Hi Friends...Here is my review of this show.
Spring Green, Wisconsin is a small town of about 1,675 people. It is a resort destination for people visiting various attractions nearby and those vacationing on the river. At first glance, this looks like a small town with not a lot to offer, that perception would be very wrong. Read on....
I arrived in Spring Green on Friday evening for set up and was able to unload at my booth and park less than a block away. Easy, straightforward set up, no issues.
The show ran from 9am-5pm Saturday and 9am-4pm Sunday. Saturday crowds were very impressive. I don't know where all the people came from, but they were out in droves. Very busy crowds for the 200 artists. We had good weather, with a light rain that lasted about 10 minutes in the afternoon that did not seem to phase the crowds. Buyers were out, although mostly lower priced art was selling for myself and most others with some exceptions. I had the dream client here, with a single very large purchase of what amounted to 90% of my inventory. Yes, I sold 90% of my inventory to one person. This was, for me, the mythical buyer we all dream about come true. I was over the moon with excitement and also a bit of concern because I have withdrawn from my show this coming weekend, due to not having enough work to show. A good problem to have, but I hate to cancel. I will be working non stop to get ready for the rest of July this week and next week. God give me strength and inspiration.
Anyway, after the big sale, I sold one larger piece and a few smalls and that was it for the rest of the day and Sunday. The crowd is conservative for the most part in spending. Lower priced work was selling ok for my neighbors.
The show is well ran and organized and easy to do from an artists perspective. Make hotel reservations as early as you can, because reasonable rooms (less than $100) are scarce. I stayed 17 miles away in Dodgeville and was just fine. The Super 8 there is clean and comfortable for $79 per night.
The show has "hostesses" that wander the show and will answer questions and booth sit for artists. They were all very nice and accommodating. They wear green sashes that say hostess in white letters. Kind of a throwback to old times and I thought they were adorable and charming. I hope they keep the hostesses and the sashes, it was quite a welcome change.
Load out was a breeze to do. I pulled up about half a block from the booth and used the dolly to load up. I had the whole thing down and packed up in 50 minutes.
Overall, I give this show an A and will apply again. My only concern for others is to bring as much work that is lower priced to ensure success. The crowd does buy larger work, but I think you need the lower price points to basicly guarantee yourself a profit.
With regret, I am withdrawing from Boston Mills this weekend, due to not having much of anything left to show. I will be in Krasl in two weeks and will review the show here. Thanks for reading!
Comments
HA - I have been visited by the urban legend "I'll take that and that and that and those".
I'm considering Spring Green but it has the word "Craft" in the title so I've shied away. We're going to check it out this weekend as I need to go to bigger and bigger shows.
Woohoo Elle - big congratulations!!!
Great report Elle and congrats! What a boost to you! We met in Columbia, MO and sat together at the artists dinner. Came by your booth Sun. but no one was home. Hope to see you again sometime soon!
Way to go, Elle!
Congratulations! You've just been added to the urban legend artists hall of fame :-) It couldn't happen to a nicer person. BTW, your piece from Tupelo is sitting on my bookcase in the living room.
Taliesen East was FLW's summer headquarters. Taliesen West is outside of Scottsdale, AZ. FLW was originally from Spring Green. Those stories of the guy who murdered Wright's mistress and her children happened in Spring Green. FLW was a member of my church, First Unitarian Society, in Madison, and the meeting house was designed by him and is now a national landmark. His grandfather was Jenkins Lloyd Jones and was a prominent Unitarian minister in the 1800s. Was it Judy from Epic who bought all your stuff? I can't imagine it was anyone else. She is a good friend of mine and a neighbor. Will you be at the Agora Art Fair? I am going to do it, and this will be my first time as an art fair participant.
One thing you forgot to mention about Spring Green is that it's the hometown of Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesen East is there. This makes it a little more than just a small Midwest town.
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