Blog

A little aside first.

Just got my acceptance from Columbus--this is a good sign for a great summer.

I be drinking red wine and writing real fine.

Usually, I take about three days to chew the words around in my head before I put them down in print.  It is a method that works for me.  I like to get it right the first time I put it down, I am not into a lot of rewrite.  Which means you get, spontaneously, what comes off the top of my head.

SO  HERE  GOES

Gotta love Ft. Myers.  This old southern gulf coast town has come a long way in the last 15 years.

I can remember back in 1985.

I was down there to pick up my brand new Newtons PortaCanopy booth.  This was the forerunner to the Craft Hut.

Clyde Butcher, who is like the Ansel Adams of the Florida Everglades, had designed the first one, Newton made it for him and I bought the second one after Ray Doan.  Or, at least that's the way I remember it.

The thing is, I had time to kill in downtown Ft. Myers then.  Before I picked up my booth from Newton out by the airport off Highway 41.

Trouble was, I wanted some lunch there, and my choices were very limited.  This was like a big cow town on the gulf.  It was very quiet there.  This was 1985.

Now, jump forward about 15-20 years later.

New mayor, new vision of what downtown could become.

Hey, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford figured out this town eons ago, about time the modern town fathers figured it out now.

I mean if Randy Wayne White is gonna have Doc Ford running around the area, there better be some serious places to drink tequila and eat good fish.

There are.

And, more.

Enter the Art Association headed by Sharon McCallister.  They took a little old art show from small time to big time in lightning fast speed.

The show is in its 15th year.  Running real strong with about 215 exhibitors.  New Smyrna take note, you are half the size and have 260-plus exhibitors and half of them aint making their booth fees.

The show is downtown right on the river.  Booths are all on the adjacent streets bordering the water.  It is all on concrete, bring weights.  It can be very windy, bring more weights, bring warm winter coats.

For most it is a two-day show with a Friday setup.  

For the adventurous, there is a voluntary Friday nite preview,about 100 artists participate.

You get electricity.  After all, this is in the city where Edison figured out the right filament to power a lightbulb.

Some people do very good on Friday night.  Others, if nothing else, get to drink lots of exotic cocktails and tell old artshow war tales to each other.

The advance info about your booth is very detailed and organized.  This is not their first rodeo.

You come in on staged times with ample setup parking.  Overall, it is a very mellow affair.

Downtown Fort Myers is now a hotbed of booming restaurants and wine bars, and even--sky-bars.  Edison would have a filament-orgasm if he could see this town now.

Lots of German and other European voices spoken here.

Then there are those familiar midwestern accents that we hear all summer in places like Columbus, Madison and Minneapolis.  They all winter here, and they buy to decorate here or to adorn themselves here.

We had perfect weather.  Just cool enough to keep them off the beaches and the golf courses and be downtown at the artshow.

I walked the show early both days.  Gotta do my serious half hour walk to keep the old ticker healthy after my open heart surgery nearly three years ago.

This show was full of circuit heavyweights.  I did not see much, or any buysell here. This is a very cany committee.  They pay close attention and they know how to use and observe social media.  Kudos to them.

One heavyweight I encountered was my old friend John Scanlan, a renowned Iowa photographer, who is a world traveler.

I was in Scanlan's booth.  It has many paths.  This guy knows how to make the most out of a double booth as anybody on the circuit.

I wryly observed the many slim passages past images of Norway, France, Italy and Seaside.

A lightbulb went on in my head.

I eyed John and said, "You should pull an Ikea moment here."

He said, "Nels, what the heck are you talking about, plus I am losing my concentration on this batch of Iowa Kettle Corn."

I said, "John, you need to print out a map of your booth for us, that shows where we are, and how we get to Sweden Row first, Italy next, and Finally france.  Plus, you could show the secret shortcut door that gets you to the Kettle Corn ASAP."

He just looked at me with genuine Prairie bemusement.  I think I have amused John for more than 30 years now.

Then whoa, I find out my neighbor is the amazing Kit from Colorado--Mr. Equistite cut/blown glass whose designs defy reality.

Kit is from Denver.  He has been around 35 years, doesn't look a day over 29.  Must be the ponytail.

This guy knows people.  He charms them, he warms them, he sells them.  He sells his personae way before he sells his art.  He is a master.  I took extensive notes during the weekend, it was like a crash course into advanced artshow sales.  He is the master.  And, he has very fine taste in tequila.

HEY THAT'S ALL KIT-ELICIOUS NELS, BUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ART SHOW.

Thought you would never ask.

Saturday started chilly and progressively got warmer--so did our sales.

It was very refreshing.

We saw many people carrying art in their hands.  Many.

Some had multiple purchases.  Some had to come back three times to get all their purchases.

It was a booming day.  My Sunday morn interviews with artists revealed that many, and I mean many, did well over $2K that day.  That is a good art show.

It was my best Saturday of the year so far.

We all celebrated Saturday night.

Ellen and I stayed at the Best Western just north across the downtown bridge.  It had the only restaurant/bar on that side of the river.

We got the room for $89 plus tax.  It was a show special.

The restaurant had a killer location right on the water.  Also had a killer happy hour.  Half off on everything.  I got Bourbon Manhattens for $3.00 each.  They had sweet seafood at sweet priced.  This place is a steal.  It is called the Three Fisherman.  Book it, Dano!

I had spied a Thai/Sushi place right beside it.

We checked it out.  It was so righteous, that we ate there two nights.

Cheap Sake, cheap Spring rolls, cheap fish, cheap curries.  The place is a steal.

SUNDAY,SUNDAY.

We awoke with visions of a repeat of Saturday.  For many, it was not the same--for a lucky few, they still killed them.

The day was a little warmer.  We were warmed by a great free breakfast put on by the show.  They did it on Saturday too.  Awards were given, kudos were given and then we went out looking to repeat Saturday goals.

Overall, it was a different crowd.

More looky-lookys.

They were walking, not doing a lot of talking, and definitely not doing a lot of buying.

I made moola, but mostly very lowend.

Meanwhile my neighbor Kit killed them.  So did the other three glass artists around me.

This area buys mostly very traditional, conservative, Florida-friendly art.

They are not cheap.  They have moola and will spend it.

I wound up with my best show of the year--I was very happy.  Gotta do a lot of restocking for Artigras.

Ellen and I were out of there by 6:15 (Show ended at 5PM) and stopped at the Anna Maria Oysterbar Restaurant  off I-75 (Ellenton Exit)  for more delicious seafood at a very low price.

Overall, this was a very strong show for most exhibitors.

Be aware, they get lots of apps, many apply, few are chosen.  Them that gets in are Happy Campers.

Aloha, and Later Gators, Nels.

To see a more thorough report on this show visit my last report:

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/carefree-fine-art-wine-festival-january-2012

What's new in 2015? Not much. The crowd seems to be getting older still and buying even less as their "snowbird" homes are all full. This show, as-well-as most of the AZ shows I've done so far, is suffering from its own entropy. So what if a show has been around for umpteen years. If you don't breath some life into it every once-in-a-while it doesn't survive.

It seems as if they are relying on the patronage of the past which is well past the years of consumerism. These shows don't seem to be attracting a younger crowd and if they do they are not the "qualified" buyers. Besides that Carefree and Cave Creek have gone the way of Florida in that "more is better" is their mantra. There were at least three "shows" on just this one weekend within a stones throw of each other. The Phoenix area is suffering from show fatigue. There seems to be one, or more, at least every other weekend or at best one every month in addition to the Art Expo which goes for three months (that's a different kind of show). If the promoters don't get the idea that more IS NOT BETTER, then the artists need to vote by not applying to all these shows, yah right! The promoter gets their fees but the artists suffer due to lackluster interest and paltry sales.

Quality of the Show: Narrow. Although by far the quality of this show is consistently good there were still some booths that seemed questionable/borderline in my mind. I wonder if some artists are starting to pass on some of these shows as the return is not there. Unfortunately, I will.

Amenities: This show and its promoter were known for providing nothing. With the show being run by the younger family members there seems to be a shift. When I checked in I was given a gift bag with what? WATER!, a snack or two and a raffle ticket for some undisclosed gift item (I didn't win). This is a welcome step up for this show as there were never any such amenities in my previous experiences.

Parking: Parking is nearby, free and generally plentiful, there is even space for dry dock RV camping.

Awards: None

Advertising: Although I didn't see any except for the lawn signs stuck in the ground near the show site in contrast to the highway department style flashing sign for the competing show nearby at the Stagecoach (ghost town) shopping center. I did see one TV spot ad and was told that there was more money being put into advertising this year. As a traveler, I rarely see the local ads if there are any.

Load-In/Out: I was in the same area as last time I participated but it didn't seem as chaotic as last time!? Everyone played nice and it all went smoothly. Some areas of the show site are a little more congested then others.

Will I do this show again? Probably not for the reasons stated above about show overage. I haven't been able to make enough to justify the expense of the travel, etc. If I want warmer weather in the winter I'm better off just going someplace warm! It'll be cheaper by far and I can have more fun then sitting in my tent watching the strollers go by.

This is the second time I've participated in this show in the lovely town of Tubac, AZ and probably the last. The first time I did this show was in 2012 and the weather was average for this time of the year (60's). This time the weather was above average in the 70's and 80's and, as it had rained for three days the weekend before it would seem the perfect time to come out and enjoy the sun. 

Sales for this artist, as-well-as others that were queried, were down from the last show. I made less than half what I did last time and didn't do that well at the last show! One jeweler reported sales of $400. This was not a buying crowd with some exceptions. Most of the buying activity took place on Fri and Sat leaving the rest of this five day show with little to do except talk with the lookers. This was an older crowd that was not inclined to spending as their 2nd houses in Green Valley ( a retirement community north of Tubac) were probably already full. The buying crowd was a little younger but there were not that many of them at this show. Although some of the patrons were bused in, the crowds were not crowded! It seemed as though numbers were down considerably.

This show is suffering, as are most of the shows in AZ from their own entropy. Although the staff were there to welcome the artists it seemed as if little is being done to attract a buying public. Tubac is about 50 miles south of Tucson and very few Tucsonians attend.

Show Dates: Usually the first full week of February, contact the Chamber of Commerce in Tubac for exact dates.

Quality of the Show: VERY WIDE, perhaps the word is getting around as this show is not attracting the kind of quality that was there even 3 years ago. If you don't have qualified buyers you're not going to attract quality art. Although there wasn't what appeared to be a lot of B/S (I think there was some) the fine art was not in as much evidence.

Amenities: The Tubac Market in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce put on a nice artists dinner Wed night after the show. No other amenities were provided.

Parking: Finally, the Chamber provided parking passes for the artists, last time I did this show artists were charged $8 per day to park (That's up $2 from last time!)

Awards: One award, Best of Show, went to a painter.

Load-In/Out: I had a much nicer spot this year but load-in/out was not a concern as we all played nice with each other and it was easy. There was plenty of space for all to work. Some streets in the show were much more congested. There was a lot of storage space behind the booths.

Accommodations: The last time I did this show I stayed in Green Valley, AZ about 21 miles north of Tubac as the hotels were relatively affordable. Not so this time, rates had gone up more than 20% even if you could find a room there, which I couldn't. Staying in Tucson was prohibitive as it would be at least an hours drive each way! This time we opted to stay about 12 miles south in Rio Rico at the Esplendor Resort, last year when I booked there I got a $51 room rate (they accept pets) but not this year. Going further south to Nogales, AZ, well...Some artists that were having an extended stay in the area opted for the nearby condos which are very nice but you have to stay longer for the best rates. Trailer camping was available nearby for about $25.

Next time I want to escape the cold of Denver in the middle of the winter I'll do what I did last year for my birthday, skip the show and go to Hawaii! It's cheaper in the long run!

If you'd like to read my last report on this show...I should have!

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/tubac-festival-of-the-arts-2012-catching-up-on-show-reports

September 4-6

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Presented by the Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation
Fri. & Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 10am-5pm
200 Exhibitors
Deadline: Midnight, February 28

Event Summary:

Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, 2015, finds some 10,000 art lovers flocking to Long's Park to shop for fine arts and crafts.  This top rated show draws sophisticated, high income buyers from Philadelphia, Baltimore, across Central Pennsylvania, NJ, NY, DE, VA,Washington DC and beyond thanks to the quality of its exhibitors and extensive marketing (TV, Public Radio, Outdoor, magazines, newspaper, digital/online and social media) throughout the region.  

Set in an old, tree lined park where booths line walkways surrounded by a tranquil, freshwater lake, Long's Park treats its guests to a virtual outdoor gallery of the best work being created. Fine dining, wines, craft beer and jazz music lend to the upscale feel and tone of this festival.

For 36 years, Long's Park has fostered very special relationships with its exhibitors. Including:

• Booth fees that include two catered breakfasts, an exhibitor dinner, and advance mailing services.
• RV accommodations have been expanded within the park  
• Community hosts offer exhibitor housing on a first-come/first-serve basis. 
• Our festival consistently exceeds exhibitor expectations as our volunteers bend over backwards to greet, assist and be accessible to all artisans during set-up, the three-day show and tear down of all booths.

The Festival is presented by the nonprofit organization, Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation. All proceeds benefit the Foundation's Long's Park Summer Music Series, Thirteen Sunday nights of free performances by award-winning, national performers.  In it's 53rd year, this event draws families and patrons of music and the arts from Central PA, Philadelphia, Baltimore and surrounding areas.

This competitive festival partners with 200 exhibitors chosen by two separate juries of talented and experienced, 2D and 3D fine artists and craftspeople.  Participants in the 2015 festival are chosen by this jury with the exception of exempted members from our past two juries and up to 10 exhibitors who may be named by the Festival Director for purposes of show balance.

All work must be of original design handcrafted and produced under the direct supervision of the creator.  The work exhibited and the booth must match the quality and style of the work as represented in the submitted digital images. Jewelry may only be submitted for jury in the jewelry category.  Only artists accepted in the jewelry category may display and sell jewelry.

The festival is open rain or shine.  Exhibitors should be prepared for inclement weather.  We find that patrons of the Long's Park Art & Craft Festival make plans to attend our show well in advance and a little rain never keeps them from attending and buying!

Complete the application now to be considered as part of this nationally-recognized art & craft festival!

Schedule:

Application Deadline:  Midnight, February 28, 2015
Jurying:  March 24-25
Acceptance Notification (emailed and listed on our LongsPark.org website):  April 15
Booth Fees Due:  May 5
First Cancellation Deadline:  May 15
Second Cancellation Deadline:  July 15
Booth Location Notification:  June 30
Show Set-up:  Thursday, September 3 10am-7pm

For More Information:

Visit:  www.LongsPark.org , email: info@LongsPark.org or call (717)735-8883.

Click for easy ZAPP application:  www.Zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=3791 

Contact information:  Tim Ardinger, Long's Park Art & Craft Festival Chairperson

Mount Dora draws big crowds and plenty of good artists too. And there is big prize money. This year the $5000 Best of Show award went to wood turner John Mascoll of Safety Harbor.

The rest of the prizes:

Judges choice awards worth $1,500 went to Collin Margerum of Winter Springs in the two-dimensional art category for his entry in printmaking and drawing, and to Katherine Mathisen for her clay sculpture.

Awards of excellence in two-dimensional art, worth $500, went to Carol Napoli of New Smyrna Beach; John Whipple of Winter Park; Amos Amit of Los Angeles; Robert Goodlet of Dunnellon; John Margerum of Oviedo; Jeff Eckert of Tampa; Heidi Thamert of Titusville; David Hunter of Winter Park; Chieh-Nie Cherng of Hillsborough, N.J.; and Carl Crawford of Columbia, S.C.

Awards of Excellence in three-dimensional art, worth $500, went to Patricia Karnes of Winter Park; Obayana Ajanaku of Decatur, Ga.; Magali Cereghino of Orlando; Jan Raven of St. Paul, Minn.; Erik Shupe of High Springs; Sandra Brewster of Holiday; Larry Brown of Spruce Pine, N.C.; Bill Slade of Jacksonville; Teresa Merriman of Westcliffe, Colo.; and Janet O'Rourke of Cocoa.

The $250 Wendy Alderman Award for most creative use of the medium went to sculptor Jack Hill of DeLand.

Learn more about the show:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/lake/os-mount-dora-art-festival-best-show-20150208-story.html

Has anyone done the buyers market show in DC this January-Buyers market used to be THE show for me of course that was 30 years ago and it lasted for about 15 years-then it all went bad-I stopped the show for about 10 years and then tried again in Philadelphia in January I think 2007-NO SALES AN VERY FEW PEOPLE GOING BY of course I was at the very end of the show maybe that had something to do with it-I dropped out of the show for good now-can't afford to loose$4000 dollars +and not make anything. I do wearable felt and silk art-I know there is a market but am having trouble finding it. Any comments!

July 31-August 2

Park City, Utah

The festival attracts approximately 57,000 art enthusiasts to Park City's beautiful Historic Main Street to purchase from our 210 participating artists, enjoy the live music, and the delicious food and drinks.

12 Eligible Media Categories:

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Fiber
• Glass
• Jewelry
• Metalwork
• Mixed Media
• Painting
• Photography
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Wood

The Park City Kimball Arts Festival Appreciates our Artists!

• 2014 Average Artist Sales:  $5,140
• No commission
• Lodging discounts
• Designated load-in times
• Reserved artist parking
• Artist lounge
• Booth-sitters

The Park City Kimball Arts Festival is the primary fundraiser for the Kimball Art Center. Proceeds from the event support the mission, education programs, and community outreach of Kimball Art Center, Park City's non-profit community art center, since 1976.  

 

The Kimball Art Center is the heart of Park City's vibrant arts community.  We are a non-profit center for the arts, committed to engaging individuals of all ages in diverse and inspiring experiences though education, exhibitions and events.

 

For more information & to apply: www.parkcitykimballartsfestival.org/ 

September 25-27          
Glencoe, Illinois
Chicago Botanic Garden
Preview Party: Thurs. Sep. 24, 6:30pm-9pm
Show hours: Fri. & Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 11am-5pm
Approx. 150 artists
Deadline:  February 28 

New this year:

• We have changed our dates from late August to late September (25-27)
• We have moved the location to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe
  
  

The Auxiliary of North Shore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) at Evanston & Glenbrook Hospitals presents one of the country's most distinguished craft shows, the American Craft Exposition (ACE).  

Mark your calendars for this impressive, indoor juried exposition of handcrafted works of art which gives guests the opportunity to appreciate and purchase the work of more than 150 master craftspeople from across the country.

A nationally renowned exhibition and sale of fine craft, ACE assembles the country's finest artists and more than a dozen emerging artists showcasing new achievements in metal, glass, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, fiber decorative, fiber decorative, fiber wearable, leather, wood, mixed media and baskets.

ACE is the only volunteer-produced Exposition of its caliber in the country with more than 100 volunteers working year-round to present this amazing show.

This year's 31st annual show will be held at the world-renowned Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL. beginning with the Preview Party on September 24th and continuing September 25-27.  Funds raised at this year's exposition will support pioneering research being conducted at North Shore that is already showing promising results in preventing ovarian cancer in at-risk women.

Apply:  www.juriedartservices.com

Call:  (224)364-7270

Email:  ACE@northshore.org

Visit website:  www.americancraftexpo.org

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

Find more art fairs looking for artists: www.CallsforArtists.com

My wife Carol and I set up our tent and display this weekend with hopes of getting a new booth photo. So far today I have taken in excess of 100 photos but I barely have come up with one that is ok.. but not as good as I feel it can be....just doesn't have that "Oh Yeah" factor.

We are leaving the tent and display set up again overnight and plan to take additional photos tomorrow (Monday) and we sure could use some thoughts as to what we can do to make it better.

I am using weathered corrugated metal and some old fish netting to try for our Southern Louisiana Cajun look...one that I have always liked but haven't tried to duplicate in my booth.

Any and all comments positive and negative are appreciated.

Thanks...!

JANUARY'S BEST POST OF THE MONTH SURVEY - Deadline 2/13 8 pm ET

• Nels Johnson - 1/8/2015 "DOWNTOWN NAPLES ART SHOW JAN. 3-4 - ONLY GOOD FOR A SELECT FEW'
• Alicia Eskanos - 1/14/2015 "Pricing my art pieces when working with polymer clay"
• R. C. Fulwiler - 1/20/2015 "Something to Think About"
• R. C. Fulwiler - 1/30/2015 "Total Disconnect"
• Barbara Bloom - 1/30/2015 "How do you handle the fluctuation in income of your art business?"

Here are people who have contributed a lot to AFI in January. Who should get the hallowed Red Dot on their profile photo?

• Tina Towell
• Barbara Bloom
• RC Fulwiler
• Cynthia Welch
• Ernie Komarek

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

(you'll be glad you did - thanks!)

I have uploaded four photos of my craft projects, and a photo for "My Page", but the photos do not display.  Need help!  Thanks.

First off.  This is a lovely show held in a wonderful Atlantic coast community.  It is run by a very capable committee and it is a breeze to setup and teardown.

But it has a few flaws.

First, a little history.

I lived here in the early eighties.  Was going to the Photo Program at Daytona CC just north of here.  Those days there were two of us from there doing shows --the others were Jerry and Carole Napoli, superb sculptor and her a painter.  Nowadays, over a dozen talented artists live here.

You can still drive an automobile on the beach there.

You can still cruise along the ocean and actually see it at numerous exits without all the condos blocking the view.

You can still go all the way down Highway A1A and find Captain JB's Fish Camp Restaurant near the beginnings of the Cape canaveral Seashore.

The view west from JB's across the lagoon has not changed since the beginnings of times. Pristine wetlands teeming with fish and birds.  Nobody will ever be able to build there.

You can eat great crabs, oysters, shrimp and fish all nite long--and at a good price for fresh food.

In the early days this show was held mostly on the park along the water with some booths on the street in front.  It was smaller, and everybody made some good money.  They always had better than average prize money and it attracted the heavy-hitters.

I could manage to make a paycheck and I lived there.

Nowadays, New Smyrna has bloomed like downtown Saint Petersburg, or even Naples on a smaller scale.

There are trendy restaurants everywhere on the mainland, mostly along Canal Street.  On beachside, Flagler Avenue has many venues let alone along A1A going down to JBs.

There are quaint beach cottages and there are major McMansions.  Lots of condos.  Lots of new money moving in from everywhere.  Lots of Europeans living there.  There's money there.

They mostly like their art done in very traditional ways, almost to the point of trite cliches.

Bird shots and sea oat sunsets images sell all day here.  Original, out of the box, art has a much harder time.

They have developed a very healthy patrons purchase program here.  Many artists clean up on it.

My friend Steve Vaughn usually has a Pirate's Booty of ribbons on his booth every year.  Too bad Melbourne won't let him enjoy the same.

It is a laid back setup.  You can come in early at 6 AM up to 12:30 PM on Friday to setup.  No hassles, usually plenty of room for inventory storage.  Booths are on concrete, you need weights.  Wind can be big factor here, after all, it is January and you are right by the Atlantic.

Teardown is easy-peasey.  No hysterics like you see down in Boca Raton.

People actually make money here.

Well, some.  Not all.  And not as many as who need to.

HERE IS THE RUB, OR AS I CALL IT, THE FLAW TO THIS SHOW.

For years it has been a two day show.  Then the committee got visions of sugarplums in their heads.  They wanted to be a big-boy show like the others--a three-day show.

Guess what New Smyrna I got news for you since you haven't figured this one out yet.

FRIDAY IS A TOTALLY WASTED DAY.

Most artists there, and when I say most, I mean the majority of the show are lucky to make $150-$400 on Friday.  Plus, you gotta come in a day early, another hotel nite.  Or get up at God-for-saken 3 AM to drive there early for setup.

Guess What New Smyrna?

Most of the people who buy art there work on Fridays.  They have real jobs and cannot come out and walk the dogs and jibber-jabber like most of the people we usually see on Friday.

You know the drill.  Just like Naples.

Nicely dressed senior citizens, lots of them walking the pooch.  Some will actually look at the art, most just walk with friends down the street without looking.

When you engage one of them and try a soft close like, "Well you said you love my piece, do you have any room for it?"  They reply,"Oh goodness, no.  Are walls are filled."

That is your Friday audience New Smyrna--and it sucks.  It is a total waste of time.

We should be able to set up our booths and enjoy the fruits of New Smyrna on Friday.

THE SECOND FLAW OF THIS SHOW.

It is too big.

They added an additional 30-plus booths this year, got up tp 260 exhibitors.

The town is not big enough to attract enough sales for that number.

!80 booths would be fine, 260 is a no-go.

So, I am mainly putting this info out to you newbies who are thinking about a show like this.  Exhibitor, beware.

Other than that, it is a great show. 

I mentioned when I checked in to the Bonita Springs Art Festival on Friday that "doing this show is like going to grandma's house.  It's warm, comfortable, and you know just what to expect." 

Nothing I experienced in the next two days shook me from that state of mind.  I found the second installment of Barry Witt's 3-show event to be just about everything I could hope for:  Beautiful weather, knowledgeable crowds (tainted only by the see-'em-at-every-show Sunday morning sleepwalkers--what is it with that, anyway?) and what Nels Johnson calls the "good shoes" people.  The crowds were far from elbow-to-elbow at any time, but in general they were motivated to buy/ And that, as Martha Stewart would say, is a good thing!

So, where to start?  First of all, the pre-show communication is brief, but to the point: You have all the essential information via email and the website two weeks before the show--all but your booth location, which is given to you upon arrival.  It would be nice to have it in advance, but Witt compensates by giving you a booth near your previous location, even if your previous location was at last year's show. So my customers from 2013 and 2014 had no difficulty locating me.  Nice!

Then, there's the matter of the layout in general:  Centered along "Old 41 Road", which spurs off the heavily trafficked US 41 several miles to the west, the show takes place in Riverside Park, in "Old (read: Historical) Bonita Springs."  Some artists, myself included, are along the Old 41business district; others are set up a block in either direction along two or three perpendicular streets.  Still others are set up in Riverside Park itself, a very pleasant, verdant couple of acres on the NW side of the show.  Although the booth numbering is a bit confusing, IMHO, volunteers hand out a nicely designed map to all show-goers (who pay a $5 optional donation to the Bonita Springs Art League when they arrive.)

Artist parking is in several lots directly adjacent to the show.  Accordingly, load-in and load-out were easy-peasy.  I was set up in two hours on Friday; torn down, packed up, and on my way in two hours on Super Bowl Sunday.  It was a relaxed vibe throughout the show.  No boothsitters, but no hassles setting up or tearing down, either.  Breakfast was provided both days until about 9:30 at the artist check-in building at the north end of the show grounds. 

As for sales: I was busy enough that I didn't have a ton of time to canvas many other artists, but from what I observed, sales were OK for most, lousy for a few, great for some others.  I know that's not all that helpful, but hopefully others will chime in with their results.  I did a bit over 2.2K on the weekend, and had an appointment on Tuesday morning that netted me another $1500, so it was a fine event for me.  Gallery Wraps (large ones) sold well. 

I loved the Sunday-afternoon buying energy, and overall, I liked the crowd.  And the judging, in my view, was superb: A photographer up the street from me won best 2D, and his work was other-worldly.  I've never seen anything like it!

Have all the show-goers from the old venue at The Promenade made the jump to the two-year-old location at  Riverside Park?  I don't know, but the borough, Witt, and the ominpresent-but-understated police force certainly made this an appealing venue.  I am looking forward to the third installment in March!

June 27 & 28  
Grand Haven, Michigan
Downtown, first three blocks of Washington Ave.
Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. 10am-5pm

110 Exhibitors
Deadline:  February 15

The Grand Haven Art Festival transforms Washington Avenue into a chic, outdoor art gallery.  Residents and visitors from Grand Rapids, Chicago, Detroit and more, visit the annual Grand Haven Art Festival looking to purchase those perfect pieces for their home, cottage, and office.  Join us as we celebrate the arts in Grand Haven!

Grand Haven is a destination beach town that sits along the shores of both the Grand River and Lake Michigan.  A beautiful 2.5 mile boardwalk connects the historic downtown shopping area to the sandy shores of the State and City beaches as well as the two picturesque lighthouses.  The Art Festival is a staple in the area's summer event calendar, held the last full weekend in June.

The goal of the Grand Haven Art Festival is to provide the communities and visitors of the West Michigan area with a unique opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art, directly from the artist; while upholding the community valued tradition of the Grand haven Art Festival.  The 54th Annual Grand Haven Art Festival is coordinated by The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg with the assistance of a local committee.  The Chamber of Commerce has been affiliated with the Grand Haven Art Festival since its beginning.

Grand Haven Art Festival Artists Amenities:

• Best in Show Award  
  • Artist to win "Best in Show", selected by onsite jury, will be invited to participate in the 2016 Grand Haven Art Festival without jury.
• Honorable Mention is each category invited to participate in the 2016 Grand Haven Art Festival without jury.
• Complimentary breakfast provided Saturday and Sunday; Complimentary snacks and water for artists
• Roaming Booth Sitters to allow for artist breaks; Boxed lunches available for purchase and delivered directly to your booth Saturday and Sunday
• Complimentary artist-only parking reserved one block from the start of the show
• Complimentary invitation e-postcard to be sent to your contacts
• Artist survey to collect feedback, comments and suggestions
• Most booths offer exposure to the public ontwo sides of the tent
• Paid security
• Grand Haven Art Festival Brochure including name, image, booth number and contact information of all participating artists accepted and paid by April 15
• Booth sign with name, booth number, medium, city and state for easy identification for customers
• Information packet provided in April including lodging options, area information, event logistics, etc.
• Welcoming and excited community for the 54th Annual Grand Haven Art Festival!

Luckily it doesn't need to ...

and this isn't going to any art fairs ...