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I signed up to Art Fair on the behest of my wife, who is the person to advance her talent while I am still hiding in the curtains waiting to build up my courage.  I try to help as much as I am able to get her to the various shows and to set up her displays without getting in the way.  Not always successful at that!

After a couple of years of thrashing about to find the best venue for her hand crafted jewelry, we have stumbled across two shows that have been very good for us, but have not had an abundance of reviews.  Our first major success was Maple and Main Art Fair in Sylvania, OH.  The next was the Westerville Music and Arts Festival.  These are not the only fairs that we attend, but they have become among the best for us, and that is what it's all about.

What seems to make these two affairs among the most memorable is the local support pf their respective communities (CofC involved in both), and the outstanding organization of both.  Set-up and tear-down easy, with the only drawbacks being exhibitors who don't understand courtesy or common sense and end up blocking all traffic of the vendors, so that what is normally easy becomes a little messy until the organizers step in.  In both instances there is indoor plumbing, with Westerville restricting specific restrooms for exhibitors only.  And they are AIR CONDITIONED!.

Attendance is very good at both events, with buyers outnumbering lookers by a large number.  Volunteers are available when needed, not when they get around to it, and they will even help at set-up and tear-down if needed.

Sorry to be long-winded, but we haven't seen many reviews for these two juried events.  I you get the chance and get accepted to either of them, join us in Ohio.  You might be pleasantly surprised!

I'm looking for any information on this show. I've been on the wait list and just got invited to attend. Any feedback/reviews would be helpful!

Thanks!

This show is not for sissies.  It is a one day show held once a month from May – October.  I did July.  It was good for me.  The people were great.  They didn’t say “I’ll be back.”  They bought on the spot.  They didn’t glance around the booth, grab a card, and say “beautiful work” while exiting the booth.  They had insightful comments.  It was an incredibly enjoyable show to do.  The people putting on the show are kind and helpful and very organized.  The logistics are another story.

To begin with, at least from where I am, you can’t get there from here.  There was some nice highway driving and then 70 miles of up and down, curvy roads.  Vanny is not the most maneuverable vehicle and weighted down, not the most powerful either.  To make matters worse I kept losing GPS signal leaving me in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to pull over, at least three cars behind me probably cursing me, and no idea where I was.  And of course, it was raining.  Lesson learned – become familiar with my route and the area through google maps before I leave home.

If you want a hotel close to the show I would still recommend Alpen Acres.  However it is very expensive for what you get – basically a 1 star hotel with difficult parking for a van.  And people do start coming to the show well before the 10AM opening time so a trip back to the hotel for a shower after setup is a bad idea anyway.  Lesson learned – stay in Boone.  It is not that far away and there are hotels with actual flat parking lots.

The show is held in the top level of a parking garage and the access roads leading to it.  Setup is tight, extremely tight.  A call to the show beforehand informed me that while you cannot set up on Friday, anytime after midnight is fair game.  If you have anything other than an EZ-up plan on arriving before the official 6AM setup time.  I arrived at 4AM hoping to get the tent and walls up and the work inside the tent before the masses came at 6AM and I had to move the van.  Of course it was threatening rain.  I failed by half an hour.  Lesson learned – arrive at 3:30AM.  Also you can park on the street outside the show but it is a hard dolly up and down hill.

Artist parking is far away and fills up quickly.  I arrived at artist parking at about 7AM.  I got the last space.  Also there is a driving route to the parking lot and a walking route.  I got a little bit lost trying to get back to my van at the end of the day.  Lesson learned – don’t just follow people back to the show in the morning, pay attention.  Also figure out a way to keep additional stock in your booth because going to the van and back will take a good half-hour.

Breakdown is very well organized but just as tight.  You are supposed to break down completely, get your sticker, and then you can bring your vehicle in.  However if you wait until a lot of the people clear out you will be allowed to come in without breaking down completely.

This area is telecommunications challenged.  GPS is intermittent and gives out at the most inopportune times.  Don’t believe the radar.  It looked exactly the same on Saturday, a little drizzle here and there, as Sunday, pouring.  I did two deliveries on Sunday.  I have three navigation systems on my phone.  It required all three to get to the first one.  The second one was to a woman who could not make phone calls due to no cell phone signal but could text.  So I followed directions by text.  In the pouring rain, on the lovely curvy roads it was just a little stressful.  Lesson learned – set up a meeting place for deliveries that you know how to get to.

After all that – will I go back?  Absolutely.  It was a profitable show for me.  I had some factors in my favor.  The percentage of photographers and 2D artists in general was lower than most shows probably due to the difficult setup and breakdown all in one day.  I only plan on doing this show once a year.  A lot of people asked me when I would be back.  When I answered “next year” instead of August, September, or October, they bought.   I also have a lot of images from the area or look like they could be.  So YMMV but I will go back.

Had a free weekend, didn't have to drive too far, could commute from Denver, thought I'd try something different. What is the saying attributed to Einstein? "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Well I asked for it...I know better than to mix holidays (Like the fourth of July) and art shows. I guess the only outstanding exception to that caveat would be the Cherry Creek Art Show but I wasn't invited to that show this year! (Or any other year that I've applied for that matter!)

Pike's Peak Arts Festival was held in a nice park just off the I-25 corridor near downtown Colorado Springs, CO. Set-Up is pretty much all day Thursday the day before the show so there is no stress with that. Although artists are allowed to drive on the circular sidewalk around the park it can be a little tight if people are not considerate and move all-the-way over to the right! I was fortunate in that my space was not far off the sidewalk so load-in was pretty easy. Got the tent all set up and most of the art went up but when I put my foot on the "sta-bar" to tighten up the 'ole Mesh Panels one of the hooks popped the seam, remember the part about being within driving distance of home? Well, I was glad that I was as I had to take the panel home and resew the seam over night and reinforced the one on the opposite end as well while I was at it!

Over night my cat Jessie woke me up with the suggestion that perhaps I hadn't set my tent up facing the correct direction. She's never done a show with me, what does she know? Rather than losing sleep over it I got up at 4 to drive the hour south to "The Springs", as we northerners refer to it, to be there at 6 and found a helpful helper from the show staff who sure enough confirmed that Jessie was correct, hmmm I was facing the wrong way. Going to a show 101! Had to take all the art down some of the wall pieces and poles and fortunately there were enough friendly artist neighbors around who helped lift all the corners and turn the tent around the right way.

Art on the Rockies produced by the Vail Valley Arts League was held July 12-14 in Edwards, CO on the campus of Colorado Mountain College.  Traversing down the Vail Valley are the communities of Vail, Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum and Dotsero.  Summer art shows are also held in Vail, and Beaver Creek, so be sure you know which “Vail” show you are reading about.  Edwards is more or less the business center for the upper Vail Valley.

 SET UP was organized and well regulated starting Thursday evening, and continuing into Friday. The 110 booths were set up in the college parking lot, on grass around the central building and in a large communal tent.  We were in the parking lot where spaces were 12’ wide and about 18’ deep. There was plenty of room behind the booths for storage.  In the parking lot, you could drive to your booth space.

TAKE DOWN was equally easy.

 THE SHOW opened Friday evening at 5:00 with a champagne art walk sponsored by Korbel. Between one and five there were a couple downpours, the heaviest rain this summer, which put a damper on the art walk. Only a few people wandered around the booths. Saturday morning I walked the 110 show booths. I met some artists who had done Cherry Creek and had added this show to make their trip west worthwhile. There was a high percentage of out of state artists and not all were from the west. The mediums were well balanced, but painting, jewelry and photography dominated. Everything was pretty much high end and absolutely no buy/sell.  A food court sold good food, beer and wine (no kettle corn sold at this show!).  There was a tent that had art activities for kids and both of our grandkids went there.  The weather Saturday and Sunday was nice but warm in the afternoon.  It was cool with a little cloud cover and it only rained briefly Sunday during take down.

 ATTENDANCE AND SALES. I wasn’t real concerned about the Friday art walk because of the weather, but no sales is no sales. Saturday and Sunday the crowds were sparse and it would be a gift to say 2000 people attended the show. Pictures show this BUT, those that did attend were there to buy art.  A painter on one side of me sold two major pieces (probable around $10K), a mixed media sculptor sold expensive pieces, and I saw a lot of wrapped wall art and shopping bags going out.  My total sales were in the $2.5K-$3K range and I came within one belt sale of reaching financial expectations for the show.  Other nuts and bolts about the show are in www.artshowreviews.com.

 OTHER STUFF.  Water was free all day, and coffee and goodies were available in the morning. There were port-a-pots in the parking lot and indoor (handicap accessible) restrooms in the college building. There was a silent art auction. One thing that was lacking was trash and recycle bins in the parking lot. The only ones I saw were near the college building.

 FUN STUFF.  My wife, Jean, took off first thing Saturday morning and ordered a custom paring knife with a cocobolo handle and her name etched on it before I had made a sale.   Later she was talking to the husband of an artist about trading work as he was interested in my belts. His wife is a tall attractive former model. He came over to my booth later and said he would like a belt, and he wanted me to make his wife a custom thong. He got me and I was speechless for a minute as I thought he was dead serious. Jean was in on the joke. She wanted a belt too. Daughter, son-in-law and three grand kids were there and we had fun in the pool and hot tub with the kids at the condo.   

CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund + Artists’ Emergency Resources) has just received a generous challenge gift of $1,000 from an anonymous donor (and member of Art Fair Insiders). This individual has asked us to approach the Art Fair Insiders membership to support a one for two challenge by raising an additional $2,000.

I am writing to you to follow up on this opportunity for CERF+. This challenge was made in response to this donor’s desire to support the quiet phase of our first major gifts campaign, The Campaign for CERF+’s Future, to raise $1.6 million and to connect our two organizations. For each year that she contributes to  the Campaign, this donor plans to challenge an organization she supports to rally their members in support of CERF+’s efforts.

Here is some background about the genesis of the Campaign… Since 1985, CERF+ has operated as a niche organization, working behind the scenes in every region of the country to help craft artists prevent and mitigate losses due to personal crises and natural disasters.  We have also operated year to year—a funding model we have now outgrown. The combination of the ongoing economic crisis, an increase in demand for our emergency relief assistance, and our resolve to help artists be better prepared for emergencies requires that we create longer term and more sustainable methods of supporting our work.

Our board and staff have crafted a vision and a plan to enable CERF+ to provide the necessary working capital for organizational stabilization and advancement.  Key to our success is to raise $1.6 million over the next five years using our grass roots personal approach and without the help of cost-prohibitive fundraising consultants.  As this Campaign provides a special opportunity for us to engage existing supporters and to build a bigger community for CERF+, I am very excited to be reaching out to Art Fair Insiders to seek your involvement and support.

As a member of an organization that shares our commitment to supporting artists careers, I am very hopeful that you will consider this special request to raise $2,000 within your membership to support the Campaign for CERF+’s Future. Visit our donation page and when making your contribution check off the "This gift is in honor of the Art Fair Insiders challenge." box underneath the Commemorative Giving section. Thank you. 

Sincerely yours, 

Cornelia Carey
Executive Director

www.craftemergency.org
www.studioprotector.org

This art festival is located on a farm in the very small community of Trout Lake, WA which is north of the Columbia River Gorge. The area is known for outdoor activities, Mt.. Adams and the huckleberries that grow wild there. This year it was in a new location complete with a stunning view of Mt. Adams. That was the good part about the new location, the bad was that we could no longer drive onto the field so we had to dolly to our spot over bumpy ground. Friday was setup from 1pm-whenever and the show ran from 10am-5pm on Sat and 10-4 on Sunday. It was fairly windy during setup but otherwise the weather was beautiful but HOT. Because of the heat I was really slow setting up and tearing down. It was the longest load out I’ve ever done. I was the last to leave, although I did spend some time talking to another artist.

The show is small with 55 artists. The quality is mixed, however, most of the art was good and I think better than previous years. Since it’s so small, customers tend to make the rounds a couple of times before purchasing. The attendance was good both days and people were carrying purchases. The locals from Trout Lake and the surrounding areas really turned out and supported the show this year. Don't let this photo fool you, there were times it was pretty busy. Unlike a show in a large city, it’s the only show in town so the people come. This was my 3rd year at this show. In 2011 I sold several originals and did well. Last year, attendance was down and I just made expenses. This year I did a little better but only sold small items and no originals.

This is a very inexpensive show for me to do. There is a $55 booth/jury fee which is refunded if you are not accepted and a 10% commission. Lodging is limited and it’s on the expensive side (no bidding or deals), however I camp at the county campgrounds for $18/night ($24 with electric) and it's only a 80 mile drive from Portland. Amenities include ice water for all, iced tea and lemonade for artists and credit card services. The credit card services came in handy for some artists that couldn’t get data reception.

All in all, it’s a fun show to do. I don’t think it’s the type of show where anyone would make $10k, but I know some artists grossed over $3k. You can do ok here, especially given the low cost. It’s not the kind of show I would travel far for, but if you’re semi-local or laying over in the area and have a free weekend it could be worth a shot. For me, it’s a crap-shoot. It’s a lot of fun to do and I enjoy camping and seeing the other artists that work that show. The director is great, the food is good, reasonably priced and there are healthy options. It depends on my schedule whether I'll do it next year but it will be on my list.

I've probably reviewed this before because I love it so and it is easier to rave than rant sometimes. OK, no it isn't. But this is a (qualified) rave.

The show is held on the grounds of the Institution which is an amazing place. If you are not familiar, it is basically a Victorian gated community on Chautauqua Lake that transforms itself every Summer into a campus dedicated to matters of art, music, theater,  spirituality, intelligent and reasoned discourse. It is very expensive to live and/or visit there, so crass as it is to say, you are already in with the right demographic. But I am most grateful for the interesting and interested customers.

I use quotations on or in most of my work, sort of my "trademark". People comment on them all the time, but here I was corrected on the tense of an Emily Dickinson quote, questioned about whether Emerson or Jesus actually said this and complimented about using quotes properly, as inspiration and compliment to the work without  regressing into cliche.

Huh?

Some of my art carnie friends had big sales of their most expensive pieces. One jeweler sold a thousand dollar necklace, another sold one for 500. These are huge numbers to me because I can be purchased at much more reasonable rates. (Look, my medium is paper. Let's compare overhead). I sold quantity. I have to, of course. What is different here, is that people will buy a few journals at a time, add some cards, turn around and spot the miniature book jewelry and buy a bunch for their book club. It is just different.

The organization, headed by a force of nature named Tina Rausa, is one of the best anywhere. They dash about in their red cobbler aprons, taking care. The set up can be tricky because the show is set up along a narrow road and we take turns using the available room. It is a "drop and go" choreography that works really well because you are never left alone to deal with the guy that won't move or the late arrival that wants to squeeze in. Somehow, at 10:30 the show is up and running and it looks like we were there all night just waiting to lift the front panels.

OK, the qualification is that for a bunch of folks, sales were down. Now, I had a situation last year when A Dr came in, looked at my collage and bought all of them, so it is hard for me to judge, but mine were a bit less than usual. Still twice as much as anywhere else, though. 

The artist across from me had exquisite handcrafted furniture. I admired it. A friend checked the price. 4K, as in thousand. He sold 7 pieces. Zowee.

And you know how, at some shows, you get teenagers hanging out behind your booth, drinking beer, laughing at inane adolescent jokes, saying stuff like "hey, can I buy your art? "

Here, they are playing the cello.

The best part for me is that I also got juried into the August show so I get to go back. I recommend this show highly unless you are mixed media/paper because then I would have to hunt you down and stick you in my trunk until the deadline passes

http://www.craftsalliance.com/

Just finished up an exhausting weekend (Nothing like doing a 3 day outdoor show at 6+ months pregnant!) 

I spent the weekend at the Cain Park Arts Festival.  This was year 2 for me and as usual it didn't disappoint.

The show gets top points for me for treatment of artists.  They have a very professional system of check in, escorting your car right to the booth (after walkie-talkie checks giving clearance, it's so official!)  We always get lots of offers to help and though my husband and I have set up down to a science, I have seen many artists get complete help unloading and even setting up their booth, including helpers willing to unpack and even help set up. 

Set up times are staggered so it's not too difficult to get in and out (of course, we tend to set up early, and we set up quick, so I'm not the best judge there)

There really isn't  a bad spot in the park as there are entrances on each side.  Some parts are shadier then others of course, and we backed up to a wooded area so it could get buggy at times.  

We're fed (always a good thing)  doughnuts and coffee each morning, a lunch on Friday set up day and an artists breakfast and awards on Sunday.  (It's the little things sometimes!) 

On Sunday a volunteer even came around repeatedly with a Brita pitcher of water and cups since it was hot. (Again, those little touches are nice) 

Now, sales....

I like that Friday is free to get in.  I made my booth fee back quickly, and went on to profits and that is always a good feeling early on in the show.  For jewelers I think Friday is the best night. Saturday and Sunday were a bit more of a struggle with pulling in the $$s for me. Though I know a lot of the 2d artists tend to do better once people check out the work, measure at home and come back to purchase.   I had a tough Saturday afternoon particularly with a lot of questions (some really not necessary, more on the "entertain me" for free level).

I got the general impression that buying was lower than usual.  (from comparing my own sales, and artist impressions)  I was a bit bummed I didn't meet my goal of beating last years sales, but still was happy with the outcome (I came awfully close!) . I did sell some of my higher priced items though, and did see bigger ticket work walking around as well (paintings, sculpture etc...) so there were people there who were willing to invest a bit more.  It still beats sales for most of the shows in the local Cleveland area though.  

The directors of the show are really encouraging of patrons to support the artists (getting on the intercom even to tell jokes, and inspire people to buy) It's just nice to do a show where you feel appreciated by the organizers and the patrons alike.  Even when there were patrons  could not purchase they were very friendly for the most part and super complimentary.  Not a lot of haggling or inappropriate comments encountered here. 

My highlight was winning my very FIRST award, as I got a judges selection ribbon this year.  Woohoo! :) 

This is my first time doing a show in Pennsylvania and I had always heard that this one was a high quality show. After a nine hour drive to State College which is a bit in the middle of nowhere, I was wondering what to expect. It's the home of Penn State but other than that, not much there. Hotels were a little pricy for a place called Happy Valley and was wondering if I would break even considering the gas, hotel, booth fee and other expenses. Got there on Tuesday, (this is a 4 day show) and got the lay of the land.

The show is set up in two section with one large u shape of exhibitors on campus and one in town. The college side is much quieter than the town side which has the food and entertainment. But the college side is hillier and not as easy to set up. Luckily I was located on Burrows and I had a drive in/out set up and it was a dream (except the scary Thursday night storm with tons of lightning which happened right in the middle of set up).

Thursday was overcast but cool and really pleasant to walk around. The crowds came and they came and they came. Except for Sunday, the roads were packed and the buying energy was extremely high. Some said it was better to be on the University side and some said the other- because they had the food and entertainment but I don't think either could go wrong. I saw people for 4 days in a row-by the 4th day I knew their first names! 

Everyone you saw had a package under their arm, usually more than one. I was astonished, the town seemed small, but apparently everyone in Pennsylvania and beyond comes in for this show every year. People were extremely nice, the organizers were very gracious and made us feel like rock stars. Lots of help if you needed it and a wonderful classy dinner the first night of the show. Didn't win anything but my fiber neighbor won a large award and many others did too- there was over 17,000 in prize money with fine crafts taking the bulk of the awards. Very generous and appreciated I'm sure,for those who won.

I had one of my best shows, selling all price points from 1500. - to 50. and lots of in-between. The potter next to me (great girl/great work) did well, and the bow tie man a few booths away (what a wonderful human being) almost sold out. The metal artist down at the end sold out too.

The quality of exhibitors was very high and I did not see one bit of buy and sell. Everyone was so nice and helpful and positive. By the end of the show I kind of understood the Happy Valley thingy.

Thank You, CPFA, You are a class act and a well-oiled machine that doesn't miss a beat, Thank you State College, a gem in the middle of essentially nowhere, that is so loved by it's alums, that they all descend upon the town for this much loved event every year, and thank you weather, you turned out to be fabulous for the middle of summer and made viewing and selling a delight. I'm in the car if they ask me back next year. Makes me love what I do.

What a fabulous show this is!!! Extremely well run, treat the vendors like family and even the public are enjoyable and considerate!!

"Mystery Lady"

Characters in Search of a Home

Meet Elle and her cast of characters, found object sculpture that tell a story. What kind of a story? That is up to you to find out because these mischievous objects have something different for each viewer.

Elle is a relative newcomer to the art fair business but is attacking it with a vengeance! This is her first full year of participating in the shows and it has led her from Reston, VA, to Stillwater, OK, and many places in between. 

Sometimes, just like more seasoned artists, she doesn't turn a profit and other times she wins the award and great sales to boot! 

Two recent triumphs were having one of her sculptures chosen by producers at ESPN to be on their set, right behind the anchor and most recently, in Spring Green, WI, when early in the show a customer purchased 90% of her work, which meant cancelling the next show so she could make work for the next ones.

"Pops"

Each "Character" is an original, one of a kind creation composed from a variety of materials: old vintage junk, tools, flea market finds and ephemera of times gone by. They are constantly changing as she finds just the right component that enables the sculpture to find its personality.  

Meet Elle and the Characters:

July 17-20 - Ann Arbor Summer Fair, space C133 on State

and 3 Chicago area shows in August & September, with more to come. 

Learn more about Elle and her work: www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/featured

Okay, I just made it home from the Wyandotte Street Art Fair (Wyandotte, Michigan) and I had a pretty successful show. For the good, I had $1437 in sales over the four days. I wasn't expecting much from thus show, so this was a welcomed surprise! 

And my show piece ("Tender Embrace" #1/125), that won the third place photography ribbon at the Crosby Festival of Arts in Toledo sold! The couple who bought that work commented that their daughter really liked it the day before and they came and bought it as a wedding gift. Awe...

Well, now to the bad. The show hours were long... 10AM to 9PM each day. Which I could go for 10-9 on the first three days but packing up after nine really stinks. I am a one man show which means that I did not leave tonight until 11PM. Yes, it's pretty standard for me to take two hours to tear down the display and pack it all up. Let alone unloading the vehicle when I get home (I have not done that yet). So, I see why the Ann Arbor fairs end at 6PM on Saturday. And to really add salt to the wound, there were no sales in my booth after 6PM on Saturday (not many stops in the booth either). Just endless streams of nomads wondering aimlessly...

And here is the ugly part. Like I said, I am a one man show. I need a both sitter from time to time to take a restroom break. Um... getting a booth sitter was like pulling teeth. Good thing my bladder held out. Maybe if I do the show again I should get a package of Depends undergarments. I mean is it that difficult to know which one of your artists are there by them self? Make a note of it art fair promoters...

There you go. Wyandotte - the good, bad and ugly...

Went to this festival knowing full well that it was not the place to look for high quality art or crafts. Every once in a while you need to go to a festival like this. Not only do you appreciate what you see at other festivals but it was very educational. While I know there is a lot of grumbling about booth shots, go to a show where most of the artists have no idea how to display their work.  It was amazing how many booths just had tables with the work scattered all over.  

There were only three jewelry artists worth looking at and I bought things from two of them.  There were a couple of other booths that had decent work but that was about it.  There were fewer booths than I remember, the music was unobtrusive and I don't really remember any food booths other than popcorn and wine.  

This show is brought to you by the rightly maligned Chicago Special Events.  As mentioned, the quality was all over the place.  The crowd wasn't rowdy like it was at Wells Street when I was there so that was a good thing.  

So in addition to the great jewelry I got, I also got to eat at a new restaurant that had the best chicken/avocado sandwich I have ever had.   (priorities you know)

I can't recommend that anyone do this show but if you want to see the difference between a good show and a bad show, check this one out for the latter.

I figure now is a better time to post this than next week after I try it out. That way everyone can play with it at the show this week.

The Ann Arbor shows have a combined app in the itunes store. It's called the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, abbreviated to A2ArtFairs when it installs. It lists the artists from all the shows alphabetically by medium and shows one image of their artwork and links to their booth locations on a map.

Since I was going to spend two or three days walking the shows this week, I decided to try out the app. I've been contacted by a few artists who want a booth picture taken and added them to my favorites in the app.

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

August 10 & 11
Monroe, Michigan
Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. 10am-6pm
around 90 artists
Deadline: July 17

Monroe is halfway between Toledo and Detroit, easily accessible for the many artists who live in this region.

The 10th Annual Downtown Monroe Fine Art Fair is located in the Historic District of Monroe, Michigan. Our art Fair corresponds with the River Raisin Jazz Festival. Enjoy a relaxing weekend in our downtown full of spectacular Fine Art juried in from around the country.

The Downtown Monroe Fine Art Fair has an elite number of artists. Jurying to select only fine Art has limited the attendance to around 90 artists, but gained in the quality of work. The true art lover will enjoy a sophisticated show and the Fine Artist will be in good company with others who share the same quality of work. Because neither the Downtown Monroe Fine Art Fair nor the River Raisin Jazz Festival charge an admission to the public, the shows are very popular with tens of thousands of people in attendance.

This in a non-profit show, all of the booth fees and donations go directly towards growing, improving and promoting the show across the Midwest. Monroe is in an optimal location for pulling in crowds we are a short drive from Detroit, Ann Arbor and Toledo.

The show is run by a group of volunteers who are friendly and willing to help everyone have a wonderful and successful weekend.

For more information and application: www.monroefineartfair.com
Christy LaRoy: www.christylaroy.com

• This is a national  show
• Juror: Marshall N. Price, Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art
• $3000 in Cash Awards
• July 8th early bird deadline
• July 22nd Final Deadline

• This is a regional show
• Juror: David McFadden, Chief Curator, Museums of Arts and Design
• $1500 in Cash Awards
• July 8th Early Bird deadline
• July 22nd Final Deadline

• This is an international show   
• Juror TBA from B & H
• $1500 in Cash Awards
• July 26th Early Bird Deadline
• August 16th Final Deadline

Read more and apply.

These exhibits sponsored by the BWAC, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. BWAC's 25,000 square foot gallery is in a Civil War-era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront, with its trendy boutiques and restaurants and the city’s best view of the Statue of Liberty - across from the Fairway supermarket and down the block from IKEA.  It’s a perfect destination for a spring weekend, accessible by public transportation and biking is a breeze!

BWAC is a 501c3 organization, with two synergistic missions:

Okay. I had an issue tonight at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair. My iPhone would not connect to the Internet and thus, I lost a $35 sale for my square account could not connect. This is frustrating because I have been reaching for sales at this show and this one that walks away hurts more!

Has this happened to you? I called Verizon tonight and they said to power off your phone and restart. Does this work?

By the way, they said they would go to the ATM and get some cash. But I know and you know too, that once they leave your tent, they'll never come back. This indeed was the case this evening...