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.

When I click on the link to pledge, I get the following error message:

Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@paypal.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

Can anyone give me a recent review of the Winterfair in Ohio. Just saw old posts on it and was wondering if it is worth the trip? Thx

This was the first time I did the North Virginia Fine Arts Festival. Judy Christian already did a short report on the show. I will try to give a bit more detail and my experience at the show.

The show is set up along the streets in a high end outdoor mall type setting with high rise condos along the street and town homes near by. There maybe homes within walking distance I am not sure. Reston is a rich suburban area out side of DC and near Dulles airport. I don't usually like to do suburban areas for my contemporary work but with the reputation of this show and after doing shows around DC for the past 3 years clients of mine encourage me to try it.

Set up is on Friday. The show is extremely organized. When you arrive you should have already printed out your load in pass and then you can drive up to your assigned street entrance. You are met by someone who walkie talkies into the festival grounds to find out if there is room for you to get to your spot. They are good about keeping everything clear. If you have an oversized vehicle they give you a pass for the oversize parking lot assigned for artists. You can check in at your leisure at this point. My area was an easy area to get to so I was able to go right in and park across from my booth. I am sure it isn't this way for those along the main street, but there was plenty of room for the artists to park their vehicles near their booth and set up with out having to move right away. I had been warned about the wind at Reston. There are a lot of tall building in this area and it creates wind. Lots of it. Reports of wind were 4mph that day but setting up the booth we had to be careful. It really helped being able to have the truck right there so we didn't have work blow down while setting up. I used extra weights. I was a corner booth and there was always a decent breeze and sometimes big gusts. Most of the booths are on one side of the street. There is a small area of the show that has booths on both sides. I was set up along a new street for the show. It was off the main strip and looped around the park. I had a ton of room behind the booth. Depending on planters and what business was behind you may be able to blow out and store work. Not much room on either side of the booths though.

The show treats the artists very well. Before the show you can call or email them and they are beyond helpful answering any questions and working with you to help make it a good experience for you. During set up I had a few patrons pre checking the show work. The patrons were excited about the show. They seem to wait for this show and they know that the art at this show is top notch. They seemed disappointed that the show wouldn't be open Friday night, I guess they use to do that. This year they had a fund raiser event that the artists were invited to. The event was very nicely done. I didn't see a lot of artists there but I only stayed for about 20 minutes. Nice spread of food and drinks but not enough for a meal. So I ran off to one of the many many excellent restaurants in the area. The show also offered a good deal at the Hyatt right at the show. Great hotel. It was a treat. I believe they had breakfast for the artists but I was all about room service, so I don't know what they served. On Saturday night they had an awards party and again possibly dinner but the restaurants had amazing happy hours for food and drink so I did that instead:)

Saturday the weather looked iffy. Possible thunderstorms but most likely in the afternoon. The weather held out until 5pm when staff came around and closed the show and it poured. Everyone scattered. Saturday was a great day though. Like others have mentioned the crowds were not huge. Especially off the main strip. I do originals only, large scale abstracts. Usually my client will walk an entire show if they are looking for work like this. So for me I don't think it mattered too much that I was not on the main strip. I am sure for people with lower price points under $1000 they would need more traffic. Along the main strip around the stores the crowds were good. I went a couple times back to my hotel and noticed a BIG difference with the crowds both Saturday and Sunday. Around noon the park held two dance recitals with speakers for music. This was across from my booth. When I saw it being set up and the dancers arrived I was not happy. I have to say it was done well. The first dance group had nice soft music, they didn't play it too loud and it was not too distracting. It lasted for about 10 minutes. An hour later they had a group of ballerinas in beautiful eye catching costumes. Again the music was at an appropriate level and a nice back drop. The second group of dancers were so pretty that even I had to go watch. This group did stop the people in their tracks and they watched the dance and missed the art. It only lasted for about 10 minutes and after both performances the audience would walk the loop around the park. Staff did check with us to make sure the music was not a problem. Over all it was a nice add to the show if you need to have those type things. Sales on Saturday were great. By noon two pieces were gone. One of them the couple had come down from their high-rise condo saw the piece and bought it with out even looking through the entire booth or walking the show. They were worried to walk the rest of the show first because they were familiar with this show and knew work moved fast. This is one of the reasons patrons were there on Friday. They wanted first pick. Price not an issue in this area. Not everyone at the show is qualified buyers but the majority are. The ages ranged from young professionals to retired. Since our work is big we have to deliver. Many sales were walk able with the new propanel cart I just got. (this thing is awesome). Also in my area clients could drive up very close to the booth and load up.

Sunday the weather was up in the air again but it held out great. The show opened at 10am. I was alone at the booth since my partner had to do deliveries from Saturday. A suggestion for anyone who has to deliver in the DC area, do it Sunday morning. Traffic can be crazy in DC but Sunday mornings the roads are clear. So I was alone but it didn't matter no one was there until after 11 am. I find it rarely is necessary to open a show before 11 am on a Sunday but maybe that is because I am not a morning person. Crowds were light in my area for most of the day. The buying frenzy didn't feel as strong but my booth was down a lot of work so the presentation wasn't as strong. There were still a lot of good sales happening for large scale work though on Sunday.

Break down, the block captain was great. She came and talked with each of us to discuss load out strategies. The rules are NO breaking down of any kind before 5pm. Then break down get a pass then get in line. My booth and the booth next to me were able to park our cars with in 50 feet of our booths in the afternoon. So we let the block captain know we would dolly out and we would be out before the start time of 6pm allowing cars to come in. Both of us were out by 5:30 pm and drove by the line up and it was LONG. I am so glad we were able to dolly out. I am not sure how load out went for everyone else.

I really like this show. I would love to be invited back and I was happy with my location. It had a lot of perks even though it wasn't on the main strip. I was close to the Arts Center where they had the artist amenities, think clean real bathrooms. I am a sucker for close clean real bathrooms. Water was brought around to us or you could just go to headquarters and get what you needed along with snacks. I was also in front of a CVS, ice and cold beer whenever I wanted. The volunteers and staff of this show are amazing. The director of the show came and meet us and asked us what she could do if anything. She really wanted feedback. She lives on site and knows the show well. On Sunday I arrived to a messy booth with all the wind and rain. I use to bring a broom to all my shows but realized that almost every artist brings a broom. There is no reason to have 200 brooms at a show and most artists are willing to share. So I have since ditched my broom. Well I guess all the other artists around me have done the same because I couldn't find one. A volunteer came up in the morning and asked if they could get me anything and I told them yes a broom. A few minutes later they arrived with one, waited for me to use it and continued along the street to see if anyone else needed it. There were booth sitters all over the place. If you had a question of any kind they had the answer or would get the answer to you asap. Great show to do if the DC area is your market.

Here we go again! ArtFairCalendar.com and ArtFairInsiders.com's shameless promotion asking for your help in keeping these useful sites alive and well. From May 17-June 1 we are asking for donations to our 6th Annual Pledge Drive. 

We give  you helpful information all year, we bring buyers to the art fairs and we help improve the nation's art fairs.

Did you like any of the podcasts, the videos, the friends you met here and then later at a show, the useful tips on tents, shows, security, earning a living, etc.? Sure hope so! If you did and you donate a little $$ you'll be entered in our prize drawings also. You win and we win!

Look at these prizes:

• Make your own art display & folding sales desk plans from Ernie Kleven
• $40 gift certificate from Canvas Giclee Printing
• Art from Fran Debra Placky, John Leben, Matt Pecson, Rani Primmer, Nica Bell, this limited edition poster from Mark Loeb and the Palmer Park Art Fair & more
• an e-course from Artsy Shark; 2 website reviews from Scott Fox
  
• booth spaces -- nearly coast to coast from some of your favorite show organizers
• space in a pop up shop in Chicago and art lessons near San Francisco
  

 & 30 more ... goods and services specifically helpful to your art career

Click here to learn more

The following should be taken with a very large grain of salt. Better yet maybe an entire salt block because my impressions couldn't come from a place of less experience. I'm about to report on the first two art fairs that I've ever done.

I got my initiation in Greenville SC at Artisphere, weekend before last. Greenville has a beautiful and vibrant downtown and booths are set up in a long line down both sides of picturesque Main Street. This set up made for an easy load in (even for a novice) and it made every artist's booth visible and easily accessible. No one got overlooked.

Almost to the point of embarrassment we were made to feel special. Greenville's mayor came by and we got into a long chat. Other city officials introduced themselves as did members of the event Board. We were thanked repeatedly for coming and there was clearly the attitude that Artisphere is an important and classy event that the city takes seriously. So do the patrons.

Last year's attendance was estimated at 95,000 and this year it couldn't have been fewer. The crowd was energetic and genuinely engaged. People asked serious questions and seemed excited about art. They came to buy and buy they did, across the price range. I was told by a member of the Board that a wood sculptor had sold several pieces each priced at $15,000. My neighbor glass blower sold several large pieces at $2200 and many smaller. I make unglazed raku vessels priced from $175 to $600.00 and I sold 32 pieces, many at the high end.

It was a terrific show from beginning to end. Beautiful art and an enthusiastic, generous crowd. I wrote a note to Liz Rundorf the Program Director and told her that my only complaint was that she had set the expectation bar way too high.

Boy was I right. A threat of rain hung over Broad Ripple Art Fair in Indianapolis this past weekend, which almost certainly kept attendance down. I'm guessing it was well below last year's 15,000, but even if there were more it wouldn't have mattered. This was not a crowd, it seemed to me, interested in or intent on buying fine art.

I set up for an optional pre-event cocktail party showing Friday night for art center supporters and dignitaries. This was billed as an opportunity for party guests to get a first look at the art and a first chance to buy. We were told before the event that 200 guests were expected at the party (which seemed like a low number), and during the two hour showing we counted 30 people who walked by our booth. Most of that 30 strolled by without even a sideways glance at the art.

About the art-- this event is described as a fine art and craft fair but it seemed heavy on the craft (pens, wrist bands, yard art) and those few who did buy seemed oriented in that direction. A local potter told me, kindly, that my work did not belong at the event because it was too far into the fine art category.

My neighbors were a metal sculptor, a wood turner/sculptor, and a watercolorist, all of whom did beautiful work. Exceptional work. The painter sold nothing, the metal sculptor sold nothing, the wood turner sold a few low end pieces, and I sold two pots. That's two.

For the most part people shuffled by, zombie-like. Many didn't look into the booths. I wondered for a time if my booth was situated in a difficult spot, near the corner of a square formation. Was it that people turned the corner and tended not to see me? Maybe, but that didn't explain the painter or the sculptors. I got my beautiful wife to pretend to be a shopper in my booth. She was wearing this flowing skirt and she gets attention anyhow but she could have taken the skirt off and it wouldn't have helped. I could have butchered a live steer in the tent and those few people who might have turned their heads in my direction would have blinked once between handfuls of popcorn and ambled on.

In the context of poor attendance, too many booths, and horrific sales, it seems beside the point to say that set up was a bit difficult (cart in) and that none of the welcome and care for the artists so obvious at Artisphere was evident here. Sometime Saturday morning when you just knew that this wasn't going to go well, I stopped caring about those things. I just started to think about expenses.

There were a few saving graces. We got to know Michael the wood guy and his wife and had a blast with them and helped each other through. He's been in this business for 30 years and he taught me a lot in two days that I'll take with me down the road. He said this was one of his worst shows ever and that he would not be back. Ditto the painter, a 15 year veteran. Their opinions I would not take with a grain of salt.

Then there was a great beer truck by Broad Ripple Brewery. Their IPA eased the pain and made my booth neighbor, a funny guy anyhow, seem hysterically so. And I bought a cool knife with a mammoth tooth handle from a fellow artist, thereby blowing almost half of my meager income. My wife suggested that I put the knife in a place that, while anatomically possible I suppose, would be somewhat painful. I declined.