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I bought a used dome tent last year. Unfortunately, during one torrential rain storm on a weekend when I was setting up, I didn't have with all of the roof supports. Get the picture! I have a 2-3 foot rip. I do not know how to fix it before I go back on the road. Any suggestions?

We are great at squirrling away some of the profits of the booming sales leading to Christmas, however it seems like some of the down months (January, February, March) when there is little of any art events going on, and our income drops sharply is just when all of the big applications are due.  We had thought we planned sufficiently for those costs, as well as operating expenses but this year we have underplanned, and find ourselves scrapping together funds to apply for shows.

1. How do you handle the cost of jury / booth fees for upcoming shows?  

2. How do you carry yourself through those dry months?

We have been working at this for 5 years, and are still surprised by unexpected expenses, and a budget that runs super lean. I value all of your input. 

I just received the result from the St. Louis Mock Jury and wanted to share my observations with anyone who might be interested.

To those who have been following my earlier blog:

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/something-to-think-about

I don't jury with the images that benefit from a great title, but I do jury with images that are distinctly different from "same-old, same-old".

Here is the response I plan to send the directors of the show:

You've been busy, telling tales, giving advice, and sharing images of life on the road. As Barrie Lynn Bryant would say, "WOO HOO!" They will win the coveted "Community Star" award.

The votes for our survey have been tallied and the winners are: 

1. Choose your favorite post.
   Who will be Writer of the Year? There were 13 "Post of the Month" nominated and the winner is: Barry Bernstein for Barry Goes Back to College: Life in the Twilight Zone
   
   
2. Which Member would you most like to meet?
   This was an open-ended question with no nominations. The best answer:
   "All of them - preferably over cocktails", with many votes for wanting to meet everyone.
   The winner: Nels Johnson (he narrowly edged me out)
   
   
3. Who is the most helpful person on ArtFairInsiders.com? Generous, kind, knowledgeable and helpful?
   This was an open-ended question with no nominations.
   The winner: Larry Berman
   
   
4. What discussion has been the most helpful to you?
   The most popular answers:
   --1st person accounts about shows done or visited & the reviews
   --Booth set ups and critiquing
   --Staging a booth and photographing for the jury
   --Larry Berman's jury process explanations
   --Jennifer Ivory's blog about Bayou City
   --Credit Card machine podcast
   --Tent discussions, what to buy, how to set up, weights, handling the wind
   --Greg Strachov's Intellectual Property Theft
   --Podcast about booth shots
   --All the business side of shows discussions
   --just knowing there are others in the same boat
   
   In other words: the reviews, the tech tips, the equipment info, the business info all contribute. It is the variety and the depth of the information that brings people to the site.
   
   
5. Which member's commentary do you always read?
   
   --Barry Bernstein, Larry Berman, Nels Johnson, and Jim Parker (sorry, but it's a boys club)
   --of course....Nels- it's in caps for god sake......pulls you right in.
   --All who remark about specific shows and their experiences at them
   --Nels Johnson, though he often ticks me off
   And the winner is: Nels Johnson
   
   
6. Why did you join ArtFairInsiders.com?
   
   

   -- "I originally joined to get info about which Art Fairs to apply to. What I received was that and much more! I have learned so much about how to apply, what to look for in choosing a fair, how to photograph my jewelry and booth, how to stay upbeat at a bad show, and more!"
   -- "To gain perspective and insight from others"
   
   and why I think AFI has been successful: "For the company, the information and the fun of it."
   
   

7. Honorable mention to these members in particular who hang in there and add interesting content and comments: Jim Parker, Richard Sherer, Robert Wallis, Greg Little, Geoff Coe, Oscar M Linares, Chris Hoyt, Barrie Lynn Bryant, Melanie Rolfes, Carrie Jacobson. Please tell me who I missed ...
   
   

In January 2014 we crossed the 10,000 member mark. If you're a history lover you might enjoy this background post: 10,000 Artists and Counting. 

Some of my favorite posts on the site are the ones where we really touch and share one another's day to day lives.

• Thanks to Sandy Schimmel for telling her story about her friend Rebecca's tragedy, Please Help my Friend...and Fellow Art Festival Artist
  
  
• Jacki Bilsborrow's post: Cops, Robbers and a Bag of Gold
  
  
• Kathleen Caid's amazing robbery story in Louisville: Bad News and Good News
  
  

Our most popular 2014 podcast was: Taxes! Artists and Bookkeeping with members Alison Thomas and Leo Charette sharing their expertise.

You can always find the podcasts at either ArtFairRadio.com, or at iTunes, where you can download them and listen while you work. 

The most popular video was "How to Profit when the Booth Fee is High", featuring Christina and Mikel Robinson's tips. You can find our videos here on AFI in the video channel or in our YouTube channel, Art Fairs.

In Memoriam:
People well loved in the art fair business died in 2014, among them my very dear friend photographer Bill Coleman, show producer Tim Reilly, Marc Duke's wife Linda Duke, sculptor Jim Myford, JoAnne Hauser-Warren as she was traveling to fellow artist Kae Taylor's memorial service, caricaturist Walt Majewski, Joan Morro died and her husband Frank was severely injured as they traveled to an art fair, Rebecca Teilhet killed while hiking in Colorado after Cherry Creek, potter Jim Barbagallo and Leslie Jensen, partner of painter Brian Jensen. Visit In Memoriam on this site for more information.

My personal thank you to everyone who participates on this site. Your kindnesses to me are very much appreciated. I wish I could thank each and everyone who has generously shared their time to help others here, the list is endless.

Please know that even if you are not mentioned above I watch for your name to pop up on the site and am always glad to see you.

P.S. Things would not run so smoothly without the excellent help of Jacki Bilsborrow, Tina Towell and Larry Berman. Thanks, guys. And thanks to the show organizers who advertise with us and make this all possible. Love you, everyone!

Paid entrance, serious art lovers, so friendly and respectful. -Ellie Ali, New York, NY

Good sales, very friendly crowds, easy setup and breakdown, parking close by and a friendly reception.-Mike & Patty Albin, Fairfield Glade, TN
  

A human and humane art show experience-good will abounds.-Cathra-Anne Barker, Santa Fe, NM

April 10-12  
Novi, Michigan

The Showplace is  a first class expo building situated right off the freeway in an affluent area Detroit's western suburbs. The show offers fine artists in the region a reliable, regularly scheduled, weather-free venue to showcase their freshest and most beautiful work, and word is spreading rapidly that this is a destination event for artists and patrons alike.

• Elegant Grand Gallery entrance showcasing your art
• Delectable cuisine and relaxing entertainment
• Community partnerships and other fresh components, to create a regional marketplace for artists and their patrons.  

pottery by Tom Krueger

Effective promotion is as crucial to overall success as the selection of artists.  Our mission is to deliver a high quality experience for patrons and artists that will assure qualified buyers, return visits and exponential event growth.  

Participating Artists will also benefit from a multi-level marketing and publicity campaign to promote the event throughout the region, including media partnerships in print, radio, television, billboards over the freeway, direct mail and building awareness of this new regional event.    

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is one of the big ones, highly publicized, well-attended and in an amazing setting. They do all the PR, including holding a gala to show off their poster. The poster artist is usually someone with an international reputation.

If you are interested in knowing more about this show you should find this article of use. It has photos of all the people who put it together whose names may be familiar to you, including Monty Trainor, Lilia Garcia and Katrina Delgado: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-falco/2015-coconut-grove-arts-f_b_6528768.html

Ha! and you see where this story is showing up? In the Huffington Post! Do these folks have connections? Even if it is a "slow news day", still this is great coverage.

July 25 & 26 

Geneva, Illinois 

Downtown, 8 S. Third Street  
Sat., 10am-5pm | Sun. 10am-5pm  
presented by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce

Geneva, a chic and charming historic town located on the Fox River, will celebrate its 12th annual Fine Arts Fair in 2015. Its prestigious reputation of offering a superb selection of fine art by renowned artists and cutting edge newcomers attracts beginning and avid collectors. 

The show is tucked among 100+ specialty shops located in Victorian-style homes and century-old buildings. Awards for emerging and seasoned artists along with warm small-town hospitality, offer a picture-postcard setting for this juried art celebration.

FESTIVAL FACTS:

• Sunshine Artist's Top 200 for 2013 - ranked #62
• Jury Fee: $20
• Booth Fee: $350
• Ribbon Awards: $4,000
• Attendance: 20,000+

Learn more and apply, visit:  http://www.emevents.com

PLEASE NOTE: Prints, photography, digital art and computer generated art: Prints must be produced by traditional printmaking techniques. Giclee prints are allowed only in digital photography. Photography may be wet darkroom (chemicals) or digital darkroom. We define computer generated art as an art form created entirely with a computer.

Emerging Artists: Emerging Artists are required to abide by the same rules as professional artists. The jury fee is waived for emerging artists. If accepted the space fee is $100. Note: emerging artists are considered those who have never paid for a booth space at a fine art or craft fair. Accepted emerging artists will receive one "wall" to display artwork on that is approximately 6' high by 8' long. Artists need to supply their own chair, umbrella and pedestals. Limited photography spaces are available.

I'm presently a member of Society of Gilders and have only been a member of the group since July, 2013. I've been a professional artist for nearly 25 years and only recently decided to take the plunge and pay dues to be a member of a national club. Pretty soon I will be joining another group since I can see the benefits to membership more clearly.

Why in the heck did it take so long for me to join? I dunno? I've investigated membership in various clubs ever since the beginning, I just didn't see the benefits coinciding with the costs until recently. I started my art career as a photographer, and quickly gained a foot hold in the industry and got hired to do some really great editorial and PR jobs. I photographed artist's work, actors in plays, and musicians thrashing about on stages and back stage or in their buses. But I never could see the benefit of joining the national photography organizations like Nikon Pro. I just always felt it too costly since they required photogs to own specific pro level equipment in order to be a member. I owned enough pro gear according to their rules for a short time, but the changing times from manual focus to autofocus in the early 1990's threw me for a loop. I didn't want to crossover into autofocus gear, and thus, couldn't even be a member of Nikon Pro anymore, anyway. But I was also an artist with my camera moreover than a commercial or editorial shooter. I preferred doing my own thing. So joining that group might not have helped me very much.

Then I married a fine art painter and began making picture frames for her paintings. The door opened on a new avocation, one that has been barely tapped. I began studying frame history and discovered a new world for the taking. I began carving and gilding and creating designs based upon what my wife was painting so the frames relate to the paintings and could be considered inseparable. I began investigating the clubs she could join as a painter and as a woman and as a pastelist, but she doesn't join clubs. SO that's that for her. End of story.

Some time during 2006 I contacted Society of Gilders and asked about membership. They sent me material to review and I reviewed it, but didn't join. I couldn't see the benefit then. So during 2013 in Tallahassee while exhibiting in LeMoyne Chain of Parks, a woman walks into the booth and comments on the frames and then says, "You made these? You're a gilder!" Then she introduces herself as the incoming President of Society of Gilders and asks me personally to join. Then she says if I do join very soon I'd be able to participate in their upcoming museum exhibition in New Jersey.

So I joined! I participated in the exhibition and nearly sold something. And ever since then I've been networking with the top gilding professionals in the world. Some of them the top picture frame makers in the world. And some of the people are so much like me, too. I've really developed an incredible network and resource through group discussions and participation in their events. I have grown in leaps and bounds with my gilding, too. Some of these folks are those who teach in Smithsonian. Some are those who gild capitol domes and tall building all over the world, like NY Life builing. Wherever you see gold on a building, inside or out, a gilder did it. And most likely, he or she is member of SOG. And the group asked me to write an article for their magazine, the Gilder's Tip, which I did and which got published last summer. Part 2 is due out this winter. COOL!

As I said, I'm about to pay some monetary dues and join another national group. I already know there can be super benefits to membership. So I'm getting into one relating to wood working. I haven't decided which one yet, but I'll keep you posted.

What national groups do you all belong to and what are the benefits? I started a thread in the Woodworker's Wall forum recently and got a few responses there. I look forward to learning about other groups which other AFI'ers belong. WOOHOO!

With a weekend off and dreary skies over SW Florida, it's a great morning for little except sipping coffee and...um...blogging.  (Note to self: Develop more hobbies!) So, let's give a shout out to Bill Kinney and his crew at Paragon, and also to the Weather Gods, for delivering a superb show at Sarasota last weekend (1/17-18/2015). (Note to readers: Paragon uses this same venue for shows held in November and March.)

I've reviewed the January installment of this show several times before, so if you want lots of details on the show location and demographics, go here. Otherwise, suffice it to say that this is upscale Sarasota, and the snowbirds have arrived. 

* Show communication:  Paragon always does a great job with this, sending a nice, clearly written "SHOW ESSENTIALS" packet two weeks before the show date.  Follow up pre-show messages as needed; weather update for Day 2 (always) and weather alerts (as needed), plus a Post-Show Evaluation(see Post-Show-Eval.pdf)  that includes lots of statistics on reported gross sales by category. 

* Advertising:  Paragon releases their ad schedule, in full detail.  Looked to me like they had the bases fully covered. 

* Load-in:  The show is small and tightly laid out along the narrow access road paralleling Gulfstream Ave. (aka US 41, for the locals) in Sarasota.  The city and the promoter are very clear about what is, and what is not, a legal parking space, and the Parking Enforcement staff from the city have eagle eyes for miscreants 365/24/7.  Accordingly, promoter Bill Kinney and his staff managed it well.  Certain artists we notified a few days before the show that they could begin loading in at 9 AM on Friday; the rest followed beginning at 11.  I arrived about noon and was at my spot about 10 minutes later.  You parked as close to the curb as you could, then unloaded onto grass, parked, then set up.  If you do this show in the future, try to get there before 3:30 or so, when rush hour kicks in with a vengeance.  I've arrived in late afternoon for past shows, and take it from me--getting there early is WAY less stressful. 

* Show days:  The weather was just superb both days. Light breezes, cool temperatures, no need to run fans in the tents.  As a result, crowds were very steady, beginning a half hour before the official opening bell of 10 AM.  Most artists in my vicinity (on the NW side of the show) did very well both days.  I had nearly identical totals both days, though the crowds on Sunday bought a bit larger: 18x24 and 16x20 matted prints.  On Saturday, folks were a bit more prone to bargain-hunt, at least in my booth and my neighbors': I resurrected my 11x14 mat size for this year, and was glad I did, as I set a one-day record for 11x14 mat sales on Saturday. At show's end I had a decent sales total, somewhere in the low $2K range, and a few folks contacted me in the week since to purchase additional work. 

Post-show, I learned that several of my artist friends (at medium to high price points) fared EXTREMELY well, and one nearly sold out.  Again, you can drill the details in the document I've posted from Paragon. 

The art quality was VERY high.  Many of the artists in attendance had exhibited at the previous week's Bonita National.  Further, many patrons stopping by my booth commented on the high quality, and my impression was that the customers I spoke with over the weekend were more knowledgeable than the average show-goer. 

Load-out:  Like at many shows, load-out is a bit more challenging owing to the tight layout and tighter time frame.  I'm in the "relaxed" camp of load-out artists; home was less than 2 hours away on nearby I-75.  So I just knocked down and packed, then  hung out with my (great!) neighbors for about an hour until the path cleared,  But these artists are show vets, and cooperated to get everyone on the road within 3.5 hours of the closing bell with no significant issues.  Kinney reported that it was "beyond a home run show."  As he noted in his post show communication, there were some exceptions, like at any show you can think of.  But overall, it was a solid effort all around.  This show is definitely on my must-do list. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 5 PM ET

Most of my readers are U.S. based fine artists and craftspeople. Did you realize there is a whole other world just a few miles north of us with educated sophisticated people in big cities who may love your work? Think Montreal (metro pop. 3,824,221), Toronto (metro pop. 5.5 million) and Vancouver (metro pop. 2,313,328). 

Many of you live near this border. Have you participated in a show in Canada? These are some of the most multicultural cities in the world, with deep roots in Europe and the Far East. Surely there are art buyers there. 

Our guests are:

• Mark Teeple, Executive Director of the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto's largest, and longest running outdoor art fair that attracts over 100,000 people and hosts 350 artists. 
   
• Mixed Media artists Chris Rom and Geoff Buddie, no stranger to the top U.S. art fairs, cross the border to participate in the Toronto Exhibition. They live in Northwest Ohio.

Mark's expertise is the Toronto marketplace and the positioning of the exhibition to bring in the buyers.

Chris and Geoff share information on crossing the border for commercial purposes, the differences in currency and other business issues for cross border traffic.

If you, as a U.S citizen, have participated in Canadian art fairs I'd like to hear from you too. Please contact me ahead of time or leave a comment below.

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone ever done under the Christmas Tree in Huntsville? I have a friend who is thinking about doing it. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. It's in the Von Braun (sp?) center.

Thanks a bunch!

Jewelers Jury Images Used by Another jeweler

They say that lightning can't strike twice. Against all odds, for the second time, jeweler Michele LeVett had her jury images stolen and used by another jeweler to apply to shows. Someone saw her images on the Paradise City web site (a show Michele had never applied to) with another jeweler's name.

The exact same thing happened to Michele a few years ago.

The case is still developing. Michele just found out yesterday morning. And she's trying to figure out how the images were taken because some of the images used were not even on her web site.

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

June 6 & 7
Columbia, Missouri
Stephens Lake Park
110 Artists
Deadline: February 9

The Columbia Art League is delighted to present the 57th Annual Art in the Park.  First held in 1958, Art in the Park is the oldest and largest art festival in mid-Missouri.  It is the highlight of the summer season in this arts-focused city, home of the University of Missouri and winner of the first ever Missouri Arts council's Creative Community Award in 2007.

The 2015 festival will be held at Stephens Lake Park, a historic tree-lined park set around the serene Stephens Lake.  In support of the main event, Columbia's premier Fine Arts & Crafts Fair, the 2015 Art in the Park will include strolling entertainment for children, a children's art area, an Emerging Artist Pavilion 
showing work by local high school and undergraduate students, a Young Collector's Tent, and a food court.

Columbia is easily accessible from Interstate 70 (east-west) and State Highway 63 (north-south).  The festival grounds are just to the east of the downtown area with ample visitor parking provided courtesy of the adjacent Boone Hospital.  Visitor shuttle buses are also provided.

Booth fees start from $255 for a mid-row booth or $285 for a corner. 

Noteworthy:

• Our 57th year
• Show listed in Sunshine Artist magazine top 100 festivals as designated by artists
• Cash awards of $4250.  Best in show prize is $1,000.
• Comprehensive marketing campaign which includes TV, Radio, local and regional print advertising, billboards, yard signs, downtown banners, social networking, postcards, posters and web campaigns.
• A designated Signature Series event by the Columbia Convention &Visitors Bureau.
• Art in the Park is organized by the Columbia Art League, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and winner of the 2015 Missouri Arts Council Arts Organization award.

Artist Amenities include:

• Artist Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday; Saturday night artist award dinner
• Lunch boxes delivered to booths on Saturday
• Free, limited edition festival t-shirt; Free, limited edition festival reusable acrylic tumbler
• Water delivered to artist booths all weekend
• Booth sitters; Extensive volunteer assistance with load in and load out
• Free, reserved parking next to the park; Artist hospitality tent with snacks
• Overnight security on Friday and Saturday
• Hotel discounts
• Official Festival Program includes color thumbnail image of each exhibiting artist and website information
• Website includes full-color image with name and link to each artist's website
• Award winners automatically invited back to following year's show

If organizers of other shows would use you as a role model, we would have many better shows out there! You do so much advertising and listening to artists." Kris Clement, festival participant (ceramics), 2004-2014
 

Struggling to come up with a unified body of work? Wonder how different combinations of your images work together?

http://juryimages.com was my gift to the art show industry.

There are two parts of the web site. One is free ZAPP formatting. Upload an image and it formats it 1920 pixels square with black borders, converts it to the sRGB color space and saves it under two megabytes. Then you download it to your computer and upload to your ZAPP profile.

The other part of the web site is a way to create multiple combinations of images for you to compare. You can upload up to 19 images in four rows of five across. Change the background color to black for ZAPP or gray for JAS. duplicate images so you only have to upload each image one time and use it for multiple presentations. Flip horizontally so you can test how your presentation flows. Enlarge them to the same size ZAPP monitor jurors or JAS jurors see them. But the best part is that you can drag them around with your mouse. Where do you think ZAPP got the idea to let you drag the images to change their order. You can share a link to your page with a friend or consultant to ask their advice

http://juryimages.com was built in 2009 and hasn't been used often enough by artists because they don't know about it, although hundreds of artists use the free ZAPP formatting part of the web site because it's recommended on the ZAPP web site. But the test your presentation part is amazing to use.

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

May 16 & 17
Clute, Texas
Presented by the Center for the Arts & Sciences
100 Artists
Deadline: February 2

We are so pleased to invite you to apply to our inaugural show on the tree-shaded grounds of The Center for the Arts & Sciences, located just one hour south of Houston. 

Our plans for your success: (in no particular order)

• It is the only juried art festival in a community of approximately 300,000 people
• We have already begun marketing the festival through "Save the Date" ads in area newspapers and magazines
• We will continue to market the festival in local and regional publications/broadcast media to ensure good attendance
• We have studied the art of festivals and will provide artists with optimal conditions and hospitality for a successful event
• We will have a Patron Preview Party Friday night, May 15, so that artists will have an opportunity to sell to high-end art buyers
• The Festival will feature both food and entertainment that is not otherwise available in our area (food trucks, musical entertainment representative of Asian, Hispanic, Celtic in the mix with more traditional popular bands). We believe these will be a draw to the event.
• We will have both hands-on children's art activities and art demonstrations for adults
• We will invite Houston media to cover the event
• We are working directly with art leagues around the state to enlist participation from their artists, including Galveston, Rockport, Austin, Houston and Dallas (smaller communities, too)
• We intend for our festival to become an annual event and understand that this first attempt must be successful and we are committed to "doing what it takes."
• We have started receiving sponsorships. Honda of Lake Jackson has agreed to be the Title Sponsor and Honda of Greater Houston has approached us about doing something on-site to "enhance the experience for Honda owners." This indicates to us that our event is attracting  attention from the bigger markets.
• We will conduct an after-festival survey with participating artists to obtain their feedback for what worked and what we can do better. We ARE serious about artists suggestions!
• Our setting is lovely, with plenty of trees and free parking.
• Artist set-up will be Friday (5/15), and load-in/load-out assistance will be available.