Blog

August 19 & 20   

Frankfort, Michigan

From the Chamber of Commerce:

• two days
• beautiful time of year for weather & tourism
• spacious booth spaces:  12x12

There is also fun for the whole family with all the downtown businesses as well as a collector car show 3 blocks away, among many other activities that day and great local food.  You might even want to fit in some salmon fishing! 

LATE APPLICATION FEE: Due to the numerous late applications in years past, we are applying a $25 late application fee for ALL applications received after May 1, 2015.

Website & application:  www.frankfort-elberta.com/index

Contact: Joanne Bartley, fcofc@frankfort-elberta.com 

Phone: (231)352-7251
 

For more information about this tourism mecca: www.frankfort-elberta.com

Here is the award i received at the Birmingham magic City Art Fest last weekend. My wife took the photo and I whited out my face so it wouldn't wrinkle the ribbon...

Last weekend we did the Magic City Art Connection which is held in Linn Park, Birmingham, Al.  First of all, Birmingham is our adopted home town.  We have lived in the area for 10 years and have attended to show in the past but this was our first year showing our work. Birmingham acquired the nick name "Magic City", not due to an over abundance of budding David Copperfield wannabes, but because of the rapid growth of the steel industry shortly after the civil war. The show was magic for us.

The venue is an urban park that encompasses a city block.  There are intersecting sidewalks leading to a fountain plaza in the center.  Large, mature trees shade most of the area. A contingent of homeless folks use the park as their home.  They were not particularly pleased to be evicted for the weekend. Last year, three days before the event, the city decided to charge for security which led to having to enclose the park and charge a $5.00 admission fee. With the fence in place the homeless were forced to set up on some benches near the porta potties near the main entrance.  Our booth was on a sidewalk at one end of the show.  We were thankful for the shade.  But the lack of light meant no grass which in turn produced massive amounts of dust.  Next year we will try to pay extra for a spot on the fountain plaza.

Communication before the event was very good.  Load in times were staggered. When we arrived there was ample parking near our spot with a very short dolly distance, all on cement. This is a Friday, Saturday, Sunday show with Thursday set up.  We dodged the rain on Thursday and had everything under cover before the rain started.

Friday started off very well for us.  By 2pm when a passing shower cleared out the crowd, we had the best sales day we have had.  We had two customers that made big purchases with several smaller purchases in between. One of our homeless friends managed to breach perimeter security and asked us for some money to help pay for his new baby's Pampers.  We were skeptical since he was a least 70. Friday night there was an awards presentation followed by a dinner.  We can say the wine served was very good but we could not stay for dinner as we had to go home and print and mat to replace what we had sold, certainly a good problem to have.

Saturday's weather was perfect and the crowds came out to buy.  We doubled our sales from Friday. We were busy all day and barely had time to get something to eat.  I saw a lot of packages going by both big and small.  Our neighbors were metal (mostly yard art but very well done), a print maker, and an abstract painter. All reported very good sales.  We also saw a lot of wood pieces going by and a very wide mix of styles and presentations in 2D art. Again we went home to print and mat.

Sunday was the slowest day.  We still had a very good day. The weather was perfect in the shade but warm in the sun.  There we a lot of people walking by with sweat stained shirts.  

Load out was very well organized and uneventful.  Once taxes were paid we were given a small gray ticket.  When we were completely broken down and ready to load, a volunteer traded the gray ticket for an orange pass to bring in our vehicle.  Again, there was ample close parking.

As far as amenities go, there was water and some breakfast items in the morning, but no one drove around with water etc.  I did not have time to check with anyone about the dinner Friday night but it was a nice thank you to the artists.  I wish we could have stayed for it.  On Saturday and Sunday on one of the perimeter streets there is a fundraiser called Corks and Chefs where 9 of our best restaurants serve small plates of their dishes with wine and beer. There is an admission charge of something like $40.00.  Someone who liked our work gave us two tickets on Sunday.  So we enjoyed some food from our favorite restaurants with some very good wine under a shade tree near our booth.  Since there are two of us we can take turns.   

This was the 33rd year for this show.  It was very well organized, with a dedicated director, Eileen Kunzman, her staff, and a cadre of experienced volunteers. It was by far our best sales show so far. So thanks to the Magic City for a confidence boost and a financial shot in the arm. Hopefully this momentum will carry over to Huntsville next weekend.   

September 16-18

St. Charles, Missouri
Presented by the MOSAICS Festival Committee
100 Artists

Deadline: May 1

Application fee: $30; Booth fee: $295 Single, $395 Corner, $590 (special request)

Join approximately 100 juried and invited artists along scenic historic Main Street in St. Charles next to the banks of the beautiful Missouri River, in the downtown St. Charles shopping and dining district of the popular tourist-friendly community of St. Charles. 

Artists selected by a distinguished panel of jurors will exhibit and sell original art work across a variety of mediums, including painting, clay, sculpture, photography, print making, pastels, drawing, wood, jewelry, metalwork, glass, art to wear and mixed media at all price points. 

Marketing:
We have a comprehensive advertising and marketing campaign throughout the greater St. Louis metropolitan area: TV, Radio, local and regional print media, electronic billboards, promotional banners and yard signs, social media/networking, online/web presence, a full-scale public relations campaign - plus LIVE radio broadcasts from the Festival during the weekend event. 

MOSAICS has increased our advertising coverage in 2016 to increase visibility and traffic at the festival.

Artist amenities include:

• $5,000 in cash prizes to participating artists 
• Complimentary Friday & Saturday night Artist Dinner delivered to booth 
• Booth Sitters and helpful Volunteer staff
• Street access for setup and tear down under the direction of festival staff.
• Assistance with load in/load out before & after the Festival
• Nearby parking and available shuttles; overnight security on Friday and Saturday nights

Chicago- Looking to buy a used Flourish or Lightdome tent. Might be interested in Pro Panels as well

contact me at: dorothy8@flash.net

Had my best show here in the last 25 years. This was also my best show anywhere since last July at Madison.

It could not have come at a better time.

Four days after the show I had $2000 worth of booth fees due for shows between now and Labor Day. A daunting prospect after coming off a miserable March where I did not even gross $5000 in sales at three shows. And the one day show at Gainesville was no help either.

Ellen was in the same boat as me. So we were sweating heavy bullets as we left to setup on Friday afternoon, with a forecast for rain (40%) to hit us during setup. Well, we dodged the rain, it went north of us. Plus, this was a rare show where I got to sleep in my own bed (Ybor).

Setup went well, it can be tight with all the vehicles. Luckily I knew most of my neighbors, the benefit of doing shows for 42 years. We shucked and jives and everybody got set. I slept very uneasily that night, not knowing what to expect. Last time I did it, three years ago, they put me out in the dreaded treeless field of the show. I barely made 2K there.

The show started strong, I got a $545 purchase award before the show opened. By noon, I had crossed the $2K mark. I was selling mainly in the $80-$160 price range, quite nicely.

Ellen sold a big cow right before noon and we going at it neck to neck--just like old times. Which I have not experienced in a long while. We went home to Ybor very fulfilled. Booth fees were covered. Tomorrow we would work on real profit. We stopped at a great sushi bar called "Hooks" high north on Fourth Street in St. Petersburg. I hit this place in Feb after doing the Paragon show in St. Pete. This place gives great value for the buck. Order the $14 hot sake, it is the best deal I have seen in any sushi bar anywhere. It is served in a large metal vessel that just seems to never empty. Seriously, Ellen and I poured and poured into those little cups almost infinite times.

BTW if you like hot sake and like a little kick to it, try this trick. I picked it up at a sushi bar owned by a Korean woman married to a US soldier. It was in Kansas City, during Plaza. Anyways, the Koreans do spices and hot. So the bartender said to put a few slivers of jalapeño in the sake and let the oils from the pepper steep into the drink. Bada Bam! It is heavenly heat.

Sunday we arrived early enough to get Position A with our loyal vans. Someday I will do a great blog about Position A, but probably not before I am about to retire. I ain't giving away one of my most precious secrets. The show serves a great Artist Breakfest, eggs, bacon, sausage, the works. Then they give out great prize money.

Well, Sunday soared for me, better than Sat. I sold 45 16x20 mats and frames. Long time since I did that. Had a killer day and got out of there in one hour.

So, let us get real and talk about how most other people did. This blog is not "All about Nels."

A few of us did really good, but for the rest it was a barely average to below show. I do not know why I soared. I grew up in St. Pete in the 40-ie's. A lot of the mover and shakers in town were my contemporaries. I did not see them at this show. When I did the two Bill Kinney shows in Dec. and Feb. (Paragon) I saw them, but not at Mainsail.

Again, St. Pete is a booming city. I am so proud of my city, nestled between two great bodies of water with a tremendous influx of new retail, residential, and food restaurants going up everywhere. There is plenty of disposable income floating around everywhere. Trouble is, most spend it on the cliche, the predictable traditional and stuff that has been down a million times before. I just guess it was my time.

Two more blogs to come from down south, Melbourne and Fernandina. Then it is up to God's country for the summer--Saugatuck, Michigan. 

I have a great schedule: Summer fair, Columbus, Virginia Beach, Des Moines (the orig show), Boston Mills, Fort Wayne, Ann Arbor, Uptown, Suttons Bay, waiting on Lexington, Lake Forest, St. James. I can live with that.

Later Gators.
Aileen, here I come, Vaughn sends his wishes, so does Ben and Patty.

Captain's Log, stardate 2821.5. In the Star Trek episode “The Galileo Seven”, Spock is adrift in the Galileo shuttlecraft with almost no hope of being rescued by Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. By jettisoning the remaining fuel of the shuttlecraft and igniting it, he is essentially sending out a Hail Mary pass.

After doing two miserable shows last year, I had decided I wouldn't do any shows this year (and maybe not ever again). At age 67 and coming off torn shoulder muscles, doing the physical work involved with art shows gets harder and harder each year.

Captain's log 2016.03.18. About 11:40 in the evening on the deadline date of the St Louis Art Fair, I'm wondering if my luck could possibly change this year. After never being able to get in, I threw my Hail Mary pass and applied. It is one of the top shows and gets over 1,100 applications for under 140 spaces. What the heck, I decided at the last minute to give it one more try. I submitted my application and forgot about it. The other day the e-mail results came in.

Holy s**t, I just got accepted to St Louis. So, reveling in the high you can only get when those hard to get into shows invites you, I paid my booth fee and sat down to write about it.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

I think most artists are old enough to appreciate this.

A cool story. I know many artists who have who have sold artwork to celebrities or have seen celebrities walking shows they have exhibited at. But this is a different kind of situation.

Last week I got a call to scan artwork to create high resolution digital images for reproduction. The artwork I scanned were drawings by guitarist Denny Laine, one of the founding members of the Moody Blues in the mid 1960's.

http://bermangraphics.com/blog/denny-laine-guitarist-and-artist/

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

This will be Howard Alan's second year in Virginia Beach.  Did anyone do this show last year and can comment on it.  We are heading down to this show this coming week and would like an idea of what to expect.  Many thanks!

Finding nothing on the web including at ArtShowReviews.com...I have to ask: has anyone here done the Wayzata Art Experience? I can't believe this show isn't on the radar for a bunch of great artists. I know nothing about this show but as a native to Mpls-St. Paul, I certainly know that Wayzata is pretty much Money Central in this town. All else being equal I'd assume this could be a good show.

So: Anybody have any experience with this one?

Lawrence Sawyer

The time has arrived when I must reduce significantly the number of Arts & Craft shows that I will be able to do.  The reasons are two-fold – one is that I have reached the age of 72 with a bad back (metal rods, screws, fused vertebra etc.) and driving long distances for a show and setting up is becoming much more painful and difficult.  The primary reason, however, is that my dear wife has been diagnosed with dementia and I can only go to a show if I have someone to stay with her.  Shortly, I fear, I will not be able to leave her at all.  (Our 50^th anniversary is this June -1966-2016).  This begs the question – what now?

The “what now” is that I will do a few shows (which will be posted on the “Show Schedule” on my website) and I will try to sell more of my instruments from my web site. (My website is being adapted to make this process easy.) Please understand that I will make instruments as long as I am able – I just will not be able to do as many shows as I used to.  I will really miss seeing all of my friends, but “time waits for no man” {or woman}.

I have been so very fortunate to have had the blessing of doing the work that I have wanted to do – be it teaching or making instruments.  Would that all persons could experience that, because if you do what you want to and are drawn to, then it is not work, it is expressing yourself and sharing your passion with others.  People have written to me or called to thank me for the workmanship and love that has gone into the instruments that they have bought or inherited and the pleasure that they and their families have received from instruments that I built with my own hands.  Imagine the satisfaction and pleasure that that affords especially considering that the goal that I strive to achieve with my work is to bring pleasure and joy to those who play and to those who hear my instruments (to say nothing of the fact that my instruments will continue to bring pleasure and joy to people long after I am gone).

Bottom line – I have had (and am having) “a good run”!

Blessings upon all!

Archie

For most artists, I suppose, this drive is something that we simply cannot ignore and our happiest hours are often those spent in our studios doing “what we do.”

But, what if something happens that threatens “what we do?”  Case in point – ME.  In August, 2012 I was happily working along cutting our parts for my psalteries on my table saw as I had done so very many times before when suddenly (and don’t ask me how because it happened so fast that I really don’t know) the back of my right hand bumped the 10 inch, 40 tooth carbide steel blade that was spinning at 1725 rpm.  (Do NOT Try this at HOME. It is NOT Recommended). Three fingers were cut off through the knuckle and the little finger was just chewed up.  I say “cut off” but the blade cut through the knuckles and the fingers were dangling by strips of flesh. 

The surgeon was a miracle worker and worked all night trying to get my hand put back together.  (I was concerned that he was working so late because I was afraid that his mother would not let him stay out that late.)  The end result was that he could not save the middle finger and took it off at the hand.  On the index and ring fingers he cleaned out where the knuckles had been and reattached them by fusing the bones together with metal strips and screws to hold them together until the bones grew together.  The little finger he sewed up and put in a splint. 

This fixed up my hand, but did not “fix” my drive to create.  What to do?  My middle finger was gone and the index and ring fingers would no longer bend.  (Initially I was fearful that I would no longer be able to communicate forcible with my right hand, until I realized that I could raise my right hand and tell people to “read between the lines”.)

How was I going to “feed” that drive with a screwed up (literally) hand?  Enter the unbelievably remarkable and resourceful brain.  If you are determined to do something, the brain will figure out how to do it in 95+% of the cases.  So I was able to figure out how to make my instruments – albeit somewhat slower and with less efficiency than before, but I COULD do it including the delicate inlaying process.  (To this day, the most difficult thing for me to do is to button my shirt because my fingers will not bend.  Isn’t it wonderful, under the circumstances, that the thing that is most difficult for me to do is so trivial?)

Ok, I am back feeding that creative drive although slower than before when I encounter another threat to the “care and feeding” of my creative drive.  I have had lower back problems since I was young, as had my father.  In July, 2014, I had my fourth – and most serious – back surgery in which the surgeons fused five vertebra in my lower back with metal rods and screws.  (Once again have I been screwed.) 

This time recovery is going to be longer because of the trauma to the body with the seriousness of the surgery which is now exacerbated by age – 70 then, 72 now.  At this age one simply does not heal as quickly and I was in pain – sometimes better, sometimes worse but –thank goodness- controllable by medication for about a year.  The pain for this long has the tendency to “take the wind out of your sails” and I have had to cut back seriously on the number of shows that I am able to do, to say nothing of being able to “scratch that creative itch.”

As I was recuperating, reality reared its ugly head and “smote me about the head and shoulders” with the true realization that I would not be able to do this forever.  While I did recognize this as truth, it was a bitter pill to my ego.  This is something that everyone must “come to grips with” but, it seems to me that artists would be particularly sensitive to this as it directly threatens their ability to feed the creative drive.  Those whose creative work requires less physical activity will not be forced to deal with this “multi-headed monster” as soon as those of us who have a more demanding physical activity involved in our creative process.  However, the time will come to all of my generation of “senior artists”- some sooner and some later, but it WILL come.

The question now becomes, how will we deal with, not only our diminishing physical abilities but our ability to feed the creative drive?  We will miss our long-held friendships with friends on the art fair “circuit”.   Thank goodness for email!  It will be hard to let go of our show canopy and supplies, to say nothing of the faithful van that has carried us so very many miles and of which we have so many memories.

We MUST find another suitable outlet for our “creative juices” that is compatible with our abilities.

I might take up writing.  It is interesting to type with a right hand that has one missing finger, two fingers that will not bend and a little finger that will not straighten.  ( I mack mamy tiping miskates amd eros)

Archie Smith

Archie Smith Instruments

October 1 & 2 
Williamsburg, Virginia
downtown historic Williamsburg
145 Artists
Deadline:  April 30

Application Fee: $35/Booth Fee: $275

An Occasion for the Arts (AOFTA) is held each year on the first weekend of October on the streets of historic downtown Williamsburg, a popular destination for people from around the world.

Our ambition is to be the best show possible for those artists exhibiting with us, and our commitment to our exhibitors is to balance the show in a way that showcases your work as unique and provides the potential for sales.  We purposely keep the show small, 140-145 artists.

Potential for sales:

• The median household income for James City County and adjoining York County is $79,516, one of the highest in Virginia. 
• Housing starts are on the Rise. Residential areas of Williamsburg are experiencing strong growth. Several new neighborhoods have emerged in the last year.

Participating artists can look forward to:

• Early set up on the Friday with curbside unloading and loading
• Free Artist-only parking within walking distance of the show
• Artist reception and award Ceremony on Saturday evening with complementary adult beverages...cash awards for winning artists and acceptance to next year's show
• Overnight security
• On-demand booth sitters to assist the artists

Just got back from Lubbock Arts Festival.  This is a three day indoor show where Friday night is a "Patron" night. The weather was nice but they had expected bad weather.  There was a Texas Tech Spring game scheduled that was cancelled.  It was also Dad and Daughter's weekend at tech.  

Load in/load out.  The load in times were Thursday 12-7 and Friday 12 -4 with the show starting at 6 on Friday.  I much would have preferred an earlier load in time on Friday so I wouldn't have to drive in and stay another night in a hotel but was concerned if I could get in and set up in four hours.  Or, even have a later set up time on Thursday. Load in was easy as there are side doors where you can park close and dolly in.  No volunteers that I could see to help on Thursday but wasn't looking.  On Friday, there were a few teenagers offering help.  Load out on Sunday was quick and easy as well as once again was able to park close enough to dolly everything.  There was a small line for those wanting to back up to the main loading doors but most people were just dollying.

Patron Night  Friday night is Patron night where the local patrons buy tickets and get a dinner buffet.  They feed the artists' first at 5 before doors open at 6.  Food was great but get in line early.  I am from OKC where the art patrons pledge to spend $500 on art.  This is not the case here.  My impression was that it was a social event for people/businesses that want to active in the community.  Lot of socializing but no one buying or carrying art around.  I sold 2 prints to one person during the three hours.  Most people seemed more interested in talking to their friends than actually visiting the booths.  Several performances by kid's groups were held and I suspect a large amount of the crowd were parents watching their kids. After the kids finished and they presented some award...the crowds all went home.

Saturday/Sunday   Very slow Saturday.  At times it seemed the aisles were empty.  Show starts at 10 and goes to 7 pm.  They brought a ticket by where you could go get a chick-fil-a box lunch and a water.  Not sure why they didn't just bring the box lunch to us.  Around 5 they came by offering water and a bag of chips/trail mix.  On Saturday, it seemed the crowd was mostly lookers.  No one seemed to be engaging in the art.  I speak to everyone that comes into booth and generally can get them, talking about location or process.  I also generally have lots of people going through my print box.  Not this crowd.  Would just look quickly and move on.  Sunday, the crowds seemed more engaged and more talkative.  Sales both days was about the same. This is the first show that I have done where I did not cover expenses.

Artist Mix  Seemed like a pretty good mix of mediums without any one medium being over represented.  They were promoting the show as art with a fine food twist so there were two bakeries plus some booths selling olive oil, bread mixes, margarita mix but were all more artisan type.  Did not see any buy and sell.  The company that sells the metal pac man type items was present.  I have been next to them before and the artist was not present (not even in the same state as show)and the guy working the booth told me they have a shop where several people produce the work to the artist's specs as they are also going to wholesale markets.   The artist's were all very friendly and seemed like a mix of experienced full time artists and less experienced part time artists.  Every artist I talked to reported lower than usual sales and pretty much experienced the same as myself.

Repeat?  Not sure if I will do this show again.  Price seemed high ($475 for corner booth) as compared to the crowds there.  The returning artists I spoke with said that this year was off but that it was an "OK" show the years before and most seemed to use as a filler show. People were very nice and welcoming and they took good care of us but they weren't spending money.

The Show would make a nice add on to Cherry Creek or Breckenridge over the 4th of July, or Boulder or Ft. Collins the following weekend.