Blog

August 15 & 16 

Huntley, Illinois

First Congregational Church of Huntley

Sun. 10am-4pm

75+ Artists

Deadline:  August 12

Application Fee: $25

Booth Fees: $200-$300; $30 extra for corner booth

Huntley Artfest is a community event sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Huntley, a community in Chicago's western suburbs. It draws 8,000 art lovers-viewing the Fine Arts of participating artists, a full stage of entertainment and a vast array of delicious food from our Food Vendors.

This is a Juried Show ($25 non-refundable jury fee-if accepted jurying for that Artist is good for the current year and the two following consecutive years).

All work must be that of a Fine Art nature and fall into the following mediums: ceramics,drawing, fiber non-functional, fiber wearable, paper non-functional, glass, jewelry, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, sculpture, wood sculpture, mixed media, photography, printmaking, creative writing, furniture (designed and crafted by artist).

REPRODUCTIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED unless they are a series of an artist's original art work.  The following will not be accepted: knitting or sewing from kits, resale items, non-original pieces.  

• Huntley Artfest is free admission to the public
• Grass & tree-filled grounds
• Drive up to load & unload
• Free parking (and overnight parking for all Artists as well as accommodations for RV's)
• Overnight grounds security is provided on Friday and Saturday nights.

Website and application:  www.huntleyartfest.org  

Bet you know some of these folks: 

3-D Best of Show: Douglas Richard, Wood, Satsuma, FL

3-D Honorable Mention: Christopher Brautigan, Sculpture, Toledo, OH

3-D Honorable Mention: Lisa Gastelum, Jewelry, Portland, Oregon

3-D Honorable Mention: Linda Jones, Jewelry,  Centerville, IN

3-D Honorable Mention: Lou Michaels, 3-D, Cape Coral, FL

2-D Best of Show: Lisa Kristine, Photography, San Rafael, CA

2-D Honorable Mention: Johanna Mueller, Printmaking, Fort Collins, CO

2-D Honorable Mention: Mi Young Lee, Painting, Austin, TX

2-D Honorable Mention: Candra Boggs, 2-D, Perrysburg, OH

2-D Honorable Mention: Xiao Song Jiang, Painting, Ontario, Canada

Just wrapped up our 3rd year at this show.  Once again we had a great time, enjoyed the venue, and made money.  While this is not our best income show, we love the venue, love Chincoteague Island, and turn this into a real vacation.  We spend 10 days at an expensive RV Park, eat fantastic seafood and such, work 3 days and go home with more money than we arrived with.  Sam Serio is the promoter here, and it's his only event.  Advertising is great, organization top notch, and product mix is pretty good.  While fine art sales are probably limited to venue-related art, such as ponies, waterbirds, sealife,etc.  Beautiful art did not sell well otherwise.  Crafts seemed to do well, lots of great customers, 80% on vacation, but driving, so no issues getting stuff home.  With both indoor and outdoor booths, customers stick around since they can take a break from the weather inside.  If you don't know about the Chincoteague Pony Swim, check that out before considering the show.  The Pony Swim is the Wednesday following the show, and is the busiest week of the year.  We picked up 2 good wholesale accounts at the show, and will return next year!

Did not get into Cherry Creek this year:(  But still wanted to go out west from Atlanta and beat the heat.  Last year won best in show for Open Arts Fest on Pearl Street in Boulder CO and it is a great town.  Here is the review.

Boulder is an awesome town.  People have money, people are quirky in a good way,  the weather is amazing in July, the organizers of the show are wonderful.  The show runs along the Pearl St Mall, which is about 4 blocks of retail that is closed off to traffic.  There are street artists that preform every day here.  Think fire, magic and all that stuff along the mall.  If you are on the mall you set up on Saturday morning, a preferred spot and you pay for it.  There is one street on 14th that sets up on Friday evening.  This is not a big show.  Maybe 125 artists and the quality is good.  The organizers are always on hand but they also know that the artists can work it out better.  All and all easy load in and out.  The organizers bring plenty of cold water, awesome Sunday awards breakfast and snacks.  They are also great with communication and booth placement.  Boulder is a very friendly town.

Boulder can be an expensive place to stay during this time but check out Air bnb and priceline options.  There are amazing farm to table restaurants.  Like I mentioned there are a lot of street artists, depending on where you are located this may or may not be an issue.  My favorite is the Silent Disco Chic who sets up Hula Hoops and can head phones for everyone to rock out too.  

On to the show,  since we won best in show last year we got our pick.  We opted for the 14th street with electricity and set up on Friday evening.  The show and tow trucks killed it.  Set up was around 5 ish with Tow trucks lined up but if the artist could find a spot earlier to park near their spot they didnt bug you.  Awesome communication with the show and the street police and we were all set up by 6PM.  Last year I was on The Mall and early morning all the artists worked very well together and it was easy peasy. The booths along 14th st are traditional set up with booths across from each other and along the curb. We all had storage behind our booths. The set up along the mall is different. Booths here and there, kinda of wherever they fit. It is difficult to explain, but the mall has a lot of benches, play areas and other obstacles so a traditional booth lay out wouldn't work. All seemed to have a decent amount of storage either in the back or along the sides. 

Saturday morning, I had an awesome condo walking distance to the show, and by 9 am artists were making some decent sales, over $1k. Both 2D and 3D.  My price points for 2D start at $1200 to $6K  The crowds were good, not crazy crowded but steady.  We had rain for about 1 hour but the great thing about the Boulder folks, they are out door people and they will wait for the rain to die and come right back out.  I made some sales but nothing over $1800.  

Sunday was an even better day weather wise.  Made some more sales within the $1200-$1800 range.  I had other artist friends whose price points were $150-$1500 range and they were selling but within the $200 range.  So this is not a big $$$$$$$$ money price point show but enough $1800 sales can make you happy.  I am kinda use to a crowd that can handle $3K,$4K,$5K but this show is fun and you can make some $$$.

If you go to Boulder safe up some money and eat at The Black Cat.  Make reservations and enjoy

Here are some Pics.  The hiking one claimed to be easy to moderate, I call total bull.

This was my second summer show, and usually it is a killer--this year it was a bummer.

Part of the reason was the rain--we had a dire forecast and it held true.  On Saturday we covered up, then reopened, only to have to do it five times.  It killed the crowds and sales.  That is usually one of the biggest days there.

Secondly, for some strange reason, the crowds seemed uninterested in looking at the art.  Way too many were on there cellphones and were not even coming into the booths for a look.

Consequently, there were too few opportunities for big sales, which I usually can depend on there.

People were buying mainly lowed, well under $150.  This made for a slow three days with lack-luster crowds.

I cannot put my finger on it why sales were down.  But people were holding back.

I bumped into the show director later in the summer at Madison and told him how I had fared there and he commiserated that the show had been way down on their revenue goals.  That really tells you something.

Personally, the show is too long in its present layout.  It goes over two rising and falling spans across the river (artists booths are on these bridges) then you have to travess longs street rows of artists booths along both sides of the river plus two additional wings of booths that deadend.  It is a bit much for most folks in warm weather.  Because of this layout, you don't get a lot of be-backs.  They mean well when they tell you they just started, and will remember you on the way back, but it usually never happens.  It is very tough getting only one shot at them.

This show has been very good for me over the years, consistently so.  But this year I did not see many Good Shoes People, and you need them to make big sales.

I left, very disappointed, I did less than 50 per cent from the years before.

Unbeknownst to me, this was a harbinger of what this summer would become.

I am intrigued by the notion of a whole festival dedicated to bacon. I think this is the second year of the show. Did anyone do it last year? Any feedback? I am an oil painter; the show is in Savannah, GA. Deadline is July 31. Thanks! 

If you followed my recent Ann Arbor blog, then you know I have been a little tardy on reporting about summer shows.

So Cinci, at Coney Island, was my first.  It kind of fit the tenor for how my whole summer has been going.  Read on.

I am a photographer, from Florida, but live in Michigan five months of the year.  My current work is fun and new.  I do black and white photos hand-painted with acrylic inks and oils (Not Marshall's watercolor oils.)  These are much more intense to the point of being very Warhol-like Pop Art.  My work is not for everyone, but when I hit the right market it sails off the walls.

That said, at Cinci they didn't sail--they failed.

On with the show.

I have done it since the 80's off and on.  Never a biggie, but I always made a respectable paycheck.

It is three days long, held on the grounds of the Coney Island Amusement Park right by the Ohio River.

Easy setup, easy teardown, easy storage room behind, and easy committee to work with.  What is not easy for most is good sales.

The market here tends to be towards traditional, conservative work--things that have been done a thousand times before.  They are a crafty-buying crowd and they like things cheap.

They are very nice people and open to looking at new, not necessarily buying it.

The river acts as a giant humidifier so it is always hot and sticky at this show.  Bring lots of ice.  Stay in the shade.

Crowds were OK not real heavy, but OK.  For me, I could go an hour between sales and I need some volume.  I sell at $30-$500 range.

This year, I did not even crack $3K.  A severe disappointment.

Again, I never saw much interest in people wanting the big special piece.  A lot of the crowd never looked in the booths, they just walked with $7.50 beer in their hands.

I know several friends that killed them there like Lu Fuller (traditional painter), Patrick Whalen (photographer with Country themed imagery, somewhat Bluesie), John Leben (mixed media) who just kills them anywhere he goes.  A very lucky man and he deserves the good fortune.

In conclusion, if you sell traditional, especially at low price points, you could make money here.

October 9, 10 & 11

Downtown Lee's Summit, Missouri

90 Artist booths

Deadline:  August 10

Application at ZAPPlication.org

The Summit Art Festival is a 3-day outdoor, high quality fine art event in the heart of historic downtown Lee's Summit. This event is organized & hosted by Summit Art in collaboration with Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street and completely managed and run by the volunteer efforts of Summit Art members, Downtown Main Street members, & community volunteers.

Lee's Summit is a vibrant town approaching 100,000 residents with very active visual & performing art programs presented by Summit Art, the Lee's Summit Symphony, and The Summit Players.  The Missouri Arts Council has designated Lee's Summit as Missouri's "Creative Community".

Historic Downtown Lee's Summit is known for its many locally owned shops, boutiques, local restaurants and vibrant nightlife.  New residential lofts and adjacent historic neighborhoods make Downtown an excellent place to call home. The unique combination of preservation of history and place, with progressive attitudes and entrepreneurship, make Downtown Lee's Summit the perfect location for our fine art event.

New this year:  

Lee's Summit is celebrating its Sesquicentennial, our 150th Birthday.  There are many local activities planned throughout the year. The Historical Society of Lee's Summit and Museum is located in the festival site. It will be open to the public during the festival.
 

Artist amenities:

• Artist lounge area with snacks & beverages
• Free, near by artist parking; overnight security
• Electricity included in booth fee
• Complimentary lunch delivered to artist booth
• Large festival budget for marketing and advertising
• Excellent artist prizes

For additional information: www.summitartfest.org

Well, it has been a while since I did a show blog.  Here goes--about this year's Ann Arbor {AA}.

I am in the Guild show on Main Street, it was my 30th year doing AA shows--it was also my most putrid year for AA.

Each morn before the shows opened, I walked to various other shows there.  Trouble was, most booths were not open yet at 9 AM.

I kept track thru social media what was happening overall.

I have reviewed this show for many years and you can check my previous  blogs for setup info and other relative factors.

There are four major shows in AA at one time.  Over 2000 booths and that does not include the squatters.

You have mucho artists competing for a slim margin of buyers.  Some artists make out very well, others get by barely.

I had a horrible show.  Cannot blame the weather {it was pretty nice for AA--no 100 degree days for setup or teardown--rain was minimal}

I saw numbers and numbers of disinterested patrons trudging down the street, more interested on checking out stuff on their cellphones than looking in the artist' booths.

When I got a sale, it was usually lowend.

Some people around me prospered, others withered on the vine like me.

I found the crowd quite conservative in what they chose.  I am speaking from a 2-D artist's view.

Personally, I think my time is done on Main Street, may have to choose new venue locations.

It is in the works.

Let me now give you my analysis of what is going on here.

If you depend on volume sales here it is not a good bet  like it used to be.  If you sell high-end you can snare a few that will make your show.

It wasn't just me who suffered.

I talked to Bernie, Robert and Gary, all photographers, in the State Street Show.  They basically responded, "WTF is going on here, nobody is buying anything."

A  couple of them had a decent show because of one customer who bought a bunch.  If that one had not showed up, they would have been up the creek without a paddle.

I just do not see enough people coming to that show anymore to make a serious purchase for putting over the bed or the fireplace.  I never heard one conversation about this.

Also, you mainly get one shot at them.  There are very few be-backs.  The shows are too long, and far apart.  It is almost a mile walk from the west end of the shows {Main Street) to the east end {South University).  Most people are exhausted.

I think the return on your money invested in this show is too low for the time involved.

You are talking about a four-day show with a day before setup.  MOst artists are going to take a half or full day to get there and then go home or on to the next show.  You are essentially devoting a week of your time.  With very long, boring hours every day.

You are paying nearly $800 for a single booth, parking can run you another $75.  You gotta eat at AA restaurant prices and pay for hotels the same way.  

For most artists it is going to cost $1500-$2000 to do AA.

Now, look at your return.

In the old days {pre-2006} you did not mind these expenses.  Heck, a lot of us would do $5K on opening, and closing day.  We would do lower amounts on the other two.  In a really off year it would mean a $5K show, in a great year it could be anywhere from $12K on up.

Right now, many artists are lucky if they gross $5K sales.  That is not a great return on money invested.  This year, I barely made more than expenses--that is deplorable.

I just do not see AA getting any better as time goes on.  It is too many booths chasing too few sales.

Interestingly, next year, they are going to start the show on Thursday and end on Sunday.  It will be interesting to see if having the extra weekend day increases sales.

Here is another point to ponder.

So many good artists have quit doing AA.  Why has not a sharp promoter staged a show on that date to attract all these good artists?  No Howard, no Amy, no Patty doing a show on that date.  I think they are missing the boat.  Any comments?

I do not want to end this blog on a downer side--so here is a little golden find.

If you like sushi and also spicy Korean style food--think lettuce wraps with chicken, pork or beef, then consider Seoule Garden restaurant on Boardwalk Ave.  This is just one street east of State Street out by the interstate.  Not far from the Red Roof, Hilton and Embassy Suites.  This place is uncrowded, very reasonable and fun to eat at.

Later, Gators.

Maybe I missed it but I couldn't find the discussion on What Are You Doing This Week-End, so I decided to start my own...on Friday I had a consultation with my Art Mentor, Andrea Rosenfeld.  For those of you not familiar with her, she started the Detroit Art and Business Institute (D.A.B.I.) and works with artists to help them with the business side of art, something I clearly need help with...so with her good advice, I'm off and running.  In fact, I was contacted on Saturday by someone I shared a booth with last Fall/Winter who wants me to come back again this year.

On Thursday (I know it's not officially the week-end but close enough), I visited Pewabic Pottery in Detroit with a new Meet-Up group, (Detroit Entrepreneurs) I joined recently.  I hadn't been there in years and it was a fantastic experience.  Started by Mary Chase Perry Stratton over a century ago, it remains one of the longest running and most prestigious of it's kind in the world.  If you live in the area or nearby, you owe it to yourself to visit this unique and awe-inspiring gem.

On Saturday, I joined my fellow knitters and crocheters at The Detroit Knitting and Crochet Club (another Meet-Up group) at the Main Branch of the Library in Detroit's Midtown.  What a wonderful mix of creative and interesting women with varying levels of expertise and artistic leanings.

So, how about you...I suppose you're all busy doing shows this time of year, let us know how it went.

does anyone out there have contact info for the director of the ann arbor show? we were part of the s. state st. show which i believe they also call the guild. are there many directors under the umbrella of a main diector? not sure how they work it. any help would be appreciated.

October 24 & 25 
Miami, Florida
Presented by:  Unlimited Sales Group Inc.
125 Artists
Deadline:  August 1

Application Fee:  $25
Booth Fee:  $395

The Falls Festival of the Arts is free for consumers. There is no other art festival near this event located only 5 minutes from some of Miami's most affluent neighborhoods. The Falls is one of the largest open-air shopping, dining and entertainment shopping centers in the US, featuring more than 100 stores, restaurants and cafes including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Regal Cinemas, American Girl®, and The Fresh Market among others. 

125 artists in 12 categories from around the US and south Florida will exhibit. Supported by a $50k plus advertising and marketing campaign as well as the Falls extensive support insures great crowds of over 10,000 in attendance.

                                       Contact Person:  Mario Pi

GREAT LOCATION FOR ARTISTS DOING SHOWS IN THE MID WEST. 

WE ARE SELLING OUR PLACE IN ANGOLA, INDIANA. VERY CLOSE TO I

69 & 80/90.  LAKE FRONT   RENOVATED MOBILE HOME  2 BRM WITH 20 X 12 ROOM OVERLOOKIMG THE LAKE . OVERSIZED GARAGE WITH HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIC. PRIVATE ROAD.  Asking 64,500

CALL 772-359-0223 JOHN & CAMILLE STAROPOLI

My apologies to the members here for my absence for several months. As you may know my husband, Norm Darwish died in early May. Since then I've been preoccupied with so many things. I won't list them, as you are all creative people with fine imaginations. 

On Sunday, July 19, we held a Memorial Open House for Norm at our home in Southern Michigan. Many thanks to everyone who attended: friends, family from out of state and the artists who were our friends and booth neighbors for many years. 

Jack (Hippie Jack) and Lynne Stoddart came in from Tennessee. Their goat curry was a hit, especially as most of the food was vegetarian and Lebanese cuisine. Sara Shambarger (from the Krasl Art Fair) and her ebullient husband, George Barfield (who got stung by bees) came over from Lake Michigan. Okay, can't tell stories about them all, but thanks for coming Barry Bernstein, Walt and Ruth Pinkus, David Bigelow, Kathleen and Jim Eaton, Annette Morrin and Chris Maher, Allan Teger and Barbara Krupp, Carol and Michael Weber. Thanks for the flowers and your presence Leslie Emery! 

Thanks for all the great messages from Ann Arbor.

Here is more about Norm and an artist's journey: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/what-norm-darwish-mean-t-to-me

Well I had a pretty cool day yesterday. I am just about a week away from my first anniversary of starting Lemon Drops Art. My FB page reached 2 thousand likes and I created my first ever 'tutorial' (I'm still uploading said tutorial...this part takes forever apparently but I will post a link when its all finished....that is, if I haven't slipped into a coma waiting for this thing to upload. In which case please send coffee!)

I wanted to share with you guys my "Thank You" post from my fb page. Here we go:

Yay...!!! Today Lemon Drops Art hit 2000 LIKES!! You guys are just amazing and I LOVE you! This comes just 5 days from the first anniversary of Lemon Drops Art! How cool is that? (It's cool right? I'm not just being weird like 'OMG OMG 2K OMG!' ) So... I have been trying to think of what to say to all of you in a way that expresses my gratitude for you and your support in my first year on this way cool adventure.

I could say I am humbled by your support, I could say I never thought I'd be looking back on the past year and realize just how far the LDA has come. I could mention that the friends I've made and the talent I've met on our art forums are absolutely top notch and I can't wait to see what the next year holds, but what I really think I want to say is thank-you.

Thank you for bearing with me on my first few fumbled online auctions. Thank you for graciously answering all of my relentless questions throughout the year. Thank you for allowing me to blow up your walls with 500 pictures of the same art piece 'just because' I wanted to be sure I got the best angle/light/color & the planets were aligned properly. After all, I work for like, ever on it and I want to show it off damnit!

Thank you for being you. I couldn't be here without you... Well, ok... I 'could' but it would be very lonely... and I would have waaaay too many little creatures in all of the nooks and crannies of my house, which would probably lead to my husband wanting a divorce because he couldn't cope with so many little 'eyes' watching him from every where in the house, and that would cause me to be destitute seeing as I spent ALL my monies on art supplies! Which might lead to my daughter dropping out of high school to get a job to help mom pay the bills and turn to a life of stripping because it was easy money and the next thing you know I have grand babies before I turn 39! *YIKES* So thank you for not making me a 38 year old destitute divorced grandma! Ya'll are the best!!

Whats the BEST part of a 2K Likes day???? DUH! FREE-STUFF!!!!! Every person who likes/ comments on this post between now and Friday at 7pm EST Will be entered into my 2K drawing for this little Unicorn! She is super-sweet =)  I haven't given her a name yet, so if you're bored (not sure how you can possibly be considering this post is a MILE long) leave a comment with name ideas. If I chose the name you post, I will also send you a 'free-beeeee' unless you win the unicorn, then I will send you the unicorn  XoXo~ Alicia