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  Maria Reyes Jones November 30, 2011 at 3:23pm

  You're right! I hadn't thought of that!
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  Carol Larsen November 30, 2011 at 2:20pm

  My business partner just did a simple cost analysis on a show that charges a $25 fee every year with the understanding that there are only a few openings. They made over $5,000 off of this alone as they are very proud of announcing how many have applied and didn't get in. We are done supporting this venue. 
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  Ynon Mabat November 30, 2011 at 1:21pm

  I didn't apply either. But keep in mind that things could get worst and the artist's community should be very happy about the fact that they do not charge a $ 3.26 "Non application fee".
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  Jim Parker November 28, 2011 at 6:34pm

  The art show may be funding the gallery, which is probably a loss-leader type of operation.
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  Janet Miller November 28, 2011 at 5:30pm

  Maria- A few things to keep in mind if you decide to pay their ridiculous $50 jury fee.  It is a 2 day show. It is NOT sunny (it almost always rains) and it can be super windy! I used to love doing this show! But ever since they opened their gallery their attention to the Art show seems to have waned. Every year it's something new. In 2008 they "judged" the awards from the jury images.  In 2009 they added 40+ booths and created an unwalkable lay out. In 2010 it was the $100 booth preference fee (not listed in their prospectus).  I'm done with them.

  Larry- How were your sales?
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  Larry Berman November 28, 2011 at 3:07pm

  I called them last year about the $100 space request fee and explained how artist unfriendly it was. And I got into the show.
  
  Larry Berman
  http://BermanGraphics.com
  412-401-8100
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  Maria Reyes Jones November 28, 2011 at 1:54pm

  Wow, Eve. You are a very courageous woman. I hope they listen. And Jim, thank you for your comment. I'm sure there is money to be made there or the show would have been forced to lower it's fees or die. I'll probably try again next year, depending on my level of art festival self-esteem.
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  Eve Greiner November 28, 2011 at 12:35pm

  Because of so many comments from Nels Johnson`s post and because of how we all feel about inflated booth and jury fees, I contacted the director of this Reston show. I`m probably blacklisted for life, but I don`t care. Here is the email that I hope will be taken to heart and I will post any reply from them:

  Hello,

   I am speaking on behalf of at least 4 dozen full time artists. Please know that we are aware that you make every effort to maintain the quality and integrity of your venues. That isn`t the reason for contacting you. You should be aware that many in the artisan community are outraged in general by booth fees that escalate regardless of the fact that we are in a global recession which has negatively impacted every industry. Artists have been especially hard hit as the public pad lock their wallets and are reluctant to spend on things other than the essentials. The fact that this doesn`t seem to evoke compassion from show promoters, confounds us. Many artists I know have been forced to leave what they have loved doing for many years because of the expenses of participating in juried shows. Your late fee, which seems to be emailed to us several times in the last month has really hit a nerve. The jury fee, higher than those with Zapplication might be deter some, but the late fee will surely deter most people. In the 22 years of doing juried art shows, I have seen quality shows disappear because they were not artist friendly in a variety of ways. You should care what artists are saying about your show and how they feel about it, if you want the show to continue successfully. For that reason, I am forwarding some comments made voicing our concerns about your fee. You do realize that if someone applied to your show (and was accepted) today, they would end up paying $600, plus the cost of a hotel, gas, food, and the cost of the materials of the items sold. This could total well over $1,200 before any profit is made. The high booth fees have hurt this industry, as you might be aware. So please consider lowering your booth fees and/or your jury fees until the economy recovers. Thank you for your time and for reading the comments below

   

   
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  Jim Parker November 28, 2011 at 11:26am

  One last thought... if you apply before the stated deadline, you don't pay $100 jury fee, just $50. Still too much, but they don't extend the deadline and tack on the fee. It's published more as an early bird advantage to apply before the late fee deadline. The show is run by the Greater Reston Art Center, and it is one of their yearly fund-raisers. It's a nice little art center. The show isn't run by "promoters". There are many things I'd like to change about the show, but they run it as they see fit.

  According to an artist friend, the buyers at this show need to see you for a couple of years to validate you as an artist. She had been doing it for something like fifteen years, and made a LOT of money last year. It is very possible to make money here as a high-end fine artist. It just takes time and perseverance.
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  Jim Parker November 27, 2011 at 7:23am

  Everything about Reston is expensive, from the booth fee, to the spaces. If you want to request a location, not a specific space, mind you, but just a certain block: that's another $100 on top of the $500 booth fee. It's worth it, too, as some of the locations are poorer than others.

  I finally got in last year, and was excited to do the show for the first time. Paid the extra $100 to be located in the middle of the main street. The artists on both sides did well; I did not. I made the booth fee back, but that was about it. The quality of the art is good, for the most part.

  I posted pictures last spring, here.