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Technology is relentless. The company that hosts Art Fair Insiders said it would disappear if we didn't update the site with their new software. We built this site in 2011 and it was easy to edit and stay in touch. It certainly has been helpful:

• 16,500 members from across the country in all media, pros and newbies alike sharing information
• 7100 blog posts covering every topic you can think of
• Oodles of discussions, really helpful information, including my favorite when members helped the police track down someone in Minnesota who was passing bad checks.
• Over 50 podcasts with guests who really knew their stuff.
• Friendships made and tents sold

The bad news: Change is a bitch and now you have to learn a new way to navigate the site.

The good news: Some changes have been made that should make it easier to share your information, some that you have asked for over the years.

A few the good things: 

1. Members can edit their comments in the discussions and blogs (not just us folks who run the site)
2. In the forum/discussions it is necessary to choose a category to publish your info. In the past discussions were often posted in the "wrong" categories. What works well now is that you write your article and then at the end you can choose the correct category, there is a place to click. I like that.
3. Supposedly we'll be able to give "star ratings" for the good stuff. I haven't seen this function yet, we'll see if it actually works.
4. It is easier to write "tags" for your blogs and discussions so others can find your fine work.

Not, one of the good things, because it will cause some work on your part. When you go to "My Page" it looks kind of bleak. This is your chance to be a designer ... not only can you upload an image of yourself, and we hope you do, but you can also add a large image of to show off your work or some other meaningful object to personalize it even better. Here is "My Page" ...  How do you do this? See the "options" in the upper left hand corner? That's the place. 

Let us know in the comments below how this is working for you and any changes you'd like us to make. We really need your help.

Wayne Gretzky is quoted as saying "I skate where the puck is going to be, not where it has been". For artists who are passionate about their art, who love interacting with patrons, and assisting them in acquiring that perfect piece, whether for themselves or as a gift, we all have second thoughts about continuing on our present plan of applying to a bunch of art fairs, selecting the perfect images of our work, getting the perfect booth slide, the perfect artist statement, etc and dealing with the rejections, the weather, and the capriciousness of patrons.

We spend a lot of time trying to figure out where the puck is going. When we first started doing art fairs, maybe only ten years ago, I shot our own slides of our work, set up on a table in our back yard with only a window shade unrolled behind the piece for a backdrop. We got into the ACC show in Charlotte, and were really excited. As digital imaging came along, we lobbied for shows to go digital. Indeed, we declined to apply to some shows because they had not gone digital. Be careful what you wish for, right?

The advent of digital jurying has completely changed the art fair landscape. Now a top show will get 1500 - 2000 applications for at the most 200-300 spaces. I am frankly surprised and pleased at the restraint shows have shown in not raising the jury fees higher. It would seem tempting to raise both booth and jury fees until applications were reduced to about two times the number of available spaces. We as artists would hate it, and hope they will not be so inclined.

The question for all of us then, is where is this all going? Connie's post about Art Miami tells us one area that is prospering. Check out Art.sy for another new direction. How soon will it be possible for us to get our work juried into a venue such as that? Several contributors here have talked about their successes with studio shows, truck shows, pop up galleries and other non traditional ways to connect with patrons and collectors.

Three weeks ago,  an artist neighbor proudly stated that she did not own a computer or smart phone, did not see any sense in web sites, facebook pages, google+, or twitter. It makes one wonder if she had indoor plumbing!

It will be very interesting to look around five years from now, and see who has figured out where the puck will be.