I'm sure you are tired of hearing me say that one of the very best things about this business is the variety of events that make it up. I love big festivals in big cities and I hunt out small boutique events and gallery hops and studio tours in more rural areas. Earning a living as an artist requires great flexibility and developing multiple streams of income. Sort of like the stock market - diversify and when one part of the market is cool hopefully another part will bring you what you need.
Saturday - June 7 - Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, MI - Art, Beer and Wine Festival
The Ella Sharp Museum sits on a 10-acre campus that was once part of the 530-acre Merriman-Sharp farm. In her will, Ella Sharp expressed her wish that her home become a museum and that the majority of her property become a public park forevermore. It is a lovely place and includes a mini-Greenfield Village with historic structures.
The Festival:
This day is a day of sampling area vintner’s wines and craft beer, purchasing creative work of regional artists and much more, all on the beautiful grounds of the Museum campus.
Admission: $5 or $25 gives you a glass and five chips that entitle you to the extensive tasting areas around the grounds.
I arrived around noon. Perfect weather. The grounds were swarming with golf carts and drivers ready to deliver you to the door of the museum. Very hospitable.
Live music on the steps of the museum, while we gather our wine glasses for the tasting to come. There was a steady stream of arrivals.
This show is mostly about the wine and craft beer, nonetheless, the setting was very classy and the attendees well dressed and the parking lot had just the "right" cars.
It was a pleasure to meet AFI member, Brian Goins with his very cool Steampunked sculpture and jewelry. He told me his show schedule and it was a veritable listing of the smaller southern Michigan shows with low booth fees and interested buyers. He is on the verge of bigger things as he learns the business.
Jane Robinson who seemed to know everyone who was there as she is a big piece of the arts scene in Jackson and is very entrepreneurial using connections, good business sense and talent to flourish in the area.
Julie Koleszar who had lots of the components in place for success. Nice banner, flowers,
not too much work in the display and some exciting work. She also had some beaded jewelry created around the wine theme. Very apropos to the show.
Deb Green was doing only her second show. She is working with glass beads and had a very cool line of work that incorporated Czech Republic glass buttons with embroidery. Her booth was very busy.
Can an artist make money there? That depends on what you bring to the show. This is a crowd who can be lured to purchase if you have the right thing and you've gauged the market correctly.
I did see packages leaving. I saw exhibitors who were not "art fair ready", meaning they had nice work, but not a developed style or display that was attractive that would compel a visitor to come closer to see the wonders that were there.
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