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Okay, I'm conscious again and finished getting ready for the next go round so I figured I'd get this posted before it was time to hit the road again.This was a first time show for me, thought I'd do something different and besides which, it was a good excuse to do the Route 66 road trip through Oklahoma again. Last time I did that was 20 years ago, my how things have changed, I'm glad I did the road trip first, read on!

Some might say (Nels?) this is a grueling show to do as it is 6 days but, as I was told, you never know what the weather is going to give you here in OKC so the 6 days is a fair trade in case you lose some to weather. We lucked out this year, I was told last year was so cold you had to take a hot bath each day to thaw out, the weather was near perfect. Temps were in the 70's, mostly sunny, some clouds but NO rain during the show, well it did sprinkle once on the first day and poured rain during the artists dinner on Tuesday but no big deal.

After a while you start to wonder what day it is and I entertained my neighbors with "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher each morning, remember Ground Hog Day, it was sorta like that.

This is one of those "commission" shows, sort of,  so if you don't like returning 20% to them stay away. Read more about that below in my reflections.

Met Barry Bernstein, whom Nels is always mentioning in his blogs, he looked familiar and I think I remember him from maybe 28 years ago so maybe this isn't the first time I ran into him. He wouldn't have remembered me, I had a lot more hair back then, Barry still has his dammit! (I Got You Babe).

When I met James Parker at The Woodlands Waterway show he said he didn't recognize me from my picture as I appeared shorter than my reviews, okay this ones for you bud. On to the details which, by-the-way, the devil is always in...but I don't believe in him so who cares?

Show Hours and Dates: Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts - Oklahoma City, OK

April 22 - 27 Patrons preview at 7:30 AM on the 22nd otherwise 11-9 most days and 11 - 6 Sun

Logistics:

The show is set up on a side street adjacent to the Myriad Botanic Gardens in OKC. If you show up Sunday night it is less confused as there were only a handful of people setting up then. Monday not-so-much, unless you get there early or later. The street is very narrow as the booths they provide take up most of the space and, when one or more unconscious artists park their vehicles diagonally adjacent to their booths, it is almost impossible to get in or out. I went for a ride Sunday night just to figure out where the show was and decided to put up my lights when I got there. Good thing I did that but probably could have put up the whole shebang. Oh yeah, there are some ladders available but having your own 6 foot would be a plus. The tents are fairly tall and if you are vertically challenged you may not be able to reach up high enough to put the lights and other stuff in the most ideal position.

You need not worry if you have 3G or 4G or whatever, the show has you fill out sales forms, send the buyers to the pay station and they take care of the rest. They don't charge the charge card fees back to the artist just the commission on total sales. Down side, you have to wait to be paid. They have you submit a voided check with the application so they do a direct deposit to your bank or whatever some time after the show.

Amenities:

Great stuff. This is one of the good shows where they take a lot of pride in taking care of the artists. Great Tuesday night artists dinner and Thursday morning breakfast but, like me, by the time Thursday rolls around you forget they invited you, or you don't remember it's Thursday (I Got You Babe)! Plenty of water and snacks the rest of the week AND first class trailer potties, air conditioned, running water...as-well-as a building with restrooms for the artists and volunteers. The only criticism, and its a small one, booth sitters ("Artist Friends") tended to come around mostly in the morning and thinned out in the afternoon on some days, that's the worst I can say. Parking was one of the perks, they provided passes for a lot right across the street from the show! You know how most shows charge for electric, not so this one! They have this show down to a science, there are outlets built right into the planters and every booth is already wired for lights! You just have to plug in, however, if you need more than 4 outlets you better provide your own power strip or some-such-thing.

Storage, Booth Space, Load-In/Out:

This show is unique in that they provide the tents. Each tent is set up in a quad where each artist has 1/4 of the inside space. They provide metal mesh walls that are backed so that you can't see into the other artists areas. Many of the artists, probably the ones that have done this show a few times already, adapted their space either with propanels or built their own little environments. Not having done the show before I utilized the walls as given. Worked fine for me with my drapery hooks. Storage, fah-get-about-it! Although, those veterans of the show figured out how to use their propanels to create little closets in the corner of their booths. I just ran back and forth from the van, kept some small items in my propanel desk and the two boxes I kept next to the desk as a table.

Demographics/Buying Trends:

The whole range showed up. This is a big deal show for the area, although there is another show later in the season, people really come out. People came from the greater metropolitan area (which used to be small independent towns at one time!) All age ranges and types. Sales, better be prepared with a range. Although the high end stuff did sell those with a range sold more often. Smalls ($25) and mediums ($130-$230) made up the bulk of my sales but people that were interested didn't balk at the higher end. My neighbor was selling well at the $125 range and did well in the $1800 range as well. Well above that was selling as well.
The crowd was very appreciative, asked good questions, knew their stuff and were very engaged, not the walking dead. You know the ones, they walk by and don't even look at the art booths let alone talk to the artists, they grab the lemonade and popcorn and that's it! I didn't see a lot lemonade or popcorn at this show, maybe some beers!

Quality/Range of Art:

It takes a bit to impress me after all these years, I've seen most stuff. I did a walk around early on Tuesday and was very impressed for the most part at the quality and variety of the art. There was stuff there that I considered buying! They also did a good job with the balance of media (there were not a bazillion jewelers or photographers for example!)

Food:

There was the usual "Fair Food", a lot of over priced interesting items as-well-as some reasonably priced items; hotdogs, empenadas, etc. Nearby was the La Luna Mexican restaurant and after hours if you can stand to eat after 9 PM the Bricktown area has a lot of restaurants.

Reflections:

This was a show of two faces. The first show took place from Tues-Thurs. Tuesday morning you have to be open at 7:30 as they have a Patrons program. I like that idea, it brings out the sponsors and I think they pledge to purchase. The artist who gets there purchase gets to put up a little certificate showing where the money was spent. There may be some purchasing going on but it is thin due to it being the work week. Then again, all age ranges were there looking. Some do the look around first and come back later with the spouse to actually purchase. The second show was Fri-Sun. Big crowds, lots of energy, lots of interest in the work and actual purchasing!

Speaking of age ranges, the show has two additional galleries. One is specifically aimed at the very young art buyer. Artists can donate 8 or more items for sale at $3 or $5 and you get a T-shirt in return. The items in the tots tent were generally inexpensive prints, unmatted, unframed...it was fun to see the young'ns come up to the artists booths to have the items signed and meet the artist! The other opportunity is the Artist Market specifically for reprints under $100. Here artists provide reprints that may be matted but all sales are in the $100 or under range. Great opportunity to make some more bucks.

I'm not sure if this is a down side or not, this is a major fund raiser for the Arts Council of Oklahoma City. Given that many, if not most states, have cut or never even given money to arts programs it feels good to know that fees go to an organization that helps the community rather than greedy promoters of unlimited shows. The initial booth fee is only $150 with the stipulation that if you meet the $2500 mark they will refund the booth fee in exchange for 20% of your income. Do the math for yourself but when you figure a show like Cherry Creek is asking for booth fees of, what now?, $750, it sort of balances out. It's like Obamanomics, those that earn more pay a little more and those that don't pay less. I'm okay with that. I talked with a few artists that didn't make the minimum so as I see it, for them it was sort of a consolation to have a low booth fee after 6 grueling days (I Got You Babe).

About those booths, given that there is no global weather change shows just don't have to worry about it right? But in the event that weather continues to plague the Sunshine or itinerant Artist, other shows might consider this set up or something similar. The booths are provided by the show, are heavy, are weighted down with big drums of water as-well-as the mesh panels inside. It was windy every day, not extreme, although I am told it can be (tornadoes anyone?). If it had been one of the almost extreme weather events those flimsy Easy Up-Up in the Airs and even domes would have been all over the place. Anyone remember the Palm Springs show in February 2012, if your not familiar with that show do a YouTube search. After 90 MPH sustained winds the only thing left was pick up sticks. Something to think about. NicFest in Casper, WY has big tents, some show in Milwaukee has a big tent, Balloon Fest in Albuquerque has the big top...got the picture? Nuf said.

Okay Dave Piper would I do this show again? Hell yes! It had to have been in the top five shows I've ever done. I was getting a little nervous after having spent 6 days there and who knows how much $$ to be there but it was well worth it. After having a dud show at Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival two weeks before and having "average" shows for quite a while this was a welcome respite.

Although I certainly wanted to be accepted into the Upper Arlington Arts Festival -- a show in a wealthy suburb of Columbus OH that my customers say I HAVE to start doing -- the sting almost went away when I read the line in the rejection email that said juror comments were available upon request.

What???  They'll actually share the jury notes and we don't even have to beg?

Thinking this was too good to be true, I jumped on the offer right away and shot back a request for comments.  And today, about a week later, the blessed news arrived.

First there was a brief description of the jury composition, the judging process and the scoring mechanism.  Then my score on a 7-point scale.  Then the median score in my category.  Finally, the jurors' verbatim comments.

Wow.  Really impressive.  More detail than I've ever received.  A little confusing because all the jurors' comments were quite positive, yet I didn't even make the wait list.  The other applicants must have been really good, and I say good for them.

I feel so positive about this show's transparency and respectful behavior that I will happily donate my jury fee again next year.  I'm even feeling inspired to pull out the sketchpad and try to up my game with some new and improved work in the hopes of improving my score next year.

So if you'll be in the Midwest over Labor Day weekend in 2015, give this show a try.  You'll find them on Zapp.

We are the New Fine Arts Festival in Town!

The inaugural Art on the Green Fine Arts Festival will come to Sandstone Park in historic downtown Lyons, Colorado, on July 12-13.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Lyons Community Foundation.

This event will highlight Lyon's vibrant arts community, and provide visitors a chance to take part in the town's renaissance following the September 2013 flooding.  The infrastructure is rebuilt, the businesses are open, and the public is itching for a reason to visit the town and spread the wealth.

Here are a few of the reasons that Art on the Green needs to be on your summer schedule:

• Only festival on the Front Range that weekend and minutes from Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins
• Aggressive promotion package including direct mail, broadcast, print and social media
• Media sponsor is 9News in Denver.  They will do live weather casts from the show on Saturday, including artist interviews, and have other on-air promotions in the weeks preceding the event.
• Within a 45 minute drive of Lyons you have:
  1. 415,000 households  
  2. 38% of the households with over $75,000
  3. For ages 35-65 an average disposable income of $73,000
• In excess of 20,000 vehicles/day driving next to Sandstone Park
• Low booth and application fees ($250/$25)
• Great location-Art on the Green will be held on grass among mature shade trees
• Produced by an active art festival participant

Artist Amenities:

• Hospitality area for artists
• Water and snacks delivered to your booth
• Booth sitters
• Help loading in and out
• Promoter onsite, available, visible and at your service

Art on the Green, an N2B2 LLC

production, is excited to have the opportunity to create a yearly celebrations of the arts for Lyons. 

N@B@ LLC is a family business led by Lyons native (and art show participant) Rick Hammans, his wife Nancy, their sons, Brian and Brent and their families.

Please Apply: 

  www.ZAPPlication.org 

For more information please visit: www.lyonsartfestival.com 

Contact information:

Rick Hammans, rick@lyonsartfestival.com 

Phone: (970)532-2623; Cell:  (303)921-1811

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

Find even more opportunities: www.CallsforArtists.com

I'll be doing the Stone Arch Festival in Mpls. For those who have done it before, do you have a booth location preference? Thanks!

Larry

The Festival of Fine Craft at WheatonArts is an award winning, two-day event showcasing the handcrafted work of over 130 juried artists from across the country.  It is our premier annual event and one of the most highly rated shows in the Mid-Atlantic region.

WheatonArts, located in southern New Jersey, is three hours from New York, NY, two hours from Washington, D.C., and less than an hour from Philadelphia.  It is very accessible from the area's major highways. 

Artists may exhibit outdoors in a scenic, woodland setting or indoors in the Event Center.  The work ranges from studio art glass to unusual metal sculptures, innovative wearables and accessories to intricate baskets, and sculptural and functional clay pieces to two-dimensional art and photography.

Our comprehensive marketing plans includes year-long promotion through print and electronic media. We provide convenient set up and breakdown, overnight security, booth sitters and unequaled hospitality throughout the show.

Lodging at reduced rates is offered to exhibitors at the Country Inn adjacent to the show grounds and at other nearby hotels.

Open studios, craft demonstrations and a variety of interactive children's activities add to the excitement, making the festival both entertaining and educational.

Learn more and apply:

I hate to bitch and moan, but I am going to. After Siesta Fuesta this last weekend, I have earned the right.
We were put in a tiny parking lot a good 5 blocks from the main show with NO signage between the main show and our little lot. It was crazy. It was ridiculous and they had no adequate answers for us at all. I think those shows are permanently off our agenda

When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, my 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship...

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions, checking bathrooms, and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do fart a lot."

September 19, 20 & 21 
Kansas City, Missouri
On the beautiful and historic Country Club Plaza
240 artists
Deadline:  5/1/14

The Plaza Art Fair marks the beginning of autumn for all Kansas Citians, and attracts art enthusiasts from all over the nation. This annual celebration is located on the Country Club Plaza recognized as the oldest shopping district in the country and a beloved destination in Kansas City.

The Plaza Art Fair exhibits have grown in quality and creativity over seven decades to become a nationally recognized fine art and fine craft event. The three-day celebration of the arts allows visitors to experience the personalities and diverse talents of world-class artists firsthand.

Beyond the colorful collections of art, this extraordinary event offers even more, including delicious food, magnificent music and interactive art experiences for all ages, that attracts a crowd that appreciates all the show has to offer, especially the art.  

POINTS OF INTEREST: 

• 300,000 art enthusiasts attend
• $10,000 in cash awards 
• Individual Artist Electricity 
• Artist Breakfast, booth sitters, hospitality area 
• Free Parking

Applications available at: www.zapplication.org

CONTACT INFORMATION: 

    Director: Jan Cichello
    Phone - 816.960.6234
    For more info: www.countryclubplaza.com/Events/Plaza-Art-Fair

It is always a thrill to exhibit at the Plaza, the air of exclusivity that this fine shopping district exudes brings out the young and affluent to see and be seen AND collect art!

I have been invited to exhibit at Morristown this fall.  After a look at twenty or so 2013 artists that have a web presence, it appears that Morristown exhibitor's work is much more  sophisticated than the work I saw at a Sugarloaf show last fall.  Is my observation correct?

Just came back from Magic City Arts Festival in Birmingham Ala. I don't think I have ever been this tired in my life and I am heading out on Wednesday to do my next show. Don't worry, I'll rally! But for right now I am nursing my wounds, physical, mental and monitory and trying to put it all in perspective. I applied to this show because I heard good things and also that it was great for contemporary 2D art which is my medium. Being that it is only about four hours from where I live I thought it was a no-brainer. It's not listed on Zapp or JAS but has a stellar reputation in the South and is the premier spring art show in Alabama, with Kentuck being the fall contingent. 

I never go to a show without requesting in bold letters that I need a shaded booth. I am an encaustic artist and although the work is made to be stable, direct sun is not it's friend. When I got there my booth was in full sun. I went to ask about it and they pleasantly helped me find another booth, unfortunately that was in direct sun too and wrecked havoc on my work. Linn Park is in the center of Birmingham and is a beautiful park with abundant full sized trees but somehow I was in the corner of the park, in a bad spot for traffic and for direct sun from 12 o'clock on. It was my own fault, I should have been more vigilant about the path of the sun, but I wasn't given a whole ton of options or time to decide, and the places available was sunless until an hour after set up. Also, because it was in a park we all had to dolly in and set up. which was pretty hard since it was all hills and roots and a winding path throughout the part. The set up was generous in space for artists, with lots of room on either side and in back. But there seemed to be a lot of booths designated with no-shows and lots of space between booths. While this enabled the artist's to spread out, it made it possible for people coming to the fair to miss whole sections. It was good for some but no so for many others. So Friday came with, as only one who lives in the south knows, heat flattening sunshine which would have been great any other time, but well.... By the time one o'clock came I was taking down everything in the front of my booth so it wouldn't melt. I am religious about doing encaustic the correct way- fusing every layer to make it stable but when in full sun all it takes is grabbing an edge or one kid with penchant for poking it and it has to be taken home and fixed. So, needless to say it was a dismal day and by 6pm I was ready to pack it up and head back home. 

I talked to the directors, they were incredibly nice and helpful, they told me they would help me move my booth that night to another spot. After a wonderful dinner and Art Bash for the artist's and generous awards. I went back to my booth to try to take down my work and get ready to haul it to another location. Mind you I have a Craft-hut and Pro-panels, plus work so it was not going to be a picnic any way I sliced it...and by the way did I mention I am sixty-three, and although I do body pump class three times a week- setting up two times in two days is exhausting. I had good help, Ashley and Aaron had a cart and we shlepped it up to a good place under a large tree and I came back at 7am Saturday morning to hang it all over again.

But as I found out - I was still not in a good traffic flow and Saturday wasn't much better than Friday. I sold lots of small pieces but only one medium size and the total weekend take was less than 500. Sunday came with an overcast sky and a 50% chance of rain. By 12pm the rains came and the crowd's disappeared. Because the food trucks and entertainment equipment had to be packed up first, the fair directors said we couldn't pull our cars up to load out until after 5pm. it was dark, gloomy and incredibly muddy. By three o'clock I decided to pack up and dolly my stuff to my car two blocks away. I was lucky enough to find a nice man who helped me with my tent and Pro-panel's and even though it was a lot of work and I was a muddy mess by the time I left, I was out of there by 4pm and thankfully on my way back home. 

Monetarily, the show was not good for me. But the layout was what really seemed to be the biggest problem and except for people with ribbon's on their booths, I think the rest of us just eked by. I know of a few people that did well, but I didn't see a lot of big-ticket items being carried out and there were a lot of large paintings there. I saw some pottery and small bags and a ton of metal lawn art (those guys make a killing-) but that does not a "good return" make. This show is in a beautiful location. If they could figure out how to make it more accessible it might just be great. There were meals and breakfast and nice people running it. But when you are making a living doing this you have to take in all the considerations. Would I do it again? Probably not. But if I saw a better layout that was real ( not the one that was sent to us online which in a strait geometric pattern that wasn't adhered to at all) possibly. 

  I am a little miffed by all the jury fees that have been attached to shows, especially since some of the photo submissions are done by email. Art shows have become big business for promoters and this is a way of getting extra money specifically from those not accepted.

  I have juried a show and it is not difficult. You have certain categories and you usually have enough applications to fill them with talented artists/artisans. It is usual that, once the categories are filled, the other applications do not even get viewed.

  In this day, when booth fees are generous, I feel that adding the jury fee is another way of sticking it to the artists. It's bad enough that we have to travel, get accommodations, pay gas, set up our tents and display and endure whatever weather may happen. Promoters are doing less and less for the participants and charging more. Where would they all be if we didn't come?

August 2 & 3

You are invited to apply to the 34th annual Warren's Art in the Park.  An artist friendly show about promoting Art and a market place for artists to sell their specialties in one of Michigan's largest communities.

Warren is the largest city in Macomb County and third largest in the state with a population over 134,000.

The art show is held in the beautiful Halmich Park where you will find plenty space for artist and patron parking.  Easy setup for artists; setup times on Friday and Saturday morning.  We also hire a judge who will judge the Art and award cash prizes and ribbons on Saturday.  There are several food vendors and a stage with entertainment.

Picture imperfect
Taking aim at stealthy intellectual property theft at art & craft shows

by Gregory Strachov

This article was published in the current issue of Sunshine Artist magazine and is reprinted here with the permission of the publisher, Nate Shelton, and the author Gregory Strachov. Photos by Gregory Strachov.

In recent years, many professionals on the art & craft show circuit have noticed a conspicuous activity that poses a threat to the copyright of their intellectual property. Specifically, the issue involves professional photographers who are appearing at some of the nation’s most-noted art festivals — and we’re not speaking of shutterbugs who juried in.

Rather, these photographers carry expensive, sophisticated cameras — often two — as they stand in front of exhibitors’ booths. They boast  lenses that require no tripod to stabilize and high-resolution digital equipment that can pick up the detail of an artist’s signature from 100 feet away. And they usually pretend to focus on the ground or the sky while keeping a firm eye on the display. When the artist is not looking, though, or when the crowd in the booth thins down, these still-life paparazzi quickly photograph as much work as possible.

When confronted, they are often aggressive and use some variation of the excuse that, “This is a public place and a free country.” Unfortunately for them and fortunately for art & craft professionals, copyright laws only make an exception for works in the public domain, which comes into play once the creator has been dead for 70 years. It’s true that artists’ booths are in a public place, but the property within these booths is still private intellectual property that cannot be photographed without the express permission of the author.

Furthermore, no gallery or museum permits photographs to be taken of the work on display in those venues, although they too are public places. This is copyright law 101 — and an issue that every artist and craftsperson should be aware of before they head to their next show.
 
Spy games
Artists in general know that copying someone’s work is unethical, and the public generally knows this as well. Moreover, courts have found photographs of paintings to be copyright-infringing derivatives of the original. The only reason an artist would permit a stranger to photograph his or her work is for known reasons that the artist alone would determine as allowable. If the artist verbally expresses or posts a sign stating that his or her work must not be photographed, there should be no debate about it.

Nonetheless, stealth photographers who appear at the shows are insistent, pervasive and relentless. When confronted, they are often argumentative and offensive, because they know that an artist’s hands are tied as he or she attempts to remain professional and in good standing with the festival committee. No artist wants to be blacklisted by an event, and some shows would prefer to get rid of one troublemaker than consider alternatives. The photographers understand the show environment very well and use this to their advantage.

There are also “artists” who market their work in completely different venues than ours. For them, it is cost effective to go to a prominent, national show, walk into a booth filled with work that is selected by an educated jury and photograph it. They can easily gather multiple market-proven and edited ideas that they then bring to their studio, copy and send to markets that we never see. At the end of the day, they know that our venue does not provide the kind of income needed to afford an $85,000 legal fee to attempt to bring justice to the case.

Photographs are taken in a variety of ways at shows, too.   One common method involves asking if one can photograph a child in front of a booth while using a wide-angle lens setting. Another method is to set a digital camera to record video as the photographer does a panoramic sweep through the booth, and this can also be done with a cell phone. Most photographers use sophisticated equipment, though — some even use wand scanners that can immediately send images to an external party.

Take a recent encounter I had at a major Northern show. An Asian show-goer was photographing booth after booth. Her focus was on ceramics as well as on displays of blown glass. I went to follow her with my camcorder in an effort to document her activity. When I got to within 50 feet of her, though, she turned as if she’d been alerted to my presence in the crowd. I noted she was wearing earphones similar to a security agent.

As soon as she spotted me, she disappeared between two booths and was gone. When I turned, I saw two Asian men standing right behind me. They had the same kind of earphone and mouthpiece as the female, with wires leading to a small box attached to their belts. These certainly were no ordinary tourists. And it is worth nothing that China has shown a repeated interest in the reproduction or cloning industry, and that interest has been cited by the media as being a major concern of both the tech and fashion industries. It is should also be a concern to artists.

At another national, well-known show, in Denver, a man appeared and photographed all of the booths in the painting category. I approached him to ask what kind of cameras he was using. He responded as though he had a severe mental impairment and spoke as if he could only utter some sounds.

The following year, the same man appeared near my booth. He had the same two cameras and field jacket that he wore the year before. I said hello, and he replied in clear, spoken English. I went back into my display to ask him why he was photographing. But before I could say a word, I saw that he had a wand that he used to scan my painting with a methodical sweep. I asked him to stop. He smiled, said that it was “already sent” and quickly left.

Now, I always have “Do Not Photograph” signs in my booth. So I looked for someone who worked with security, but they were nowhere to be found. I felt helpless because my better judgment told me to apply serious restraint and avoid an incident that might damage my reputation or disrupt the show. But the fact is — and as many other artists and craftspeople can attest — these were not isolated incidents.
 
Solving the problem
I have spoken to various show directors about this problem, and the reactions fill the spectrum. On the proactive side, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival made an informative sign two years ago to warn the public that the art on display should not be photographed. The show committee announced that these signs could be used by artists on a voluntary basis. Two members of the committee also made every effort to inform the exhibitors of the availability of this sign.

Regardless, too many artists knew nothing about it, and the lack of uniformity diluted the intent as well as enforcement. When photographers were spotted at the show — and there was one who stayed most of the afternoon, posing as an “official photographer” — nothing that I know of was done to stop him.

Even more frustrating, several show directors I’ve spoken with did not seem interested in the matter. Many of them simply wanted to ignore the issue primarily because they knew very little of copyright law and did not want to make an error by enforcing laws they knew nothing about. Some said that the matter is up to each individual artist; however, this does not offer enforcement, since the artist alone cannot be effective in getting the message across without creating a disturbance. Other directors expressed interest but felt that their boards would not agree with taking any action.

Therefore, it appears that many show directors need to be informed about copyright laws regarding the copying and photographing of artwork. They should also have a plan implemented to help safeguard their exhibitors’ intellectual property in the same way that they have plans for medical emergencies and other human needs. Finally, committees need to know that they have a legal right and perhaps an obligation to have some plan in effect.

In short, they need to understand that having intellectual property in a public space does not make it part of the public domain, and that acting as if it does is unacceptable behavior with potential legal consequences.

The solution might be as simple as a commitment on the part of shows to inform their public, not only by posting rules but providing an education regarding this matter. This could be done very gently in the show literature as an ethical and moral understanding. Rules posted by the show would also arm exhibitors with an official stated fact if a confrontation occurs. And since promoters gain revenue from exhibitors, it would benefit show-runners’ relationship with the arts & crafts community if they elected to promote and enforce rules that inform the public about copyright law and the artist’s right to protect their private intellectual property.

Furthermore, by having these rules well publicized, the public might act as police simply by the default of peer pressure. The public does not get hurt, the artists will benefit and the show will reap goodwill benefits.

In the worst-case scenario, there should be some security personnel available to enforce the rules by escorting violators from an event or permit the artist to file a legal complaint. Most artists that I have spoken to are very aware of this situation and are angry, but they feel helpless because frequently no action is taken on the part of show committees to effectively address this problem. And make no mistake: Photographing art without permission is theft!

Everyone knows how to act at weddings and how to dress for a funeral. Yet the general public knows little about our industry. The few films that depict Van Gogh or Pollock are hardly the representation needed to inform the public about fine arts and crafts and the dedicated individuals who create them.

However, the public can be educated about behavior that would be appropriate and respectful at a show. They can and should be better exposed to the seriousness and commitment that creators have for their work, in that they devote their lives and travel thousands of miles for the opportunity to make a living with their artistry. What these artists certainly did not agree to, though, is to provide an opportunity for photographers who are assigned to steal their work for the various markets that would benefit at the artist’s expense.

We, as working artists and craftspeople, should all be hopeful that our community and industry will agree to address this problem, and leave this sort of intellectual property theft on the cutting room floor — where it belongs.

Click on this link to print out the "NO Photography" sign pictured at the top of this article: DoNotPhotograph.pdf

Gregory Strachov has been a full-time working painter for over 30 years, during which time he has received numerous industry honors and awards. He can be reached at strachovstudio@gmail.com.

Jeez! What a difference a week makes.  Loved in Texas, ignored in St. Pete (hereafter SP}.

This is a great show in terms of art and artists.

Hard to get into, medium-size in number, and usually sales are quite rewarding.

Being on Easter weekend is always a liability for any show.

Coupled with the fact that there were a lot of special events going on, the crowds were not so over-whelming.

So for once it was not up against Dogwood or Fort Worth.

This meant there were many great artists all competing for an ever-shrinking consumer buck.

Very exceptional prize money brought out plenty of great ones who are mainly there for prize money.

Big prize was worth $10K.

My only big concern for this show is the way it is laid out now.

I had not been in for the last four years because I was lucky to be in Ft. Worth.

They changed the layout.

Mind you, being born in SP, I have done this show since the 80s.

It used to be by the museum, then it moved done on a big empty bayfront lot with not as many trees for shade.

It is now kind of like doing a show in a big sandy, with sprinkles of grass, lot.

The bulk of the show runs along an adjacent road where most of the trees are.  Aisles go back  perpendicular to the road, about 10 deep.

There is a roadway/sidewalk further in which runs the entire north-south length of the shows.

Then they stuck a bunch of artists out yonder of that sidewalk.  

I was one of them.

Curiously, Mainsail never tells you your booth location til you show to setup--wink,wink.

So, several artists upon seeing they were supposed to set up in this field of lost souls and artists, said, "No way, Jose!  Get me closer to that darn road or I am out of here."

Thus I ended up with a booth with double corners because artists on both sides of me opted out.

Maybe the same number of people who toured the rest of the show actually saw us.  But, it sure did not feel, or look, that way.

Most of the times our aisles looked deserted while the road aisles were jammed with activity.

Some of my fellow exhibitors were quite happy with their sales, and actually requested to be in that area.

For most of us, it was pretty hum-drum with scant sales to show for it.  On Sunday I did a whopping $400 in sales.  At Mainsail this should not happen to anybody.

Even a  lot of artists up by the road complained of below-average sales this year.

I did better by double at the little old Englewood show.  Gasparilla was far better.

I am going to offer some insights into why I think this happened.

NELS NOW STICKS HIS HEAD OUT WHERE HE CAN  BE BLACK LISTED, OR MADE TO WALK THE PLANK.

First off.  Nobody is black-listing anybody.  So just get over that idea,

You lurkers out there, stand up and be heard, nobody is going to do severe damage to your reps because you said something.

OK.

First any show on Easter Sunday never fares very well, anywhere.

People prefer to chase Easter eggs, or do a traditional afternoon dinner.  Either way, our audience of buyers shrinks.

They would rather get EGG-STATIC over eggs, then art.

Second, way too many oldsters and not enough young ones out there buying.

The oldsters are downsizing, not acquiring.

The young ones don't have as much disposable income.  A lot are saving up for a downstroke on a new house and art will just have to wait.

Third,increasingly, we are being lumped together with all the rest of those "People in White Tents."

There are so many special events going on everywhere.  A jazzfest.  A ribfest.  A garden show. Car shows, you name it.

What do all these events have in common?

They all feature people in white tents.

We are not treated as being so special anymore.  We have a lot of competition, and not just from fellow artists.

As my good bud, the Mighty Vaughn, ventured once to me.  "We are headed to Organic Extinction, we just don't realize it yet.

I hope he is wrong.  I really do.  Otherwise, what am I going to do on 33  weekends out of the year?

Bottom line.  Mainsail is a quality show.  Let us hope it was an off year for it.

But, maybe we all should think about changing to PRETTY PINK AND RAZZBERRY TENTS.

Congratulations to Jennifer Ivory whose intelligent letter to an art fair and Nels Johnson for his up close and personal search into making a living won them Post of the Month awards for March 2014. Also to Oscar Matos Linares who has been named a Featured Member for his contributions to AFI.

June 28 - 29

Atlanta, Georgia

Historic Fourth Ward Park
150 Artists 

Deadline: April 25

The Atlanta Foundation for the Public Spaces is proud to announce the Second Annual Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival coming up June 28th and 29th in Atlanta, Georgia.

Named "Best New Event" but the Southeast Festivals and Events Association, this two-day arts festival has become the perfect celebration of the artistic innovation that the Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood embodies. Visitors will enjoy art from up to 150 local and regional artists carefully chosen to reflect this historic but progressive neighborhood.

Along with the fine arts and crafts there will be a children's play area, local food and beverage concessions and live acoustic entertainment. Best of all, it's entirely free!

Historic Fourth Ward Park is just off North Avenue, across from the Ponce City Market. Grab your walking shoes, bike or rollerblades and take the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail to the park! Cyclists can also store their bikes in the additional bike racks provided by the festival. 

Apply today: www.zapplication.org

Well, drove home from Texas in raging rains for two days last week, then cranked like hell for two other days to be ready for Mainsail Art Fest in St.  Petersburg.  So there was no time for blogging.

Here it comes. I realize there has been an excellent piece written by an emerging artist.  I just wanted to give a more finished perspective--and a few, Nels' insights.

It is a long journey from Tampa, FL. to anywhere in Texas, especially Ft. Worth. Most times it is two days with a stop-over in Baton Rouge or Lafayette,LA.

This year, I cranked til late Monday afternoon and made it to Tallahasee that night.

Next day it was a mellow ride thru Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to Shreveport. Then I was in FW before noon for setup on Weds.

Most of the show, booths are setup in big covered tents, high enough for you to set up your natural booth with roof.

The tents usually have a corner booth, a middle booth and then another corner.  Then the pattern is repeated behind.  So there are six booths to a tent, crammed in tight, back to back.  There is maybe a two-foot common area behind to share.  Storing inventory is always a challenge.

People love the corners--when the weather is good-because of the extra exposure and room for some browse bins.

Trouble is--the weather is Rarely ever good at FW.  This year personified it.

There is one area of the show where tents are out in the  open, called the Artist Square.

It replaces what used to be a parking lot where artists set up.  There was generous storage areas here--but the winds could be extra fierce here too.  The new Square is beautiful.  All on concrete with nearby restaurants and a specialty pavilion.  Storage here, is alas, tight now. But artists there seem to love it.

So, if you do this show, you bring your booth, you bring great weights and you bring electricity (lights, they supply the current).

This is a tough show to get into.

Many are called, few are chosen.  Only a couple hundred exhibitors.

Your customers have ample disposable income.  Lots of gas, oil and tech money.  You even see young people with money,  which is sadly missing at most shows in Florida.

The show runs four days, Thurs-Sunday.  Starts at 10 AM and runs to at least 8 PM and then artists can choose to stay open as late as they wish--and many do, especially on the weekend.

SO WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR.

Weatherwise we were challenged two out of three days we were open.  We never got to open and sell on Sunday.

Thursday we had strong 20-30 mph gusts all day that shook booths all day and send inventory every which way.

Friday, we had perfect weather.  Clear, not too humid with gentle winds.

Saturday was okay with growing gusts, the front was expected to hit us that night, and there was an almost 100 per cent chance of bad storms forecast for Sunday.

Sunday morning, I got an ominous call from the show around 7:30 AM.

"Mr. Johnson you better hurry over to your booth in the 800 block.  There has been several booths over-turned and art damaged."

Well jeez, you never want to start your morning hearing that.

No Starbucks coffee, no NY Times for me.  I galloped as fast as I could from my hotel which was two blocks from the show.

I rounded the corner of ninth and Main Street (where the booths are) and saw up-turned booths everywhere.  Even those long v-shaped food booths were lying feet-up on the pavement.

I approached my tent area with great trepidation--yeah, I was worried too.

Both the corner booths by me had been hit.  Some damage to the art, but not major.  My middle booth stood intact, my canvas covers were still zippered, my walls were straight up and no photos were on the ground fast becoming watercolors.  I instantly threw trepidation out the window.

I saw  a van about four booths south of me in there loading up.  I thought, shazam!, I am gonna get my van and do the same.  Ten minutes later, I had my van in there and started the load-out.

The lovely Rhonda, our block captain, came over and told me the show was not cancelled at that time.  I understood, and kept packing.  I figured at worst, I would get all the framed work in the van and leave one table with print bins in my space--to make a showing.

About 30 minutes later, Rhonda came over and told me the whole show as cancelled, and to continue packing.  I did, and was out of there an hour later.

SO, HOW GOOD WAS THE SHOW THIS YEAR?

Put it this way.

On Saturday, I made more sales there than I did in three days at the recent Winter Park show.

My work was appreciated, and so did my bank account.

I think most artists did their usual very good at this show.  I did not hear anybody complaining.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

St. Petersburg, FL - April 19 & 20

Lots and lots of prizes at Mainsail this weekend:

Best of Mainsail Gold Award, $10,000: Charles Parkhill, sculpture.

Mainsail Silver Award, $5,000: Duncan McClellan, glass.

Mainsail Bronze Awards, $2,500: Stephen Ray, oil/acrylic, and John Mascoll, wood.

Awards of Excellence, $1,500 each: Oren Estell, Scott Hartley, Cheryl Mackey Smith, Rocky Bridges, Amy Carstensen, Susan Gott, Richard Auger, Lawrence Packard, Sandy Lent, David Fernandez.

Awards of Distinction, $1,000: Andy Smith, Chuck Boux, Mel Fleck, Nancy Cervenka, Michael Nemnich, Vince Pompei, Frank Strunk III, Larry Brown, John Bayalis, Scott Gamble, Erica Hall, Michael Thiele, Sandra Brewster, Scott Causey, William Kidd.

Awards of Merit, $500: Charles Hazelaar, Marlow Gates, Jason Brueck, Kathleen Hunt, John Kellum, John Furches, William Kwamena-Poh, Princy & John Fears, Lorri Honeycutt, Ernest Simmons, Janet O'Rourke, Larry & Sherry Paulsen, Renee Dinauer, Dave Bruner, Karyn Adamek, Z.L. Feng, Jon Smith, David McKirdy, Charles Gatewood, Ana Varela.

Purchase Awards, $200 (plus the purchase of artwork): ARTicles Gallery by Leslie Curran — Robert Lawarre; Anthony L. LaSpada, P.A. — Paul Montecalvo; Madeline McCarthy — Charles Rowe; Monika and Fred MacFawn — Kimberly Willcox; Terry and Ginny McCarthy — Paul LaMontagne; The Mahaffey Apartment Company — Russ Erickson; The Princess Martha — Andy Smith; Shapiro's Gallery – Scott Gamble; Sally and William Snyder — Robert Myrvall; Wells, House, Schatzel, P.A. — Gary Curtis.

More info about the show: http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/visualarts/tampa-sculptor-takes-best-in-show-award-at-39th-mainsail-arts-festival/2175964