Okay, I just made it home from the Wyandotte Street Art Fair (Wyandotte, Michigan) and I had a pretty successful show. For the good, I had $1437 in sales over the four days. I wasn't expecting much from thus show, so this was a welcomed surprise!
And my show piece ("Tender Embrace" #1/125), that won the third place photography ribbon at the Crosby Festival of Arts in Toledo sold! The couple who bought that work commented that their daughter really liked it the day before and they came and bought it as a wedding gift. Awe...
Well, now to the bad. The show hours were long... 10AM to 9PM each day. Which I could go for 10-9 on the first three days but packing up after nine really stinks. I am a one man show which means that I did not leave tonight until 11PM. Yes, it's pretty standard for me to take two hours to tear down the display and pack it all up. Let alone unloading the vehicle when I get home (I have not done that yet). So, I see why the Ann Arbor fairs end at 6PM on Saturday. And to really add salt to the wound, there were no sales in my booth after 6PM on Saturday (not many stops in the booth either). Just endless streams of nomads wondering aimlessly...
And here is the ugly part. Like I said, I am a one man show. I need a both sitter from time to time to take a restroom break. Um... getting a booth sitter was like pulling teeth. Good thing my bladder held out. Maybe if I do the show again I should get a package of Depends undergarments. I mean is it that difficult to know which one of your artists are there by them self? Make a note of it art fair promoters...
There you go. Wyandotte - the good, bad and ugly...
Comments
I make friends with my neighbors before the show even starts. As I too am a one man show. Especially if you are lucky enough be neighbors with a couple where one of them can watch while you are gone. All of my neighbors except one have been nice to help out. They happened to be a buy/sell "vendor", I don't call them artists. So I wasn't interested in being BFF's.
I too was at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair and listened to complaint after complaint about how the show was run. There were way to many booths full of buy sell. Makes one wonder why you pay a jury fee when it clearly wasn't juried art. I heard that a letter was being sent to the committee and to the Mayor. I however did make money and had several sales between 6 and 9 pm on Saturday.
Thanks for your report, Scott. Luckily you live near so your expenses are low.
As to volunteers available, do not depend on that, your neighbors will do the trick. Really, show organizers are way too overwhelmed with so many details to notice who is alone. Honest. A show like this doesn't have many volunteers. My best advice, which I am sure Larry would agree with, is to expect nothing from the show except a 10 x 10 and hope like hell they did good promotion. Pack your own water and food and find the bathrooms ahead of time, make friends with your neighbors for quick booth sitting and security reasons. If a show provides more than this, good for them, but many events and committees are operating on a shoe string and don't have the organizational interests or manpower or $$$ to provide more.
Yes... that's what I had to resort too later in the fair...
I think you're worrying too much. I've done shows mostly by myself for over 30 years and never needed a booth sitter. Booth sitters usually aren't allowed to sell for you anyway, they just watch the booth.
Just mention to your neighbor that you're running to the bathroom and if someone wants to make a purchase, your neighbor will ask them to wait.
But know where the closest bathroom is in advance to save time.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100