Hi Friends...Here is my review of this show.
This is a one day show with no Friday set-up. I arrived at 6am on Saturday morning and checked in with friendly and helpful staff. The show is arranged with booths on the lawn of the courthouse square and then two rows facing each other on a street running across from the courhouse. My booth was on the street and I was given a parking pass allowing 20 minutes to unload the van and then move it to a parking garage. Unloading wasn't a problem, I work alone and got it done, I think in time, and then parked in the free garage about a block and a half away. I returned to set up and got the whole rig set up and polished with about an hour to spare before opening of the show. I grabbed some coffee and donuts that the show provided and waited for customers.
I woud like to address the staff at this point in the review. Each and every staff person I encountered, including the director was very nice, very helpful and very available for whatever anyone needed. I feel that the show was well organized, well planned and done very professionally. I have nothing but good things to report on this show's level of professionalism and overall operation.
The show opened at 10am and was to close at 5pm. Opening crowds were very light and thready. An orchestra set up on the lawn of the courthouse and played for about an hour, it was beautiful and ideal for an art show. By noon, crowds were still extremely light and I was finding myself bored with no sales.
In early afternoon, I sold a few pieces to one couple and a couple more pieces to someone else and that was the end of it for me. I did not sell enough to cover costs. I ended up abput $100 shy of breaking even. My neighbors were in the same boat as me, with unimpressive sales. Crowds never picked up and I felt this was a poorly attended show with more lookers than anything. I got the sense that a lot of the people there had no intention in the first place of buying anything. Maybe some of you can relate to what I am saying: I noticed women with no purses, grandparents with the grandkids barely keeping up, fast walkers and that vibe you can sense.
About 3pm, the clouds rolled in and the sky got dark. Then, around 3:30pm the rain started! It started with a vengence!!!! A tent across from me with no weights immediately buckled and went down. Everyone started tearing down, including me. At that point the show had had such light crowds we all knew it was over. I packed the rig up and loaded it in the van in record time and a very soaked artist, (me) got on the road and went home. And that was the end of it!
Due to the fact that I lost money, I will not do this show again nor recommend it to anyone else who is trying to support themselves by selling their art.
I will be at Spring Green, WI next week for that show and will review it here. Thanks for reading!!!!!
Comments
Elle. You are a genuine ray of sunshine on our blogpost. Keep up with the good reports. You are a worthy successor, I am kind of laying back on social networking--I am becoming a lurker in my old age.
What a shame, Elle. I've always liked the show in the past. Best of luck for the next show up the road.
Thanks for the review Elle, sounds like it would have been a fabulous show if there would have been sales for you.
Elle, I'm so sorry to hear you had a bad show there. I didn't apply for it on the advice of another artist who lives in Bloomington, and the show is only an hour drive away for me. I had my own bad show over the weekend and will be writing that one today. Better luck on the next one!
Elle, so sorry that the show was not good. That is hard to predict when the past all indicates that the show should be a nice one. I think that if anyone has done outside shows should know that you never trust a weatherman, and that wind and storms can appear within a New York Minute, giving you no chance to prepare.
I too love the idea of orchestra music. So pleasant and while they are playing you can still talk to your customers. As compared to that electonic noise that they try to say is music. LOL.
Anyways, I wonder how the advertising was for this show. It sounds like the promoters did a great job and were responsive. Then again you can never tell what people and the economy will do to you. Although it still seems that show sales from all around are low.
I don't know what to say about this show - it's been a good one for me (as have many that are down in sales). What to do?
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