Been doing this show for 22 years. Met my wife there's--it was a whirlwind love affair from the very first kiss there, secretly in my booth, then magic dinners at booming bistros on Frankfort Avenue, magic stays in Third Avenue B&Bs,and then there was all the moola we made.A fairy tale come true.We always looked forward to October. SJC, oh boy. Cool October days, get to put the sweaters on, instead of sweating. Got to see lots of great longtime personalities from the circuit there. In the beginning (early nineties) it was a mellow setup. You just showed up and setup. The smart ones did it early Thursday morn, then we had time for a round of golf or sightseeing around the city. Visits to the Bat Factory. Checking out new eateries on Bardstown Road. Then a leisurely dinner at Jack Fry's. Life was really good.This was always our last summer show.We would pack up the summer cottage and studios in Saugatuck and head home to Ybor City, fat and sassy with plenty of money in our bank accounts.We could take the rest of October off, go fool around in Key West, drinking margaritas all day and watch the Dolphins at sunset.This ritual worked really great until about six years ago.We started seeing subtle changes. None of them good.Got harder finding reasonable lodgings for five days.There was a change in show directors, then there was a structured setup. Now you had to get there early, at least two hours before your scheduled setup if you wanted any reasonable chance of getting your van positioned.Then the show fee started getting a lot more expensive.Then our revenues started gettin smaller. Not a good business plan.We still came. Hell, I fell in love with Ellen here, I wasn't about to abandon a romantic show.First Ellen started seeing her sales fall off big time. She needed the big sales customers and they were harder to find.In the early years I had a steady group of repeat customers who bought,lots, every year.There was this one airline stewardess from Indy that bought mega bucks worth every year. She could have started a Nels Johnson Photo Museum with her purchases.But nothing lasts forever.I noticed around ten years ago that some longtime artists moved out of the SJC show to the 3rd Street show. These were savvy people who always made money. On Sunday morns I would walk the 3rd Ave show and check people out.They were snagging sales before those people made into the Court show.Originally, the Fourth Street show was pretty crafty almost buy-sellish and then things changed. New savvy director, better artists with true original work, we're making an impact on our sales.About five years ago, I saw my high end sales take a big plunge south. It was now a lowend sales show for me. I needed more volume to make what I used to do. Then I saw the volume turn south.Enter the era of the Zombie Walkers at SJC. This is a well used term on many of the other sites out there like AFR and AfRS. It is an apt description of what is going on now.Unfortunately, the huge throngs of fair-goers walk right down the middle of the road, neither looking left or right. Very rarely do they go inside a booth. Most have a Bloody Mary in hand and nothing else. About one in 50 carry any art purchase.You have to understand there are six shows going on here plus the scab show on Hill Street.There is a lot of talent in all those booths competing for the very slim core of buyers with disposable income.Then you gotta remember what it cost you to be here.All shows have a $550 booth fee plus the jury fee.Most artists need a hotel for a minimum of three to five days. (You setup on Thursday and show Friday to Sunday).You gotta eat all that time--and frankly, the show food is utter crap and vastly overpriced.if you are working on being a heart victim this show will set you up perfectly.So most people are going to have $1500 invested in this little soirée before they make a dime.I go news for you folks, if you can't make more than a minimum $4K at this show, then you should look for another venue because you are getting a lousy return on your money plus time invested.I bet more than 70 per cent of the artists at the show are not hittin this mark.I know we had bad weather this year, two out of the three days, it was rainy and fricking freezing. I had five layers of clothing on and wrapped myself in a heavy wool blanketAnd I was still freezing.Sunday was perfect. It should have been an easy 2K day for anyone. Crowds were out and most were not buying.All I could sell was $30 photos. I did $900 that day--pathetic.I was not alone. I saw very few 2-D packages go by me.I did not even break $2K. It was my worst ever. I won't be back--which is ironic since I was a peer juror this year and was thus, automatically invited for next year.For me, this show does not work anymore.I am mostly selling black and white hand colored photos, using acrylic inks and oils. The images are laced with irony and humor. Louisville does not get it. They get it at Lexington and other places, but not here.They buy mostly traditional and clicheied and here. They buy lowend, they love art on the stick, they love the alphabet-number photo people here. They are not big on out of the box art. That is just the way it is.So there is my epilogue to Louisville, Ellen and I will find some other venue next year. Texas here I come.Aloha, Nels.
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  • Every show I get asked... do you do St. James.. I do shows in Louisville several times a year and live 90 min away so I often just drive back and forth to save the hotel fees.  I only did 3 shows in Louisville this year.. the first was a new one and I was one of the few who felt ok with what I sold in light of the booth fee (which wasn't high) and the light crowd. Unfortunately they won't have it in 2016 as the venue is booked and something to do with horse races ;)

    The other 2 shows I have done for about 3 years.  One was just overall a dud.  And I hate that since I love the neighborhood it is in.  But since the fee keeps going up and the sales going down (at least for me) I have other shows I haven't applied to and know I can get in that same weekend.  The July 4th show was down this year but we had rain on one day.  I'll go back to that one because sales weren't bad considering.. I just hope they switch up the days as having us there on the 3rd which was not a weekend day just didn't work.

    I do Hyde Park in Cincinnati OH on the Sunday of SJC and honestly as long as I can get in to that show I probably won't do SJC.  I sleep in my own bed.  Drive up to drop my stuff off the day of the show and set up and 3 years in a row I have sold quite well.  They had too many jewelry booths this year for sure.  Not sure how they let that happen because they have been pretty good at monitoring that in the past.  A few too many string a bead booths.  I know they do try to have a variety of price points in jewelry but the quality should still reflect in the work.

  • Wonderful piece Nels.  I do enjoy your writing.  Yes about six years ago  the economy started to take a down turn which reflected in falling show sales, but not falling show fees and hotel expenses. Sure there was always a new exciting product here and there that did great, but it was not the norm.  I did the only sensible thing ...... retire.

    I now do only eight local shows a year.  My S.S.,  Medicare, and some small investments get me by quite well.  My last show was a $2,100 show.  I was between the "Welcome" and "Home Sweet Home" sign maker and the dry flower lady. ( when you retire you retire your ego also)  I sell original paintings only, no prints, with a average sale price of $100. The sales would be terrible for Ann Arbor or SJC, but considering the short 1hr drive home, no hotel expense, a $250 fee, no Jury fee, $5 hot sausage plus $1 diet Pepsi food booths its not that terrible. 

    These shows are everywhere and never found listed in Sunshine Artist. I would never report on them any more that I would tell someone where my top fishing spots are.  They do  have customers that visit and  that have money.  Its just one avenue to consider for chronology advanced road warrior artist/craftsmen.

  • Change the name, change the place, the experience seems to be the same. Since the Rio Grande show in Albuquerque had to move the number of people in attendance and the consequent buying has taken a dive.
  • Yes Annette, you have been absent too long.  Glad to have you back.

  • :)

  • Hey Annette, good to hear from downunder
  • How sad but you gave it a darn good shot for 22 years!  At least you won your biggest prize there - Ellen!  Move onward and upward!!

  • I did SJC (1300 Assn - newer section)this year. I am new to doing shows and still learning. This was only my 2nd outdoor show. I am from Louisville and have been to St James as a shopper in years past many times. I was beyond thrilled to participate. The weather was not the greatest at all. Saturday was the worst day which so happens was my worst day of sales. My observation was that "serious" shoppers came out on Friday (even in the drizzling rain) to get first picks. Saturday was an unknown of what could've been as the weather was cold, windy and rainy - BUT, there were serious shoppers with their rain boots and pretty umbrellas prepared for a day of shopping in the rain.  They just seemed to walk on by too quickly. (Probably that "zombie walk" as mentioned). Sunday was a beautiful sunny day with lots and lots of people. This seemed to be the day the shoppers knew they had to buy if they wanted it because it was the last day of the show.  This was my biggest day in sales but barely beat Friday. I was told by other vendors who had been doing the show for 15 & 20 years that Sunday's crowd and sales is more indicative of all 3 days of the show. I do know that the local weather people were mentioning the show along with the weather but telling everyone to wait and go on Sunday as it would be the best weather day. As I mentioned, I am new to the show scene and really can't compare with others but overall I was pleased with the show. My section was in the outer edges of the show but allowed me to park behind my tent which was a big help. I had easy access to my tent and vehicle at all times and could exit the show with no problems. For me, it seemed more of a weather factor but I knew this was a risk in planning an outdoor show.

  • Matt so glad that SJC was good to you. You sound like one of the few. I always thought that I was a bit too out there for St. James....you get pockets of people interested in contemporary work in different urban areas but Virginia and Kentucky they seem to me to be a very conservative lot. Emily this might be what happened with you. Sorry this didn't work out. Sounds like your work is really cool.....so don't dismiss the rain......it usually blows everyones show to some extent. 

  • I tried SJC (4th Street) this year. I had not done it for 4-5 years and I had new art to show.  I take photos of familiar landmarks and print them onto different surfaces.  Some in a classic traditional way, some in a funky, pop art way.  Once someone came into my booth and I had the opportunity to explain the process of a digital photo on a variety of different surfaces 2D & 3D, they were blown away….but getting the herd to be interested enough to stop was difficult.  I've educated my local folks through house shows, trunk shows and at special events….but I'm convinced this simply is now the wrong venue for me.  So much to that point, that I am going to cancel my participation in the next juried outdoor show at the tune of $300.  It's 10 hours away and I simply can't take the chance to lose the money.  My alternative is to add more things to my online website and reach out locally through a mass email to my customers.  I really didn't want to fall into the 'misery loves company' category, but I'm also glad to know that I wasn't the only one suffering from the same issues.

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