Blog

Is the digital art vs. photography line moving and isn’t it time the shows updated their categories?  I do heavily digitally modified photography.  Recently I was faced with this choice:

Digital art - Two-dimensional work created by the artist using computer technologies. May include scanned images, from the artist or other sources that have been non-trivially modified through the use of computer programs.

Photography - Two-dimensional work created by the artist that includes digital and film photography that has not been manipulated to achieve results beyond what could be produced in a traditional dark room. Hand-colored photography and emulsion transfers are accepted in this category. 

I applied in digital art and the show disagreed.  On one of our emails back and forth the show person put forth this description – “ I personally feel that you should enter under photography since your work takes a photograph and enhances it through digital means but does not totally create a new image from the photograph.  I see the digital category as taking parts and pieces from different sources and creating something new with them, or creating an image using only digital programs from scratch.”  What a wonderful clear description that puts me into photography which I ultimately applied in.

When I first started applying to shows, digital photography was brand new and most shows didn’t really recognize it.  In fact, to a lot of them, digital was a bad word.  There was certainly no digital art category.  Photographers who heavily manipulated were placed into categories like print making or lumped in with photographers

Then shows started adding a digital art category which in the vast majority of shows looks like this – “Any original work for which the original image, or the manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using a computer.  Work in this category must be in limited editions, signed and numbered on archival quality materials.  Traditional photographs taken with digital media should apply in the photography category.”  In my opinion this puts me in digital art, which I usually apply in because I am manipulating source material with a computer.  But that word “traditional” can go either way so I am always questioning if it is the right category for me.

At that time (8 or 9 years ago) I don’t know of anybody who was doing pure digital art not involving photography of any kind.  But – the tools are better now, art that is being created today with computers and no photographs at all is very impressive.  And I believe that most photographers, even if their images look completely unmodified, are making use of techniques that could not be done in the darkroom. 

The line is moving and I think shows need to take a good look at their categories and make that division more distinct.

Tell me what you think that description should be.

Not a festival, not a happy place, not a fine art show...This was my first official show. It was small but smaller than expected. Matter of fact the promoter and another promoter are at odds because said promoter #2 was kicked off the team of Promoter#1. It seems the Fine artist of this show that got the memo moved over to Promoter #2's show. I had talked to promoter #2 and I was accepted but opt out of her show because she didn't want me to bring my nudes to the show. By the way most of my nudes aren't nude(long story) anyway so I stayed at Promoter #1 which was enlightening. 

I set up for the first time and just thought maybe I was there early, we we told we could set up at 10 am. I got there at 2pm. Yes my husband and I saw only 4 other booths up before ourselves. I set up in the wrong place and had to move my booth. How did this happen? I looked at the number wrong and there was no one to ask questions to. So I re set up. By 6:30 there were about 8 booths set up, and 7pm was suppose to be the deadline for setting up. Free booze and food that night at 8pm so I showed up with my hubby.

More people now had set up but there were only 11 people at the Artist opening, I'm not much of a drinker but at that point I managed to down 3 Corona beers and some of my husbands drinks. The map online indicates spaces for 94 artists. Once I received my map for the show it indicated 50. By the time of the show there were 32 booths filled but not all were artist. Some were timeshares, buy sell, crafts and that sort of thing. There were 12 Fine Artist and really not in my opinion there were 3. Mine was the most professional booth. How does that happen when it's your first show?

I had lots of people wanting to know where I get my ideas, if I take drugs (NO) and if my photos on my website were clear enough so other artist could copy my work. RUDE.

I broke 2 of my sculptures and lost it on a woman talking on a cell phone who picked up one of my sculptures by the head. I turned from pleasant sweetie to rabid dog B in 5 seconds. I shooed dogs away, concerned just one leg lifting would send my husband into a fit. No peeing on the pedestals.  

I sold $25.00 worth that day and it cost me about 3000.00 if I cant fix my sculptures. In actual money out it cost me about 900.00.

Day 2 the Forest caught on fire so 2 hours into the show I began to pack up slowly, since campsites were evacuated and people were either watching the fire or fleeing for their life. Last year apparently there was an earthquake instead! 

So I look at what I learned.

1. If you get right into a show without an effort, ask why.
2. I was able to set a goal to get ready for a show and I made the goal.
3. I set up and learned about anything that might go wrong. I should change my banners and get an easier website address. Now I know why I needed in my list a fire extinguisher. I need to find a new way to move my sculptures.
4. I learned how to use square for credit cards.
5. I talked to many people that I feel I really connected with.

I had people come to the show. One my mother which means she also brought her husband. Which means next time come up with another way for them to visit cause there is not enough room for visitors and what people talk about that are visitors can make me look bad. Politics, Race, Other People. Uggh I had to tell them to shut it.

Also, by husband has a man he is doing a lot of construction work for and he told this guy, his wife and him knew the show wasn't what I said it would be and they felt sorry for me. I was a little embarrassed, they traveled 2 hours to get there and stayed over night. They bought us an expensive dinner. All this time I was trying to be positive.

So I found out at least the promoter will yell at the vendors and cuss them out. The promoter wanted us to not start packing until the end of the show at 4pm.  I never asked his permission.

I am like the animals, when the forest is on fire I flee the forest. I was calm and began to slowly pack small things. One other woman moved her truck closer.

The promoter yelled and screamed carried on like a banshee. The woman was selling candles in the sun of 100 plus degrees. No customers in sight. She yelled back. She wasn't trying to leave, she was by herself and wanted to be able to leave quickly at the right time, so she moved her truck closer. My independent self openly with a smile began to pack quickly. That was it for me. Why do people ask permission? Why hide it, why be subtle? for who?

The Promoter might have a nice part to him but I didn't experience it. When I made it obvious I was leaving he walked past taking notes. One artist asked me if I was leaving I said no, I was packing and it takes me a long time. The stores around us had already been told to volunteer to close early. I said I was a free individual who doesn't ask permission. That artist sat until then end. Yes I was still wrapping my sculptures and I could see the flames.

George my husband said the man who bought our dinner was stuck in traffic trying to get down the mountain. We got finished just in time to cruise without fighting traffic. We could see the flames above the tree line and the fire helicopters were diving down to scoop water next to us in the Lake where the festival was. Definitely something to remember.

Many of you might know about this already.... and I am coming to the game late...but it is something we have all heard of somewhere on the trail out there- and we definitely need to be aware of.

Yesterday afternoon I received a post on Facebook from an artist in Asheville who posted a painting and said that a company was selling it on-line without her permission. Of course my ears perked up and I thought if it could happen to her-it could happen to a lot of us.

I had heard through AFI about a scam where people come into your booth and shoot pictures of your work and then reproduce it.....so I went on the site to see if this was that was....and if my own work was on there. It was...a lot of it- and so was my daughter's, my son's and my husband's (we are all artists-different mediums). In fact a ton of my work was on there... all for the lovely price of 5.75 each. Of course my first reaction was to freak.....Someone posted a site to complain and get them closed down and I signed up for that. (so dumb). This is a hack (from Russia)- you sign in and they hack your computer. How far this goes- I have no idea-and truly it just sucks. This is the link that is an article that tells you about what they are doing-Whatever You Do... don't go to the site and type in your name to see if they have your work-they are pulling everything off our websites and sizes are incredibly small anyway. Things like this make you feel incredibly violated and sick.....and like you are a stupid sitting duck. I'm pretty savvy and watch my computer but this one took me by surprise and I reacted...beware- don't do it. 

here is the article about the site:

-https://fstoppers.com/news/website-will-steal-your-photos-and-then-hack-your-computer-77511

Let me premise this one by a wonderful quote from someone a few of you may have heard of:

God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things. - Pablo Picasso

Think God would make it past most juries these days?  Sure doesn’t seem like he has a “cohesive body of work” according to many jurors.  Guess he never had to face an art show jury in his day.

Also, if jurors are composed of "art experts" or "experts in their fields" - should definition of terms really be so widely interpreted and varied in their application?

Such terminology or dare we say "definitions" as "consistent body of work", "cohesive body of work" or "breadth of work" are thrown around IMO carelessly without definition or example in the prospectus and then again in the jury process, without supervision creating a confusing and in many ways lethal scenario for the fate of artists and patrons.

If a show prospectus says something akin to: the jury slides and booth slides you submit should represent the body of work, or breadth of work ...... what exactly are they saying?  How are we interpreting these words and combinations of words? Are we to micro-interpret that if the wording is "should" rather than "must" that leaves it more open to open interpretation by the artists?  Or is the intent clear either way?  Clear to the show?  Clear to us?  Do shows evaluate their documents to see if their choice of words (i.e., wordsmithing) is crystal clear?  Clearly transmitting their intent without ambiguity? Is whatever the definition of these words by the SHOW that wrote these terms clearly and unambiguously communicated to their JURORS?  Can jurors score submissions based on a different set of definitions or interpretations?

So for your consideration, some examples. All these where the prospectus says the jury and booth slides should (or even if they say "must") represent the "breadth" or "body" of work to be shown":

• Your a photographer shooting both black-and-white and color, about equally.  Do you only submit B&W?  If you perceive, based on your experience, jurors will respond more positively to B&W than to color - or - believe that jurors seeing a mix of B&W and color are more likely to say that is not a "cohesive" or "consistent" body of work and score them down - either way - would mixing B&W and color imagery be an inconsistent body of work?  If you only show B&W in the jury slides, should you be allowed to also show your color work? Is the B&W imagery just one manifestation of the body of work, that cover the body of work, the style, the vision?   What if that ratio is not 50:50 but more say 80:20 of B&W vs. color images?  Does THAT matter?  Would showing only say B&W images then also be considered representative of the "breadth" or "body" of your work?
• Your a ceramic artist creating both functional (e.g., bowls, plates, mugs) and nonfunctional works (e.g., wall pieces or large decorative vases).  Should you only submit images of your functional work? Only of nonfunctional? Are you compelled to show both in their jury images submitted?  Show the functional pieces as their jury image slides and include the nonfunctional pieces only in the booth image and assume that is okay and meets the definitions/rules of the prospectus?  Are you okay with the show saying "you didn't include images of your nonfunctional work in your jury images so you cannot show them at the event?"
• Your a painter creating images of flowers, seascapes and pastoral landscapes - must you show them all in the jury slides?  Does a mix of flowers and seascapes and landscapes, if that is what your paint, demonstrate an inconsistent or non-cohesive body of work for which you might be penalized by the jurors for showing an inconsistent body of work?
• Your a jeweler doing typically jewelry (e.g., necklaces, rings, earrings) yet also create non-functional sculptural pieces.  Must you show examples of both in your jury slides?  Just show the traditional work in their jury slides and the nonfunctional pieces in their booth slide?  Okay if the show says you can't show one or the other because of what you submitted?

Okay.  Now let's put you in the seat of a juror.  

• You see a submission of 3 verticals and one horizontal - then the booth slide.  Is that an inconsistent body of work because horizontal and vertical images are mixed?
• You see three images with strong reddish colorations and one with a bluish coloration.  Consistent body of work?  Not?  Consistent presentation?  Not?
• You see two large outdoor installation sculptures, and two small table-top-sized sculptures.  Consistent?  Inconsistent?  Penalty in scoring? Or none?
• You see a handmade large wooden table, a large wood rocking chair, a standing clock, and a small wooden jewelry box.  Consistent?  Inconsistent?  Penalty in scoring?  Or none?
• You see a giraffe, an elephant, a cat, and a bird ...... okay - I digress

These aren't meant to be laughable, nonsensical examples (except that last one of course).  These are real.  They have happened.  

Definitions have a purpose - to clarify.  These terms referring to a "consistent", "cohesive" and "body of work" among others are in no way - IMO - clear.  They are written as words by a show in a prospectus that represent a binding legal contract and equally binding ethical contract with us - artisans - to say this is what we expect you do to, to submit, and then how you will be judged and what you will be allowed to show - based on these characteristics of your work as represented by your jury images.  Are these terms clear to you?  Are you okay with them not being clear?  And are you okay with thinking in reading the prospectus that you understand and choose your images and pay your fee accordingly, only to find out later than that is NOT how they were judged?  Perhaps that show staff pre-juried you out because of such inconsistencies, or perhaps that jurors applied a different interpretation of those words or concepts?  Part of this absolutely is Show Management (last topic to be posted here shortly) - clear and unambiguous teaching of the jury what the rules, definitions and interpretation of those definitions are.  The other part is a clear stating of what these terms, concepts and ideas are to us so we have a target to shoot for.  No?

Your turn.

Just received an "Invitation" from Juried Art Services to apply to the West Palm Beach Fine Craft Show in February.  This lovely invite came with a $50 application fee ($75 if after 9/12!, but the website says it's only $70), and did note that ONLY last year's award of Excellence winners were grandfathered.  135 Spaces total.  When you are charging booth fees like this:

SHOW SCHEDULE

February 25 - Check-in and set-up
February 26 - 10 AM to 6 PM open to the public
February 27 - 10 AM to 6 PM open to the public
February 28 - 11 AM to 5 PM open to the public

BOOTH FEES

10' x 10' = $ 1,100
10' x 15' = $ 1,650

*10' x 10' corner = $1,450
*10' x 15' corner = $1,800

You don't typically have an application fee.  I cannot imagine sending $50 to a show that can charge such a huge fee (if you book a 10x10 corner you need to sell $10,000 to make retail sense - 15% rent factor) if they can't even get their application fees to match the website.

I have made a decision, and sent them this email after unsubscribing:

Just a note to let you know why I have unsubscribed from your emails.  We are taking a stance against outrageous application fees.  Any fee in excess of $25 should include enough detail on the number of spaces available, the NET number of spaces available, the category mix ratio, and the number of applications received last year.  $50 to apply without this information is like mailing $50 to a casino and asking them to place a bet for you.  Not going to happen.  Sorry

They probably won't read it.

Now remember - these are just my thoughts and opinions from my experience and internal workings as an artist.  The point is not to discuss, support or argue with ME personally - but to think about and comment on these IDEAS.  And so importantly, ADD to the discussion other ideas and perspectives not broached here.  Growth the discussion with your view.  Just urge staying on point throughout.

Okay, onward. 

So many facets to this question it is somewhat intimidating.  Excluding commission-based shows, the tapestry of art that constitutes the show and from which the public and patrons have to choose is solely determined by the jury process (plus possibly a few award winners usually chosen by an even smaller set of “jurors” (aka: judges).  They determine the fate of each of us as an artist: the ability to show our work before any particular crowd, to return to a crowd that demonstrated through purchasing it likes our artwork – or not return because of the opinion of jurors.  No matter what we do or how much we ‘change’ or grow in our work, it ultimately seems to come down to the opinions of jurors.  Similarly, the juror node is the primary and sole determinant of what patrons get to choose from and the foundation on which the success, or failure, of the show is premised.

Who makes a better juror?  Academician?  Gallery owner?  Museum curator?  Peer artist?  Best friend?  Worst enemy?  Person who is color blind?  Why? What about an art patron?  I cannot remember seeing or hearing of an art patron on a jury.  And a rare instance or two of doing so by a show is not the point – as a regular course of events, why are patrons not jurors? 

Which ‘type’ of ‘qualifications’ best reflect the objectives of the show? The look of the show?  The ultimate success of the show? Hopefully at least one objective of the jury process is laying a palette of artwork the attendees and patrons wish to purchase, no?  Do any of us go to art show merely to exhibit?  Is a show successful merely if people turn out, crowds are large?  Or only if people engage the art, the artists and buy, at the show or post-show?

Do jurors typically buy artwork?  Patrons – do they merely come to look, as when going to an art museum where the work is not for sale?  Within the constraints of no buy-sell, no imports, no rep’s – handmade by the artisans present at the show, these events are about patrons of the arts and sales by the artisans, are they not? 

If a show thinks their jurors are good and doing a good job, why do none assess that characteristic?  For example, gather sales data from all artists, compare to jury scores, then ask a statistician (found locally at a bar perhaps) and see if there is any relationship that exists between jury score and sales, with sales being the response of the public to what was selected by the jury.  Or at bare minimum position staff at exits to see how much artwork is going out and from which artists?  Are these not doable? Important?

Fundamentally, jurors seem merely another manifestation of a critic – like a book critic, movie critic, music critic, Broadway play critic or restaurant critic. Does a juror bring to the table more than a set of personal biases, likes and dislikes, preferences - same as you or me?  Do they really know all art mediums?  In a jury room where images may be viewed for what – 10 seconds?  Maybe 20?  Can they really tell that much about the work?  And again to be intentionally redundant, what relationship do their opinions have to the art-buying public on which artists and the show fundamentally rely?  Do their scores in any way reflect how well artists will sell or the flip side, how the public will respond to the work?  Do jurors provide feedback to show management on how to better the process (e.g., display slides for a longer period of time to allow more ability to critically view the work, ability to read artist statement or description of techniques and materials they shows asked artist to provide then review the slides)?  

Interjection here:  I think of how the established world of art, primarily the painter community, critically viewed the emergence of impressionistic painters.  Also how critically derided by were the works of such notables as Norman Rockwell and Ansel Adams. I would also ask from your personal experiences, do you go see a movie, or avoid one, because a "critic" liked it or dislike it?  Same for books, eating in restaurants and the like.  Do you feel your sensibilities are in any way well-defined by critics?

Last, is it a good thing to have any juror sit on more than one event?  If they see your work at multiple shows, how much of your career is now tied to the opinion of a single juror?  If they recognize the work of some of the artists, that they may know personally, how do they not bring into their decision ancillary information other jurors do not have about that particular artist, with nothing comparable to bring into the decision process for those artists they do not know?  Effectively then, how can a jury process be blind if the juror is familiar with many of the artists they are jurying?

Okay.  Your turn.

I am posting three separate discussions on the issue of jurors and jurying at shows.  Please, do not write or respond on this particular discussion – it is intended only as the intro to the other three discussions.  This came about – besides the years of being an artist and previous good discussion on this site as recently as a few years ago – as a result of two comments made by artists responding to a post by a great friend of mine, Rich Fulwiler, in his blog “Total Disconnect”.  Most recently by Mark Turner’s post bringing attention to this subject.

In Rich Fulwiler’s original post, one comment from Thomas Felsted was “… jurors are soooo overly qualified elitist a who curate art to a level of snobbishness that is disconnected with the buying public.”  The second comment was from Barrie Lynn Bryant who wrote “I think that judges are usually quite qualified and only sometimes a little less than qualified.”  Defines a breadth of opinions about jurors.  

The issues being raised by these postings are related to jurors and the jury process.  Each aspect has qualities that need to be thought about and discussed separately – hence the separate discussions, even though they interrelate at some point. Because far too often each aspect goes awry – it is through their unholy union that we as artists, and art patrons suffer as the failing parts combine to make a failing system. 

In my opinion:

There is no single point at which our fate as artists, and those of art patrons, are more consequentially affected than through this single point of the jury process.

These topics would be somewhere in the realm of ludicrous-stupid-insane-ridiculous-hideous-mildly entertaining from an outsiders perspective versed in business as in “.. so THAT’s how they do BUSINESS???? Art shows are a business after all.   Since we are intimately involved in the landscape of art shows, the impact “jurors” have on our lives as artists is staggering and no, not funny or amusing.  Definitely stupid, ludicrous, insane and ridiculous.  An absent from the entire process in most all cases is the voice of the public that comes to shows and buy art – patrons.  Even more stupid, ludicrous, insane and ridiculous.

There also is the frustrating aspect that we as artists, shows, and jurors throw concepts around without ever stopping to define them as if we believed everyone defines something as we do – critical error.  We do not.  Defining what you are speaking about and relating to is crucial to understanding what you are talking or thinking about.  For example, what is a “good juror”?  What is a “consistent body of work”?  What is a “good jury slide”?  Why does a set of slides get you juried into 3 shows and not accepted into 8 others?  Or in your first year of applying and out the next four years?  Or four jurors think your work is stunning (i.e., highest scores possible) and one juror thinks it sucks (i.e., lowest score possible).  If jurors were so “knowledgable” and “expert” and “experienced” – should they not be more consistent?

The four major points about the jury process that I take serious issue with – and wish fervently that all artists did– are the following.  I will ask PLEASE do not ramble on about your personal experiences (e.g., “oh I get into this show all the time and thus the jurors are good and I never get into these shows and thus those jurors are bad”).  As the TV character Perry Mason used to say:  “Irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial”.  Think about things like when you get into a show and do poorly, did the jurors choose unwisely?  When you are one of the best sellers in your category at a show and next year get juried out does that make sense?  When you see a fellow artist win an award from a “judge” (aka: another iteration of a “juror”) and not sell a piece of art at the event – and you know THEY are back in the show next year because of winning the award while the person across from them who sold out may NOT because of ….. juror response, reaction, scoring next year?

The major points I wish to bring up for thought and discussion, one-by-one, are the following:

• What makes a “good” juror?  Why?  What characteristics should be considered?  Are they “experts”?  Or merely critics?  Knowledgeable of all they see?  Or merely opinionated?  Representative of what the public wants to see and purchase?  “Or merely responding to some ‘pushing of the envelope’?

• What is “good management” of the jury process by a show?  For example, To what extent, if any, should jurors be allowed to go outside the guidelines written by the show in their prospectus to artists as to how they will be juried?  One of the chief issues being booth slide and cohesive body of work? And should not the top level show management ALWAYS be present THROUGHOUT the duration of the jury process to answer questions from jurors and monitor the jury process itself?  Is that not a critical aspect of “show management”?  One that we pay for with our jury fees?  And necessary to ensure the jury process is fairly applied?

• What are the definitions for such important jury concepts as “cohesive body of work”, “representative of the body of work” and “good jury slide”?  How do these concepts relate to what the show says in their prospectus – if anything – about the images submitted representing the “body of work” of the artist.  How is “body of work” defined?  If a “body” of work is diverse (e.g., color & B&W photography, functional and non-functional ceramics or functional and nonfunctional glass) is the artist mandated by show rules to show the breadth of work?  Or just a selection (e.g., just the black-and-white photography or just the functional ceramics or glass) that they artists believes may be more positively perceived by the jurors as a “consistent body of work”?  However, if they do so, will any portion of that body of work NOT shown in the jury slides be disallowed at the event?   And should it be? 

What relevance or correlation exists between juror scores and sales? It is not a moot point.  Sales is the voice of the public speaking from the very people the show asked to get off their butts and put the event into their schedule, to drive to the event, to walk the event and – purchase artwork.  Also the very people we, as artists, rely on for our success.  If listening to those that actually BUY art isn’t critical then we are all deluding ourselves about what we do.  And what business in America does not listen to what people in their ‘store’ buy?  How do they expect to succeed if they don’t listen, don’t care?   Art patrons are the essence of this whole exercise.  If they don’t exist or come support the arts at such “art events” then we don’t survive as artists.  Shows can ALWAYS find SOMEONE to give them money for that piece of pavement or grass on which to set up a tent and sell or promote something, even if buy-sell or totally unrelated to art. The “art show” component however will go away.  As will we.

So, following is the first part - The Jury Process: Part 1 - What Makes a "Good Juror".  Remember, it is an exercise about expressing your thoughts, ideas, perspectives on these points and listening to what others have to say - seems the essence of the learning process.  Understanding viewpoints on how the system works - or doesn't - and what positive things can be done to improve our artist environment.  

January 23 & 24, 2016    
Coral Gables, Florida
Downtown Coral Gables
on Ponce de Leon
10:00 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M. 
Presented by:  Unlimited Sales Group Inc.
150 Artists
Deadline:  September 7

Application Fee:  $25
Booth Fee:  $395 add $50 for corners
As the names implies we are a festival of the arts with the main focus being on visual art.  However, we also offer more reasons to visit the event --culinary arts (not festival food) performance arts and audible or musical arts. 

We also have an art auction for charity, emerging artist section (at only $100 per booth once approved by the jury) live demonstrations, a VIP area and much more!

We learned our lesson in the first year and have significantly fine tuned the event.  The Show is almost twice the size as last year.  We have removed the music stage and instead will have musicians strolling the event.  

                                       Contact Person:  Mario Pi

Winners from the 2015 Seawall Art Show, held Aug 22-23 (left to right):

Kristine Kennedy, Savannah, GA,  Jewelry (4th place)

Michael LaRoche, Christiansburg, VA, Clay  (J. Howard Johnson Award for Clay)

Jacob Pollock, Williamsburg, VA, Mixed Media (Best in Show)

Susan Wolf, Toms Brook, VA, Gourd Art (5th place)

Elise Iglio, Prince George, VA,  Digital Art (3rd place)

Ernest Taliaferro, Virginia Beach, VA, Wood (Albert Morris Artisan Award)

Matt Leverett, Virginia Beach, VA, Wood (Arengee Design Award)

Paul Stevens, Achilles, VA, Photography (2nd Place) 

Jana Baker, Pelham, NC, Acrylic (Labyak Award for excellence in acrylic) 

(Photo: Geoff Coe) 

Prize money ranged from $500 to $2000, I believe: Not bad for a show with an under-$300 booth fee. 

This show is held literally along the seawall of Portsmouth, part of the Virginia Beach-Hampton Roads-Norfolk area.  Portsmouth is rich in nautical history, has a charming downtown area, and several hotels within easy walking distance of the show.  

Weather this time of year can be a factor--brutally hot, squally, or just downright windy--but it wasn't this year.  Blue skies and cirrus clouds all weekend, with gentle breezes from the southwest and temperatures that peaked in the low 80s made it a pleasure for artists and show goers alike.  The show is kind of a Y shape, with the base of the Y a double-row of booths, back to back, along a single block of High Street.  The southernmost booth (mine, this year) is in direct sun all weekend, but most of the rest of the booths in this row get shade nearly all day, afforded by trees lining the street and the urban shadow from surrounding buildings.  (Not a bad idea to bring battery-operated lights in you're on High St., just in case, especially if your walls and/or work are dark.) 

Much of the show runs along the seawall itself (a tiered area that forms the "arms" of the Y).  Here, it can be a bit windier even on nice days, but this year the breezes were gentle and didn't cause any issues.  There's a nice student art program here, an easy-to-find Show Headquarters booth, and, at the end of the harbor, live music.  Although the bandstand is about 100 yards or so from the closest booth, the sound easily carries across water.  And yet, on only one occasion was the band too loud.  I walked over to show HQ, let them know, and the director was on her walkie-talkie to request a volume adjustment before I'd even finished talking.  

Many of the artists have done this show for years, and the incredible dedication of the volunteers is a big reason why.  This show truly gives you a first-class artist experience: They'll remember your name when you check in on Friday night for setup; you'll get a barbeque awards dinner on Saturday night, a coffee cart with juice and pastries makes the rounds each morning, and volunteers bring chilled water throughout the day.  Plus, the prize money ranges from $500 to $2000 (I think)--not bad for a show this size.  

It's a small show--about 90 artists, total, with about two-thirds from the immediate area--and yet sales were perplexingly so-so for most artists I spoke to, and for myself.  Portsmouth can be difficult to get to on weekends, with a long-term construction project on the downtown tunnel often closing westbound traffic from Virginia Beach and Norfolk.  There is an inexpensive ferry that comes right to the foot of the show with regularity.  Although many ferry passengers visited the show, it's not a given that passengers would want to carry heavy, bulky, or large artwork on a return trip.  (I sold several pieces that I wrapped in oversize plastic bags for just that reason.)  People enjoyed it, were complimentary, and overall were pretty art-savvy...but generally, they didn't spend a lot of money.  

Setup: Friday night, with checkin 5-8 pm. A few chose to set up early Saturday morning.  The show volunteers and police assigned to this detail know what they're doing, and they've been doing it for years.  Very easy to manage, despite the narrow street.  Ditto, breakdown on Sunday.  
Hours: 10-6 Saturday; 10-5 Sunday.  The hour between 5-6 was S-L-O-W for everyone. In that, Seawall is not alone; I've done VERY few shows where extended Saturday hours were worth it.  

Recommendation: Quality show and great artist amenities. OK for artists who live locally or farther-flung artists with a place to stay. Can't recommend it for out-of-towners with hotel bills and road expenses. 

Paragon is changing its rules on limited editions of photographs.  Paragon’s website now states:

“Each image must be signed and numbered with editions being inclusive of all sizes and not to exceed 250 prints in the edition.”

On Zapp, you can still find their old rule under their Greater Charlotte Festival, where no mention is made of limited editions.  For their Sarasota Festival, they state a less onerous version of the new rule: “All images are to be editioned with editions of each image not to exceed 250.”  But on their website, all listings have the new wording I quoted above.

It appears that the website version of their new rule is what they intend to use for all festivals, and they just haven’t updated all of their Zapp listings yet to match that rule.  The version of the rule listed on Zapp for the Sarasota Festival was probably an in-between version in the evolution toward the new rule.

I'm shooting Booth Pictures at three shows in a row coming up. If you are doing one of the shows and need a booth picture, please give me a call. 412-401-8100. I'll be walking Shadyside and Fair in the Park and exhibiting at Long's Park.

Shadyside August 29 - 30
Long's Park September 4 - 6
Mellon Park ( Fair in the Park Pittsburgh) September 11 - 13

That's where I'll be for the next three weekends.

And a new picture of me if you don't know what I look like.

You can read about our new hair styles here:
http://bermangraphics.com/blog/the-new-mary-larry-and-xena-look/

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

November 6 & 7 

Learn more & apply:  

www.rglmarketingforthearts.com

I participated in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park Art Festival last weekend, and I found myself spending a lot of time worrying about something I don’t normally give much thought to: parking.   So I was wondering if there are other art fairs with parking situations as bad as Piedmont or perhaps even worse.

The promoter offered no parking for artists, but did post a list of local parking lots on their web page, and let us know where not to park to avoid getting tickets.

Piedmont Park is in Midtown, Atlanta, and most close-by hotels don’t have surface parking.  I had to start planning where to park when I made my hotel reservations.  The vertical clearance and whether trailers would be welcome in their underground lots is not clear in advance, and they charge dearly or insist on valet parking.  So my search for a hotel with free parking and a surface parking lot led me to make a reservation about 12 miles (20-30 minute commute) from the fair with a hotel promising “truck parking”.

But that still left the question open as to where to park my SUV and small trailer during setup and breakdown, and my SUV during the show.  The promoter only offered parking in the park on Sunday, and only for trailers.  So I had to travel to Atlanta a day early just to figure out a parking strategy.  That included checking out all surrounding parking lots for vertical clearance issues and willingness to accommodate trailers.  Also, I had to drive around the local neighborhoods and carefully read their “no parking” signs to see if parking was at all possible on the streets.  Instructions and hours varied from street to street.  Finally, I had to check out a local high school where the promoter said that they might (“unconfirmed”) sell tickets to their parking lot as a fund raiser.  It turned out that school was in session already, so parking in their lot would not be possible on Friday, but might be on Saturday and Sunday.  My driving around discovered that parking on neighborhood streets was possible on Friday, even with a trailer, as long as I removed it by 5PM.  Even so, it was a 20 minute hike between my booth space and the car/trailer.  On Saturday, such parking was not legal, but the local high school did go into business selling $10 tickets to their parking lot presumably only for normal size vehicles.  Again, a 20 minute hike was in order.  On Saturday, I had to leave the trailer at the hotel.  On Sunday, we were allowed to park our trailers in the park, if we arrived at 9 AM.  But we had to unhook and park our tow vehicles elsewhere.  So after breaking down the booth on Sunday night I had to hike to the high school to collect my SUV, then drive halfway around the outside of the park in city traffic to get to the approved entrance, and drive at 5mph halfway through the park to get to my trailer, hook up, then drive at 5mph to my booth.  Total time: 30-45 minutes.  And that was without encountering any traffic in the park.

Although this all worked out in the end, it cost me considerable time and effort, plus at least an extra day’s hotel expenses.  Note that all of this was for a small SUV pulling a 5x8 trailer.  I can’t imagine what the drivers of bigger rigs did (maybe not participate?).

It also had additional consequences: it was impossible to use the trailer for backup inventory storage or to store packing material for breakdown.  Fortunately, there was space behind the booth, and nobody bothered my containers sitting there overnight (this in a neighborhood with high crime statistics).  Also, I have to wonder how parking problems affected attendance, especially from other parts of the city and the suburbs.

So parking was a big issue with this fair.  It probably does not faze the locals, but for me, I would prefer to avoid fairs with similar parking issues. That begs the question: what other fairs are as bad or worse from a parking standpoint?

Piedmont Part Arts Festival was this past weekend. It is in Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta. This is the 6th year for the show and my fourth time doing the show. I live just a few miles from Piedmont Park so I am always happy to do a show in this location. There are two other art shows in this Park throughout the year. Atlanta Arts Festival, a fine art show, Dogwood Festival, mega monster festival, and this show. PPAF is a mix of fine art, some fine craft, craft and other stuff. There are around 250 artists booths. . The booths are set up around the lake. There is a small area with acoustical music, a nice backdrop to the arts. A guiness book of world record hula hoop contest takes place in the sports oval which attracts a lot of people and is a fun event but doesn't compete or distract from the art show. I actually mentioned this event to many patrons who came for the art and they were excited and many decided to stay the day and join in the event, which means they had more time to shop for art. The food trucks there are a higher end type food than normal festival food. I know there are other events and attractions to bring people in but I am usually in my booth area so I don't get around to see it all. These thing are unique to this show so it attracts a different type crowd than the other two shows. There is a ton of advertising . Newspaper with artist interviews, billboards, radio and Saturday morning the entire 30 minute CBS 46 morning show Public Affairs on Peach was dedicated to Piedmont Park Arts Festival. Around 55,000 people came out. Now this is August in Atlanta so yes it was hot, but not as bad as it can be. It was in the high 80s Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no rain. We can't ask for much more than that and I think everyone was ready to enjoy a day outside.

Set up this year was 9am-9pm all day Friday. The show ran Saturday and Sunday. Those of you who do shows in the park are use to being marshalled in. I know many people like this but I am not a fan. One it cost the show $$$ which means it costs us $$$ plus it takes forever. This show you arrive between the set up hours, drive in the park to your booth spot and unload. After you unload you need to go park your car. This is where everyone who isn't from the city gets nervous but there is a bunch of parking along the streets. I have always found a space within 2 blocks of the park. The booths are set up on the street that runs through the park and most people have a ton of room in the back. You can even bring a second booth to set up behind you if you wish. There is also a lot of room on the sides of the booth and you can walk between the booths in most cases. This is not a tight set up. There are booths only on one side of the street.

Now to the fun part, sales. Saturday morning we arrived early. People love to run and walk their dogs in the park. Open up early or at least open the front of your booth early so they can get a sneak peak. This is the case for all shows in this park. I very often have people who are running or walking their dogs early morning then come back later to buy. The show opened at 10 am but people were making sales much earlier. I had serious buyers right off the bat for the big ones. Before lunch time I had already met my goal for the show. The rest of Saturday was strong and that night after I got home I had people contact me who wanted me to deliver Sunday morning. Sunday there were the be backs who needed to go measure. Needless to say this was an awesome show for me. Best of the year for a local show and if I close some of the opens I have than it will be the best of the year so far. Of course not everyone had a stellar show but many did. A sculpture practically sold out, another 2d artist sold over 20 original pieces. Many of my jeweler friends were doing the happy dance.

Load out. It is never fun loading out of a park, especially this one. Normal drill, break down and get your stuff off the road. Receive a load out pass then get your vehicle. Drive up to your booth and park in your booth spot and load up. The show ended at 6pm. They started letting people in around 6:20 if you were broken down. This show is usually a nightmare with people blocking the road but it was better than usual. We broke down our double booth and packed it up and drove out by 7pm. That is not bad at all for a Piedmont Park show.

I've been painting all my life, mostly wall art and murals, and I've loved it. Recently I was invited to a Meet-up for Children's Book Illustrators, and I've been intrigued ever since. I just self-published my first book "Olivia Ocelot Comes to the Rescue: Adventures in the Rainforest" which is set in Costa Rica. I am already cranking on the sequel, "Olivia Ocelot Saves the Day: Adventures in the Saguaro Desert" which is set in Arizona. This work combines my love of painting with my attraction to nature and animals. My husband said it's also because I never really grew up. Hmmmm?

My website is http://www.annejantz.com