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After freezing our tootsies at Images in New Smyrna Beach, Marcia and I headed for Fort Myers for our 2nd show of the winter. The weather forecast was for sun and temperatures in the 80s. YES!

We were one of about 50 booths that would be open on Friday evening so we got there early on Friday for our scheduled setup. We were escorted into the art fair in order of our booth numbers. Although we had to park on the street about 50 feet from our booth, load in was pretty easy. Just a short dolly to the space. We had a corner booth in a space that was already 12 feet wide, so we positioned the booth so that we had two side walls... lots of exhibit space. We had a leisurely setup and were allowed to move our van right opposite our booth and leave it there for the entire setup (I like that).

Our booth was in a great location. We were in the middle of the show, on the bridge going over a waterway with fountains. We set up on the sidewalk, which was very level with room plenty of room behind our booth for storage and in front of the booth for customers.

The forecast was accurate. Great weather. Friday night was busy but mostly with lookers and party goers. We took in just under $600, so, with the added exposure, I thought it was worth it. It seems that it takes people a while to decide on buying my work, so I look for the be-backs. Lots of the Friday night people would be back Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday brought lots of people. The crowds were consistent and sales went well all day, bringing in around $2200. Sunday was better with sales over $3000. We wound up with a gross of just under $6K, better than our average show for last year, but a bit below our gross from the Fort Myers show last year.

This is a well run show. One of the better ones in Florida. Big crowds. Descent sales.

Our next show in Florida will be Arti-Gras on February 18-19. When Marcia and I put together the schedule we debated on whether to spend the two weeks between shows in Florida, or go home to Michigan. We did the math and found that we could fly back home for 10 days for a lot less money than staying in Florida. We booked a room at a Comfort Inn near the airport and arranged to leave our van there for the duration. A free shuttle took us to the airport on Monday morning and we were home that afternoon.

Here's another brilliant arrangement that Marcia thought up. We have a Michigan friend who scheduled a vacation to Arizona, flying out of the Grand Rapids airport on the same day we were arriving from Fort Myers. We both live about 40 miles from the airport. Our friend left her car with the "valet" service at the airport when she arrived. We picked up her car and drove home. Our friend also scheduled her flight back from Arizona on the same day we were flying back to Fort Myers. So, we drop her car off with the valet, and our friend gets her car back when she lands. HA! Great arrangement.

One of my first Florida art fairs was Images. That was 30 years ago. I bombed at that show, but  was smitten by the "art fair" lifestyle and the opportunities art fairs present for actually making a living with art. My goal has always been to be a professional artist but that show, and a few others around the same time, convinced me that making art was not going to pay the bills and feed my family. 

At that time I was also working as a freelance media producer... a much more lucrative profession. While most of my income came from corporate clients, I went back to New Smyrna Beach the following year with a TV crew and shot a documentary called "Art Fair" (https://youtu.be/q16q5Ju_pBk). The video celebrates the independence and creative spirit of the art fair artist.

Over the years I dabbled with art fairs, but my main focus was on my media business... until about 15 years ago. Gradually, I phased out the "media" career, and phased in the "art" career. I've been doing art fairs fairly regularly for the past 15 years but this year I finally went back to New Smyrna Beach to give Images another try. And here's how it went...

I grossed about $2500, half of what my average art fair grossed last year. Not great, but, optimist that I am (all of us art fair artists are optimists), I enjoyed the show, and will probably give it another try next year. Here's why.

It was very cold (and a bit rainy) and not enough people braved the weather to come out for this show. Better weather will bring out more people. The committee was great. Very positive. This is a long running show and the committee knows how to do it. They don't micro manage the artists. Load in on Friday was easy, parking was convenient (100 feet away in the lot behind our booth), and load out was equally easy and convenient. Access to the artist lounge and "real" bathrooms was an added perk. Another major perk was where we stayed during the show.

Marcia (my wife) booked an airB&B in New Smyrna Beach. We had no real idea where the place was in relation to the show. We just knew it was somewhere in town. As we followed the GPS on Thursday evening, trying to find our lodging, it took us right into the middle of the art fair. I gave Marcia a confused look, convinced that she put the art fair coordinates into the GPS instead of the airB&B. But a few blocks later we arrived at the B&B... less than a mile from the art fair... walking distance. About the same distance from the artist parking lot. The place was a two bedroom apartment right on one of the many canals around there, complete with a fully equipped kitchen, for only $125/night. A terrific place! 

I may be in the minority about giving this show a positive review. Other artists I talked to sold less than we did and questioned the viability of exhibiting here again. The cold weather was a turnoff. But, hey, this was our first Florida show of the winter and we just came from the frozen North (Michigan), so we were happy to get away from the snow. We've got 5 more shows in Florida. We're hoping for better sales, but, you know what? There are no art fairs in the frozen North during the winter, so, Frorida is our best option for making a living in this crazy business.

I have been creating just about every day for the last ummm….too many years. As soon as my wee hands became acquainted with the world I needed to create. More than anything else I may be, I'm a sewer, writer and still “at my age” a dreamer.

There are a great many experiences during all this time….. People, animals, stories, music, gardens, homes and places, that I have loved and still love…..still miss.

Everything I make has always been an intercourse with these loves. A crazy passion compels me to respond to the mad, beautiful, terrible, funny world we live in by engaging with it and using everything that comes to hand or can be found….. to render my version of it, my story, perhaps…… or a way of saying hey, look at this, this is funny, this is precious, this is beautiful!

I've been lucky to find venues, humble, utilitarian and adventurous ones that people have responded to, enabling me to make a living out of chaos!

For years now, under the “Wicked Stitch of the West” banner….. it's been clothing of the epic variety that celebrates our bodies and how we move through our environment.

My nightmare, if I have one……is to suddenly realize, on my deathbed, that there were things I had, or had easy access to, that I didn't use up in this pursuit.

I have no patience, personally, with extremely unaffordable things. I want my clothing and frivolities to be accessible to the average person, without compromising quality.

I’d rather make (and own) a top for $85, than $850, $8,500 or $85,000. Owning an 85,000 dollar coat or gown would make me ill…..

So to those “Juries” who don’t invite me or stick me on a bloody “wait list” to your show…..well, I could make a list of colorful metaphors and make folks mad, but all I will say is…….

Your loss and leave it at that.

****** A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exceptions of texting and JAMESON....

I figured out my coffee limit: 6 in 2 hours….I can no longer
blink!

If more of us valued food, fellowship, cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world……

Slainte,

Lynn

March 25 & 26, 2017
Altamonte Springs/Orlando, Florida
Presented by: The Orlando Art & Living Expo, Inc.
Cranes Roost Park
150 artists
Deadline: Feb. 16

Application Fee:  $25/Booth Fee: $285

The festival offers artists a beautiful world class setting with easy access set-up, free adjacent parking, overnight security and cash awards/ribbons will be presented.

The UpTown Art Expo will be strongly promoted throughout Central Florida media including Magic 107.7, WMMO 98.8, WLOQ, WMFE 90.7, Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Magazine.  

The Orlando Art & Living Expo, Inc, is a non-profit whose mission to bring art & music together, and enhance the quality of life in Central Florida.

Memorial Day Weekend - May 27 & 28

The Denver Arts Festival will hold its annual premier fine arts and fine crafts event at the Conservatory Green in the Northfield area of Stapleton. The Stapleton community, 15 minutes Northeast of downtown Denver, with over 20,000 residents is now home to many upscale neighborhoods, 50 parks, bike trails, shopping and more. 

All art patrons from the Denver Metro area will find it easy to come to the Festival since the location is just off two major highways, also a recently completed commuter rail line. Over 50,000 people are expected to attend. 

We are proud to be working with the Master Community Association (MCA) to hold the Festival at Stapleton. The Director, Jim DeLutes, a former art show artist, has run the show for the last 10 years and continues to grow this festival into one of the best shows in the country.

Expect:

• Promotion of the event to the art-buying public in newspapers, radio, TV, press releases, magazines, social media and other venues valued at over $150,000.
• Artist amenities include booth sitting, overnight security and a great onsite staff to handle any issues promptly.

June 24 & 25    
Grand Haven, Michigan
Presented by: The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg
100 Artists
Deadline: February 15                               

The Grand Haven Art Festival is a community event inviting 100 artists from the region to transform Washington Avenue into a chic, outdoor art gallery. This well-attended event boasts free admission, food vendors, kids' activities and live music.  Residents and visitors from Grand Rapids, Chicago, Detroit and more visit the annual Art Festival looking to purchase that perfect piece of their homes, cottages and offices.

Artist Amenities:

• Awards:  Best in Show, Jury's Choice and Excellence Award and HonorableMention selected by onsite jury, invited to participate in the 2018 Grand Haven Art Festival without being juried
• Complimentary coffee and muffins Saturday and Sunday; snacks and water
• Roaming booth sitters for artist breaks
• Boxed lunches available for purchase delivered directly to artist's booth
• Artist-only parking reserved one block from the start of the show. Each artist will have two parking spaces assigned to them
• Complimentary invitation postcards
• Extensive Festival marketing and promotion
• Paid security Friday and Saturday nights throughout the Festival
• Grand Haven Art Festival Brochure including name, image, booth number and contact information of all participating artists
• Information packet provided in April including lodging options, area information, event logistics, etc.
• A welcoming and excited community for the 56th Annual Grand Haven Art Festival

• "Strong sales, helpful staff."
• "Sales were very good! Set up was simple, weather cooperated, plenty of hospitality."
• "Location is great!"

A recent podcast with 3 artists and some callers came up with these conclusions: 

1. having income from several sources helps a lot
2. sometimes the rain, a terrible crowd or the fact that you may have picked the wrong show intervenes with the "earning"
3. you've "got to love what you are doing" to make it work

Our participants were:

Marge Luttrell, encaustic painter and a former high school art teacher, who has been participating in art fairs for 7 years and who did 25 shows in 2016. Her "other" income includes teaching at places like Arrowmont and Penland. Her work sells from $350-$3500.

Jill McGannon, a realist landscape painter with an MFA who has earned her living with her art since 1988, with success in galleries and her own business (15 employees) mural painting and licensing her work until the Crash of 2007 took away that income and she came to art fairs to earn. Her prices range from $250 for a 9 x 12 to $4000 for a 30 x 40. 

Loc Tran, an artist who creates his own designs and screen prints the designs onto t-shirts. Although he is not doing art fairs, in the last 10 years he has found plenty of other opportunities, wholesaling and retailing his work at events with consistent revenue in the 6 figures.

On the podcast we talk

• $$ - how much do you earn at a show? with $$ answers
• great tips from Kelly Cassidy: have a helper, never discount, have an outstanding booth, consistent prices and a sign that says "I do commissions"
• Jill does fewer shows because of commissions 
• how to sell something with a $3000 price tag
• Loc has no employees and has 150 wholesale accounts; exhibits and sells at "niche" markets, veterinarian conventions, dog shows, etc.
• all have friends who earn their living at the art fairs ... you can do it too. 
  
  

Listen or download this right here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2017/01/31/is-anyone-here-earning-a-living

This was a very affirming discussion. Do you have any tips to add? Or questions to ask? 

Hi, Have any of you done this show? It is Feb 11-12 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm and I havent seen any advertising yet. Anyone doing it or have any feedback??? 

I did the Temple Beth El fund raiser Art Fair for the first time this year. This event has a stellar reputation among career artists because they bring in the money. Their members do a pre-buy in the form of purchase awards and they support the event. The week before the show I talked to one of the committee members who told me they had $145,000 in money spent in purchase awards. They take 35% of your sales, less than a gallery. It is set up as a gallery. I'm not sure whether you can apply to this show. The committee goes around to many art fairs and finds work they like and invites artists. You still have to fill out their forms. I think you can send them images asking to be in the show. Actually, I am not sure of any of this except for the people they invite. You'll have to google it to get the info.

Setup and take down are really easy. All you do is bring the work, or, ship it. They set everything up and have a storage area for backup pieces. If you have fragile work they let you set up your own work. They have pedestals and pegboards. My work looked better in their gallery than in my own booth.

They make an effort to have a top quality show. There is a main gallery room with work $500 and up and a "boutique" room with work under $500. Since my main work starts at $250, I had all my work in the main gallery. I believe that as long as the majority of your work is above $500 they let you put some under $500 in the main gallery. I had a number of pieces at $90 and $125 that were supposed to be in the boutique room. By the time I was ready to bring those pieces in, that room was filled, so, I couldn't show those pieces. In fairness to the committee, they want you to A) get your work to them on Tuesday so they can plan where they go and B) send your inventory sheet at least a week in advance so they can print out their proper labels and prices. I did neither partly because I didn't know what to expect. Next year I will do things differently if I get invited back. I won an award so I believe I'm invited, but, nothing is etched in stone.

They do a very good job of presenting the work and there were very knowledgeable patrons. I had some extremely good conversation and the people who bought my work knew what they were getting. I didn't do as well as I thought I would do. It seems that clay and glass did OK. 2D, 3D wall pieces, and jewelry did extremely well. However, the potential for doing well is sky high. I will go back next year if they have me and I will bring pieces based on what I learned. I expect to do much, much better, next year. A third of the artists were there and the rest shipped work. I could have dropped my work off and done another show, like St Armand's Circle. I would suggest being there to talk about your work, but, it isn't a requirement.

I forgot to mention that they took care of us all weekend. There was no shortage of really good food, even on the setup day. I, also, forgot to mention that I saw some old friends and fellow artists that I haven't seen for a while, potter Jan Richardson and jeweler Barbara Sucherman.

July 20-23
Ann Arbor, Michigan

The fair is located along five major streets with many opportunities for corner, and double booth spaces. The fair is know for it eclectic style and wonder as it joins fine art and a vibrant downtown district neighborhood.

June 3 & 4
Quincy, Illinois
Downtown in Washington Park
60 Artists
Deadline: February 3

Application fee: $20; Booth fee: $100

June 15-17

• Large 12'x12' booth sizes
• Low fees
• An air conditioned hospitality suite for artists
• Wednesday set-up is available and encouraged
• Dedicated artist assistance for load-in and load-out; booth sitters
• Artists are invited to come early (Friday, June 9) and participate in our plein air paint out and photography contest, and to attend the awards ceremony and opening reception held on Wednesday evening
• Free parking and lodging discounts are also available

many levels, we love Summerfest!" Culinary artisan Tom Stuntz

• Limited to 135 artists
• $2500 in cash merit awards- all awards include an automatic invitation to the following year's show
• Color thumbnail with links on website Artist Gallery
• More than $100,000 in combined media and marketing efforts to promote the Festival
• 24-hour security provided by off-duty Omaha Police Officers
• A variety of options for discounted lodging within one mile of the show
• Private, air-conditioned artists' lounge with artist-only restrooms and snacks & beverages throughout the day
• Complimentary lunch delivered to each artists' booth on Friday
• Artist Awards Brunch on Saturday
• Continental Breakfast and Artists' Meeting on Sunday

• Deadline to Apply:  January 31, 2017
• Artist Notification:  February 15, 2017
• Artist Acceptance:  March 15, 2017
• Booth Fees Due:  March 31, 2017
• Deadline to Withdraw with Refund (less $50 processing fee): May 1, 2017

Kudos to the Des Moines Arts Festival for their outreach to engage their community and build enthusiasm for the Arts Festival taking place June 23-25. For the second year in a row they hosted an event at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines where they "REVEALED" the artists who will be participating in this years festival. 

At the ticketed gala event, REVEAL, sponsors and stakeholders and enthusiasts of the event watched a multimedia event that showcased the 180 artists who had been chosen by a jury who:

previewed more than 6,000 images in a variety of mediums submitted by a pool of 1,002 applicants from 43 states, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Israel, and Taiwan.

The full list of invited artists can be found on the Festival’s web site at www.desmoinesartsfestival.org/visual-arts.

Stephen King, executive director of the event shared this audience building event with other show directors at last fall's Zapplication Art Festival Conference in Houston. It is a wonderful idea that would work in many communities. 

Full press release: 180%20Artists%20to%20be%20Represented%20at%20the%20Des%20Moines%20Arts%20Festival%20.pdf

Have you encountered this audience development at any other shows? 

It's frustrating for me to be sitting here on the couch right now when I thought I would be on the way to an art show in Sarasota.

Why? The infamous "wait list" of Howard Alan events and the bottomless greed from applications they accept.

I applied to this show because another show I had scheduled for this weekend also fell through. I saw this one was still open and accepting applications and thought, "Great! This show is still open!" Since I had never been rejected from a Howard Alan show (and neither had anyone else that I knew of, they take anything it seems), I thought I could get in another quick show before I have to take a week off for personal projects. Long drive, but you do what you have to do.

Well the deadline for applications finally passes -- two days before the show is to start -- and I'm anxiously awaiting the notification of whether to pack and go or stay. I have already got a room reservation, so all I have to do is hit the road. I didn't think much of it, because I had applied and been accepted that late before.

I finally send a message asking about status, and I was informed that I applied to be on the wait list. There are currently 88 other artists on the wait list.

What the heck?

Howard Alan events kept accepting 88 applications for the wait list, even after the show was closed. They don't provide booth sitters, artist snacks or water. They expect setup for most shows to begin at 4am. But they took in an extra $3520 for no reason except for greed.

But, Florida is the only game in town this time of year. And this was a firm reminder of how much I hate their style of "promotion."