Blog

September 20 & 21

Birmingham, Michigan

Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 10am-5pm

160+ artists

Common Ground's Birmingham Street Art Fair celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2014.  The fair returns to South Old Woodward, the celebrated gateway to downtown Birmingham.  Unique shopping and fabulous restaurants line the street, drawing residents from throughout Oakland County and beyond.  

More than 160 juried artists will be featured in this elegant setting; more than 80,000 fairgoers attend annually.

A word of warning to anyone who has applied -- the deadline is/was April 18 -- to The Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest in Dayton Ohio the weekend of September 26: chalk up the $30 you spent for the jury fee as a minor loss compared to what you could have lost by actually doing the show.  If you are accepted, run in the other direction.

I did this show the last two (or three?) years and had come to the conclusion that it was quite overpriced at $400 per 10 x 10 for an event that draws a huge crowd, but the crowd is interested in eating, drinking beer and listening to the live bands.  Each year they attendees seem to get less and less interested in the art.  Now we are something to walk past on the way to the beer.

What prompted this message is the notice on Zapp about the imminent deadline, and my innocent peak at the application to see if the booth fee was still too high for the return.  I noticed that they had posted photos from last year's event so, oh what the hell, I'll take a look and see if I notice any artist friends.

Out of 1180 photos -- that's one thousand, one hundred and eighty -- guess how many had anything at all to do with the art?  This includes showing an artist, showing some work, catching the corner of a tent, anything.  The grand total is zero.  No kidding.  And this from an art institute.

That pretty much says it all, don't you think?  They should be ashamed.

I was excited that I got accepted at late notice to the Coral Springs Art Festival, partly because I used to live there and know the area, but also because I expected a good show.  The ACE section was full, so I got into the art section.  I was lucky to get a hotel at a somewhat reasonable price within walking distance, even on the same side of the street.  I had a good booth location, too.  Yes, we had to set up in the dark on Saturday morning (a Howard Allen show) and I thought a lost a crucial tent part and I never got to change out of my sweaty "set up clothes", but the weather was perfect and there were crowds of people.  It was very well organized and set up and break down were easy and quick.  Sales should have been good, and they would have been acceptable if I didn't have travel and hotel expenses.  As it was, I did better than some shows, but not quite enough to cover expenses and make a profit.  Would I apply next year?  Maybe.

I have a new favorite show!  I did the Rotary Club Sanibel-Captiva Art Festival (Sanibel Island, FL) in February and it was beyond my expectations!  It was easy to set up and break down due to excellent management.  Attendance was brisk the whole weekend, and people were buying.  I am one of those people who always bring more than I need, but I nearly ran out of inventory, and I did run out of business cards and receipts.  My sales more than made up for the travel and hotel expenses.  The weather was perfect and the setting for the show was charming.  Yes, there is a toll of $6 on the bridge, but I got a very reasonable hotel only 6 miles from the bridge in Ft Myers.  I plan to apply for next year's show and hope that (1) I get accepted and (2) it is a good as this year.

What a weekend! I've been a patron for the Main St Fort Worth Arts Festival for years...and I mean all the way...taking a long weekend off from work so I could attend on the less crowded Thursday and Friday and spending all day, just taking a break for my Schmidt's bratwurst and cream puff...I'd check in with all of my favorite artists and look for treasures to bring home to add to our collection.

So when I felt like I was ready to apply for my first art festival, I picked Main St. It's a personal favorite, it's close to home (about an hour away), and it has an Emerging Artist program, so I could give it a try without investing in a tent. The downside? I'm a felter and I heard from a lot of friends that the DFW area is a tough market for fiber artists, especially in April when the weather can be in the 80s or 90s.

But I screwed up my courage and applied. A quick word for other newbies. If you're thinking about this, check to see if a local festival has an emerging artist program. It's amazing to have training wheels like this. I was able to apply without submitting a booth shot, I received plenty of communication from the festival organizers, they supplied the tent, and I was able to participate at a lower emerging artist rate. It's an amazing opportunity. I also made sure I attended the open jury day, allowing me to see what my jury photos looked like on the big screens (yikes!). 

When I was accepted, I vacillated between being incredibly excited and terribly nauseous. I wasn't sure if I could pull together enough work for the show, but decided that it would be worth the experience...could I survive a four day show and would people be interested in my work? Plus, it would give me a chance to take a booth shot in order to apply for other shows. 

So what did I learn? 

1. Bring twice as much work and business cards than you'll think you'll need. I was running low on pieces by Saturday and could tell my sales slowed down when my pickings looked too slim. I was prepared to talk to people about doing custom pieces, but when I ran out of business cards I was in trouble there too. 

2. Have two versions of your explanation of what you do or what motivates you. A lot of people visiting with me weren't familiar with hand made felt and some were interested in the longer explanation and some got the "glazed over, I have somewhere else to be" look about 20 seconds in. I had to pull together a graceful fallback short form explanation.

3. Be ready to smile all weekend. Mostly it was easy. People were friendly and interested and even the people who looked at the price and noted that they were more than they were prepared to pay were gracious about it. 

4. Know what your answer is when people ask you if you're willing to discount. I think everyone determines their own answer, you just need to know what it is so you don't fumble. I had one person ask if I discounted for cash, but my pieces just weren't expensive enough to make that worth while so I declined, but I hesitated. Would have been better if I knew my answer before she asked. She still bought the piece, just decided to use her card instead.

5. Make your hotel reservation the second you get into the show. I thought I had a few weeks to book at the artist rate before it expired and when I called, I found out the hotel had sold out at that rate very quickly. Even if you're not sure, make your reservation. You can always cancel it later, but you can't get the good rate if you miss out.

We wound up getting rained out on the last day so I have to guess that I would have made it the full four. It was exciting and fun and I'd definitely do it again. It was a real honor to be included in a show with so many artists whose work I respect and admire. 

Oh, and I'll need to rent a tent to take that jury shot. I found that some of my display ideas didn't work out quite as well as I'd like and my booth was cast in shade the first morning so I couldn't really exert any control over my jury shot. I'll need to rent a tent and put it up in a more controlled environment to give this a shot again.

Ok, that's all I have time for now, but I'll add to this thread if I remember more things. Final thoughts? I had a blast!

I was fortunate to be invited to exhibit at the Woodlands Waterways show this last weekend in truly beautiful Woodlands, Texas. Never having driven to a show in Texas, it was a long trek but the Bayou was something beautiful to see. Arrived on Thursday after a two day drive and took advantage of their home stay program which was delightful. The person that hosted me and my assistant made us dinner and breakfast and it was so much nicer than staying at a hotel. It was totally non-obtrusive, as we were in a wing of her house that was not connected to the rest and it was lovely. If anyone is afraid that their schedule and freedom will be diminished by using these perks, think again...this is a wonderful and cost effective alternative when doing a show. Thank you WWAF for making it possible...I wish more would.

Set up was so well organized that is was a dream, not that setting up ever is, but as close as possible. Loaded with lots of water and snacks from the committee, we drove to our spot and were able to unload right in front.  I was a newbie this year so I didn't expect the best spot but really, there were no bad spots that I could see. The show is one long trail that follows the river and everyone gets exposure to the crowds. Friday night was a reception for the VIP artists that donated work for the art education fundraiser. Not much different than any other patron's affair, except that the food was fabulous and the drinks were flowing.

Breakfast was provided on both mornings and volunteers came around constantly with snacks and water. In fact, when we got there first thing in the morning there was about 12 bottles of water already in our booths.

 Saturday was sunny and when the gates opened at 10 am the crowds poured in. There is a hefty 12 dollar entry fee but that didn't seem to keep the crowds away. It was pretty steady but as most shows go the first half of the day was everyone pursuing the whole show before buying. They did buy, big items walked by, lots of them. I did ok, it wasn't fabulous but it wasn't bad either. The crowd seemed open to all types of work, I thought it might be a bit of a conservative crowd but it wasn't. It was busy all day.

Sunday was overcast and looked like rain and it sprinkled in the the morning a bit, but by afternoon it was clear and a bit cooler, so the crowds came out in full force. Many people came back on Sunday after looking on Saturday to buy, which is always good. At 5 break down started and it went pretty smooth since it was a long line of cars that had to come in and it could have been a big mess. It wasn't- they had their act together and it was fine. You had to break down completely before you could get a ticket to drive in but it was no problem.

I would definitely do this show again, even though it's the farthest show I have ever driven to. It was worth it. It is a classy show- billed as #3 in the nation on Sourcebook and it lived up to it's hype. Was it the best show I have done this year? No, but I think it could be, if i am able to go back and build up a clientele. It seemed to me that this group really likes to know their artist's before they invest. Hope to do it again. 

allowing artists to pull up to their site to load /unload a real deal breaker for me if this is not the case

May 17

Manhattan, New York

Located in the heart of Greenwich Village (West Village)

on the Bedford, Barrow, Commerce Streets
100 Artists 

Deadline: May 16

The BBC is pleased to invite fine artists and fine crafts people to apply to their 2014 Spring Fine Art and Fine Craft Show.  This annual event is eagerly looked forward to by the whole tri-state area. 

What to expect:

• This show draws over 15,000 attendees.  
• We have wonderful, professional fine artist and fine crafters, plus a gourmet food section.  
• In addition we have live music.  The food and music sections are separate from the exhibitors so that people can have a wonderful meal and dance, and is far enough away to only enhance the shopping experience and adds a wonderful background ambiance.  
• This is the first year we are listing the show nationally to encourage exhibitors from outside the tri-state area to participate.

I'm going to write a VERY brief review of this show, for reasons that will be revealed in a paragraph or two.  This was my first visit to beautiful St. Simons Island, GA.  Although the state has less than 200 miles of coastline, it boasts beautiful wide barrier islands teeming with birdlife.  I've driven past their exits countless times on I-95 but never had time to stop.  So after Connie posted a call to artists a few months back, I jumped at the chance to apply and was accepted.

Glynn Art hosts two shows yearly in Postell Park, which is in the downtown of St. Simons.  This time of year, anyway, this is a tiny hamlet with relatively light traffic, lots of small eateries and retail shops, and the art association HQ, which occupies a pretty space right across from Postell Park. 

The spring show featured about 60 artists, in facing rows along the brick pavers (bring a rug!).  By admission of the director, it is "lightly juried" and  heavily skewed toward country craft, low-end craft, and a smattering of manufactured products.  There was lots of jewelry (some quite nice, some cheaply made).  A few of the Art Association members exhibited paintings and watercolors, but generally speaking, 2-D was hard to find. 

The overall ambience is laid-back, relaxed, and friendly. The show was laid out in maybe five sections of artists, scattered throughout the small park.  When I first arrived I wondered aloud about the discontinuity, and whether attendees would miss a section, but one of my neighbors, a show veteran, said it wouldn't matter...and it didn't.  Although booths were tightly pole to pole, the facing rows are quite short (maybe a dozen booths long) and you have lots of storage space behind.  Setup was Friday, from noon until 5 (you could stay later to set up if you wanted); security (local police) was provided from 6 PM to 8 AM each night).  It was an easy, beautiful three-block walk along the two-lane street, lined by live oaks, to the artist parking lot...though I noticed many artists with oversized vehicles used a commercial parking lot on one end of the show and were not bothered by anyone. 

Weather was beautiful, the booths were comfortable even in mid-day, and yet attendance was light.  However, for most of the show it was comprised of the affluent residents of this laid-back island.  They were casually but neatly dressed, knowledgeable, and friendly. (Sunday afternoon was dominated by day-tripping familes from inland Georgia, who were mostly browsing, and more interested in spending a day with the kiddos.)

I made only two sales on Saturday, but they were my largest, most expensive canvases.  Sunday brought smaller but still respectable sales through mid-afternoon. I wound up, surprisingly, with my second- or third-highest sales total of the year...plus an invitation to have a month-long at the art gallery on nearby Jekyll Island sometime in 2016. 

Demographics:  As noted, the demographics here skew to the very high end.  Housing is expensive, surroundings are beautiful, and many of the homes are quite large.  It was sort of a interesting mix between Sanibel Island and a small New England town. Seemed to be an equal split between vacationers coming from other parts of Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas) and residents (many of whom were year-round).  I talked with only a few Midwesterners. 

Everyone I spoke with, including the director, said that the fall show (Oct. 11-12) is even smaller (about 50 artists, tops), much more tightly juried, and better represented by 2-D art. I don't know if I could recommend it to an artist from far out of state, but if you are in central or panhandle Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina this might be worth trying. 

I have seen a few blog posts where folks have commented that college towns Art Fairs are good ones to attend because they are young and good buyers.  This is counter to my intuition, the reasoning is that college students don't have the disposable income for artwork.  What has everyone else found?  Are there enough well-paid professors to provide adequate buyers?  Are college towns a good target-market?  Thoughts?

Hi Friends.....

     Call me crazy, but I am in the very early stages of conceptualizing starting a fine art and craft show in my local area.  We have a very good response to art here, as many know from the Belleville, IL Art on The Square.  Anyway, as I am planning, researching and gathering data, I have some ideas that I would like to put forth and am open to feedback from fellow artists.  Here are some early thoughts...

1.  Autumn show, held in September or October, preferably indoors.

2.  Totally non-profit show.  I am doing it for the art and the artists only! (more on that later)

3.  $20.00 jury fee.

4.  Booth fee not to exceed $200-250.

5.  Saturday/Sunday or Friday/Saturday (2 days max)

6.  Set up the day before the show or morning of, artist's choice.

7.  Heavily promoted through social media, print, radio and local businesses (will depend on costs).

8.  Some kind of artists' dinner or food delivered to booths once each day (complimentary, even if I have to prepare it myself).

9.  No distraction factor.  Focus solely on the art and the artists

10.  No busy sell

11.  No auctions, no pony rides, no talent shows, no psychic readings (yes, I was at a show last year that had a tarot card reader).

12.  Awards in each category (ribbons, $$)

13.  Food vendors that are appropriate (no kettle korn, cotton candy or carnival type fare).

14.  Sponsors that are appropriate to art

15.  Working artists as jurors and judges

     The list will, I am sure, get much longer.  My reason for attempting this is with all of the challenges artists have faced economically over the last several years, and all of the gouging that we have encountered with shows raising prices and trying to squeeze as much money out of us as possible, is it remotely possible to produce a show that is not overly expensive, with the amenities that so many of us want?  Can this be done in today's economic climate?  Is it possible to produce a good, artist friendly "dream show?"   If you believe it is, please comment on what you would like to see in this still conceptual "dream show" and it may happen in the O'Fallon/Belleville, IL area in 2016.  Or, if you think that a show like this is not possible today, please share why you feel that way!  Thanks much!! 

I am curious what people think of this. We all talk as though we are so pure to our art. I only sell originals and have more than once lost out on a sale to a big less expensive print. So I thought about it and the fact is many artists are ordering prints from big print houses. Some of them are overseas. I know some artists who do greeting cards and small items with their work on it. Made in China. So isn't this buy sell? I see artists with mostly prints in the booth. Giclee all over the walls but few if any originals. Then I hear the same artist cry Target sells giclees for less. My opinion is Target just gets a better discount because of volume. I am sure I will have a bunch of so called fine artists panties in a bunch over this post. But we have trained the art fair buyers to buy prints. Now that is what they buy. And now they are buying them cheaper at other places. This is just an observation about what hypocrites most of us are.

August 16 & 17

Perrysburg, Ohio
Produced by The Guild of Artists & Artisans
Sat. 10am-8pm
Sun. 11am-5pm
130 Artists

The town Center at Levis Commons hosts the 10th Annual Levis Commons Fine Art Fair produced and created by The Guild of Artists & Artisans.  The Town Center is a unique "open-air lifestyle experience," featuring sophisticated shopping, superb dining and entertainment and is located in the welcoming community of Perrysburg, Ohio, just south of Toledo.

It's the perfect setting for an exceptional art fair.  Parking and admission are free.  The show features 130 artists; fairgoers will find the same excellence and variety as in the Guild's award-winning Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.  Featured work will include jewelry, ceramics, painting, glass, photography, fiber and more.  More than 35,000 fairgoers attend annually. 

The Guild is a non-profit, membership association of independent artists best known for its award winning Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.  Guild events have a reputation for excellent advertising, fair attendance and artist amenities.

Apply: www.JuriedArtServices.com

For more information:
Karen Delhey, Senior Director, Marketing & Partnerships
The Guild of Artists & Artisans: (734)662-3382 ext. 107  
Fax: (734)662-0339
118 N. Fourth Avenue  Ann Arbor, Michigan  48104-1402

It appears that some artists apply for more than one show on a given weekend and if they happen to be accepted into both shows, they cancel one of them. This makes good sense to me. However, I have two questions concerning this practice . . .

1) How prevalent is this among artisits?
2) Can this practice create a bad name for that artist among festival promoters and cause the artist to be black-listed from the festival involved?

I have decided to write about some safety trips, as I drive a 40' motorhome all over the eastern half of the US, and there have been some very eventful experiences over the years. When I speak to others about traveling safely, I am always shocked at the danger people put themselves into, without giving it a second thought, many times for the sake of vanity.

Here are some tips:

1. Gas stations -

• always park in well lit areas where a camera is posted on you, or as close to the attendants station as possible.
• NEVER chose a gas station where YOU are the only customer, drive on to the next one even if it costs you more. (it could cost you your life, I know)
• NEVER pay with cash, always use a credit/debit card even if it means you have to go to another store and purchase some.
• When possible, always purchase a vehicle that has the gas tank on the same side as the drivers side.
• Always lock your vehicle when you get out to pump gas.
• NEVER have your purse/wallet/etc on the seat or even underneath the front seats. Have them covered up and somewhere else.
• NEVER get into conversations with anyone beyond your immediate needs. If someone wishes to engage with you, this is how YOU get set up for a crime, because it's part of the "warming" you up where you recognize and may even trust someone.
• traveling with someone else. Keep a walking stick handy, have that person also get out of the car with the walking stick, using it to walk with. It will deter possible thieves, as they know when they see it, you "could" use it to keep people away. It sends a message without sending a message, and having a 2nd person "standing" guard speaks silent volumes. Especially in areas you are not familiar with.
• if a female: never wear girly colored clothing when traveling. the more gender neutral the better. Have long hair, tie it up, and put on a hat to cover it up. If anything you are wearing is the least bit provocative or feminine YOU ARE sending a huge message and no amount of explaining to an officer later on (if you live) that "you said no" will undo the damage.
• See someone needing help? Only when you are in your vehicle and IF you feel safe enough, roll down a window and ask if you can call someone for them. If not, move on.
• When leaving your vehicle to pump gas - ALWAYS have your cell phone in your hand, and 911 pre-dialed in, requiring only a push of one button to activate it.
• always make some sort of contact with a station worker before pumping gas. Call them on the call button, wave, you name it. Don't worry about irritating them, just say, you wanted to make sure the button worked if you needed it. Don't be a nobody.

2. Make sure you have GPS enabled on your tracking devices.

3. NEVER drive over the speed limit, appear like you are "searching" for an address, or similar.

4. Do you tend to be a road rage type person? Get over it, because you never know what the other driver may feel like, and I have seen horrific things down to each other on the road.

5. NEVER EVER EVER TALK ON YOUR CELLPHONE. No matter what, I see people doing this, and making the most stupid dangerous driving errors on the road. Here is the rule of thumb. Your cellphone rings or you decide you need to talk to someone....PULL OVER, period.

6. Always, check your directions before ever turning the key in the ignition each time you stop. Use your GPS system as a back-up to already knowing where you are going.

7. Always let someone not in the vehicle with you know when you leave and when you arrive.

8. Always fill up whenever your tank hits the 1/2 way mark NO MATTER WHAT.

I wish everyone safe travels to your shows.

July 12 & 13
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains
Saturday, 9 - 5, Sunday 9-4 
100 Artists
Deadline: April 15

Noteworthy:

• Over 100 juried artists in a lovely park setting
• Over 20 different categories to chose from
• Promotion of the event through newspaper, radio, press releases, magazine articles, social media, rack cards, collaborative marketing with Chamber of Commerce, and more
• Jury fees are $35 and booth fees are $350 for a single booth
• 40th anniversary celebration of Art in the Park
• Wide reaching community support with a fabulous team of volunteers and staff

I was inspired by Jennifer's post about Bayou City to discuss The Distraction Factor..........

     Well, friends, we have all experienced this at one show or another.  You arrive, unload, sleep and start the first day of the show with high hopes.  As day one begins, you notice the crowds are moving fast, people are there, but they all seem to be in one area.  The area at the other end of the show, about a block or so from where all the artist are.  What are they all doing down there?  We are down here!!!!

     Well, today, everyone is there for the talent show!!!!  On center stage this morning we have several pre-teens and a little older teens singing and dancing their hearts out!  What proud parent, grandparent and casual observer could resist?  Pictures are being taken, the newspaper is there, awards will be given out, it's a grand time!!!  You sit in your booth and wait!!  Maybe once this is over, people will shop.  Nope, not likely!  Those people, that crowd, is not there to buy your beautiful work. 

     As you sit in your booth or walk around a bit to stretch your legs, remaining optimistic that the patrons will come and buy your work, you begin to see a lot of fast walkers with hanging baskets, potted plants and shrubbery.  Is there a farmer's market somewhere close by, you wonder?  I love plants, maybe I will check it out after the show, you think to yourself.  Afterall, many of those plants looked healthy and nice.  An artist a few booths down, also slow and bored at this point, walks over to chat for a bit, compliment your work, and informs you that the local nursery has a big corner booth a block or so down and seems to be cleaning up!  That's where all those plants are coming from.  People are buying plants at an art show that you drove several hours to get to, paid a booth and jury fee and they are buying plants instead of your art! 

     Art shows all have food.  Food is a great draw, keeps people engaged and I am all for a show having good food available.  Last year, I was fortunate enough to do Main Street Festival in suburban Nashville.  They had the best food in my opinion!  Anyway, at your show you are noticing few people walking around with bags and packages, but they aren't empty handed.  Every person, it seems has plunked down $7.00 for a big, mega sized bag of kettle korn!  Yep, at this show the Boy Scouts are selling Kettle Korn!  The scouts are selling so much of this sweet and salty treat that it is all over the street.  It's clinging to everyone's shoes and it is stuck to the floor of your booth!  If you were at the same show I was at last year in the upper midwest, you noticed the woman who was going by every booth and pointing and laughing while literally shoving handfulls of kettle korn in her mouth to the point of being nausiating to look at.  If you were like me, you gave a disapproving look when she passed by your booth and shook your head.  You remain poised in your booth, waiting on the art patrons while the kettle korn crowd looks at your work like it is some kind of infectious lesion they are afraid to touch, interpret or consider and audibly balk at the reasonable price you have affixed to it!

     You survive day one with a few modest sales and head to the hotel for a much needed relaxing evening.  You awake on day two optimistic that maybe the lookie loo's are done and now the real art patrons will stop by your booth and buy something!  My dear, you are in for more disappointment I hate to say.

     As you start day two of this show, you notice a lighter crowd and something else you were too distracted with yesterday to realize....the local hospital is having a health fair today at the show!  Free blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings and a nurse practioner is on hand to answer your health questions!  They're giving away all kinds of free medical swag and people are eating it up!  Who can resist a few free bandaids and some chip clips, right? 

     As the medical fair is overshadowing the art show, the petting zoo for the kids is getting going with $5 pony rides and the local chapter of the 4-H is there with baked goods for sale.  Not to be outdone, the window and siding people are hawking free home estimates and a complimentary coin purse for giving them your coveted e mail adress and phone number so they can schedule that free home visit with you in the coming weeks.  Don't need siding or windows?  How 'bout a free in-home energy audit from the local electric utility company?  Tired of your cable tv service?  Direct TV is there giving super cheap tv service for the first year if you sign a two-year contract today, and we'll give your child a free face painting just for stopping by!!!  Are you tired of having just "some college?"  The local university is there offering free applications for their upcoming semester!!!!  Finish your degree in months instead of years with their convenient on-line courses for busy adults!!!

     You sit in your booth or stand just outside it and think to yourself "I spent this much money and invested this much time to be an afterthought!"  You are getting more and more pi**ed off by the moment, all the while a teenage garage band is belting out their new track, "I wanna kiss your face"  "I wanna kiss your face"....yes, I have "I wanna kiss your face" burned into my memory from a show I did last summer!  "I wanna kiss your face" went on and on and on and was being blasted throughout the fine art show I was participating in!!  Now, whenever I am mad or stressed about something or think of a midwestern state known for their abundant corn crops, I immediately have "I wanna kiss your face" on a continuous loop in my head for the rest of the day!!!

     The end of day two finally comes and you vow never to return to this show.  You draft an e mail to the show director and air your grievances and wish them the best, but you will never be back!

     What you just experienced was the distraction factor and you paid for it!  You paid dearly for it, becuase you barely broke even or lost money on this circus of a "show".  You participated in a show that was so full of sponsors, unrelated art activities and the desire to appeal to everyone, in hopes of drawing a good crowd, it made the art seem like a sideshow or an afterthought.  The people who were drawn to this mess weren't there for the art, they were there for all of the other ancilliary bulls**t, and they didn't leave disappointed.  Yet, you, my dear artist friend, certainly did. 

   Now, I know full well that every show has to have sponsors to cover the extreme costs of having an art fair, I get that completely.  I have been contemplating starting a show in my area, so I know sponsors are important.  Food is important, children's activities are important to a degree, but shows, at least the good ones have to draw a line and artists need to be aware of what they are signing up for. If shows are going to have ancilliary activities they need to be ART FAIR APPROPRIATE!!!  A good pairing of a non-art vendor with an art fair would be a local bar/restaurant/winery having a wine tasting or bringing in a design firm, an architectural firm, as a sponsor, not a local nursery, 25 charities, punk rock bands and Direct TV!!!!

    Artists at fine art fairs should not have to compete with a plethera of distractions for their work to be seen, appreciated and ultimately purchased!  I did some good shows last year that kept the distraction factor to a minimum or eliminated it completely.  Brookside Art Annual was one where there was no distraction factor and I made a fortune at that show! 

     Artists, especially new artists, please read the reviews of the shows you are considering and take the distraction factor into account.  It is time well spent and could save you a lot of money and time by avoiding shows that draw the wrong crowds with all of their ancilliary bs!!!!  

    Artists, what have you encountered related to the distraction factor?  Do you see it getting worse?  Are you considering it when you evaluate shows?

June 7
Jackson, Michigan
12noon-6pm
35+ artists

Festival goers can enjoy live music and artist booths nestled on the grounds of the Ella Sharp Museum and within the courtyard of the museum's historic Hillside Farm Lane.  Adult tasting tickets include entry to live entertainment and artist booths, gallery access, ten sampling tickets, and a commemorative glass.  Tickets are $20 pre-sale and $25 at the door.  Pre-sale tickets available in January 2014.  General admission tickets are $5 (no alcohol included) 

Artists will have an opportunity to present and sell their work to over 2,500 festival goers from south central Michigan as well as enjoy the festivities throughout the day that surround them at the event.

Learn more about our historic museum and events: http://ellasharpmuseum.org/?page_id=148

Kyle Liechty
Director, Art, Beer and Wine Festival
kyle@ellasharp.org
517-872-2320

"Looking for jury"

Kina Crow utilizes her 25 years of experience in theater to infuse her sculptures with a distinct sense of character. Years spent as a costume designer helping actors create their own characters has given her a wealth of knowledge concerning story, fantasy, relationships, and narration.

Each piece tells a story of its own, arising from Crow's instinct to create and nurture the different characters peopling her imagination. 

Gazing at the figures you know that you know them. They speak directly to you with their seemingly unsophisticated wisdom.

Artist's statement:

My interest in human behavior, and a desire to keep a watchful eye on my own wandering mind is both the inspiration for my work itself and the pursuit of an artistic life. The work explores the strange and and often funny territory of the mind, with my 5 year old self as the navigator and asks the viewer to come out and play. 

These works are untraditional portraits. Not of people, but of thoughts and the states of mind that create the wonderful part of being human that feels like magic. My most curious self tends to seek out the places that most 

often scare and confuse me because I have learned over the years that an idea or inspiration always holds some clue that is slowly leading me towards the clarity I so desperately seek.

Each piece is hand built utilizing coil, pinch and slab construction methods. I may also employ glazes that I make myself in the studio. This work is a narrative of my view of human behavior and the constant challenge of living with a wandering mind. 

Meet Kina in Fort Worth at MAIN St., April 11-14.

Learn more about Kina and her work: http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/featured-artist.html

Like most artists, I'm constantly looking for more ways to promote my work and to make a living at this "Art" business. I've participated in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids for the past four years, and I'm hoping to participate again this year. To be honest, I've never directly sold any of my artwork at ArtPrize, but, hopefully, I've attracted some new patrons indirectly. ArtPrize is a fun event. The excitement and energy on the streets of Grand Rapids during ArtPrize are palpable. And its an inspiration to see so much artwork in one town (1500 artists in over 100 different locations).

It has cost me some serious money to participate in ArtPrize over the years, so, this year, I thought I'd ask my customers for help. So, I launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the creation of my next ArtPrize entry. As I went through the process of putting together my campaign, and, as I scanned through many of the current Kickstarter campaigns, I realized that Kickstarter is more than just a "crowd-funding" website, it is also a very powerful marketing tool for selling artwork.

A good Kickstarter campaign offers "Rewards" for people who are willing to pledge support for the project. In most cases these rewards are valuable pieces of art. In my campaign, I am offering some unique rewards, but also the same artwork that I sell at art fairs, on my website and in the galleries that represent me. It is my hope that the added incentive of helping me execute this special project will prompt my patrons to buy more of my artwork. It gives them a way to become intimately involved in my project.

I noticed that there are several artists with multiple Kickstarter campaigns, several of which have far exceeded their funding goal. I came to the realization that these artists are using Kickstarter as their primary mode of selling their work.

I'm seeking $5000 in pledges to create a 20-foot tall version of "Outhouse Island," one of the paintings you see below. I'm also hoping to elicit more interest in the project by asking participants to choose which version I should fabricate for the final exhibit. If I reach my goal, there will be just enough money to create the BIGGEST outhouse painting, ever, and to fulfill the rewards that I'm offering. Exceeding the $5000 goal will be gravy... providing just as much income as if I sold my work on my website.

Here's a link to my Kickstarter campaign. I just launched it yesterday, so I'm hoping to start generating some buzz in the next week or so. And, think about it. Kickstarter (and other crowd-funding websites) may be just another venue for selling artwork.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/390452798/outhouse-island