"Hello RC FULWILER,
Your entry 1912.157431 ...was not juried into Art on the Square 2015. Your interest in the show is appreciated and we wish you much success with your work."
I had no idea what show this was from. Art on the Square is a common name in this business. It took quite a while to figure out it was Belville, IL. Gee thanks! I guess that's all $40 will get you these days.
Laura Hotvet
Email: director@excelsior-lakeminnetonkachamber.com
Phone: (952)474-6461
Web: www.excelsior-lakeminnetonkachamber.com/art-on-the-lake.html
It started off cool last weekend in Key West. The locals were not happy--it was a high of fricking 52 degrees on Friday. Fisherman were bundled up like Eskimos.
The rest of us loved it.
We were in the warmest place in the whole USA and we had a city crammed full of tourists looking for adventures in dining and art.
I took off from freezing Ybor City early Friday morn around 5 AM. We had the plants covered, and I was covered too--still had bare knees, no long pants on me, I don't own any.
It is usually a nine hour journey to the bottom of the Keys. This time I knew it would be longer. Everybody who could afford it got out of the frigid north and headed to the Florida Keys. The roads were packed.
Ironically, I thought gas would be way higher down there than Tampa. When I left, it was $2.19 per gallon. Guess what? I got to Key Largo and it was still the same price. Now down in Key West it got up to $2.58. Still pretty cheap.
I have done this show, off and on, since the early nineties.
I have never had huge, bang-up shows there, but i always make a paycheck. Plus, I get new work.
I had missed the last three years due to illness to Ellen, and me. So I was excited.
I was going to be sharing a room with my old glass art bud, Jim Wilbat. He is a Chicago boy, but he easily translates into the tropical style of the Keys.
He was coming off a great Coconut Grove and I was coming off a great Artigras.
We snagged a bedroom via AirBNB. Our first time using this site. It went well.
We ended up in a place about 17 miles north, Sugarloaf Key. About a 30 minute ride into KW.
It cost us about $150 a nite for the two of us. We shared a bedroom, separate beds, of course--otherwise both Kara and Ellen would be pissed. We got use of the whole house located on a canal near the Atlantic. Drank lots of good wine and a few tastes of Vodka.
So here is the thing about this show.
It aint cheap staying down there. It is high season and you will pay top dollar.
In the old days I could bring my trailer down and stay at Jabours Campground for $40 per nite right downtown. Jabours is long gone now. There are no campground rentals in KW. Nearest place is north at Stock Island at Boyd's Campground. It will cost more than $40 per night.
A glass artist friend got together with five other people and rented a whole house during the show. Actually, they stayed for six days. Cost each of them about $100 per night. But they partied hardy. It was worth it.
On the CLC card I used to get a Days Inn at the top of the Island for about $125 per nite--but that was being remodeled.
There are hundreds of B&Bs there. You just gotta get on the horn early to try and get a good rate.
So finding a cheap room is almost nonexistent for this show. You gotta know that right away. And plan accordingly.
That is the only detriment that I can think of for this show. Everything else is blue skies and plenty of fish and margaritas.
The nice thing about this show is that you can meet people from all over this planet there. And, most of them have money, or they wouldn't be there.
Between the airlines and the cruiseships, let alone the ones who just drive there, there are people from Europe, South America, Asia, and from all over the USA.
I spoke to seven persons from Philadelphia on Sunday. Heard a lot of mid-western accents with a sprinkling of New England. And, of course, you have a ton of New Yorkers and Jersey people thrown into the mix.
Which means anything is possible to sell here. You just gotta give it your best shot.
It is a two day show with early morn setup on Saturday. Six AM if you are on Whitehead Street and seven AM if you are setup on the Truman annex part of Caroline Street.
The local Art Association led by the very able director Lois Songer run a very smooth show.
Lois learned her chops from longtime director Florence Rechter, and she learned well.
It is a tight street for setup and everybody flows the correct way. Nobody hogs the road and blocks it for others. Teardown is equally smooth. Most people are out in a hour-and-half or less.
You got storage room behind in most spaces. Side to side is tight unless you have paid for one of the few corner spaces. You need weights.
They have free parking for artists few blocks away. You can park in a municipal garage nearby. There is a pay lot, about $20 per day, right off Caroline near the show.
They provide coffee and bagels in the morn, water and juice too.
They run a very enjoyable show.
I just don't know any other place I would rather be in the last weekend of February. Oh, there is Naples. But Key West is way more fun.
There is Kellys Restaurant right on the corner of the show. They do a killer happy hour 4-7 with cheap Margies and Buffalo Wings.
In the mornings I hiked it down to Pepes Restaurant for breakfast each morn, it is about six blocks down. Just beyond Pepes is Harpoon Harrys, another great spot, which serves a killer coffee con leche.
After the the show each night, Jim and I hit Origami Sushi bar in Square One Duval complex.
They have the freshest seafood and at reasonable prices.
At least one night you gotta have cocktails on the Afterdeck Bar at Louies Back Yard, right on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the best ocean bar, bar none, on the Atlantic. In the old days, Jimmy Buffett used to live right next door.
NICE STUFF ABOUT FOOD AND BOOZE, NELS, ARE YOU EVER GONNA TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT THE SHOW?
THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER ASK. (to be continued ...)
Well, Saturday crowds were strong and sales happened pronto for many. I saw several large paintings go out and they were not just tropical images.
People kept buying most of the day, most of us turned $1K or better, usual for Key West.
One important note about this show.
This is the fine art show and no crafts are allowed. In January they have a craft show at the same site and no 2-D art is allowed. So be aware of these things.
Back to saturday.
You have to be ready to ship art. Post a sign in your booth that says this. You have customers who have flown in, or boated in for the most part.
I never sell big items here, it is mostly out of the browse bins with some 16x20 frame sales included.
Ironically, I have loads of Keys images (been shooting there for 40 years) yet I sell very few of them. How do you figure?
Wilbat and I did a good happy hour at Kellys followed up by sushi at Origami. We made it an early nite.
BTW. The temps went up nicely on Saturday to a breezy 68 degrees. Sunday, it got even warmer. We were the warmest spot in the nation.
Sunday morn we got there early, did con leche at Harpoon Harry's and read the paper. I got two hours of good shooting in, came away with some great Key West Gold--photo-wise.
Sunday was much slower. Thinner crowds, more looky-lookys than real buyers. Time seemed to drag. I consoled myself looking at the tropical birds flitting above the trees. I dreamed of fried Mahi and Golden Margaritas.
At 5 PM show was over and the load out began. Surprisingly, while I was gone to get my van, a guy came in and was waiting for me. He ended up being a $300 sale which made the show a decent paycheck.
Monday morn I was on the road home to Tampa at 5:30 AM.
Around Marathon I spotted the first silvery glimmer of clouds starting to crowd out the night light.
Then slivers of pinks, followed by deep purples emerged.
The Keys sunrise, to me, is the best. I always feel real joy seeing it.
You smell the salt in the air, you see the coral blue waters, fish jumping and boaters skirting atop waves.
It makes it all worthwhile.
I made it home by 3 PM, safe and sound, and a little renourished from my Keys adventures.
Not a bad way to be earning a living. Living the good life.
Later, Gators. Nels.
July 4 & 5City Park-500 block of Ludington Ave.
July 4 - 10:00-5:00 and July 5 - 10:00-4:00
100-120 Artists
Deadline: February 28
We have had some discussions as of late about Bayou City and the problems there. I came across this info. I meant to post it before now but I am catching up on my work and so today is the day.
http://www.ifest.org/p/about/press-room/press-releases/board
If you click on the link you will learn that the Houston Festival Foundation is now closed and they are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The Foundation has had to sell all of its assets to pay its bills. They have no assets anymore.
I don't know if this will affect any of you. If any of you need to contact them, they are checking general messages for a time. Their phone number is 940-784-3378. Here is their email in case you can't get through on the phone: contactus@ifest.org
Application Now Live...
Apply by March 3
This juried, fine art show could be your best selling opportunity of the year! Reach more than 65,000 attendees who LOVE to shop. Watch the video and see what makes the One of a Kind Show Chicago a great selling experience.
Apply via zapplication.org by March 3
For more information contact:
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http://bermangraphics.com/blog/care-and-feeding-of-your-jury-images/
Once upon a time there was an artist who sold his paintings every weekend at art shows. He took a few pictures of his paintings, and for the few shows that required it, hung his paintings on the fence next to his house and took a “display” picture. The film was dropped off at the corner drug store where he picked up the slides three days later. He filled out a paper application, included two checks, a few 35mm slides and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The envelope containing everything was dropped in the mail box.
When the jury results came from the show, he could usually tell if he got in because the envelope didn’t include the slides, just a sheet of paper telling of the acceptance and that more information would be coming in the months ahead. Applying to art shows was easy and life was good.
The Internet and digital cameras changed everything. Computers with web browsers and digital cameras with image editing software changed the application process. Applying to art shows became easier, so easy that application numbers jumped, and applying to art shows became more competitive. 2004 was the turning point.
This is an update of my article on how to set your camera to photograph artwork. It has many more tips and suggestions, including a section on managing images on your computer. Since the full article is too long to post here (at 3500 words), continue reading the article on my web site.
http://bermangraphics.com/blog/care-and-feeding-of-your-jury-images/
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
July 11 & 12 
Naperville, Illinois
The Event features 100+ local and national artists exhibiting, selling and demonstrating their original works of art. Mediums include Painting, Drawing, Pastels, Fiber, Glass, Wood, Ceramics, Jewelry, Batik, Photography, Mixed Media, Metal, Sculpture, Print Making, Upscaled Recycled Art, Silk & Textiles.The next time you are tempted to invest your time and money in a "filler" show, take that travel time and your $$$ and invest instead in building a website or updating your beginner site. Think of it as building your retirement.
a. strictly a gallery where you showcase your work and bring people to find you at art fairs, (a WordPress site) orMost specifically it should be easy for you to update.
b. a selling site where you sell directly from the site (think BigCommerce.com that has all the bells and whistles for handling ecommerce)
I'm from Saugatuck, Michigan, the same town that the venerable Nels and the irrepressible Fulweiller come from. We're all down in Florida now trying to make a living. I scheduled five art fairs for my stay in Florida. Arti Gras, last week's show in Jupiter was a big success. But this week, the South Miami show was a big disappointment.
It is a small show with most booths set up back to back down the middle of 72nd Street. Booths are small... exactly 10 by 10 without any storage space to speak of. Setup is early Saturday morning, which I hate. It typically takes Marcia and I four to five hours to set up, and we used up every minute before opening at 10am. The Rotary Club runs it and they do a good job, but they just didn't bring out the buyers for this show. One of the big problems is scheduling. This show runs the weekend right after the big Coconut Grove show, in a close by neighborhood. Too many shows too close together.
I managed just around $750 in sales for Saturday and eeked out $850 on Sunday bringing my take to $1600... not enough to make it worthwhile. Hotels are expensive around Miami and the booth fee ain't cheap, so, we just about broke even when you factor in gasoline and meals.
I'm on the wait list for Gasparilla next weekend, but don't have much hope for getting called (although I've been pestering them). I do have Lake Wales as a backup, but, judging from my performance there last year, I'm not overly optimistic. I'm heading to Naples for a few days to spend some time with some friends, so, I'll save a little in hotel bills before taking off for Lake Wales.
August 8 & 9
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Downtown Milwaukee
10am-5pm
135 Artists
Deadline: March 16
The Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council proudly presents the 41st Annual Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair. Join this group of talented craftspeople dedicated to the art of fine craft.
The Fair has been popular with artists and patrons for 40 years and features 135 fine crafts artists exhibiting in ceramics, digital, enamel, fiber, glass, jewelry-metal, jewelry-non-metal, leather, metal, handmade paper, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wood and 3-D mixed media.
Morning Glory is held in downtown Milwaukee on the grounds of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, alongside the Milwaukee River, and the adjoining Red Arrow Park.
Morning Glory includes many amenities for artists:
Here's what previous year artists have had to say about us:
Morning Glory also includes many amenities for our patrons:
Sally Bright at Morning Glory
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Application deadline is Monday, March 16.
Visit www.zapplication.org to apply.
Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair - you know you've always wanted to try this one! Make 2015 the year you join us, in this our 41st year.
Questions? Need further info? Contact bethhoffman@wi.rr.com, 262-894-0038
and it's a tie!
Congrats to Barbara Bloom for stirring up a lot of helpful information from artists young and old for her post, How do you Handle the Fluctuation of Income in your Art Business? Look at the discussion and check out some of the links added to help you navigate this very tricky terrain.
and R.C. Fulwiler (who had two posts in the running) for Something to Think About, which has garnered (so far) 2924 views on this site alone and five pages of comments.
Here is something else to think about:
R. C. also was chosen to receive the Community Leader award for his contributions to AFI.
Thanks to Barbara, R. C., Nels Johnson, Alicia Eskanos and everyone else who contributed to the site in January.
(Sponsored promotion)
Last winter I participated in three art fairs, Naples in Cambier Park, Gasparilla in Tampa and Lake Wales. The trip was successful last year with the weakest show being Lake Wales. This year I booked five art fairs, but ran into a string of wait list invitations in the process. Ft Myers, Cambier Park (Naples), Gasparilla and Winter Park all put me on their wait list (so frustrating).
So far I haven't heard from any of them. Anyway, I thought I'd make the best of it and do the shows that I was invited to: ArtiGras in Jupiter, S. Miami, Lake Wales, Bonita Springs and Downtown Naples.
I chose ArtiGras in Jupiter because I really didn't like doing Coconut Grove a couple years ago. And it turned out to be a good decision. ArtiGras is much easier to do, is well run and has a pretty good turnout of people.
Weather was cool but sunny all three days, making the art fair a better destination for many than the beach. We were lucky enough to find parking on the street not far from our booth location on all three days of the show (this one runs Saturday, Sunday and Monday because of Presidents's day).
Setup was pretty easy on the Friday before the show. Marcia and I had all day to setup. I wanted to work on a better booth shot so we took our time and initially did a setup specifically for the booth shot. Then, we set up for the show itself. I also needed a lot of extra time because I made some major changes in the artwork I would be showing.
Until this show, I exhibited a wide variety of artwork from landscapes to a new line of rather surrealistic (and sometimes humorous) landscapes I call "Urban Punk." They sold well last season in the midwest, so over the winter I created more in the Urban Punk series. And, since I needed to bring enough inventory in my van for five shows, I drastically cut the variety of art I used to show. For the Florida art fairs I decided to show mostly Urban Punk.
It turned out to be a good decision. Customers responded well, and so did the judges. I sold $5200 worth of artwork for the three days and won first in the Digital category for another $1000. Saturday was the slowest day, and as the day wore on, I began questioning my decision to show so much Urban Punk. But Sunday was gangbusters, with sales over $3500.
But the biggest surprise was when the committee showed up with a bugle blaring and the announcement that I won a prize. I was given a crown (really) and a ribbon and they took some pictures of me with the crown and a silly smile on my face.
Monday was a little slower than Sunday but I still raked in over $1200. Break down was pretty straightforward, especially since we had the van parked on the street only about a block away from the booth.
I'm very pleased with the show and I plan to participate next year, but my success was not mirrored all over the art fair. There were a lot of unhappy artists who did not sell well, but, I guess that's the case at every art fair. I'll be doing one of those nasty early morning setups tomorrow morning in South Miami. I'll post the results of that fair next week. Keeping my fingers crossed for another good show.
Chicago, Illinois
Intersection of Broadway and Belmont
Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 10am-5pm
175 Exhibitors
Deadline: March 2
The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts is Chicago's premier fine art and fine craft festival showcasing 175 juried artists. Lakeview is located on the north side of Chicago, near Wrigley Field, north Halsted and Lincoln Park in a very diverse, culturally with unique boutique stores, cafes and restaurants.
The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has hosted this event for the past eight years. More than 40,000 attendees are expected to attend this year's festival. The festival is set on Broadway Avenue just north of Belmont Avenue.
This festival has a strong marketing and media plan and hosts an annual artist reception. Other amenities include artist reserved parking, Saturday night Artist Party, and a full breakfast served Saturday and Sunday.
by Erin Melloy of EM Events, a well-established promoter of art shows in the Chicago area. EM Events works closely with some of Chicagoland's most innovative and creative communities and organizations to produce premiere art festivals of distinction. At EM Events, it's about the art. For more information and application: www.emevents.com/lakeview-east.html
My southern Florida tour. I was hoping to get this out sooner, but that didn't happen. So here we go.
I left and drove my art van for Florida the beginning of December to visit Art Basel and Art Miami. What an amazing place to go as an artist. Each venue is so different and the art ranges from amazing to what the heck. Most of Miami stops during the time of Art Basel and events all day and night are going on through out the city. I can only handle the tents and convention center for so long before I head out to alternative art spaces, Wynwood being my favorite especially for night time events. Spectrum was fun as well, it felt like I was back at an outdoor art festival. I believe I recognized at least 50% of the artists there. If you haven't had a chance to attend the art mecca that is Miami during Art Basel then try to go, at least once. This was my second year. It is overwhelming in many ways and a first visit is difficult. This year it was much more enjoyable knowing the lay of the land a bit better.
Right after Art Basel I had 6 weeks before my first and only show in Florida for the season. For the past few years I have been going on inexpensive cruises between shows but this year I opted for something else. Instead of going back to Atlanta where it was cold, or staying in Florida where it is expensive, I left my art van with another artist friend in Miami. I used my air miles I had collected from all the show expenses for the year and got a plane ticket to Peru. Great decision. Flights are cheap from Miami, the dollar is strong in Peru and it is cheap in Peru. I was able to travel and enjoy the country for 6 weeks and spent less there than I would have just staying at home in Atlanta. I was also able to find unique materials for my art that I can't get back in the States. What an amazing experience.
After the six weeks I flew back to Miami and picked up the art van and got ready Beaux Arts Festival at The University of Miami in beautiful Coral Gables. This was my third year. The weather in Miami is almost always wonderful at this time. This year it was perfect again. You can set up on Friday. Depending on where you are you will get a morning or afternoon time slot. Some booths are on grass, some on pavement. Be ready to dolly if you are on the grass and the terrain can be rough. The women that run the show are very nice but besides having a check in tent for you to get your packet of info, that is all you will see of them during set up. It is up to the artists to work together getting in and out. It goes pretty smoothly considering. Booths are set up all over the place. Some back to back, some across from each other. Some booths have a lot of room around them some have none. It just depends on your spot.
The show runs Saturday and Sunday and falls on a holiday weekend, MLK Day. Many patrons think the show runs on Monday as well, but it doesn't. I try to mention this to people when I talk to them. Both days the crowds were good, not huge, but a steady crowd both days and pretty much all day. Many artists say Miami shows are Sunday shows, but I had a fully booked evening delivering art on Saturday. Even had to go to Fisher Island again this year. It was 11pm before I got back to my place that night and I hadn't even had a chance to eat dinner yet. Sunday was another beautiful day. Around 1pm the booths near me started to take big pieces down and wrap them up. I looked around and at least 1/2 of the booths were closing sales. I had more deliveries to make that night and deliveries the next morning north of Miami, which I could easily do sense I was heading home the next day.
Breakdown, again pretty much a free for all. There are no passes, you don't have to break you tent down first, you just figure it out and do it. Depending on where your booth is, it may be best to break down then go eat dinner, then come back and load. My spot was along the street so I was able to get my van in asap and was out in 30 minutes after closing.
If you are interested in more details about logistics for this show just check out my past two years reviews.
This show was a good one for me, and thankfully it was because it was the only Florida show I decided to do this season. I wanted to mix it up this year and do a few more things back at home base. Not everyone had a good show. I heard a lot of artists saying they would never be back. The patrons at this show are very cultured and ready to buy original art. Many of my clients each year tell me that they don't go to Coconut Grove anymore, it is too much for them, and they do their shopping at Beaux Arts. It is difficult to find shows for Original only artists. Glad there are still a few around.
I know next to nothing about the Arizona shows, but came across this article from AZCentral.com about Fountain Hills. I'm linking to it here because the organizer not only talks about the attractions of the event but has something to say about the economy, the number of artists applying and how she sees the economy changing.
Read on to find out about artist Robert Shields and his art career.
Okay -- the AZCentral site doesn't want to stay open or even reopen, so I'm going to do something that is frowned upon - copy the entire article here because it has useful info for you:
The link if you can get it to work for yourself: http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/events/2015/02/17/fountain-hills-great-fair/23549487/
Robert Shields of Clarkdale is ready to talk about his art this weekend at the Fountain Hills Great Fair, which is expected to draw as many as 200,000 people.
Shields, who paints, sculpts and makes jewelry and glicee prints, knows they'll have plenty of questions.
"They ask, 'Can this be hung outside? Do you have this in green and blue? Where are you from? I love your work. This would be great for my sister. Where's your studio?' '' he said. "Then there are people who just look at you. It's all part of theater. Some people are very friendly. Others sort of look, and you know when not to talk."
Sheilds knows about theater, because he was half of the popular Shields and Yarnell comedy mime duo in the 1970s and '80s. Now he's an Arizona artist.
Shields and the other 500 artists at the 27th annual Great Fair will need their schmoozing skills. Sharon Morgan, events planner for the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, described the setup as a "huge, huge mall" of art, with four rows of booths lining the Avenue of the Fountains.
"It's like going to the mall," she said. "You see something, maybe you buy it and maybe you don't. You walk around and look at the artists' work."
If you work up an appetite, 20 types of food will be available, she said, as well as a beer garden. Hot-air balloons also will be part of the festivities.
Returning this year is the Native American music group Brulé, which last played at the Great Fair in 2011.
"They are a big crowd favorite," Morgan said, and fairgoers had noted the group's absence.
Eight hundred artists applied to be part of the Great Fair this year, which is an indication of the toll the Great Recession took on the arts. Morgan said that before the recession began in late 2007, the fair received more than 1,000 applications in some years.
Now the number of applications is on the rise, "which tells us, evidently, the artists are happy because they see a reason to get back into their fields of art," Morgan said.
Shields know well that the economy has been tough for artists. In 2006, he had four galleries in Sedona and one at Paradise Valley Mall in Phoenix. They all closed, and today he sells at fairs and through his website (robertshields.com). He started selling at the Great Fair in 2008.
"I lost my world and it's just me doing it all. I decided to sell my art directly to the people," Shields said. "I make everything myself.
"I think Fountain Hills is phenomenal, and it's a beautiful venue. Sharon brings in new and interesting people."
And it's good to be out of Minnesota's below zero wind chills to do a couple of shows in Florida! I knew I was taking a big risk doing the 30 hour trek (should have been less but I got lost in Tennessee for two hours) to do two totally unknown to me shows in Florida- St. Stephen's in Coconut Grove and Naples National (next weekend). It really helped to do some research on Art Fair Insiders but I was still coming here with fingers crossed.
Well it paid off big time- St. Stephens was my best show in 22 years of doing shows! I tend to do a pretty good solid average at most shows so it was very exciting to hit it out of the ball park. I credit two main things- being totally new to the area and having the larger pieces to sell in the first place. (Besides all the usual stars that need to align- great weather, steady traffic and well run show!)
I usually stick to Midwest shows with a few in Colorado but this year my kids were finally old enough to leave behind and try out the Florida scene. There are pluses to doing shows where people know you - a lot less explaining of my technique but then again it is fun to be the booth that gets a lot of "I've never seen anything like this before". I also get the feeling that the Florida crowd is a little more free with their spending- Minnesotans are very cautious and can scare at the slightest blip in the economy. Of course this is just my take on one weekend in Florida. Other booths around me had a mix of results- some great, some average and some not so good.
I am also happy that the risk I have taken of making more large pieces in the over $1,000 range is paying off. Even having multiply pieces in the $300 range is somewhat new to me and it really makes a difference. In the past when I let myself make these more elaborate pieces I would consider these pieces the "Draw in the Crowds" piece but as I've made more of them it means they also become the pieces that sell!
Now we'll see how Naples goes but I think I'll be heading south next winter too!
