No La Quinta Arts Festival in 2020

In my mailbox today: 

Important Statement Regarding La Quinta Arts Festival
8869193053?profile=originalDear Festival Partners, 

La Quinta Arts Foundation is writing to inform you that La Quinta Arts Festival will not be presented in 2020.

We sincerely thank you for your dedication and contributions to La Quinta Arts Festival.

Your support has been integral to the Festival’s achievements delivering great benefit for the City of La Quinta, its residents and visitors. 

Together, we have achieved great success presenting the best fine art festival in the nation, facilitating hundreds of artist’s livelihoods, and awarding more than $1.3 million in visual art college scholarships.

Please know that our work with local arts and culture activities will continue, including our successful scholarship program for local students.

PLEASE READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE

This is a real loss to the art fair business. You think these events will always be there and to have such a solid show disappear is a shock. Such a very fine event that attracted the best artists in the business and the clientele that could appreciate and buy their work. I'm so sorry to be posting this here. From what I've read the show will not likely return after 2020.

Many thanks to the La Quinta Arts Festival Foundation that has built this fine event that has been a very bright light in the art fair business. We look forward to what Christi Salamone and Kathleen Hughes will bring us next. 

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  • There were two articles on this....One was the cancellation of the show because they did not like the city's proposal (I didn't see what the dispute actually is over the city park), and another was them (artists, promotors, etc) having a meeting to do a show, not LQAF, in the new development.  I took that as there will be even another art show in the area.  How many shows does the valley need?  Indio's show has suffered over the years as less people are buying, etc., just lookie-loos.

  • I'd say it is definitely not going to be the La Quinta Arts Festival ... 

    “The city has decided we want an arts festival in March,” Evans said. “We don’t want to be the arts festival, we want to partner with a new partner for the arts festival.”

    As we know:

    La Quinta Arts Foundation and the city jointly announced the cancellation of the prominent La Quinta Arts Festival in a June 13 news release.

    A meeting attended by more than 100 people was held on July 10 to draw up recommendations for how a new show organizer would be chosen, with a deadline of July 14 for proposals, and an event to be held on March 5-8, 2020.

    More: https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/la-quinta/2019/07/10/la-...

    Scary ...

  • That is correct, Barry. Who would step in and keep the fine quality? I know not impossible, but we all know the money motive -- perhaps the city will sponsor and then raise booth fees/increase the # of exhibitors/"jury by check" ... not good at all.

    From my sources it seems there is no La Quinta Arts Festival in the near future, the reason I started this thread in the first place.

  • Apparently as of June 14 2019 it will not be back for 2020 and looks like 2021 is in question too.

    Too bad. I know an artist who did this show and as it was one I was considering doing.

    https://www.kesq.com/news/la-quinta-arts-festival-will-not-return-i...

  • What I left out: We are concerned that if the wrong promoter/director is hired, they will increase the number of artists and dumb down the work, which, over the years, has ruined many, many shows.

  • That article was written a year ago.

    It seems that the LQAF committee thinks the new location is too small and they doubt it would be finished on time.

    The scariest part is the comment that promoters are lined up to take over the event. From my experience, if they let someone run the show that doesn't do all the things to keep it great, it will be the end of LQAF as the premier show in the country, along with Ft Worth and SLAF. There are a number of concerned artists who do the show and a director who has an incredible track record for excellence that are having or trying to have input into the final decision. If 2020 happens it will be an 11th hour decision. If I find out anything I will post it.

  • Thanks for that link, David. This does not sound like an amicable relationship to me. Plus, something is wrong here:

    Festival organizers will begin planning for the 2020 event in March – immediately after the 2019 festival ends.

    “Should the SilverRock park development be delayed, LAQF could be faced with cancellation of the festival with resulting injury to its reputation and a substantial financial loss due to then existing contractual liabilities,” the board said in an email.

    That first paragraph  -- starting to plan after the 2019 festival is over ... excuse me. I think that happened in March. And I believe the 2020 festival is already cancelled. 

  • Yes, Barry is right. Although there is currently a dispute it will be back one way or another according to this article in the Desert Sun.

    https://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/tourism/2018/06/08/l...

  • This has nothing to do with any other shows in the area. I know that for a fact. The city is currently discussing bringing the show back next year, possibly in a different location. There is a small group of artists that are aiding in the discussion to insure that the show will maintain the high quality that La Quinta is know for. We'll know the fate of La Quinta soon enough.

  • I believe it has little if anything to do with the plethora of shows in the area, rather, earlier this year there was information that suggested construction and changes to the show venue made it difficult for the show to continue in their current location, they were in negotiations with the city but apparently not to their satisfaction.

    https://www.lqaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LQAF-Position-on-pl...

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