February 22, 2014, I headed to Kalamazoo to attend the Garage Sale Art Fair to do some shopping, and to see old friends, many of whom were recently returned from the Florida shows.
A little of what I learned:
Coconut Grove - 3 reports
"To do the round trip from Michigan to participate in this show I need to do sales of $3000 to cover the expenses. I came up $400 short of my goal. After many, many years of doing this show 2014 will be the last time." printmaker
"I had many more sales at the Sanibel Art Festival with much lower expenses." jeweler
"Although all around me people were not happy, I had a great show, selling a good number of higher end pieces." glassblower
Boca Raton Museum of Art Show
Remember the uproar about the Boca Museum show asking people who had been accepted to the February show, offering to refund their fees? Essentially "disinviting" them? Here's the story I was told: my "informant" actually was on the wait list for the show, but he went to the show and asked for a space and they found one for him. As he had done the show a fair number of times before he knew "people" and asked what had happened. The answer he got:
The museum hired someone new to run the show for them this year. There was a section of the show where the merchants didn't want artists (although they had been there in year's past.) The new show organizer gave them what they wanted, thereby eliminating many spaces for which artists had already been accepted. The museum had accepted the same number of artists as in year's past, leaving the museum with too many artists.
I've run shows, I know there are many things that happen behind the scenes that affect the shows that artists never see. I remember the time at Coconut Grove where a new business didn't like the booths set up in front of his store. During the night he moved the booths so there was a large opening to his business. The show director was irate (so were we, as our booth was one of the ones that was moved.) The balance between shows and the business communities where they are held can be difficult and maybe even renegotiated yearly. Sort of a love/hate relationship.
By the way, my friend had a really good show at Boca (same glassblower who reported on The Grove).
Comments
I understand what you are saying, Barrie, however, this person has been in this business for over 30 years, has had great success and done most of the best shows. The other shows in Florida have slowly been eliminated from his schedule as not worth doing, however, this one had continued to be marginal and worth the drive. But the bottom line has been crossed.
Yes, when making a long drive it is smart to put a couple of shows together so you can make the most of your nights out on the road, and then again -- maybe there isn't anything else worth doing. We have made that same drive for one show when there was nothing to "hook" it to, sometimes worth it, other times not.
I figured up the expenses I'd pay if I did just one central Florida show, and it's a real eye opener. It costs me $1,700 to drive my van to central Florida and back home again since it's a round-trip total of 4,400 miles. We only drive from 400 to 500 miles per day at 60 mph, so we're staying in hotels five nights each way. Add three or four hotel nights while doing a show plus the expenses for the show and that's the cost of one show.
We used to think nothing of doing whatever we wanted to do within 1,000 miles or thereabouts, and quite often did that distance for one show. NOT ANY MORE. Since it looks like Kalamazoo is about 1,400 miles from Miami, we would have juried into several more venues on consecutive weekends so that our biggest travel costs, the round trip from home to the venues, could be recouped with greater probablility.
Why did that artist just do the Grove and not a few more? Especially since their jury fee is $55 and booth fee is $750 plus tax. Plus tax? Er, what's Dade County percent? 7 percent? So $750x.07=$52.50 more. Good grief. All that really makes their initial expenses really high. $857.50 for the booth. 2,800 round-trip miles and probably 8 or 9 hotel nights total. $3,000 in sales might not keep me going down into alligator alley with the amount of work it required to get it.
Is there no confidence in Images at New Smyrna Beach and Mount Dora? Those two have big crowds and prize money as well. I dunno what's also offered between Mount Dora and Coconut Grove, but there's probably something. I know there are sometimes breaks in the Florida action. Maybe Valentine's is one of 'em.
I'd love to hear why a string of shows isn't preferred to doing just the one, even if the one is supposed to have a "golden" reputation.
Hey Geri, we should have been goading you last week also. I know you've been to a "few" art fairs. Any favorites so far? any comments to share?
I am happy for him also.
You and I have the same friend. I am so glad he is having such a good year.
I was very disappointed in the show.