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We are counting the days until the end of our 7th Annual Pledge Drive on May 31. We held the drawing for the top ten winners on Thursday, 5/26.

If your name is listed below you've just won a prize. Go to the pledge page, look over the options and send me your top two to three choices. We'll fulfill the win in the order your name was drawn.

In the order that the names are listed you can choose a prize from the listing on this page:

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Some of our sponsors:

NEW PRICE!!!!!  $275!!!  FOUR USED 70 x 38.5 LIGHT GREY CARPETED PRO-PANELS FOR SALE!! In good condition. Former asking price $375. Has minimal Sharpie markings on the back sides. 4 black standard straight stiffeners included. 5 strap fasteners. GREAT FOR ART SHOW DISPLAYS! New set from company would cost $740. 
Cash deal only. No delivery. Pick up Northwest Lansing, MI area close to Lansing Mall.

Since 1988 Elizabeth Kubie/Crafts America LLC, has been a top independent presenter of fine craft shows. The organization presented three shows in very classy venues: the Washington Craft Show 1988 - 2014 at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, the Westchester Craft Show, 1994 – 2012, in White Plains, NY, and the Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, since 2004 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, FL.

Many artists represented in these shows also have their work in prestigious galleries and museums in the U.S. They have depended on these fine events to meet their specialized market and collectors. In recent years two of those shows ended and close associates believed the Palm Beach show had also come to an end.

When these artists learned that the show dates at the PB Convention Center were no longer available they were very concerned about losing this venue and opportunity. Bill Underwood, the former publicist for the Palm Beach Craft Show, and who operates a contemporary art market in Charlotte, NC, was contacted by long time exhibitors of the event. He, along with them, did not want this marketplace to disappear and accordingly has established a new event at the Expo Center at the S. Florida Fairgrounds in W. Palm Beach to take place at the same time of the year as in the past, The Palm Beach Contemporary Art Show.

Subsequently, Elizabeth Kubie announced on May 16 that she has made arrangements with the Palm Beach Show Group that produces the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show to take over the management of the PB Fine Craft Show and they will now produce the it in conjunction with that event. Former artists have been invited to participate, jury exempt. 

Concerns brought to my attention:

• where is there room in the Convention Center to add another show to accommodate 135 craft artists?
• the letter the exhibitors received made no mention that it would be held in conjunction with an antique show
• a concern that  that young artists, looking for their first big break, would be misled by the lack of info on the PB call
• current online information has different dates for the craft show and the antiques show

Principals I spoke with said that this is very good news, akin to Art Basel, to bring these two events under one roof at the same time. The affluent collectors will get to meet the contemporary artists, in effect bringing them a new audience.

What do you think?

Many more details here:

Press release from Bill Underwood, May 13: http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2016/05/13/Craft_Show_News_Release.pdf

Article from Antiques and the Arts: Palm Beach Show Group Acquires Fine Craft Show, May  20

http://www.antiquesandthearts.com/palm-beach-show-groupacquires-fine-craft-show/

Two sizes in one…. can set up for 10’ x 10’ space or 10’ x 15’ space comes with two tops

Legs extend to 7’ or 8’ adjustable every 1 ¾”  heavy duty galvanized pipe,  sta bars for extra stability on the bottom. Rafters are PVC the sides of canopy has vent on each end , roof has sun top roof for added light in the booth.  Walls are flame resistant, zippered corners and added zippers for universal door opening or roll up parts of the tent walls while leaving some walls down.   Multiple awning options 30” or 54” for both 10’ and 15’ can be on front and sides or the back.  Comes with 6 concrete filled  30” PVC pipe weights for holding down corners. The pipe have screw eye cemented in to attach bungee cord . 10 x 10  canopy barely used.  Comes with 6 swing arm light in line brackets  so you can light up the booth.

email vermonttreebones@gmail.com for more information 

we are located in New Smyrna Beach Fl and it will have to be picked up

shown is 10 x 15 

the 10 x 10 would go from right to left to the front post.

if you were to  purchase new cost approx would be 3200.0 

We are selling the complete package for $1800.00

Just got back from Northern Virginia Fine Art Festival in Reston. It was a cold and wet weekend. We had the fun of drying everything, and I mean everything, out today now that we are back. Luckily it is warm and sunny in Atlanta.

This is the second review I have done for this show. The show is set up in the streets of a high end shopping and living area, Reston Town Center. There are lots of high rises and this creates wind tunnels. The show is known for wind even when there isn't any real wind forecasted. You can rent weights. They are big and not very pretty. We opt to bring extra weights of our own. We finally got 2" square solid hot rolled steel weights at 55lb each. They are awesome. So sleek and they disapear, plus they take up almost no room in the truck. You can get them cut smaller or larger if you want lighter or heaver weights.

Enough about weights that really is for the discussion boards but I wanted to brag about my new favorite thing. When setting up your booth at this show consider adding extra supports, zip ties, stabilizing bars, etc. for those occasional wind gusts. Luckily the wind was not too bad this year but we had almost constant light rain/drizzle both days and it was in the low to mid 50s. Cold and wet.

Booths are set up on the main street with booths on one side. There are some side streets with booths across from each other and a few side streets and a loop around the park with booths on one side. There is some storage in back along the wide sidewalks but the rules state you need to keep it neat and tight. Behind the booths are restaurants and shops for the most part. We are given just around 10 feet wide so no extra room on the sides. If you don't have a corner and want to get behind your booth plan on a back door.

Set up is on Friday starting at 11 am if I remember correctly. If you print out your load in pass you can line up, drive in and set up, then check in before 5 pm. If you don't print out your pass it is easy to check in and get one. They control load in.

When you get to the entrance gate they check to make sure your area is clear before you can go in. This helps to make sure there are no back ups. Each area has a block captain making sure there is a clear path for vehicles to get through. It runs very smoothly. It takes a lot of volunteers but it makes for a relaxing set up for everyone.

Friday was a beautiful day and set up was wonderful. Since we knew the weekend was going to be cold and rainy we decided to set up really slow and leave our booth open for the day. We had a lot of people looking and talking to us. The other artists that kept their booths opened and set up slowly also had a lot of people looking.

Friday night there is a gala. In the past the booths were open during the gala but now the artists are invited to the gala, food and drinks. From my understanding they are hoping that the gala can be a great place for artists and patrons to interact together before the show officially starts. Last year and this year we made an appearance at the gala but didn't stay very long and opted to have a nice dinner at one of the amazing restaurants in the area and turn in early.

There is an artist rate at the Hyatt located at the show. It is a very nice hotel and a treat to stay on site. This was a huge bonus on Saturday and Sunday because of the weather. We were able to take turns going back to the hotel to warm up and dry out from time to time.

Saturday we woke up to the expected cold wet day. We had an early 8:30 am meeting at our hotel for a commission pick up we had taken at the Arlington show we did in April. It felt good to get one piece out the door and some money in our pocket right away. Surprisingly there was a decent crowd on Saturday.

The pic was taken around 11 am on the main street where we were. The good thing about rainy cold shows is that the people who do show up are there to buy not just look. It wasn't a strong day for sales for us but Sundays are usually better for our work in most markets. We had one strong lead from a couple who drove 2 hours away and were spending the night in Reston to shop for lots of art. Didn't close them on Saturday but there was some hope. The show closed at 6pm. We left the booth open and went for dinner.

The area gets lots of people out for dinner so we wanted to give them a chance to look more but we needed to eat and warm up. Around 7 pm we went back to the booth. We dropped the walls in the front and started to close the booth. During this time we had someone poke their head in and say "county police" I thought it was another artist teasing but it really was the police. They were just making sure no one was screwing around. Excellent security. We really appreciate the attention and care they had for us. We were impressed.

Sunday morning we opened up right at 10 am. We had planned on going to breakfast together after set up and leave the booth open. Most shows open at 11 am on Sundays and it was cold and wet again. Who would be out early shopping on a Sunday morning? Well there was a decent crowd already so we took turns for breakfast. Good move because the couple who came for the weekend to buy lots of art showed up at 10:15 am. They had bought 6 pieces on Saturday and were ready to buy their 7th piece from us. After they bought from us they went to two more booths and bought 2 more pieces. Great way to start Sunday.

Throughout the day we took turns at the booth. Each time I returned another piece of art had sold. Each time my partner returned I was able to show him another empty space on our walls. It was a great day. I wish I would have taken a picture of the streets because at one point the streets were full of umbrellas with buyers under them. I didn't get a chance to walk around much. I don't know how the patrons did it. They really support the show and are excited about the art. We didn't have anyone try to negotiate price. They treat the artists with respect. From what I heard from other artist friends most people had good to great shows. Some were down from past years but still had good shows and were happy.

Show closed on Sunday at 5pm. Break down usually means total break down then line up to bring in your vehicle. The artists were nervous about this since we would be loading out in the rain. The show had a meeting on Sunday and decided that we could do a soft break down but keep our tents up. They let us drive in and load up starting at 5:15. This was a huge help. They really were concerned for the artists and our work.

One of the board members came by to talk to us Sunday afternoon to ask us for input on the show. We were impressed with their vision for the show and the future. They already run a top notch show and plan on doing even more to make it better. Erica the director continues to be wonderful to work with. The block captains and volunteers all around are amazing. This show is a treat to do. It is wonderful when you know that you are being heard and cared about as artists and our lively hood.

Fun stuff. We are in the middle of spring show marathon. We decided to take a mini vacation along the road from Atlanta to Reston. Just under a 3 hour drive from Reston is Natural Bridge. It is one of the new world 7 wonders. This is a beautiful and amazing place to visit. We spent 2 nights at the historic hotel at Natural Bridge for only $69 a night. They have caverns, hiking and FOAMHENGE. Lexington is a fun town. We had the best time, it was like stepping back in time. We love the traveling life as artists. Take time to enjoy the journey.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 6 PM ET - Expert advice on Mobile Websites, Photography for Shows and Marketing to Patrons

The guests:

• Scott Fox, author and e-biz strategist who focuses on online marketing, e- commerce, using the Internet to build businesses and finally doing the work you were born to do. His popular books include Click Millionaires, Work Less, Live More with an Internet Business You Love.

• Larry Berman is the recognized authority on "all things photography" involved with the art fair business. Larry's extensive technical knowledge makes him the answer man for creating digital images that get you into the shows. He consults with art fairs and blogs about the business at BermanGraphics.com.

• Connie Mettler is the host at ArtFairInsiders.com and creator of ArtFairCalendar.com, ArtShowReviews.com, CallsforArtists.com and ArtFairRadio.com. She has worked in all facets of the art fair business for over 30 years, as an artist's partner (participating in over 400 shows), show director, juror and consultant to events.

Do you have questions about using the Internet to further your career or better position your art fair online? Anything Internet, Scott can answer and point you in the right direction.

Concerned about your jury imaging, booth design, visual appeal, digital help? Larry is the expert.

All things art fair: marketing your show, connecting with customers, making the sale, travel tips, organizing your schedule, Connie can help.

This will be a call in show. We welcome your questions. Call in: (805) 243-1338

If you can't call in, post them below. Remember you can always download these podcasts to listen to any time.

AND -- we will be drawing names for the top ten prizes in the Pledge Drive. Have you pledged yet? Do it now so you can get top pick! Right here.

August 13 & 14
Atlanta, Georgia
7th Annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival
Midtown
Sat., 10 am to 6 pm; Sun., 11 am to 6 pm
250 artists
Deadline: June 3

Application fee: $25; Booth fee: $275

• Award Winning Event
• Beautiful location in Piedmont Park - Atlanta's largest park. 
• Located in Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood 
• Event draws 60-65,000 attendees from the metro-Atlanta area 
• Extensive local and online advertising including social media, printed publications, direct mail, billboard and social media.  
• Up to 250 artists and crafters in all major media including ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, 2-D and 3-D mixed media, drawing, photography, painting, wood, jewelry, digital art and sculpture. 
• Limited corner upgrades and electricity upgrades available 
• Booth sitters available at the artists request
• Complimentary water and snack delivery during the event
• Festival Hotline available during event hours
• Emerging Artists Pavilion for first-time festival artists
• 24 hour on site Atlanta Police Department security 

• Apply online at www.zapplication.org 

I had heard about this show from one of the volunteers at another Wichita show and thought I'd try another new show as I've been wait listed by so many other shows in the last 18 months. This is actually a new iteration of an old show. Perhaps they should have renamed it and not gone with the ..."57th Annual" part. The show was held in the parking lot adjacent to the Wichita Art Museum at the same time as the annual book fair, not a bad idea, people that read like art don't they? What I heard from patrons was they were glad it was back at the Art Museum and that it was smaller with better quality art. To back up a little, apparently this show was previously held in the convention center or a shopping center and, because it was such a large space, they had to fill it. Some of the "filling" apparently was not of equal or greater quality as this show.

This was a small show, not more than 50 artists, with plans to not grow too big. One of the co-directors was Stephen Perry, a great printmaker, who was also exhibiting and available to the other artists for questions and support.

As it was a small show and there was lots of space in the parking lot some of the artists had more space then others for storage, etc. Some of the artists were back to back. All could drive right up to their booth space.

Just the facts:

Show Hours and Dates: Art & Book Fair. May 7-8. 10-5 Sat & Sun 11- 5

Logistics:

The show is set up outside in the parking lot of the Wichita Art Museum. I drove right up to the back of my space for load-in. Set-up was officially from 1-5:30 on Friday but I stayed longer as I already had checked in to get my packet.

Amenities:

Water and volunteer booth sitters from the art museum for the occasional break. Porta potties nearby, good food trucks nearby as well.

Storage, Booth Space, Load-In/Out:

If you had a space on the periphery you could leave things behind your booth, inside spaces were back to back with some exceptions

Demographics/Buying Trends:

This was also a slow show. The ceramic artist next to me was doing good but he said he had sent out a Facebook blast to his previous customers and that's who was showing up. (word to the wise, social media!) There was a favorable response to the quality of the show from the patrons but it didn't translate into sales for most of the artists present. Perhaps this is best done at a local level or nearby.

Quality/Range of Art:

This was a relatively tight show in terms of quality. Maybe one or two booths were not up to the same level as the rest but those were the exceptions.

Food:

Quality food trucks were available for patrons and artists alike.

Reflections:

This was a first time show for me and although it didn't go so well this year, based on the ease of doing the show, I think I might give it another go. Stephen said there was room for growth and if they keep it to a reasonable number and high quality it has room to grow. Do be aware, there is another show in the fall on the other side of town which has a reputation for quality and prestige so I don't know if Wichita can support two shows but then what do I know?

Okay, now for the Dave Piper star rating! I'd give this show ✩✩✩✩ out of 5 and that is because of the organization, volunteers, booth sitting, etc. As far as the buying goes, I'd give it  ✩.

It's a little late come'n around, but you don't need this info till next years application cycle anyway! Thought I'd do something different and try out the Lubbock Arts Festival. It IS something different. The good: It's an indoor show! Given all the crazy weather that has hit Texas lately more shows should consider this. I know it is lovely to be outside, etc, etc but given the expense that artists go through to be at any given show and have it ruined by weather? In the case of this show advance weather forecasts suggested rain. It didn't occur until Sunday after take down and it poured! Okay, I'll drop the diatribe...

The show is inside the convention complex which is downtown. Lubbock is a very easy city to get around, everything seems to be 2 miles away! The quality of the show was fairly well contained, set-up and take down were well managed with access at the front and side of the building. There were some amenities during the show with a great buffet dinner prior to Fridays preview. Booths were back to back so there was no storage available however, as some booths were not occupied the directors of the show allowed artists to store items in the empty spots that had drapes in front of them. In one case an artist expanded their booth into the adjacent empty spot with permission from the director. The directors of the show were found to be available, friendly, accommodating and helpful.

There is a lot going on at the convention center concurrent with the art show. School arts, music, car sales? I don't know whether that interfered with the art show or brought more people to the party.

Crowds were plentiful all day Saturday and Sunday but buying energy just was not rampant. So what else is new? All my spring shows have been that way this year! Judging by the long faces on artists near me I'd say they weren't having any better experiences then I was. Another photographer friend nearby didn't do much better than I did.

Just the facts:

Show Hours and Dates: Lubbock Arts Festival. April 15 - 17.  Fri 6-9, 10-7 Sat & Sun 12 -5

Logistics:

The show is set up inside the the Lubbock Convention Center which is not far off of the highway and many motels/hotels. Did I mention Lubbock is easy to get around? There seems to be more highways then surface roads! LOL! You can unload either the Thursday prior to the show or Friday. I opted for Friday morning and had plenty of time to get ready before opening hours.

Amenities:

Water,  snacks and volunteer booth sitters for the occasional break. Additionally, the show hosted a great dinner on Friday night as part of the Patrons preview.

Storage, Booth Space, Load-In/Out:

As this is a relatively small convention center booths pretty well filled the place so there was no space for storage. As this was an indoor show lights were helpful but not essential as the hall was well lit, electricity was included in the booth fee.

Demographics/Buying Trends:

This was a slow show. What sold? Low end priced items. People that had done the show the previous year said it was pretty slow but they thought they'd give it another shot. One artist gave it a break for 5 years and felt it wasn't any better then the last time they were there.

Quality/Range of Art:

This was an +/average show in terms of quality. Maybe one or two booths were not up to the same level as the rest but those were the exceptions.

Food:

It's always a good idea to keep the patrons there with food, drinks and places to sit. Good thing.

Reflections:

This was a first time show for me and it didn't go so well this year. Usually I would give a show another opportunity but based on the lackluster sales and reports of returning artists I'd choose not to return.

Okay, now for the Dave Piper star rating! I'd give this show ✩✩✩ out of 5 and that is because of the nice job of logistics, great amenities, booth sitting, etc. As far as the buying goes, I'd give it half ✩.

Cheers!

I'm glad they've been working so hard to rid Africa of all those scammers, or is it just the same old scammers with a new scam? I'm so glad to be one of the lucky beneficiaries!

The last one I dealt with was audacious enough to have an email address of: KarenF.@endlessproposal.com (name not withheld so as not to protect the fool!)

"COMPENSATION FUNDS PAYMENT ORDER VIA ATM CARD

This is to inform you that we have been working towards the eradication of fraudsters and scam Artists in Africa with the help of the Organization of African union (OAU) United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and FBI.

We have been able to track down some scam artist in various parts of African countries which includes (Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Ghana and Senegal with cote d'ivoire ) and they are all in Government custody now, they will appear at International Criminal Court (ICC) soon for Justice.

During the course of investigation, they were able to recovered some funds from these scam artists and IMF organization have ordered the funds recovered to be shared among the 10 Lucky people listed around the World as a compensation. This notice is been directed to you because your email address was found in one of the scam Artists file and computer hard-disk while the investigation, maybe you have been scammed. You are therefore being compensated with sum of $950,000.00 US Dollars valid  into an (ATM Card Number 506119102227445160).

Since your email address is among the lucky beneficiaries who will receive a compensation funds, we have arranged your payment to be paid to you through ATM VISA CARD and deliver to your postal address with the Pin code as to enable you withdraw maximum of $5,000 on each withdrawal from any Bank ATM Machine of your choice, until all the funds are exhausted.

The ATM Card with Security Pin code shall be delivered to you using DHL Express Mail Service (DHL) .Note: that you will pay for the Delivery fee of $120 to DHL COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC for the immediate Delivery of your ATM VISA Card.

I will give you details on how to send the money as soon as you confirm receipt of this important message,


The package is coming from Cotonou, Republic of Benin. don't forget to reconfirm your following information to avoid wrong delivery.

Full name...............
Your country/city............
Phone number..........
Address Where You want us to Send Your ATM Card.............


We advice you to stop all the communications with everyone regarding your payment as we have short listed to deliver to you and now urge you to comply and receive your ATM Card funds.

Thanks for your understanding as you follow instructions while I wait to hear from you today.

Yours in Services
Mr Hillary Thomas."

(with apologies and thanks to Nels Johnson who posted this on AFI a while back):

So this is my kuleana (that is a  Hawaiian word that means a gift of the spirit) to all of you out there.  

HOPES AND DREAMS. Never give up. We are all special. Nobody can fire us, not a lot of people can feel that way. You are your own boss, nobody gets to tell you what to do. You are the supreme creators. You make the art, and in turn it helps make you. It defines who you are, it leads you on a path of good life. I don't think Elvis ever got to know how lucky he was. We do, and we are on the right side of the growing grass. Cherish these moments and thoughts. This is the moments of our lives, embrace them with fury that knows no bounds.

If you're out there doing shows you know what he is saying. Does AFI help you follow those dreams? If so, the time has come to reciprocate. Please pledge today. CLICK HERE.

We are going to start giving out prizes on May 25 and start drawing names on May 26. Make sure you are on the list. Right now we have more prizes than pledges!

October 8 & 9
Las Vegas, Nevada
Presented by:  Summerlin/The Howard Hughes Corporation
10am-5pm both days
100 Artists
Deadline:  June 1

Application Fee:  $25/Booth Fee:  $300 or $575

Summerlin Festival of Arts is celebrating its 21st year and its second year located on a grassy park-like area in beautiful Downtown Summerlin. In this affluent area of Las Vegas, the popular event features the works of more than 100 artists and craftspeople. 

An established outdoor art festival that also features music, food and entertainment, the celebration's focus is to support fine artists and artisans.

The event draws an estimated 35,000 visitors with thousands of serious art buyers each day-all ages, including families from the Las Vegas area and out-of-owners. Art enthusiasts enjoy fine arts and crafts in the inviting and festive outdoor atmosphere in Downtown Summerlin, a new walkable open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination.  Parking for both artists and patrons is convenient to the site. The event is free and open to the public.

Artist Amenities:

• The location of the site is on a grassy area surrounded by Downtown Summerlin's open-air shopping center
• Area will be lit at night with security patrolling the site 24-hours from Friday through Sunday until 9pm
• Real restrooms in a central location.
• Volunteer helpers and motorized carts are available for set-up and tear-down on a first-come basis. Booth sitters available.
• All booths have a corner location due to the 'quad' set-up.  Booth layout will be provided upon acceptance
• RV, trailer, and overnight parking are allowed in parking lot on site. 

Here we go again! ArtFairCalendar.com and ArtFairInsiders.com's shameless promotion asking for your help in keeping these useful sites alive and well. From May 15-May 31 we are asking for donations to our PBS/NPR style 7th Annual Pledge Drive. Will you help?

We give  you helpful information all year, we bring buyers to the art fairs and we help improve the nation's art fairs.

Did you like any of the podcasts, the videos, the friends you met here and then later at a show, the useful tips on tents, shows, booth critiques, earning a living, etc.? Sure hope so! If you did and you donate a little $$ you'll be entered in our prize drawings also. You win and we win!

Look at these prizes:

• Make your own art display & folding sales desk plans from Ernie Kleven
• Art from Debbie Stillman, John Leben, Layl McDill, Joel Lockridge, Nica Bell, this limited edition poster from Mark Loeb and the Palmer Park Art Fair & more
• an e-course from Artsy Shark; 2 website reviews from Scott Fox; framing & art supplies
  
• free booth spaces -- coast to coast from some of your favorite show organizers
• donations from Flourish.com, Show Off canopies, Larry Berman, Larry Sanders, Greg Lawler

 & 30 more ... goods and services specifically helpful to your art career

Click here to learn more

Next Podcast: Thursday, May 19, 5 pm ET

Stories from Art Fair Land

How do you earn a living as an artist? Let's talk about the pleasures and the pitfalls of choosing to be an artist in the U.S. This episode will either have you running to apply to the art festivals all across the country or running the other way, fast!

Our guests are Floridians Toni and Jay Mann who have been creating fun and functional claywork and selling it at art festivals for a long time (20 or 30 years, I'd guess).  They have had a lifetime of adventures in the art fair business and been in every town east of the Mississippi.

Also joining us are Craig and Sara Roderick, photographers from Alabama. Their desire to find a market for their work, American Road Trip Photography, brought them to the shows just a year ago.

Join us to hear the contrast between the stories of the veterans and those new to the business. What is the best part? What is the worst? and OMG what did that patron just say about your work and what did its dog do to your booth?

This will be a call in show. Show directors welcome. Let's hear it from both sides.

Get your stories ready and call in: (805) 243-1338

Last weekend we were in Tupelo, Ms. for the Gumtree Festival.  For those who do not know, Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis, and as you might expect, there were Elvis references all over town. Our only previous experience with Tupelo was about 10 years ago when we were on our way to Memphis to catch a flight and spent a frustrating 30 minutes trying to locate the Starbucks.  It was in Krogers. As we drove out of town with our coffee we were impressed with the new development we saw.  It has only gotten better since then.  

It was a Friday set up and since we live about 100 miles away, we rolled into town at noon.  Our first impression was that the entire downtown area was new.  On closer inspection we saw that there were a lot of new buildings mixed in with well preserved historic structures such as a major local retail department store and the hardware store where Elvis' mother Gladys bought him his first guitar.  She went there to buy him a bike.  He wanted a rifle.  They settled on a guitar.  The rest is history.

The fair is set up on the streets surrounding the old courthouse. Word of warning, the streets are sloped. There was at least a 4 inch drop from the front to the back of our tent.  Luckily our legs are adjustable as we did not bring shims.  Set up was very easy.  There were no assigned set up times. As folks arrived you were allowed to drive to your spot and unload.  As long as no one else needed access you could stay there.  We hit a lull period and stayed parked for about 2 hours.  Free parking was a block away.

The show hours were 9am - 4pm Saturday and 10am - 4pm Sunday. The weather was perfect with bright sun and no rain in the forecast.  On Saturday several thousand people participated in a 10k run that started at 8:30 am from Main street next to the fair.  People watching the start and later runners who had finished walked through.  I would say the crowd was moderate on Saturday.  The problem was they were not in a buying frame of mind.  Sales were horrible, especially for 2D.  This is based on our experience as well as those around us which included three painters. Photography was well represented at this fair, and a couple of others stopped by our booth and reported the same sales experience.  There were jewelers next to us and across from us.  Their booths had good traffic all day.  Most of the bags we saw were small or had more craft related items.  

At 4pm the fair closed.  It should have stayed open until at least 5pm.  At 4pm there was a street party with an artist's reception.  As reported elsewhere, Robert Wallis won the photography category and I was able to meet him after reading so many of his posts on this site.  Congrats Robert!  There was free wine and beer for the artists and one guest.  We made some new friends and heard some great art fair war stories.  There was a BBQ dinner which others reported as being good.  We did not eat there, more on that later.  

One of the things we like to do after hours is to shoot abandoned properties.  We try to ask the locals about any hidden gems that might make for interesting shots.  A good source of info is the local law enforcement.  When I made the inquiry with one of the guys working the event he said we would not have much luck.  He said the city does not tolerate blight.  If a building deteriorates and there is no plan for rehabilitation, it is demolished and something new takes its place.  He was right.  Since the show hours were short we had a lot of time to drive around and we found nothing which is very rare. 

On Sunday the show opened at 10am.  The artists were the only ones present until about noon and even then crowd was very thin. We has a lot of time to talk to our neighbors.  No one we spoke with was happy with their sales the previous day. Our sales were better on Sunday due to our only big purchase that got us closer to break even. A fair volunteer stopped by to see how we were doing. We asked where the crowd was and all she could do is shrug her shoulders.  The lack of people may have been due to a change in schedule as this show is usually on Mother's Day weekend. It was delayed one week to coincide with the 10k race. Our work is not "gifty" so I doubt that would make much difference to us but might to others.  

We had plenty of time to walk the fair.  There was a lot of high quality work with some mixed in that left us scratching our heads. The Mistura Watch folks were there and were ejected by fair staff. The artists we spoke with were either there for the first time, or the first time in several years, or have done the show consistently for long periods.  Many of the people who walked by our booth were walking with a purpose and not even looking side to side.   

When 4pm rolled around we were in a better frame of mind due to our one big sale and several other smaller ones we made that day.  Break down was informal. As soon as there was room you could drive your vehicle up to load.  There was no supervision of this process and everyone around us cooperated to make it as pleasant as possible.  

The highlight of the weekend was discovering one of the best restaurants we have ever experienced, Kermits Outlaw Kitchen.  The owner Mitch came by our booth during set up to hand out flyers for items that could be delivered to your booth.  His enthusiasm for what he does was contagious.  We had noticed his place earlier and thought we might try it. It is a farm to table restaurant.  Everything is fresh and locally sourced. Just like us, Mitch and his wife Megan are a team. They have their own butcher shop, the Neon Pig.  We had dinner there Friday night, take out salads for Saturday lunch, and we turned down free food to eat there again Saturday night.  We really enjoy good food and this place was in the top five all time.  If you are anywhere near Tupelo, give it a try.  You will not be disappointed. There is an interesting story about how this place got its name but it is too long for this post. 

In summary, the show was very easy to do and a short drive for us.  We enjoyed our visit in Tupelo, had a great time talking to most of the people that stopped by our booth, and made some new friends, but none of that pays the bills.  For the first time this year we went into the hole.  Due to some good fortune at the end of the day Sunday it was not a deep hole.  It could have been far worse.  The 2D artists near us all lost money.  There was one photographer at the end of our row with only Mississippi subject matter with very low price points that reported doing OK.  Our stuff these days is very modern and might have been out of sync with the majority of the public.  Our prices were also out of line with community expectations.  It is doubtful we will do this show again. If you are close by and have low prices you might do well in 2D, not sure about other mediums. There were several other AFI members there.  Please add your experiences. One smartly dressed attorney asked one of our painter neighbors if she was having a good show.  When she replied that she had poor sales he responded that he hoped she would give the show another try. She then asked him if he would pay her hotel bill if she came back. There was silence as he walked away.   

1. Watercolor painter Scott Hartley won Best of Show in Belleville, IL, at Art on the Square. Scott has been participating in art fairs for 37 years. I remember being next to him at Art and Apples in Rochester, MI, many years ago when you could buy an original for $10. Those were the days!

More about this show and Scott: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article77766812.html

2. I'm hoping for a report from Texas on the Gulf Coast Arts Festival (year 2), here's a little info: http://thefacts.com/news/article_676803dd-d139-527a-a9e7-87a22f13314f.html ;

3. And did I hear that uber member of AFI, Robert Wallis, took a nice ribbon at the Gumtree Festival in Tupelo? Here's a good story with insider info : https://djournal.com/lifestyle/gumtree-arts-festival-showcases-local-state-artists/

and have to share this photo of the prizewinners from The Woodlands Arts Festival. Do you recognize any of these folks? I see Steve Kostyshyn, Jay McDougall and Greg Strachov. Who else is in this image?