah A. (Sally) Hedges on March 22, 2009 at 6:00pm
Hi We have a small gallery in Martinsville, IN and are having a paintout with some great prizes if anyone interested here is info and registration.50th Anniversary Fall Folliage Festival Paint OutSponsored by ArtWorks, Art League and Arts CouncilOctober 3, 2009This contest is open to artists of all ages, whether amateur or professional. Using their own supplies, participants create original artwork in any medium listed below. The entry fee is $25.00 for adults, payable before September 15, 2009 . Children 12 & Under, and Age 13 to 16, may enter free of charge. All artists, whatever their age, must pre-register to participate. monetary awards and ribbons are as follows, 1st place $200.00, 2nd place $175.00, 3rd place $125.00, in each category. One Best of Show overall, $500.00. Prizes are donated by local merchants.NO ONE MAY REGISTER THE DAY OF THE CONTEST. The contest will be held, rain or shine. If the contest is cancelled for reasons beyond our control, registration fees will not be refunded, but may be applied to the next scheduled painting event, the 50th Anniversary Fall Foliage Festival paint out is October 3, 2009.CONTEST GUIDELINESRegister before September 15, 2009 using the form below.This form is NOT an electronic registration. In order to register, you must print the form, filling out the information completely, and mail or bring in form to ArtWorks with payment of the registration fee.1. Upon arrival (at ArtWorks 147 N. Jefferson), artists must check-in and have their pads/canvasses, etc. stamped before beginning work. Canvasses may be prepped but otherwise must be blank. UNSTAMPED WORK WILL NOT BE JUDGED.2. Adult entries are divided by media. Artists may register in multiple categories and may create more than one work, but may SUBMIT ONLY ONE WORK FOR JUDGING.Children judged by age group.3. Artists provide their own easels for displaying their work for the judges. Work should not be signed, framed or matted for judging.4. All artwork submitted must be original, and must be done outside between 7am and 2pm. All art must be done in or around Martinsville. All work submitted must be created the day of the contest.5. Artwork to be turned in for judging by 2pm. Judging from 2:15 until 3:30.The award ceremony will begin between 3:30pm and 4:00pm.6. Failure to honor contest guidelines or follow ArtWorks directives may disqualify an artist from participating in the judging.Participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Drinks and snackProvided.REGISTRATION FORMName _______________________________________________Address______________________________________________City,State, Zip_________________________________________Email:_______________________________________________Phone______________________________Fee paid$_____________Registration Fee is $25.00 for adults, children and 13-16 free.Check or money order should be made payable to ArtWorks of Martinsville Registration fees are not refundable.Please Check Appropriate Category of Entry:_____Adult/Oil _____Adult/Acrylic____ Adult/Watercolor____ Adult/Pastel____Child 12 & Under (any media) _____Teen 13-16 (any media)Mail completed registration form and fee, if applicable, to:ArtWorks of Martinsville147 N. Jefferson St.Martinsville, IN 46151765-342-2320
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