Blog

So, Maple and Main Art Fair in Sylvania, Ohio was a tale of two different days; May 30 and 31. With this being my fourth time in the show, I had my highest sales of any of the four years. Saturday was nice and dry and I hit $1000 on that day. Sunday was mostly rainy and I just go up to $70. The volunteers there are great! They handed us water, baked goods, bananas and gave us restroom breaks. I happy to do Maple and Main for I used to live in Sylvania, Ohio back in the day. Here is a picture of the rainy Sunday...

I have recently moved to TN so I don't do shows in the northeast anymore but when I did Artrider had a good system.  As soon as anyone noticed something missing or saw someone that looked suspicious, you'd immediately report it to the promoters who would then announce over loudspeaker "Artists BE ATTENTIVE TO YOUR BOOTH" several times.  We artists understood what it meant and hopefully the thieves got the hint that we all know they are there.  That worked for shows where the speaker system could be heard almost everywhere.

It finally happened and it is official. The Ann Arbor Art Fairs are moving their dates in 2016. Instead of the Wed.-- Sat. schedule they've had "forever" in 2016 the fair will be held Thurs.-- Sunday! It's about time!

What was holding this up? A lot of it seems to have been the concern for parking for the churches in the show area. An arrangement has been made between the fairs and the churches for the show to open at noon on Sunday. Not ideal, right? But the Sunday shopping always does start late it seems and they'll swarm out of church and be in your booth. Here's hoping.

Max Clayton, director of the Summer Art Fair said

Everyone seemed to embrace the idea of Sunday," said Clayton. "The main question was, 'How come it took so long?' But this is a city where there's a lot of stuff going on, which is one reason we're so grateful to be in Ann Arbor. But we wanted to make sure all the stakeholders, and all our partners, were aware of what was going on, and consider the impact on them. That's why it took two years of serious conversation to make sure this could happen."

Learn more here: 

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/06/its_official_ann_arbor_art_fai.html

Kracklauer Park in downtown Mundelein

45 artists
 Deadline: June 15

Mundelein Community Connection announces the 5th Annual Mundelein Fine Arts Festival, a juried art festival that will showcase the talents of 45 fine artists and craftspeople. The two day event will feature top-notch artists, local musicians and delicious food from local eateries.
 
 Mundelein is a village of 31,000 people located in the northern suburbs of Chicago. An extensive network of nearby highways allows easy access to a host of neighboring cities, as well as Chicago and southern Wisconsin.

Publicity:                   

• Online advertisement through e-blasts and Social Media         
• Major newspaper advertising and publicity          
• Electronic sign advertisement as well as a poster campaign throughout the region         

• Cash Prizes for each category and Best of Show    
• Village of Mundelein Purchase Award        
• $500 Emerging Artist Award         
• Local Business Purchase Awards        

Location and Event Benefits and Amenities:             

• Easy load and unload, free parking           
• Complimentary breakfast Saturday and Sunday         
• Volunteer help for running lunches and booth sitting 
• Highly visible location          
• Tasty food from local vendors and restaurants            

        Terry Skriba, Executive Director of the Mundelein Community Connection

        (847)970-9235 or email: mundeleincc@tds.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find even more art festivals looking for artists: www.CallsforArtists.com

Here are the winners from the Pledge Drive drawing. You can hear more about this on the podcast here. They will all be receiving emails notifying them, but in the meantime, if your name is listed below please visit the prize page and send me an email listing your first 3 choices.

We'll fulfill choices starting with #1. A few have already been chosen.

1. Bob's Photos
2. Lakestone Jewelry, Jennifer Nunnelee - $100 Amazon gift card from www.actinsurance.com
3. JMC Studio, Janet Campbell - Flourish MeshPanel Display Walls, Flourish.com
4. Philip Green - $200 artwork photography from Larry Berman, www.BermanGraphics.com
5. Suzanne Krongold - free booth space at Old Town Art Show (winter) from Holidayartshows.com
6. Teresa DeVer - $250 of photography work from Larry Sanders, www.juryimage.com
7. Ernie Komarek - $100 gift certificate on all products at matboardandmore.com
8. Carrie Jacobson - Ingot Canopy Weight Set, http://www.canopyweights.com
9. John Weller - consulting with Connie Mettler
10. Stewart Casper
11. Charles Karolewski - banner kit from CanopyBanners.net
12. Bonny Hawley - Expert Website Review from Scott Fox
13. Woody Smith - Regional Online subscription (1 year) w/Diamond upgrade to ArtFairSourcebook.com from Greg Lawler
14. Heidi Mandich - Free Space at The January Sanibel (FL) SCA Masters Art Festival. January 15 and 16, 2016, from Richard Sullivan, boulderbrook.net
15. Elton Kirtley
16. Rebecca Tesch - Canopy Banner Kit from Jeff Christlieb, CanopyBanners.net
17. Rich Horner - Handcrafted oil lamp from Edward Basta
18. Ralph Sharp - From Clotheslines to Canopies: Art Fair History Book from Kathleen Eaton, www.ArtFairHistory.com
19. Gretchen Stanfill - 2014 AFSB Pocket Edition, from Greg Lawler, ArtFairSourcebook.com
20. Deb LaFogg Docherty - free booth space at Chastain Park Art Festival in Atlanta, May 2016 from AFFPS.com
21. Ida Anger
22. Sally Paulson, Pepper Run Studio - $200 credit toward purchase of Gallery Pouch from FrameDestination.com
23. Dean Myton - $40 gift certificate for printing services from Josh McClure,

    canvasgicleeprinting.com

24. Kari Oronde
25. Albert Scovern - Charlie Parker, Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x12" from Matt Pecson, www.MattPecsonArt.com
26. Roberta Starbird - 15"x20" custom graphite portrait from customer photo from Nica Bell, http://www.viavitaestudios.net
27. Rachel Sheffer
28. Joel Frader - Framed limited edition print of a digital painting from John Leben, www.LebenArt.com
29. Joan Paparigian - free booth space at ArtWorks in Waukesha, WI, from Colin Murray, www.ArtWorksWisconsin.com
30. Josh Merrill - Sunshine Artist subscription, from Nate Shelton, SunshineArtist.com
31. Roderick and Sara Craig - free booth space at Fall Festival on Ponce in Atlanta from Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces
32. Margie Luttrell - Professional critique of your website for SEO, usability and more from Scott Fox, ExpertWebSiteReviews.com
33. Greg Little - Handmade stylus pen from Joel Lockridge, http://www.bourbonpens.com
34. Carol Wilson - Aluminum & 14 kt gold earrings from Mendy Marks, http://www.mendymarks.com
    
35. Heidi Barron - free booth space at Gatlinburg, TN, from Howard Alan, www.artfestival.com
36. Kimberly Haag - 3 award winning romance/mystery books from Janice Armstrong, http://www.jrarmstrong.net
37. Patty Swords - hour consulting with Connie Mettler
38. Richard Wilson - free booth space at Spring Festival on Ponce in Atlanta from AFFPS.com
39. Cindy Griselda - one year's membership National Organization of Independent Artists, https://naia-artists.org/index.php
40. Sara Coast - Sunshine Artist subscription, from Nate Shelton, SunshineArtist.com
41. Lanora Hartway - Sunshine Artist subscription, from Nate Shelton, SunshineArtist.com
42. Renee Snell - Your choice 11 x 14 matted and signed, limited edition photograph from Deb Planky, http://www.archescapeimages.com
43. Andrew Shea - 11 x 14 photo from NormDarwish.com
44. Sid Branham - Stretched canvas print up to 16 x 24, from Steven Huyser-Honig, http://grandrivergiclee.com
45. Nancy Sher
46. Cynthia Reid - Necklace from Susan Carter, http://www.aworldofnecklaces.com
47. Elizabeth Balazs
48. John Desalme - Your choice 8 x 10 Photo from the Bodyscape® collection by Allan Teger, www.bodyscapes.com
49. Jenny Unrein
50. Chris Charles - Art Fair Report, 60 pages of the 2014 art fair survey results from Connie Mettler
51. Raymond Giddens - Artsy Shark Success Guide to Email Marketing for Artists, from Carolyn Edlund at ArtsyShark.com
52. Kim Rendelson
53. Pat Falk - One year's Level 3 membership from Festivalnet.com

It's not too late to pledge. We haven't drawn all the winning names. Anyone who pledges will have a chance at the 10-15 prizes that have not been chosen early next week. First come, first served. If interested, pledge here. 

Ours is a truly unique gallery - a massive Civil War-era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn, NY. Its enormous space affords us the opportunity to exhibit really huge work, and we welcome it.  

We will be using 8,000 square feet for this show, and look forward to exhibiting artist's work from all around the country, work in all sizes, subjects, and media, except film (it's almost completely wide open).

Mission:

• to assist emerging artists in advancing their artistic careers
• to present the art-of-today in an easily accessible format 

Awards:  $3000 in Cash Awards

• BEST of SHOW GOLD: $1000 
• BEST of SHOW SILVER: $500
• PEOPLES' CHOICE: $250
• CURATORS' CHOICE: $250
• CERTIFICATE of RECOGNITION: $1000 $100 each for ten winners

Hello everyone!  my name is Wendy Kendrix and I am brand new to craft shows.  I am in need of a program to print my original art to greeting and note cards.  Does anyone have anything to help?

This show is a two day show over Memorial Weekend. It is in the town of Decatur which is basically Atlanta. It is a very well run show and receives a lot of support from the community. My parents use to live in Sausalito and it was a big deal to be a volunteer at that show and I felt the same passion from the volunteers at the Decatur show. The show is right in downtown Decatur, which has a ton of resteraunts, boutiques and bars. There is also a square surrounded by more retail stores. Also it is a big Marta stop. Decatur is one of the few areas one could live with out having a car in the Atlanta area. Decatur has changed a lot over the years and has become a popular place to visit, but still many people in the metro Atlanta area have no idea Decatur is a destination. It is an interesting show because I find it draws a different group of people from the Atlanta market than I normally see at Atlanta shows. This year I only saw one past client from a show and none of the regulars that go to many of the art shows in Atlanta. It is Memorial Day weekend so that probably has something to do with it. Don't get me wrong this show always draws a big crowd. I have a great pic from 11am on Saturday morning and it was packed. I just haven't figured out how to post a pic in a blog from my iPad:). When I get to a lap top I will add it.

Set up is in the after noon on Friday. You check in at a church and wait until everyone gets the go ahead that the streets are closed. I have heard nightmare stories from other artists about getting to their booths but I think that was before they changed the layout from back to back booths. Now the booths are across from eachother. This makes it much easier to get in and out and also better for foot traffic flow during the show. Hopefully someone else can chime in a bit more on actually getting in and out of the show for set up and break down because my booth is always at the very end of the show and I can drive right up to my booth from another street and drop off everything. From the time I checked in to the time I was set up and driving home it was 1 hour. This is not the norm for most booth spots. I know there are plenty of volunteers to help and they are familiar with the different type tents so they are actually helpful if you need help. You are only given two feet behind your booth for storage. Nothing allowed on the sidewalks behind the tents.

Saturday morning at 10am people started showing up and by 11 am it was packed. Lots of buyers and no sticker shock. We made sales right out of the gate and it continued all day. everyone had big cars so we didn't need to deliver!!! The weather was perfect. Not too hot in my area, we had shade. In the full sun though that might have been tough for an artist to deal with all day but over all great weather and everyone was out enjoying it. They handed out water and there were lots of booth sitters if you needed it. I believe there was breakfast for the artists. Don't quote me on that. This is a home show for me so I wasn't interested. There is music and kids areas and all that type stuff but it is seperate from the art.

Sunday people were there and interested at the start of the show but not as seriously as they were on Saturday. There was a decent crowd but not heavy. Again the weather was close to perfect. I didn't sell on Sunday but Saturday was good enough to make this a good show, especially for it being a home show. Almost all of the artist I knew made at least one significant sale. I don't know of any one that had a killer show, although I am sure there were some, but most had a solid show.

Break down, bring your tent to the ground and wait for a pass. I was able to get the truck really close and dollied about 30 ft. The other booths around me were trying to do the same thing. Again I have no idea how difficult it was to get in and out if you couldn't dolly. Hopefully we can hear from someone else.

I hope to get in again next year. It is a fun area, the group is great to work with, sales are strong and if you are from out of town there is a hotel on site.

Tuesday, June 2, 6 pm ET

Connie Mettler, publisher of ArtFairCalendar.com and moderator at ArtFairInsiders.com is joined by Internet marketing expert Scott Fox to celebrate ArtFairCalendar.com's 11th anniversary online and the 6th for ArtFairInsiders.com.

They'll be drawing names for over 50 prizes donated by artists, art suppliers, show organizers and art equipment manufacturers around the country -- including art lessons in San Francisco and music festival passes in Tennessee.

And just for fun they've got great stories from the art fair business that make this worth a listen. This is going to be a quick and dynamic show as they tear through the list of names to find the winners. Join us to see if you are on that list.

Call in and say hello too. We always like to hear from our friends: 805-243-1338.

P.S. We'll be taking pledges and entering you in the drawing up until 5:30 tomorrow. Click here: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

September 25-27  

Downtown Ferndale    

The Funky Ferndale Art Fair attracts an audience interested in a more active relationship with their artwork. Artwork that invites conversations and challenges convention. Traditional artists do well, but artists that push the edges are most appreciated. For twelve years now people have turned to this show for work that doesn't just sit there and look pretty.
 

The fair is on Nine Mile Road, adjacent to fashionable shops and eclectic bistros. The town attract an unconventional audience- families and singles. A second show, the DIY Street Fair joined us about six years ago and provides an additional incentive for art lovers to visit.
 

Why you should be here: 
 

* Limited to 110 artists

* Significant advertising and news coverage

* Easy drive up unloading; Artists friendly organization

* Popular artists breakfast on Sunday morning

* Free parking and RV parking

We are committed to your success. Please feel free to call with questions or concerns at any time. We are artist focused and seek to provide a venue that enhances your work and simplifies your participation.

For more info: FunkyFerndaleArtFair.com  

We are nearing the end of our 6th Annual Pledge Drive. We held the drawing for the top ten winners on Friday, 5/29.

If your name is listed below you'll be hearing from us. Go to the pledge page, look over the options and send me your top two to three choices. We'll fulfill the win in the order your name was drawn.

In the order that their names are listed they can choose a prize from the listing on this page:

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Some of our sponsors:

 

       

             

My two-year old grandson likes to ask the question," how's your day today, grandma?"  "How's your day tomorrow?"  We're tickled that not only is he concerned about how our day is going but that he's thinking ahead to tomorrow as well.  This query caused me to think about the general status of Art Fairs 2015.  How is it going so far for those of you out on the road and have you been able to predict how it will be "tomorrow"?

Is the concensus one of a general uptick in the buying habits of attendees?  Or just the opposite?  Have things improved since last year, the year before or are we still mired in the overly cautious backlash of the 2008 recession?

I guess, like my grandson, I'm just curious about what's going on out in the trenches.  I certainly enjoy reading the reviews posted here but still find myself wondering what your gut feelings are about the year so far and what your expectations are for the future of producing and selling art.

Friday, May 29, 11 am ET

1. Our guest will be graphic artist Carroll Swayze. Carroll has a great story about how working smarter, not harder, has put more money in her pocket and enabled her to do more of the things she loves besides creating her work. A lifelong artist, after much trial and error she has found that balance we all crave. 
   
   You'll enjoy this podcast, Carroll is a great storyteller. Doubt that she has been able to do this? Take a look at her schedule, her passion for fishing and music is evident. http://www.carrollswayze.com/schedule.html
   
   
2. We'll be drawing names for the first 10 winners in the Pledge Drive. Hope it will be you. Pledge now. Your odds of winning are mighty good.
   
   Click here to do it now: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Be listening on Friday ... 

This year, we've made changes in response to exhibitor feedback to support optimal sales. The new layout will integrate food vendors into the market, and relocate children's activities to build traffic. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Haven't filled up your summer schedule yet?
Find even more shows looking for artists at callsforartists.com

ESTES PARK, CO, ART MARKET, MAY 23-25, 2015

APPLICATION

This was the 16^th annual Art Market produced by the Art Center of Estes Park.  You can apply to the show on Zapp. The jury fee is $25 and standard booth fee is $300.  The application deadline is the first of March.

GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, DEMPOGRAPHICS

Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Access from Denver and I-25 is by US-34 through Big Thompson Canyon or US-36 up the St. Vrain River. The St. Vrain and Big Thompson Rivers flooded in the fall of 2013 and evidence of these major floods is still present.  Check the weather and road reports (www.cotrip.org) if the weather is bad.  Trail Ridge Road crosses the mountains in the National Park and the resort areas of Granby, Grand Lake and Winter Park are on the west side.  This year, the road was still closed from late spring snow storms.   

“Parks” in Colorado refer to broad intermountain valleys.  You have all probably heard of South Park.  There are also North Park, Middle Park, Allens Park etc.  Estes Park is one of these valleys at an elevation of 7,522’.  Mountain weather can be unpredictable, and this is true of Estes Park.  During the show weekend, there were a few sprinkles during Friday set up.  Saturday morning was chilly and for a couple hours after noon it rained and got very cold in the 30’s. Sunday was scatted clouds and a few sprinkles.  Monday was warmer and it was only chilly when the sun was under clouds and there was a breeze.  During takedown Monday it rained for about an hour and it was heavy for about 20 minutes.

There are many summer homes around Estes Park and in the

foothills.  The area is a destination for metro Denver residents and both national and international tourists.  It is not unusual for tour buses to pull up an unload their passengers at the show, but they are not typically my clients.   

SETUP AND TAKE DOWN

Management tried something new this year, and there were some bugs.  Registration was open at 9:30am Friday and it was off site on Wonderview Avenue.  PDF maps had been sent out prior to the show and being a “map guy” I took them literally.  I approached the registration area from the west and there was no signage.  I saw the “red trolley” in the on-deck parking area and thought it was a food vender.  I went to the Stanley Hotel Parking lot where registration was shown on the map.  Nothing there, so we went down to the Safeway lot and there was nothing there either.  I went farther down the hill to the Art Center parking lot and nothing there so I decided to go back up Wonderview.  That was when I saw the purple art show information sign at the corner of US 34 (main road in from the east) and Wonderview.  There were more signs up the road leading back to the “red trolley”. Everything was at the on deck parking area.  I was early, so it wasn’t a big deal.

You check in, get your booth assignment, then they radio down to Bond Park that you are coming down to park.  The second snafu was the volunteers not being real familiar with two-way radios, and it took a bit for them to figure it out.  The procedure, which I like, is to park, unload your stuff, move your vehicle off site, then set up your booth.  There was none of this parking in front of your and your neighbors’ booths while you dink around unloading and setting up for several hours.  There was a designated trailer parking area with a shuttle back to the show.

Take Down was similar.  You took your booth down and then you were allowed to bring your vehicle into a parking area to load your stuff.  There was no congestion created by people parking vehicles in front of their booth site for hours while they took down and loaded. No one had to dolly farther than 40 yards.

SALES AND ANALYSIS

I have done the Estes Park Art Market in five f the last six years.  It started out as a solid $2K sales show for me and last year sales were a little over $3K.  Therefore I went this year with financial expectations of $3K sales.  I missed this target by $130, so I still consider it a show I will apply to again.  Crowds were down Saturday and Sunday but there were more people than usual on Sunday. Saturday’s sales exceed ethos of 2014 by about $300 despite the very cold afternoon weather.  My sales on Sunday and Monday were a little over $700 both days.  I had 44 sales and the average sale was $65.24. Individual sales ranged from $2.50 for a bandana (sold with leather napkin rings) to $205 for a belt and silver buckle.

     Sales would have been better if eastern Colorado had not been

going through an extended period of rain. On top of this, there was hail and a few tornadoes out on the flatlands. People in the Denver metro area probably figured the weather would not be any better up in the mountains, so they stayed home. Another factor was Trail Ridge Road not being open. Driving the road is an attraction for motorists and motorcycle clubs. The latter were noticeably absent this year. 

The road closure also prevented tourists from the Winter Park, Granby and Grand Lake resort areas on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park from coming over the Estes Park. I think this was the cause of an apparent lower affluence of the overall crowd this year.

AMMENITIES ETC.

     The Art Center provided a very thorough pre-show information packet. Besides the usual check in and set up information, there were tips about the weather, wildlife and adjusting to the high altitude. They also provided maps of the Estes Park region.  An artists’ reception was held Saturday night at the Art Center Gallery. We were too tired and cold to go.  There was coffee every morning and booth sitters were available. There was a kid’s area with bubbles, hula-hoops, face painting, and art projects of making masks and quilt squares. There was a silent auction of donated art.  If you completed the exit survey, there was a drawing for $100 off next year’s booth fee.

     We usually hike in the Park or nearby after the show, but this year we decided to go home and take advantage of the change in the weather to get yard work done. We could have gone snowshoeing just as easily this year.

Photo: Longs Peak, 14,259’  obscured by clouds drifting across the high country. That is a lot of snow on the mountains for late May! 

Artworks Inquiry - Scam

It started with this e-mail.

"Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creative works on your website and i will like you to get back with more details if they are still available for purchase.
Gate AND Tulips 05
I will appreciate an urgent reply.
Best Regards,
Kathy Johnson"

I replied yes, and after a few back and forth emails, I actually emailed her two small images to make sure we were talking about the same two images.

I quoted her $425 for the two matted unframed photographs shipped and she agreed. She told me her husband will be mailing me a check. The check arrived on Saturday morning May 24th and within minutes she sent me an e-mail containing a printout of a screen capture of the Post Office tracking.

But here's where it got weird. I received a check from a company called "Around The Rings" and it was for $1910.00. At first I figured it was a licensing fee for my sports photographs, because it is a sports oriented web site, and I do license my sports images a few times a year. But when I got home from the post office, the e-mail was waiting. My reply to the e-mail was I hadn't gone to the post office that day and because of the holiday I wouldn't pick up my mail until Tuesday the 26th. She even texted me twice to make sure I would pick up the check on Tuesday. Did I mention the check was from a company located in Atlanta. The envelope had a California return address and mailed from Texas.

That gave me a day to research the company and check. I called Around the Ring and spoke to their accounting department. The check had been written on an account that had been closed a year ago when the checks had been stolen and then had been used to pay for purchases on Craig's List and eBay at various locations around the country. The company had me send them a copy of the check to forward to the FBI.

It's now Tuesday May 26th and I'm eagerly waiting for the e-mail to tell me where to send the overpayment.

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

I had the fortunate chance to attend the Chastain Park Art Festival when I was in Atlanta for my son's Law School graduation.  His graduation was on Monday so we decided to go check out the Chastain Park Art Festival on May 9th.  The show ran from May 9 through to May 10th. 

The weather was wonderful, that coming from someone who just left the frozen tundra Michigan had been fighting off all spring.  It was so nice to be able to stroll along the artist's tents without being bundled up in warm winter coats.  There were people out looking for Mother's Day gifts as well as art for themselves.  People were able to stroll along the booths without having to worry about cars and traffic because this roadway was closed to any traffic.

The first booth we happened upon was the lovely Melanie Rolfes and Michael Zavison.

They had a great spot as people seemed to enter the row of booths from the side of the show they were on.  They had a huge booth with all these great large paintings that would look great in those gigantic homes that bordered the park.  Melanie lives in the Atlanta area and she said she loves this show.  She said the Spring show allows crafts for Mother's day purchases but the Fall show is all Fine Art. I did see some crafts but didn't think I saw any junk.

Next we came upon Joel Lockridge who makes fine wooden pens.  My husband seemed to be very interested in owning one of those.  I think that may be my first Christmas gift purchase of the year.  Joel wasn't too far from Melanie's booth.  As you can see, Joel had a great looking booth.                                                                                

Not too far from Joel we found Ruth Jellema.  I never saw her art work before and she had some great pieces.  Her work is so unique and any one of her pieces would look great in someone's home.   It was great getting to meet Ruth.

We walked the complete length of the show and finished up by stopping by the Chastain information booth to meet up with Randall Fox and Patrick  Dennis.  They were both great guys.  Randall treated us to a great lunch on the grounds.  It was the best pulled pork BBQ lunch.  We loved it.  Thanks Randall, we appreciated trying out the great Atlanta cuisine at the show.

Randall told us that the people around the Atlanta neighborhoods tend to stay in their own communities and don't go off into the other ones.  Chastain Park didn't really have an Art Show for their own area.  That is how they decided to start up the Chastain Park Arts Festival.  That seemed kind of strange about the neighborhoods but I heard that from someone else not connected to the show, too, later that weekend.  The Chastain Park area had big gorgeous homes bordering the park and I saw something that I never see in Michigan anymore - new home construction!  New homes are always a good sign of the economy of an area.  And those new homes will need some art work soon!

There was plenty of room for storage around the artist's booths.  They had lots of room on each side and lots of room behind the booths.  The show was one long giant strip with no one behind the booths.  Having the extra room on all 3 sides was nice as I think it was a bit of a walk to the artists parking area.  The weather was gorgeous and sunny which would have meant very hot in Atlanta.  But, this show provides plenty of shade with the park's large trees all along this road way.  This looked like a great place for a show.

I don't know how sales were as I was there first thing Saturday morning.  Hopefully, someone will let us know how things went for them.

Noteworthy: 

• Award Winning Event
• Beautiful location in Piedmont Park - Atlanta's largest park. 
• Located in Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood 
• Event draws 60-65,000 attendees from the metro-Atlanta area 
• Extensive local and online advertising including social media, printed publications, direct mail, billboard and social media.  
• Fine Art & Craft featuring up to 250 artists and crafters in all major media including ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, 2-D and 3-D mixed media, drawing, photography, painting, wood, jewelry, digital art and sculpture. 
• Limited corner upgrades and electricity upgrades available 
• $25 Application fee via Zapplication.org; $275 booth fee
• Booth sitters available at the artists request
• Complimentary water and snack delivery during the event
• Festival Hotline available during event hours
• Emerging Artists Pavilion for first-time festival artists
• 24 hour on site Atlanta Police Department security 

About the event: 

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Space sis proud to announce the Fifth Annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival.This is the ideal summer festival to enjoy the outdoors, browse for irresistible art and crafts as well as appreciate the beauty of Atlanta's largest park. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of art and crafts. The festival includes a children's area, local food and beverage concessions including "gourmet" food trucks and live acoustic musical performances. 

The Festival is located in midtown Atlanta, just moments away from a number of Atlanta attractions and landmarks including the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, The HIGH Museum, Museum of Design Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Theatre and Margaret Mitchell House & Museum.  

Named one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society, this event promises to offer a little bit of something for everyone!

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS:

• Application fee on Zapp $25/ mail in $35
• Deadline: June 5, 2015
• Jury Result Notification: June 13, 2015
• Apply online at www.zapplication.org 

To learn more about the event, please visit: piedmontparkartsfestival.com

Email questions to lisa@affps.com or call 404-873-1222.