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Many, many thanks for all the pledges. This was one of our most successful pledge drives so far. I appreciate your generosity, some of you for many, many years. The art fair business thrives under its community umbrella. Sharing with one another enriches everyone. 

Here are the names drawn today in the order in which they were drawn. Everyone on this list should take look at the prize page here and make a choice and send that choice to me: info@artfaircalendar.com. Obviously the first few people will get their top choices, so the farther you are down on the list please send me at least 3 choices.

Please let me hear from you by late Sunday. If you haven't contacted me by then I'll move on to the next person. On Monday morning any prizes that have not been claimed will be given to others whose name was not drawn.

1. Virginia Barney chooses:
Carolyn Edlund's e-course, Marketing Strategies for Artists

2. Michelle Stoffan & Bernie Atkins choose: consultation with Connie Mettler

3. Donald Golden chooses: a $300 Flourish gift certificate

4. Wendy Lea chooses: the $100 Amazon gift certificate from ACTInsurance.com

5. George Ceffalio chooses: a $200 Pro Panels gift certificate

6. Linda Pudlik

7. Richard Sherer chooses: a $300 Flourish Displays gift certificate

8. Brent Coulter chooses: a $200 Pro Panels gift certificate

9. Nels Johnson chooses: $100 gift certificate good for any Red River Paper

10. Pescha Penso

11. Joyce Wathen chooses: Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, from ArtFairCalendar.com

12. Dave Grabarczyk chooses: Echo smart speaker from ArtFairInsiders.com

13. Myan Sorensen chooses: Art Fair SourceBook Pocket Edition

14. Al Scovern chooses: Sherer Saddles leather canteen from ArtShowReviews.com

15. Betty Barrett chooses: "How to Organize and Host an Art Festival" from ResultsCatalystConsulting.com

16. Kristof Socha chooses: Sterling Pendant & Earrings from DebbieStillmanJewelry.com

17. Dawn McDermid chooses: free booth space at Studio Clearance Sale, Waukesha, WI from Colin Murray

18. Jeanne Nuber

19. Bruce Mowry

20. Rebekah Fox chooses: Canopy weight set from CanopyWeights.com

21. Susan Rausch

22. Mary Toshach chooses: 3D Fitness Tracker from CallsforArtists.com

23. Roxanne Coffelt chooses: Imaging or Photography Services from BermanGraphics.com

24. Patty DeMaria chooses: Jury Image services from Larry Sanders, www.juryimage.com

25. Bridget Tremaine chooses: $200 Pro Panel gift certificate

26. Debra Facciolo chooses: 1 year advertising on ArtFairCalendar.com or ArtFairInsiders.com

27. Heidi Mandich chooses: free booth space at the Old Town Art Fair in St. Augustine from HolidayShows.com

28. Lora Yowell

29. Sandra Gross chooses: Kettle gourd by Bonnie Eastwood from ArtFairInsiders.com

30. Cindy Cherrington chooses: Wall Street Pen from Joel Lockridge, BourbonPens.com

31. Mills Riddick

(with apologies and thanks to Nels Johnson who posted this on AFI a while back):

So this is my kuleana (that is a  Hawaiian word that means a gift of the spirit) to all of you out there.  

HOPES AND DREAMS. Never give up. We are all special. Nobody can fire us, not a lot of people can feel that way. You are your own boss, nobody gets to tell you what to do. You are the supreme creators. You make the art, and in turn it helps make you. It defines who you are, it leads you on a path of good life. I don't think Elvis ever got to know how lucky he was. We do, and we are on the right side of the growing grass. Cherish these moments and thoughts. This is the moments of our lives, embrace them with fury that knows no bounds.

If you're out there doing shows you know what he is saying. Does AFI help you follow those dreams? If so, the time has come to reciprocate. Please pledge today. CLICK HERE.

We are going to start giving out prizes on May 25 and start drawing names on May 26. Make sure you are on the list. Right now we have more prizes than pledges!

Here we go again! ArtFairCalendar.com and ArtFairInsiders.com's shameless promotion asking for your help in keeping these useful sites alive and well. From May 15-May 31 we are asking for donations to our PBS/NPR style 7th Annual Pledge Drive. Will you help?

We give  you helpful information all year, we bring buyers to the art fairs and we help improve the nation's art fairs.

Did you like any of the podcasts, the videos, the friends you met here and then later at a show, the useful tips on tents, shows, booth critiques, earning a living, etc.? Sure hope so! If you did and you donate a little $$ you'll be entered in our prize drawings also. You win and we win!

Look at these prizes:

• Make your own art display & folding sales desk plans from Ernie Kleven
• Art from Debbie Stillman, John Leben, Layl McDill, Joel Lockridge, Nica Bell, this limited edition poster from Mark Loeb and the Palmer Park Art Fair & more
• an e-course from Artsy Shark; 2 website reviews from Scott Fox; framing & art supplies
  
• free booth spaces -- coast to coast from some of your favorite show organizers
• donations from Flourish.com, Show Off canopies, Larry Berman, Larry Sanders, Greg Lawler

 & 30 more ... goods and services specifically helpful to your art career

Click here to learn more

Tuesday, May 31, 6 pm ET

Emily Peklo, senior event project coordinator for the Omaha Summer Arts Festival and its fall sister-festival ARTsarben in Omaha, Nebraska, joins Connie to draw the names of 40 contributors to the 7th Annual Pledge Drive. Did you pledge? Will you be a winner?

With nearly 70 prizes donated by friends around the country everyone who pledged has at least a 1 in 3 chance of being chosen. Thank you to everyone who has built our business, who attends art fairs and buys art, to the show organizers who bring these cool cultural events to their community and to the artists who take risks every day with the financial and weather vagaries of life.

The suggested pledge is $24. The minimum prize value is $40. Pledge by 5 pm ET to be included in today's drawing. Will you do that? Click here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

After the drawing any prizes not chosen will be available on a first come, first served basis to anyone who has sent us $$. That's right, everyone has a chance to win!

THURSDAY - MAY 23 - 6 PM ET - Call in at 805-243-1338

Do you love our art fair related websites where you can

• find a show to attend
• get the inside scoop about an art fair
• stay in touch with the ups and downs of our industry
• get support for your business
• or just have a good laugh?

You are not alone! As we celebrate our 4th birthday there are nearly 10,000 members and our SEO is soaring. Thank you for making this happen.

Today's show is hosted by Connie Mettler and Internet marketing author Scott Fox. They have two missions:

1. Scott will give you 5 quick and easy tips helpful especially for artists for marketing your work online and Connie will share 5 quick and easy tips for marketing your work at the shows
    
2. Draw the names of the winners in the pledge drive
    

This will be live and we hope you will be listening to see if you are the winner of the great prizes that our friends have donated to our pledge drive, worth 1000's of $$.

Check out the prize page here: www.artfaircalendar.com/pledge-drive

AND we welcome your phone calls! 805-243-1338. Tell us your art fair stories and ask your questions. We'll have answers. We'd love to hear from you as we celebrate and shamelessly promote our art fair websites ;)

Odds in the recent Powerball lottery were 1 in 175.2M! 

Odds in winning a prize in the Birthday Party Pledge Drive are more like 1 in 3! You not only help support this website that helps you in your art fair business you are really likely to be saying soon, "Wow! I won. I never win anything!."

Some of the Prizes:

• a fabulous new TrimLine canopy from our friends at Flourish
• 20 free booth spaces from Paragon Art Festivals, Howard Alan Events, Amdur Productions, Rose Squared, ArtWorks, AFFPS (8 shows in Atlanta), Holiday Art Shows (4), American Art Marketing (2), Boulderbrook; paid jury fee from Broad Ripple (3)
• Art Fair Sourcebook (2)
• Gift cards - Amazon, Frame Destinations, Binders Art Supplies in Atlanta
• Consulting:  Larry Berman, Connie Mettler, Scott Fox (consulting on websites), Patrick Dennis
• Art supplies: frames, canvas wraps, slide & negative scanner
• Subscriptions & E-course: from ArtsyHome.com's site, a marketing course for artists from the Arts Business Institute, festival network online membership
• Donations from artists:  leather messenger bag, Honduran rosewood fountain pen, pottery, oil painting, mixed media, jewelry, knitwear, wood bowl, sculpture, photography from Allan Teger, an etsy.com shopping spree, glass, more ...

Please help support our mission to bring patrons to the art fairs - so you can continue in the lifestyle you love. Click here to learn more.

We'll be drawing names during a podcast on Thursday (May 23) at 6 pm ET. Hope you'll be listening!

No one would have guessed when we started our first art fair website nearly 10 years ago that they'd expand to five! That we'd have over 40,000 nationwide subscribers and have top Google ratings! If you're online and you love art fairs, you found your way to one of our sites and we thank you!

Have our sites and newsletters helped you

• find a new art fair in your community?
• taken you to an art fair when you are traveling and need your "art fix?"
• meet an incredible artist?
• enabled you to make your home and office a place of amazement full of wonderful one of a kind objets?
• helped you earn a living as an artist
• make some new friends?

Learn more about how you can support our art fair websites and win prizes too:   

P.S. besides this site with all its helpful information that I know you love (I see the "page views"), the prizes this year are really generous, from some of your favorite shows, artists, consultants -- and we're doing two special podcasts. The first one will be "Everything You Want to Know About Zapplication" on Wednesday May 15.

Open Letter to Art Show Staff

Dear Art Show Personnel:

Admit it, even the best most forward thinking of you from time to time get lost down the slippery slope of what the jurying process means. Often it's presented as sort of a competition, and believe me, it sure can come across feeling that way from the artist's point of view. But it is healthier for all involved to take a broader view.

As an artist who has participated in many top shows I like to think of this process less as a competition and more as a jury's own creative project; building a beautiful array of excellence. Thus those that aren't included aren't identified as less or inferior but only as better suited to a different collection. See the difference? Better yet, feel the difference?

Respectfully,

Every Artist Who's Submitted an Application to Your Show

A Puzzling Process

The buzz is beginning to be generated for this season's shows - the includes, the excludes, the who's-ins, the who's-outs.....and I just wanted to go on record as saying I handle not being selected (AKA "Being Rejected") by a jury as simply my current body of work not being the perfect piece to the puzzle they're assembling. This frees me up to stay positive about my work and eliminate any need to hold a grudge for any reason. Heck it even lets me celebrate all who do get into a show!

Here's the weird thing about me and my art, last year I was surprised by three awards in three wonderful top notch shows - and while it felt simply amazing to have been so honored, the fact is I don't get it. How can one mindfully, competently and intentionally created body of work possibly be 'judged' as better than another? Isn't this all just a matter of taste?

Oh, sure, some artists create better booth presentations, have better slides and are superior business people when it comes to packaging their ideas, but on some pure level I just can't wrap my head around Art as a Competitive pursuit!

The Real Includes - the Genuine Prizes

Besides these prizes given to me presumably by my peers, I don't think there's any way I can plan nor prepare to repeat any of those this year. You know what winning situations I am looking forward to recreating this summer though? The ones where children came into my booth and spent their own birthday money on an actual piece of art. Yep, happened two times. I wrote about it here.

How do You Philosophize the Jurying Process?

I, and anyone who reads this post, would love to hear your thoughts on this too. I know there's a treasure trove of thoughts and ideas embodied by the various users throughout this site; I'm looking forward to reading some alternate views!

Wouldn't it be nice to do a show where the booth fee was free? AFI has friends at many shows and as part of our Pledge drive a bunch of show organizers have stepped forward to give away a booth at

Howard Alan Events across the nation, Paragon Art Festivals from Maine to Texas, Rose Squared Productions in New Jersey, Mount Clemens Art Fair in Michigan (soon!), ArtWorks - 2 events in Wisconsin.

How are we going to do this? We are taking pledges, starting at $12, the participants names get added to a spreadsheet and we are going to do a random drawing starting Wednesday (5/23) at 6 pm. We won't assign prizes but we'll let people choose their own prize starting with the first name drawn.

Be listening to hear if you are the winner.

Here are the rest of the prizes (click on the images for more info):

Table Top Easel                 Watercolor Carrying Box        Ear Climberz Earrings    Press Release         Retro Headband

Spiral Pearl Earrings    Antique-style Pepper mill  $100 Amazon gift card          Fancy Bird Feeder        Robot Sculpture

Oil Giclee Print                Pedestal Display Set     Year's Membership at FNO.com  2 copies of new book    Imaging services for artists

Year's membership       Art Fair Coaching Services   Watercolor Painting  Portable Solar Charger          2 Expert Website Reviews

                                     from Connie Mettler                                                                                  from Scott Fox

Garmin GPS

Learn more about the prizes right here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Many thanks to so many of you who have pledged their support to our art fair websites. Most of our prizes are gone, but here is what is left:

1. Hand decorated cookies; oatmeal cookies from Auntie M.'s Baked Goods
2. 1 subscription to Sunshine Artist
3. Candles from BytheBayBotanicals.com from member Michelle Sholund
4. Jewelry from Lynda Keen
5. 1 Frog bag, "BuyArt", from Lynda Wallis, www.freelanceillustrations.com
6. note cards from the Anton Art Center and a one-of-a- kind tshirt: http://www.theartcenter.org/
7. t shirts from art fairs across the nation - view them here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

And the winners are:

1. Steph Mader
2. Br. Xavier Pankovits
3. Paolo DeMaria
4. Peggy Whitson
5. Linda Shields
6. Don Lake
7. Danglez
8. Terry McCray
9. Roberta Starbird
10. Nicole Moore

Please contact me: info@artfaircalendar.com to claim your prize. Tell me your three choices and include your mailing address.

Pledge now and you will be entered into drawings for great prizes, too!

You could win a new Kindle with built-in Wi-Fi, a free booth space at any Howard Alan show, a Polaroid Mobile Printer, 3 Expert Website Design Reviews, original art from our artist members, private consulting with Connie, memberships in my ClickMillionaires.com online marketing coaching community, digital imaging from Larry Berman, CDs, subscriptions and memberships, cookies and t-shirts from your favorite art fairs, and more!

Visit our website to see the entire list donated by our generous supporters.

We love the Art Fair community of artists, collectors and organizers and believe you do, too. Please take a minute now to send a friendly birthday wish and a small pledge to celebrate this birthday.

Please pledge here now!
http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

More details:  http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/pledge-drive-prizes

It surely has been fun handing out the prizes to all of you who have been such great supporters of our websites. Many thanks to all who have pledged.

Here are the prizes that are left:

1. 3 memberships to the online marketing community - if you are trying to market your art online this community is run like AFI, but it is all about BUSINESS and making money online. This is an invaluable opportunity for you to get some great advice.
2. 2 expert reviews of your website -- great advice on how to make your website work better for you!
3.  2 - baked goods from Auntie M's  (peanut brittle gone)
4. 3 subscriptions to Sunshine Artist
5. candles from Michelle Sholund
6. jewelry from Lynda Keen
7. notecards from the Mt. Clemens Art Center
8. CDs from Paul Adams & David Hoffman
9. 3 Frog Bags from Lynda Wallis
10. vintage t shirts from the top art fairs

Here is the next group of winners.

1.  Barbara Berney
2. Jetze Beers
3. Gary Willcock
4. Wendy Edwards
5. Anne Tindell
6.  Jacqueline Gomez
7. Ginny Herzog
8. Pamella Harris
9. Julie Crouse
10. Wendy Shattil

Please visit the pledge/prize page and make a choice and send it to me.  Please send three choices as someone is sure to take your first choice!

Everyone who pledged should have this "Art Star" on their own page on this website by now. If you don't let me know so I can add it.

and also, if you don't already have a "Red Dot" please send me your mailing address.

Pledges are still being taken and many thanks to you who are just now getting around to it. Your names have been added to the list for the drawings.

We'll be doing our last drawing on Friday morning, June 10, for the rest of the prizes.

Many thanks for recent pledges including: Pamella Harris, Judy Zeddies, Marilyn Troutman, Donald Dixon, Marcia Grout and Michael Ries. Your names are went into the drawing for today's winners.

Monday's drawing:

1.  Suzanne Krongold

2.  Barbara McLaughlin

3.  Susan Miller

4.  Melanie Rolfes

5.  Rush Creek

6.  Donald Dixon

7.  Barbara Nelson

8.  Michelle Wermuth

9.  Carolina Niebres

10. Frances Hurst

Please visit the Prize Page to choose your prize. Please email me (info@artfaircalendar.com) your first three choices and don't forget to include your mailing address. Do this as soon as possible please.

Prizes that have already been awarded from Friday's drawing:

1.  Dorraine Watts - Kindle

2.  Brian Bass - pottery from Sarah Silva

3.  Tahmi DeSchepper - digital services from Larry Berman

4.  Shirley Baker - weights from CanopyWeights.com

5.  Scrap Felt - subscription to Sunshine Artist

6.  Woody Smith - peanut brittle from AuntieM's

7.  Lenore Lampi - free booth space at any Howard Alan Event

8.  Barbara Johnson - polaroid mobile printer

Congratulations to them!

Everyone who pledges receives our AFI insignia bumper sticker, the "Red Dot". Please send me your mailing address so we can get these out to you.

We will be drawing names again on Wednesday morning for the remainder of the prizes. If you'd like to be included in the drawing - and you think this website is worth supporting - pledge today!

This has been a whirlwind week for us with this pledge drive and the two podcasts. Once again many thanks to all who have pledged to keep our websites alive and happy and continuing to make your art fairs more satisfying to you in every way, physically, emotionally and monetarily.

We have a bunch of prizes to award to those who pledged. We have chosen the following names using the www.Random.org site. Instead of directly awarding a specific prize will the following people please contact me and let me know their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices, as I know not everyone wants web consulting or a Kindle or some of the other prizes on the list. You can find the prizes here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

The winners are:

1. Dorraine Watts
2. Brian Bass
3. Tahmi DeSchepper
4. Shirley Baker
5. Margaret Hagopian-Slack
6. Scrap Felt
7. Woody Smith
8. Steph Mader
9. Lenore Lampi
10. Barbara Johnson

Please have your choices to me by midnight June 5.

Everyone who has pledged is receiving:

• an official Art Star on their profile page on this site (going up soon)

• a "Red Dot" bumper sticker. Please send me your mailing address so I can get those out to you.

Haven't pledged yet? Get in on the next round of prize drawings. Pledge here now.

Next prize drawing at 9 am on June 6.