ArtFairCalendar.com has announced the results of its 3rd annual "America's Best Art Fairs" survey. This survey is the only national online look at the country's juried art fairs and craft shows, designed to reward the festivals that create opportunities for artists to sell their work.

The study opens the voting beyond the traditional "art fair insiders" such as artists and show organizers to focus on voting by art fair patrons, fine art collectors and the public that attends art shows and festivals nationwide, every event needs these 3 groups of people to make it work: show organizers, artists and the art buyers.

We asked our mailing list of over 50,000 art fair patrons what was the best art fair in the country and had an outstanding nationwide response. Nearly 90% of the respondents completed our lengthy 25 question survey and the answers were both expected and intriguing. 

The winners reflect who voted. The winning shows shared the survey, got their constituents involved and knew that the resulting PR would pay off for their event. Just like in any election its all about getting out the vote. 

Best City for Art Fairs: Chicago

Chicago has it all, indoor and outdoor art fairs.  10 of this city's shows were voted into the Top 50, with 5 of them in the Top 20. Congrats to this city full of art lovers. Making a trip to the Windy City? Plan it so you too can catch an art festival. Our list of Chicago events.

Our #1 art fair is the Old Town Art Fair, June 11 & 12, 2016.
The show earned more than double the votes of any other event.

Survey said:

• The setting is fantastic in the historic Old Town Neighborhood. It has a wide variety of artists with high quality art. We buy art here always.
• great art, great city - What could be better than Old Town Chicago????
• PERFECT mix of art, culture, food and FUN

2015 AMERICA'S BEST ART FAIRS - the Top Ten

Our entire Top 50 art festivals, a year round listing to encourage "art fair tourism":  www.BestArtFairs.com

* - new to the Top Ten

At that link also find

• who took the survey
• why people come to art shows
• what they buy, why they buy and why they don't come to some shows any more, including a lot of great tips for show organizers.

For more anecdotal information on a recent podcast with Lynn Smith, vice chair of the Old Town Art Fair she shares her insights on why the OTAF garners so much enthusiasm throughout the greater metropolitan area, making it a "must attend" event. Art buyers from Florida and Ohio also join us to tell us why they attend art fairs and buy art. Winners! 2015 Best Art Fairs

Show directors, we have prepared an extensive report full of 

helpful information with insider information from experts who already know how to produce a successful art fair including: 

• Our analysis of the extensive survey results and how to use them to make your show a "best art fair"
• 5 Important Keys to a Successful Art Fair +++
• Our 5 favorite ideas for encouraging buyers to attend

Click here for more info.

See the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/

ArtFairCalendar.com's mission is to promote the American tradition of art fairs by showcasing events where art collectors find hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind fine work and encourage the interaction of client and creator. 

January 30 & 31
Columbus, Ohio
Presented by: Ohio Designer Craftsmen
130 Artists
Deadline: December 7

Application fee: $25
Booth fee: $250, $375, $500

The Art Studio Clearance Sale is one of the most anticipated shows in Ohio by artists and shoppers alike! Booth fees are low, hours are easy and no fancy set-up is required.  Shoppers eager to buy line up early from our parking lot to the front door ready to take home the deals.

• Do you have work sitting in your studio that you aren's crazy about?
• Do you need feedback from shoppers on new work, designs, colors?
• Unload a kiln during the year only to discover a few firing mishaps?
• Have you been hauling around pieces that can't seem to find a home? 

• Groove to the oldies played each day as shoppers bebop through the aisles (sometimes literally) searching for bargains.
• Remember the fun of shopping with "blue light specials"?  WE HAVE THEM HERE! We roll out the flashing blue light for artists and announce creative sales gimmicks throughout the show to drive shoppers to your booth.
• Artists only "Garage Sale Swap" - look behind the curtain for artists   supplies, display materials, tents, dollies, whatever any of our artists need to unload.  Deals are made between artists-one artists's trash is another artists' treasure!

May 20-22, 2016 
Reston, Virginia
Presented by:  Greater Reston Arts Center
215 Artists
Deadline:  December 6

Application Fee:  $50; Booth Fee:  $500

Our fine art event is held in the streets of Reston Town Center, a unique, walkable downtown, filled with a variety of residences, offices, upscale retail shops, and fine dining. On Festival weekend we draw up to 30,000 visitors.

Our clientele is described by Art Fair Source Book as "affluent, enthusiastic young to middle aged couples who are not too price sensitive." Art collectors know our Festival and mark their calendars early for this marquee event.

Each year our competitive, juried, Festival features over 200 skilled artisans who utilize both traditional and unconventional materials and techniques to create hand-crafted, original works of art available for purchase.  We heavily market that the diversity of fine art and craft, ensures there is something for every taste and budget.

For artists we will continue to maintain the excellent and ample volunteer support and new this year will also include set/up help on Friday. Other artist amenities include booth sitters, continental breakfasts on Sat & Sun, drive up booth set-up/ tear down, free bottled water delivery, indoor restrooms, reduced hotel rates, reserved artist parking for oversize vehicles, security, and artist mentor opportunities in local schools.

GRACE is committed to elevating the profile of our Festival, and has maintained its increased marketing budget to reach new audiences and promote interest from collectors. GRACE contracts with a public relations and communications firm to develop an aggressive marketing and promotion campaign to better market and celebrate our festival artists with well-placed advertising in prominent magazines and newspapers, social media, radio and with our TV media partners.

What the artists say about us:

• Photographer John Scanlan: The 2015 was my  best show ever in Reston.  The location, the weather, the organization and attention to detail were superb!  Not to mention the buying energy.
  
  
• Exhibitor Carol Ferony:  I value this show; it has great art patrons.  Of all the locations I travel this is still my best market.

• Ginny Herzog from Minneapolis, MN observes:  I have been exhibiting at the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival for fifteen years and it is my favorite and strongest show on the east coast.  This show repeatedly delivers art savvy patrons and collectors from around the DC area and the 2014 show was my best show was my best show ever in 35 years as a professional artist.

This was my first real show and I didn't really know what to expect.  I was attracted to it because it's close to home, the booth fee was only $30, which included one 6' table and two chairs and I was able to bring along another table of my own.  The show hours were also appealing, 6 to 9 on Friday evening and 10 to 4 on Saturday.  So, not a huge investment, great location, affluent area...all good, right?

So, on Friday evening they had appetizers and wine for show-goers and artists alike with a ticket price of $5.oo which got you in free on Saturday should you decide to come back.  This all sounded great but I only sold one $20 item to this "social hour" crowd.  But I figured the weather was kind of crappy that night and things would be much better on Saturday when it was reported to be sunny and not as cold.

Okay, got there early...didn't bring along my knitting or a book as I was still optimistic and assumed I'd be too busy for any of that...ha!  My neighbor in the booth next to mine, who was also a fiber artist, (we were all kind of lumped together) brought her knitting along as she was a more seasoned craft fair participant and must have had an inkling about how this show would play out.

I had several friends come to visit,some that I hadn't seen in many years and a couple of them bought some things and then it did start to pick up a little with a few sales here and there but it certainly wasn't as well-attended, overall,as I had hoped it would be. There were some other competing art & craft fairs going on in the area the same week-end but my complaint, which I shared with the promoters in my feedback summary, was that I don't think they spent any money on advertising.  Sure, they put up a few signs in the immediate area and had a FB page but I never say any mention in local publications or other media.

My suggestion was that instead of spending money on eats and wine (they even fed us on Saturday) which was nice but I'd be glad to bring my own lunch next year if they could do a little better on shining a light on the event itself.  Overall, it was a good learning experience and I made about $200 but for a fledgling show (only it's fifth year), they've got some tweaking to do before they can truly be a success.

July 2-4
Denver, Colorado
Cherry Creek North Shopping District
250 Artists
Deadline:  December 1

Application Fee:  $40
Booth Fees: 10'x10' $800 (row), $925 (corner), $350 Emerging Artists  

Known as Colorado's signature cultural event since 1991 and America's Most Honored Arts Festival, the festival garners recognition and respect at the local, state, regional, national and world-level with marketing and sponsorship arenas, as well as both the festival and visual artist industries.        

• Annual artist sales over $3.1 million/$12,000 per artist average
• $900,000 marketing and advertising the visual artists
• $30,000 offered in artist purchase awards at the event
• 350,000 annual visitors hosted over July 4th holiday weekend
• New jury panel every year; helps successful jury entry for persistent applicants

The 2016 Arts Festival will feature 250 exhibitors, including 12 artistic award winners returning from the 2015 show.  Artistic excellence of original, handcrafted work is the sole criteria for selection of exhibitors.

Higher than average sales are attributed to an educated art-buying audience, the event's layout and location in the heart of Denver's affluent district of Cherry Creek North. The visual artists' success and festival experience are the core values and measurements of success for the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

The Arts Festival features artists in 13 different media categories including: ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber, glass, printmaking, jewelry, metalworks, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and wood.

The CCAF also announces the 2016 Emerging Artist Program.  This is an extraordinary opportunity for artists with very little, if any experience exhibiting and selling their work. Emerging Artists apply in the same manner as professional artists and submit their artwork through the category, "Emerging Artists."

Apply:  www.Zapplication.org

ABOUT CHERRYARTS:  Since 1991, the 501c3non-profit mission of CherryArts has provided access to a broad array of arts experiences and to support education in colorado.  Along with the signature 3-day festival,  CherryArts festures year-round education and outreach programs is schools throughout Colorado.

Learn about CCAF national art show rankings and festival industry awards at:  www.cherryarts.org/awards

For more information please visit:  www.CherryArts.org or call (303)355-2787.  

Does any one have info about the Gilmores show? Looking for info about the Myrtle Beach show.

Thank you

ZAPP and the Saint Louis Art Fair are offering artists an opportunity to have their images critiqued through a Mock Jury.  Whether you are new to the digital application process or looking to improve your jury submissions, all artists are welcome to attend and learn! 

Need not be present to participate in the Mock Jury.  

The jurors comments will be emailed to you.

 Here’s how it works:

  1)     Create a FREE user account or login online at www.zapplication.org.

  2)     Upload your artist images and complete the application.

  3)     The first 150 artists to submit an application will be accepted to participate.

  4)     One application per artist per medium.

  5)     The cost is $10.

  6)     Application deadline is Wednesday, January 6, 2016.

  7)     The Mock Jury will take place on Saturday, January 23, 2016 - Grey Eagle Distributors - 2340 Millpark Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043

  8)     Jurors will speak openly about submitted artist images.

  9)     Everyone is welcome to join us in person to experience the mock jury. More information will be sent at later date.

10)     For those applicants not able to join us in person the jurors comments will be emailed to you.

Friday, November 20, 2 pm ET

ArtFairCalendar.com has just finished its 3rd annual "America's Best Art Fairs" survey and we announce the winners. Our survey is the only national online look at the country's juried art fairs and craft shows, designed to reward the festivals that create opportunities connecting artists and communities.

Listen live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2015/11/20/winners-2015-best-art-fairs-in-america-survey

We asked our mailing list of over 50,000 art fair patrons what was the best art fair in the country and had an amazing nationwide response. Nearly 90% of the respondents completed the lengthy 25 question survey and the answers were both expected and intriguing. 

Listen to find out what the Top 25 shows in the country are as voted on by the people who attend them. Discover their choices for the best regional fairs, best urban fair, best small market show and the best cities for art fairs.

We'll share the survey answers on:

• what makes a show "Best"
• why people say they attend an art fair
• why they don't attend shows they used to love
• suggestions for show organizers

Lynn Smith, vice chair of the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago, will give her insights on how that show garners so much enthusiasm throughout the greater metropolitan area, making it a "must attend" event. Art buyers from Florida and Ohio will also join us to tell us why they attend art fairs and buy art.

ArtFairCalendar.com's (the parent site of AFI that pays the bills for this site) mission is to promote the American tradition of art fairs by showcasing events where art collectors find hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind fine work and encourage the interaction of client and creator. 

Fairhope used to be a very decent show but has slipped in last 5 years. They do get 150,000-200,000 or so attendees but many are also going to the Art Center show down the way. That show always struck me as the "sad sister" to the Chamber show. It's not a high end show for sure. And the sad kicker is that several shops and outsiders set up "also booths" to capture sales although they are not in either show. The public does not know this and probably does not care. And the Chamber & City does little to stop this.

I did this show for over 8 years in conjunction with TX shows and it all worked. Now, hardly at all sad to say. One thing we know about shows that go downhill, it takes a very long time before they climb back up to where they used to be. The public and artists know when it is a loser.  Jeff

I do not know if i am the only one. but when i get on afi and put in groups One group comes up (organizers and directors).  I try to bring up other groups that i am in, but nothing comes up.  I get a message that says i am not in any groups.  how do i fix this problem and is anyone else having this problem

I've had my Nissan van - the tall one - for two years now. I've racked up 90,000 miles in those years, and until Saturday, never had a problem. But on Saturday, 30 miles or so from home, on my way back from Virginia Beach, I ran into and killed a deer. 

The event was awful. It was dusk, and it's hunting season, so I was watching. It didn't matter. One instant, the road ahead of me was open. The next minute, a large deer was there. She died instantly, and I think there's a small blessing in that. There were no cars around me, and that's another blessing. 

The biggest blessing is that I wasn't hurt. The big van took the hit. The front is high enough that the deer didn't crash over the roof and into the windshield, as she would have if I'd been in the Toyota minivan - or, I imagine, in a Sprinter. The grill is a mess, the bumper is hanging, and the radiator took a blow - but I was able to drive the van home. 

If you're thinking of buying a van, I can't say enough about my Nissan. I loved her before this - 90,000 miles and zero problems, zero - but I love her even more now. 

Just got back from Bling show in Highland Park..Amdur productions show..I don't know what to think about her shows.She did a nice show, had munchies for artists and if they needed anything, they were accommodating..can't complain about that.. Amy even went through and purchased a few things from cheaper artists to help out..

Jury fee was only $15, we paid $450 for the space and $75 for electricity, inside venue, but half the exhibit space you'd have in a normal set up.. Good thing I got electricity, because it was the "black hole of Calcutta" where I was, 40 watt can lights in selling..

I kid you not, they went around changing out 40 watt bulbs, to 75 watt on Sunday,  due to complaints.. Sadly we showed Friday and Saturday in low light..

I've done two of her Chicago area shows and sold absolutely "zipp, zero, nada".

The crowds at GoldCoast were bored stoller pushing folks , not a spending crowd..I even threw in a couple $30 items and couldn't sell..

Bling was at Highland Park, an affluent area, jewelry and accessories..at the golf club.. Houses the size of hotels nearby,so hoped for the best.. We got there, at the entrance was a guy on the right selling vacation packages, on the left was a guy selling Anderson Replacement windows..

The show ended up smaller than first anticipated.. lots of buy/sell again mixed in with high end..items that were assembled from supplies bought at Micheals or Hobby Lobby.. A lot of assembled component  jewelry,not real hand made..

Amy Amdur walked someone by and called the booth next to me "high end" jewelry,it was all assembled from mass produced components, chains and beads from Fire Mountain Gems... silver and gold fill...

I had 18kt and platinum.. she called mine "funky".. If the promoter doesn't know the difference, between high end and hobby, how can she promote fine art.

Also not adhering to their rules, buy sell in shows, but one exibitor called and asked about a space, she never applied though Juried Art Services, paid a jury fee, just got in.. It was a low jury fee , only $15, but the point is, all the rest of us paid,except a few and if buy sell gets in and others get in just by calling, she gouged the rest of us for jury fee..

The crowd was a mix of old and really old with an occasional soccer mom thrown in.. I heard people saying $50 was too much..Most people sold items in the $30-$50 range.. Most sold nothing,especially if they didn't have any low end..

I threw in an old tray of $30- $50 items and still heard "oh,I can't afford it"..I said I do lay away... just to see and she still walked away.. when you can't get a sale with offering lay away on a $45 ring, all hope is lost..

Most of the artists ended up congregating at tables nearby drinking coffee and talking about all the lack of sales at the shows..

Talked about how jury fees go up, booth fees are up, buy sell booths, increasing and fewer high end artists coming.. how so far, they've lost their asses at Amdur shows and won't be coming back to any of them..just can't afford to travel and pay and pay and not sell, no matter how nice the Amdurs treat us, we just can't afford it..

We were counting the wheel chairs and walkers and commenting on one woman who whipped through on a Segway! 

I know the Eastern Shore Chamber puts on the March Fairhope show but there is another run concurrently and I can't seem to find a link to it. Anyone know? I'm too late for the Chamber app, wondering about the other.....

Unless you are selling your artwork to an art museum of some kind, your artwork is probably destined for somebody’s living room. 

And, apparenty, this is what people want in their living rooms:

1. a couch, obviously
2. TV, novels, video games, all preferably featuring variations on  murder and war.
3. Art that is the opposite of murder and war.

Over the years, I notice what I can and cannot get away with: Animals are ok. People with animal heads no. Cats yes; rats no. Dragons yes; snakes no. Blue yes; green no. Female body parts maybe; male body parts no. Skeletons maybe; wormy skeletons no. Guitar yes; the head is the guitar no. More than 2 arms maybe; more than one head no.  Two eyes yes; three eyes no. (Do not mess with the head.) I happen to like things that are a bit twisted and alarming. Sigh.

People want their art to be maybe beautiful, maybe unique, amusing, perhaps a little thought-provoking. But nothing really unsettling, scary or revolting. I get that. I dont exactly want that stuff in my living room either. 

But take a look at what else is in the living room. The TV, with its ongoing anxiety-producing murders, autopsies, end of the world horrors. The News itself. Mayhem somehow make a better story than chickadees.  Novels on the coffee table feature murder torture and betrayal. Doesn't this all seem odd?  Wouldn’t you think the Stephen King fans would be a little more tolerant of a nice little autopsy sculpture??

We seem to love to  be faux-scared by novels, movies and video games, but we want our art to be safe… Is this because we think art is like furniture and should be comfortable to lie down

on?  Art seems unsuitable for profound exploration. Well, profoundly funny, or profoundly beautiful. But not profoundly upsetting.

Or do we recognize the potential for art to get right under our skins, right up next to our so-vulnerable hearts, where all that mayhem would be too damaging. OK for all that pretend murder in the periphery, but way too dangerous up close where we really live.

We do need to heal ourselves with positive imagery. We are starved for it really. But it is dangerous to try to deny the other side. Because our lives contain both. Maybe we are working out all our negative stuff via movies and video games. Building up our tolerance to disaster. But saving art for something simpler, kinder, more healing, more loveable….

This is a little disappointing to me. I am a big fan of multiple heads, doll eyes, the twisted, the dark side. I was recently very intent on a potential Vomit Series. Featuring heads spewing out beautiful swirls of beads, rhinestones etc. Or maybe mappified swirls. Or tinnified. Themes of regret, purging. Things coming in, but going out the wrong way.  I got sidetracked before I got  very far.  I am trying to make a living here, and I dont want to be making this room full of sculpture that I’ll have to maybe eventually take to the dump….Anyway, stay tuned. Its on the back burner for now but Im pretty attached to the idea still.