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We're sorry to announce that Marc Duke won't be able to attend our Best of Missouri Hands conference, but we're extremely pleased that Marc made arrangements with Cindy Lerick to fill his role as keynote speaker after he found he was unable to attend.

The Best of Missouri Hands welcomes one of the top people in the industry to the annual ArtSmart conference, this year entitled “Art Springs in Springfield”. Cindy Lerick, Executive Director of Cultural Festivals which produces the award-winning Saint Louis Art Fair, will give a keynote address dealing with how independent artists have been affected by the recession and strategies that artists can use to help their careers.

The Saint Louis Art Fair, consistently ranked in the Top Ten of the Art Fair SourceBook’s Top Fine Art Events, is a nationally juried fine art and fine craft show. Over 100,000 people attend the free event each September and total sales for the event typical exceed 1.5 million dollars. Lerick has been executive director for two years. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis and co-directed the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival.

Although Lerick has primarily been involved with art fairs throughout her career, she also keeps close tabs on artists who do not regularly do art fairs and market instead through galleries and other means. She is known for her personal touch, putting herself in the artists’ shoes to help insure their success while keeping an eye on the bottom line.

The ArtSmart Conference is an annual event for The Best of Missouri Hands which is an artisan group devoted to the promotion and education of Missouri artists. Education, inspiration, networking, and workshops will be offered along with Friday Night Frolics and a silent auction. The Artisan Showcase will be open to the public and offer participating artists a chance to exhibit and sell their work. Additional breakout sessions are planned on topics ranging from developing a portfolio, utilizing social media to promote your work, how to sell wholesale, getting juried into gallery exhibits and more.

Registration includes Friday evening reception, Saturday lunch and the Saturday evening banquet. The University Plaza Hotel in downtown Springfield provides breakfast on Saturday and Sunday for guests who stay at the hotel. Registrants are invited to bring guests to the Friday evening reception. Additional activities require that guests purchase and present tickets to participate. For full details and pricing, please visit www.bestofmissourihands.org

We hope that you will join us for a very creative, fun-filled weekend as Art Springs in Springfield.

For further information:
www.bestofmissourihands.org
Phone: (636) 293-6864

Bayou City Art Festival (March 28-30)  seems to be having a communication problem.  Websites and Face Book pages all over the internet are buzzing.

I have no horse in this race (obviously) although I did live in Houston for ten years and I have had the pleasure of being threatened with a lawsuit by an "artist" whose work I questioned, thanks to the Director of BCAF a couple of years ago.  

And there was last year's "art heist" held during the final hours of last year's show that I objected to so some might think I don't have a lot of love for the folks running this show.

I don't make this stuff up, it just happens naturally.  Apparently no one has received any information about booth space, hotels, load-in and whatever other info is usually sent prior to the show.  Inquiries for the most part were not answered leaving artists wondering what is going on. At  one point, artists calling the number of the BCAF office heard the phone picked up and someone in the background saying  to hang up the phone.  Then there is the rumor that the show has been expanded from 300 artists to 450.    300 is a lot of artists but 450 is a ridiculous number.  If the show has attendance to support 300 that is fine but if you are going to increase your booth number by 50%, you damn well better increase your attendance by at least 75% just to be safe.  Those are very small pieces of pie for the artists.

One of the artists received an email (finally) from someone in authority at BCAF with some sort of verbiage about making this a world class event that collectors from all over the world would rush to attend except it is a little late for this year with less than a month until the show.  As to the change in the prospectus from 300 to 450 artists, this was explained by a change in the board of directors after the prospectus and application money was received.  Others are checking into the legality of changing the show from what was listed in the prospectus.  (oh, did I mention that this information came out after the date for any kind of booth refund had passed?  Is anyone surprised?)

Adding to all the fun surprises, the  Fall BCAF had an application deadline before the Spring BCAF had even taken place.  Something that hadn't happened before, it is usually after.  But, have no fear, they have extended that deadline a bit for all those who didn't know they had made it so much earlier than previous years.  

And the surprises keep on coming--those called off the wait list (you have to fill those 150 booths somehow) are not being told that the show has been increased by such a large amount either.  

Of course all this fun led to some interesting comments and questions on their FB page where you can rate the show.  Gee, that section of the page seems to have been removed and there is no place to add commentary other than under something they have posted.  

Now with all this going on, including the hiring of people to help spread the gospel of wonderfulness that the BCAF will be, one would think that there would be some information disseminated today to stem the flow of conjecture and ill feelings towards this festival but alas, the silence has been deafening.

Houston--YOU have a problem.

Great weekend, great show, lots of orders for custom portraits!

I paint on multiple layers of plexiglass to give the art a 3D look. The finish pieces have 4 layers of plexi with spacers between them and are about 1" thick. They look awesome, if you can see the work past that glare! The glare is bad in the house and can only imagine how bad it will be in my booth outdoors. I'm looking for a non-glare glass or acrylic product for the final layer to protect the work. I have looked at non-glare acrylic, but the one I tried is only clear if it's directly on the art, otherwise it gives it a foggy look. I've also seen Tru-View non-glare glass but it is pricey and of course it's more trouble some as far as transporting. Any suggestion?

I've just updated my website, new images had been added and store coming soon. Galleries have a new look. Some feedback will be appreciated. www.lpstudios.net . I only have on concern, pages that you need read the background is white and for the galleries is black. Please let me know what you think.

I take my down time and update the website every year. I did the final stuff before I add the store to the website. I need advice and things that you do not like. There are things that I can not do: gallery images can not get any bigger.

Thanks

September 27 & 28  
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria Riverfront Festival Park & Gateway Building
Fri. Patron Preview Party
Sat. 9am-5pm; Sun. 10am-5pm
150 Artists
Deadline:  March 14

Highlights:

• $10,000 Total Awards, including Best of show: $2,500; 10 Awards of Excellence: $750 each and 10 Honorable Mentions:  Automatic invite for 2015
• Peoria is hallway between Chicago and St. Louis and a short destination drive from Des Moines, Milwaukee and Indianapolis
• Voted in Top 50 Best Art Fairs by ArtFairCalendar.com
• Rated #87 in the Top 200 Art Fairs by Sunshine Artist, 2013
• Ranked in the Top 200 Fairs, 2013 Art Fair Sourcebook, #63 in Fine Art and #92 in Fine Craft

With 35% of our exhibiting artists new each year, we never tire of hearing:  "Wow, I never thought I'd sell this well and have this much fun in Peoria, Illinois!"

Whether you're a first-timer...

This has been one of the nicest shows I've been a part of.  Well organized, very artist friendly, beautiful town and art savvy customers.  Plus, what an outstanding group of artists.-Joe Martino, 2013 Fine Art Fair Artist

Or back for more...

I love your festival,  It is always one of my favorites every year.  I always love coming back.  Thank you!-Shawn Wolter, 2005-2013 Fine Art Fair Artist

We pride ourselves on preserving the established reputation of hosting an exceptional fair-now into its 52nd year!!

• An appreciative buying audience for ALL mediums
• Pre-fair sales opportunities and commissioned post-fair sales
• Easy set-up and teardown/level and accessible
• Over 400 energetic community volunteers willing to please-delivery of refreshments, booth sitters for breaks, and other help as needed
• Overnight security-both Friday and Saturday
• Complimentary meals all weekend with artist awards reception meal
• Beautiful outdoor venue on over three acres of Riverfront
• Above and beyond hospitality-enjoy some good mid-western fun!

Come to Central Illinois and let us show you why so many artists consider the Peoria Art Guild's Fine Art Fair one of the most fun (and profitable) fairs they do all year!

Application available at: www.Zapplication.org 

For more info, please call (309)671-1090, visit: www.peoriaartguild.org, or email: events@peoriaartguild.org  

July 4 & 5

Muskegon, Michigan

Hackley Park

10am-6pm

200 Artists

Deadline: March 3

Art has been a driving force in downtown Muskegon for over a century. In 1961 Hackley Park became the center for a large-scale art and craft show known as Muskegon Art in the Park. In 2013, the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce took the local Art in the Park event to the next level with the creation of the Lakeshore Art Festival.

The festival features a unique blend of arts, crafts, music, food and fun along the shoreline in historic Downtown Muskegon. Hundreds of artists and crafters will be showcased with fine art in the park, crafts, children's activities and an Artisan Food Market all wrapped up in a street party atmosphere.

EXHIBITOR OVERVIEW

• Fine Art/Fine Craft
  Hackley Park is home to the Fine Art/Fine Craft. The park's  natural grassy landscape features mature trees, flowering plants, sculptures, exterior and interior sidewalks. It is located in the heart of downtown Muskegon's Heritage Village, close to the library, art museum, county museum and theaters.

• Craft Exhibitors, Children's Lane & Artisan Food Market
  Craft exhibitors will reside in the newly renovated streets in the heart of downtown. These wide roads feature lots of natural light and gorgeous boulevards.

IMPORTANT DATES

• March 3 - Application Deadline (Application fee non-refundable); March 24 - Notification of Acceptance; April 21 - Booth Fees Due; May 5 - Cancellation refund deadline; July 3 - Event Set up; July 4 & 5 - Event 10am-6pm

EXHIBITOR FEES

• $30 Application Fee (non-refundable)
  $250 Fine Art/Fine Craft
  $180 Craft /Children's Lane/Artisan Food Market 

FINE ART/FINE CRAFT PRIZES

• $1,000 - First Place/Best in Show; $800 - Second Place;
  $600 Third Place; $400 Honorable Mention; $200 - Committee's Choice

Location/Space

• Each display space will be at least 12'x12'. Spaces will be allocated at the discretion of the Lakeshore Art Festival organizers. Requests will be considered and met whenever possible. Corner spaces are not charged or allocated as prime locations. Electrical or water service is not available. Exhibitors are responsible for providing their own display, tent and booth equipment.

Apply at Zapplication: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info-public.php?fair_id=3085

Learn more: www.lakeshoreartfestival.org

Event Director: Carla Flanders; artfest@muskegon.org

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

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

March 29 & 30

Highlights:

• Long history of excellent community support
• $6000 in cash awards; $1,600 Best in Show, plus $500 Spectator Awards for shoppers to win to purchase work at the festival
• Limited to 95 Fine arts and crafts exhibitors  and 77 traditional artists and crafters
• Application fee: $15; Booth Fees: Fine art and craft: $155
• Artists amenities: 24 hour security, booth sitters, restrooms, continental breakfast, reserved on-site parking for cars, designated trailer parking, designated RV parking (dry parking only) - free
• Estimated attendance: 5000+
• Extensive advertising and marketing: television, radio, newspapers, magazines
• Friday setup, drive to booth; assistance available if required
• DOAF has adopted the Atlanta/Maitland Scoring System. Artists work will be judged on their Originality, Presentation & Execution. Artwork no longer leaves the artists booth.

Two ways to apply: www.DelandOutdoorArtFest.com

It's the slow time of year for us here in Michigan. Too much snow, too much cold. But I am still creating. My Lego Olympics posts have been a hit.

Plus there is some good news. I am on the wait list for the Art Birmingham (MI) and the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. This was my first time ever applying to any of the Ann Arbor art fairs. So I think being on the wait list still in limbo land but not bad for my first application to those fairs...

I am looking forward to the Peguicon in Southfiled, MI on May 2-4. It will be my first nerd fair which I might do fairly well in...

Don't miss the art event of the year!

2014 Show Highlights

• This year, we're co-locating with independent art fair [SOLO] and framing showcase DECOR Expo, which means a bigger and better show than ever!
• HGTV celebrity designer David Bromstad will exhibit and host a "Splash of Color" seminar.
• Free Topics & Trends seminar series
• New VIP Lounge
• Artist unveilings, guided tours & more.

How to Participate

• Exhibit in Artexpo New York--for established artists, gallery owners & publishers.
• Exhibit in [SOLO]--for emerging, independent artists.
• Send your art to our Rising Artist Wall--if you are not ready for a solo exhibition, or you are unable to attend the show in NYC.
• Purchase an ad in the official 2014 Show Guide--if exhibiting is not an option for you, but you want your art to be seen by 15,000+ people at the show.

Not sure what option is best for you? Give us a call and we'll walk you through your options. Whether you're a well-established artist or just starting out, we can help you to grow your business.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
The Artexpo Team

	CONTACT US: sales@artexponewyork.com

Naples National was the second of my first two ever art fairs in florida.  I have commented on Artigras on Nel's post.

My first impression as a first-timer is that Naples National is a very well organized show.   It takes place in and along the edge of a park a block away from the business district.  All artists were given check in times dependent on booth location. ranging from 7:30am to 5:30 pm or later.  I set up in the morning, but when my husband and I strolled back after dinner big lights had been erected and people were still setting up.  Artist booths were in the park- some shady on mulch, and some sunnier spots on grass, and also on the street that runs along the west side of the park.  A visitor could start at one end and wind all thru the park and not miss anything.  I thought the setups on the street were a little disconnected from the rest of the show and quite hot, though not as dirty.  (There was a constant deposition of brown dust on everything, I assume stirred up from the mulch)

There was a very efficient artist shuttle to and from the parking lot for artists, (though it was a pleasantly walkable distance) that ran all through setup, the fair, and take-down.  I thought the quality of the art was superb.  Lots more wall art than I am accustomed to see, and less ceramics and jewelry.  Naples is a place of great wealth (We saw more Bentleys and Jaguars there in two days than I have seen in my entire life), and I would speculate that a higher percentage of people are looking for paintings/prints for the empty walls of their condos than at most art fairs.  I would be interested in hearing from a 2-d artist on their take.  My next door neighbor, a potter with lovely wares, said he was disappointed because he brought the wrong price points - he brought the cheaper stuff, and he sold out on his more expensive pieces.  My other neighbor, Zacki, was a character with aggressively modern paintings and did not sell anything. 

For my part, my booth was always busy, and I made more money in two days than in three at Artigras.  The sales were mostly in the $40-120 range with enough larger sales to make me happy. 

I found that customers were interested and not jaded, and in the mood to be pleased.  There was extremely little ethnic and racial diversity.  I don't know what the average age was, but there were no strollers here.  I got the feeling that price was not as much as an object as finding exactly what they wanted.  I was delighted to get into this show, and would be delighted to do it again.

For all the organization at setup, takedown was something of a free-for-all, but seemed to work ok nonetheless.  Organizers seemed to concentrate on coordinating vehicles the on-street portion of the fair, but the big lights did make their appearance which helped a lot in making sure everything got back in the van. 

On the fun side, the beach at Naples is great, and the food is wonderful, if pricey.  The best meals we had were are Bha!Bha! a persian bistro on 5th.  Wow.  We stayed a short (walkable) distance away, at LaQuinta.

If any of you drive north (or South) thru Florida from Jacksonville to Ocala/Tampa on 301, you should stop at a great local restaurant in Starke called Grannie's Country Cooking.  I liked all the fruit stands, too, and am still eating the oranges!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice.  I recently got into the Columbus Art Fair in Columbus, OH.  I know this is a large show and, as I've never attended it, would love some insight on what spot might be good.  I am a painter and do NOT love to be in very windy spots (who does).  After reading another post, I understand that part of the show is on a bridge?

Does anyone have an old map of the show that they can forward to me?  I would love to be able to see it.

Thanks so much for all your help and if you are at the show, too, I hope we can meet!

Amy

Me & John Elway Canton, Ohio 2004

I am such a huge groupie. I have loved that moment of meeting someone famous or infamous for most of my life.   Some people call me insecure. They say that I’m not happy with who I am and so I have to connect myself with people who I will never be. I think that’s sad. I just like to meet famous people; people who’ve accomplished extraordinary things in a very difficult life. I realize how hard it is just to survive in this world, let alone achieve and prosper. When I meet someone who has excelled in whatever realm that they exist in, I can’t help but be impressed and want to share a moment with them to express my respect for what they have accomplished. That’s why I love to paint athletes and celebrities and political figures and great moments in history: they are a reflection of the excellence that I have witnessed in my lifetime.

"Red 98" by Rick Long ©2013

Painting, for me, has become somewhat of a rush unlike any other that I have experienced in my half a century alive. I learned at an early age that I had a skill in something that a vast majority of people were afraid of: public speaking. Speaking in front of strangers taught me to be motivated by the fact that I had to create an environment for both me and my audience where we could communicate bilaterally through one form and/or another, and where we would all benefit simultaneously from the interaction. It was my responsibility then as a speaker, and now as an artist, to create a sensory “bubble” around both my art and my audience were outside influences were minimized in order to heighten the connection to what was being communicated inside that “bubble.” My experiences for a decade as a professional actor on stage only fortified my belief in the necessity of that environment. Whenever the case was that the bubble had been burst, by fault of either the artist or the audience, the message which was intended to reach that audience was the first thing to disappear.

A trend that I have been noticing is that the "model" for the big shows (by that I mean the 300+ artists shows) overall is down and heading further down. Coconut Grove/St. Stephens is the latest. It seems shows that were staples...Ann Arbor, St. James Court, and Coconut Grove, once celebrations for visual arts, aren't attracting the buying power they once did. The competition for the limited dollars is far too great for the number of qualified buyers. Perhaps some categories might do well but for 2-D, these shows seem to be way off. 

If that wasn't bad enough, the app and booth fees for these shows are escalating. 

Personally, I have enrolled in a 12-step program that is helping me not push the "pay" button on my Zapplication shopping cart for events that feature more than one show. Oh yeah, sure I fill out the form and all..I just pull back before hitting the "pay"button.

Thoughts???

I did the St. Stephens show for the 4th time and have been waiting and watching for blogs about the show.  I have been wondering what went wrong as the weather was  perfect.  I barely made 1/3 of previous years and all that I spoke to said the same.  Some sold nothing. 

I live in Ft. Lauderdale and went to my doctor today who asked if I had done the show and how I did.  When I told him he said that he, his wife, and out of town friends have gone to the show for over 30 years and this year they drove for an hour trying to find a way in, but the police had all the roads blocked.  They left and went home!  I guess that explains it folks.  If I live here and can hardly get to the show site because of the blocked roads, how can we expect the buying public to find us?  What a shame, but it does explain why there were not nearly as many patrons as years past when we had cold or wet weather.  I head north next year! 

Please folks who were there, lets have some comments!

I did the Beaux Art Festival and I thought it was beautiful, well laid out and well managed.  I did very well and hope to be invited back next year.