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Okay. I did it. I've been in the biz forever. But this was my very first outdoor show with a tent and walls and all the concerns we all read and talk about on this amazing site. And although I had read and researched and practiced and planned, my insides sweated it out and I totally wanted to back out of the whole thing. By the time we arrived at our friend's beach house with a borrowed van the night before the show, I was already exhausted, and soooooo angry. At what? At whom? No one, really. I was just disappointed. I was disappointed that it wasn't more fun. I hated the packing and unpacking and spending way too much time preparing. I'd read all about grid walls on this site and decided to go with that. But they were so heavy and cumbersome. Why did I spend SO much money on all this? Why did I even think I'd want to do this at all? I'm too old for all this bother. What was I trying to prove?

And this was only Friday night and all that was going on was early set up the night before the actual festival.

My husband came with me to set up the tent and put everything in place. With a few festival neighbors to help, we got the tent up and were even offered four heavy-duty twisty dog ties for the tent legs which I hadn't known would be allowed. We'd put up the grid walls and placed the weights but we could NOT get the tent walls to meet, to close and it had taken so long - before I'd asked for help, that is - to get the tent itself to stand straight and sturdy, and then to get the weights and stakes in place that the sun had set and it seemed that all the tents were up, the artists were gone, but we were still there. I was living a nightmare and I felt incompetent and angry and embarrassed. It was now dark and the wind was howling and the walls were blowing everywhere. I wanted to take everything down, put it all back in the van and run away. I hated everything about the process. 

My husband, however, was amazingly patient. He was not about to let me quit. And then my inner artist warrior took over and I found myself making a decision. "Let's take down the sails and leave up the tent and grid walls. Batten down the hatches and let's get out of here!" 

I slept not a wink that night but literally watched the full moon turn orange as it made it's way across the window and out of my line of vision. Every gust of wind startled me while I tossed and turned. I wanted to get up and paint the scene it but everything was in the van. I thought "I should be working, painting, sculpting, not doing this crazy art show thing." I awoke angry and tired and hungry and didn't have time to eat breakfast or even shower. I wanted to run away and not set up at all. I figured we could run over there, take the tent down and leave. I'd send an email later. The artist warrior side of me prevailed again, though. As did my incredibly patient husband. (He had actually slept that night.)

That first morning, as we set up my paintings and my ceramic masks, I pretty much filled my mind with complaints. I had been amazed to see my tent and all the weights and display grids sitting upright and waiting for me. But I was still mad at myself. As I made my way through the bubble wrap, all my mind could focus on was how I hadn't bought shopping bags, I didn't get new business cards, I forgot to make price tags, I should have brought a cooler. I HATE THIS!

The weather was gorgeous and the crowds were quiet but pleasant. I didn't make a single sale and after this first 8 hour day of sitting in an uncomfortable chair, I felt justified in my disappointment. At the end of the day as I wrapped and packed all my artwork to drag back to the borrowed van - still couldn't get the walls to fit - I thought, why not just take everything down now and run away? I don't HAVE to come back tomorrow. I'm not in the Army, for heaven sake.

Oh, alright. It's only one more day. I'm fine. I'll come back.

My husband and friends went out to dinner after the show that night. I stayed in and went to bed. Confident that my tent and grid walls were securely in place and my artwork was bubble wrapped safe and sound in the van, I slept. Boy, did I sleep.

I awoke to the sunrise, had breakfast, took my shower and dressed like a proud and happy artist should. I even remembered earrings and mascara. I'd brought a better chair and went off to rule my day. I took my time, by myself, to set up my work on those walls and as the minutes went by people came in to watch, to talk, to admire, to compliment, to ask questions, and yes, to buy.

I made price tags out of my crazy out-of-date business cards and wrote my new info on the cards I gave out. I wrapped purchases in bubble wrap and twine. I had wonderful conversations with visitors as well as my fellow artist neighbors, enjoyed an ice cream cone from the local food truck and made new friends. And throughout the day, I sold stuff!

Before the first hour of the second day, I'd already made back my booth fee and had once again found my joy in talking with people about my work, selling with no apologies and proudly calling myself an artist in business again. "Oh, are YOU the artist?" "Yes," I beamed. "Yes, I am. This is my work." It had been so long since I'd been in the public eye and I loved hearing people tell me how "exciting and different" my work was. I even loved it when people said "Oh, these are kinda scary!" Thank you, I'd say with one raised eyebrow. Thank you very much. 

At five o'clock on that Sunday afternoon, four volunteers ran up to me and asked if they could help me with anything and I said "yes, thank you. I think I could use help with everything." They laughed and got to work. The volunteers had been there throughout both days to give us breaks and bring cold water or hot coffee. When my husband arrived with the van, everything was folded neatly on the grass and I found myself relaxed and smiling with an inner peace I hadn't felt in ages. It had truly been an amazing day, made even sweeter by the turmoil I'd put myself through leading up to that last moment of my first show.

What I want to say to you here is Thank You. Thank you for this forum. For tips you've all shared, and the booth photos for Newbies, and the experiences of all the different shows you've all lived through, both good and bad. Thank you for your input on walls and weights and tents and displays, even when you've answered the same question a million times before. And, oh my God, thank you for telling us about zip ties! But most importantly, thank you for making it alright to be scared sometimes. And for making it okay to admit that we've never actually done this before. 

Thank you for letting us understand that it's okay to ask for help of our fellow artists. And to accept that help graciously. And that the volunteers really DO want to be helpful. Thank you for giving me permission to say "Excuse me, but this is the first time I've used this tent. Could you help me?" 

How sad it would have been to have given up and never had this crazy experience. How helpful it was to come here to this forum every couple of nights for months with a question, or just an hour to read about things and then be able to actually use what I learned here. If I can pay it forward I would say this: Don't be afraid to feel your feelings but then get past the negative stuff and move on. Get a good night sleep, eat a good breakfast, don't forget your sunscreen. Drink lots of water and know where to go when that catches up to you - because it will. Ask for help when you need it, offer help where you see a need, be grateful and mindful of how lucky you are to live your life by your own standards, to spend your day in the shade of a tent surrounded by your own creativity and joy. Talk openly and happily with everyone you meet, be nice to people even if they say silly things and don't seem to "get" your work. And when things get crazy - which they will - stop for a moment, find your center, take a deep breath and just have a ball. The answers will come. Always remember that you are an artist and that's just an incredibly cool thing to be.

Thank you again.

Robin

Its my first year at Wickford RI art show in July any advice

AWE GOT FREE WIFI AT THE SHOW so I can give an on the spot report.

We could setup all day Thurs and Friday morn,show started last nite with wine preview party from 6-9.

When we got here on Thursday the damn gate to the parking lot for the south tent was locked.

Show said too much rain, too mucky for vehicles. Told artists they had to schelp all stuff in thru main building entrance than across  pea gravel to proper tent--daunting.

TOOK US 5 HOURS TO SET UP.  WE WERE BEYOND EXHAUSTED.

Returned Fri. morn along with everybody else and finished setup.  Lot was now open-yeah.  Got position "A" for the van.

It rained hard right before wine preview party.  Then let up as people came filtering in, by 6:30 the joint was rocking, people were tippling free wine and also buying.  Best buzz for a Friday opening that I have seen in a long while.

Ellen sold a nice little original and I sold a large hand-colored piece for over $500.  We went home happy.

Lots of artists sold very well for a Friday nite.  Who needs Des Moines.  Too bad Steven King did not have the balls to stand up for all the deserving artists at the show especially when reporters from the Des Moines Register newspaper gave tips to the readers on how to get the artists to give them discounts on their wrk.

Come on Mr. King stick up for your minions, show some backbone. You shouldhave been out front in the media with a counterpoint.  But i guess you were too busy counting allthe moola from jury fees.

More coming soon.

I had a great time in Milwaukee and saw lots of great art. Here is an overview:

If you want to know more about this show, including my analysis of why this show is so hard to get into check out this post: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/milwaukee-lakefront

What show is hard for you to get into and regularly sends you rejections?

This is my second straight year doing this unusual mid-week (Wed/Thurs) show in Corolla, NC, a coastal town (aren't they all?) along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, about 2 hours south of Virginia Beach.  Last year's show--which I could have sworn I reviewed, but I can't find a link anywhere--was brutalized by high, high heat and humidity, and the few folks brave enough to venture forth to the show were none too keen about stepping into an art show booth for more than a nanosecond.  Not surprisingly, sales in 2012 were dismal.  But the area has so much to recommend it that I thought it warranted another shot. 

I was praying to the weather gods during the entire 970-mile drive from Fort Myers, hoping that the forecast held and that I wouldn't have that kind of budget-busting experience again.  And we lucked out--though it was humid for setup on Tuesday, there were light breezes and somewhat cooler temps on Wednesday, and Thursday was perfect Chamber of Commerce weather--mid '70s, cool breezes, clear skies. 

But enough with the meteorology.  How were the crowds and sales? 

Much better than 2012.  Wednesday morning brought respectable traffic and moderate sales, though crowds and buyers dwindled after about 2 PM.  For reasons unknown, this show stays open until 6 PM on its first day.  The extra hour can be profitable at shows where there's an early-evening draw, like restaurants, but there isn't an eatery anywhere on the spacious grounds of the Whalehead Club. Nor were there customers.

Thursday (day 2) had lighter traffic and (for most folks) lighter sales, and many of us were on the brink of writing this one off by 1 PM.  Then, out of nowhere, crowds materialized again, and brought their wallets.  I had a number of decent sales between 2 PM and 5 PM; although the customer count was down from Saturday, there were more dollars in the till. 

This is a show attended more heavily by vacationers than by Outer Banks residents.  There are a couple of reasons--one being that there's only one road (NC Rt. 12) onto the Outer Banks, and traffic can be ridiculous in season (that's why they hold the show mid-week).  Another reason is that there really aren't many residents, as one of my customers (a former physician and longtime resident, who does commercial and residental rentals now) explained.  "The Outer Banks turns over 10,000 people a week during the summer," he said, "but there are only a couple of thousand folks here year round". The homes along this narrow, heavily-duned barrier island are quite large, and most of them sit vacant for all but a few weeks outside of summer tourist season, he advised. 

A significant number of my visitors were down only for a week, and hailed from Pennsylvania and the Washington, DC area, with smaller percentages from Ohio and from central and western parts of Virginia.  Very few folks from other parts of North Carolina; likely because the NC schools were still in session.  That probably explains the high number of smaller pieces (2D and 3D alike) I saw being carried around.  It helps to have a shipping service and to advertise it.

Most of the artists I spoke with were reasonably happy with their sales, which were deemed pretty good for a midweek event by most.  Several artists who sold only large-format 2D had a tough time. 

Smaller, beach-themed items sold best; as for me, sales of pelican images saved the show. The few large pieces I sold, as you might expect, were bought by year-round residents.

The show is casual, small (85 artists this year, down from 100 in 2012), well-organized, and pretty high quality.  Amenities included an artist dinner on Wednesday night (which included an awards ceremony), two tickets for bottled water, and (if you had a trailer) free on-site overnight parking.  The staff of the Whalehead Club helped out before the show with discount deals at a few local hotels and an "artist lodging" program in which patrons volunteered to host artists during the show.  (I'm not sure how well that worked out; apparently there were more interested artists than there were available spaces.) In addition, artists could get a free guided tour of the Knight Mansion on the club grounds, which offers a fascinating look at duck hunting culture, architecture, Art Nouveau, tourism, and life in the 1920s on the Outer Banks...not only the life of the uber-rich, but also the local staff and families that they supported. 

This isn't an expensive show to do from a booth-fee standpoint (under $200), but it's a long, expensive trip from just about anywhere, and the hotels tend to be in the $150/night-and-up class.  (I stayed 70 minutes away, in Elizabeth City, for about $80 a night, including taxes.)   I like the area, and the way the show is run (the staff went out of their way to solicit feedback on things like start/end times, lodging, and amenities).  It's worth considering if you have appropriate work, you want to have a short working vacation, and especially if you can pair it with show(s) on the adjacent weekends.

I create art quilts that look very much like paintings...I spend alot of my time in my booth say..."no really ...it's fabric". I applied to many shows (20+) all over the map using the throw it against the wall and see what sticks method. In my mind the shows were divided into 5 tiers with the number 1 being the local church art show and number 5 the best in the country. In truth I wanted to believe I belonged at the number 5 level. The jurys didn't agree (waitlisted for 1). I did make several level 4 and lots of level 3. I have done 4 shows so far and scheduled for 5 more in the fall, still trying to decide if I should do shows around christmastime.

I am not sure 2 d stuff sells well when people are shopping for gifts and not for their own wall space. Of the 4 shows I've done I've won prize money at 2- nice , cause I didn't sell much at those 2 shows. I had one really good show (cherokee triangle) people seemed very receptive to fiber art there. Anyway I have more questions than answers. I've not felt comfortable posting real reviews because I don't feel like I have an accurate read on these shows. My stuff may not be selling but your cutting boards, jewlery, and photos were flying out of the booths near me. Right now I am trying to decide if I need to develop a series that is smaller and cheaper for the people who want to spend less than 50 dollars .

Framing keeps coming up as an issue as well. Customers seem to respond to fabric art feeling more valid when it's framed. Right now I have black, brown, driftwood, and unframed options based on what looks best with the piece...however it makes the booth look fairly cluttered. I also have pieces that are every subject , people, animals, fruit, landscapes...If it sounds like chaos, well it feels like that. I've haven't narowed my subject matter because I can't imagine only making art using one subject- just a personal preference.

You can see my crazy work in progress website- http://www.sharontesser.com/ yet another thing on my to do list. I am here often, reading the wisdom of others and believe that someday I will have experience to benefit another artist. Right now I am just trying to clear some cobwebs between my ears. All comments and advice welcome.

I had a great time in Milwaukee and saw lots of great art. Here is an overview:

If you want to know more about this show, including my analysis of why this show is so hard to get into check out this post: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/milwaukee-lakefront

What show is hard for you to get into and regularly sends you rejections?

Okay - I logged into Zapplication today and found out I was invited for the Funky Ferndale show in September. But on that same weekend, I was also invited to the Wells Street Wine Crush in Chicago. I had already accepted my invite to the Well Street Wine Crush. I have friends in Chicago and it will be their first time seeing me at an art fair (they do have some of my pieces in their home). I've been meaning to break into the Chicago market - so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully, I made the right decision...

OK....I need your help again.  Thanks to all of my facebook friends, family, and anybody who would listen, I made it to the semi-finals for the cover contest put on by 'The Crafts Report'.  If I win this round, I'll be up against just one other artist for the cover!!!!  Here is a direct link to vote:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151669890366250&set=a.460274401249.255544.74350081249&type=1&theater

You will see the photo of my 'Winter Trees' bracelet:

to vote:  click on 'like' and if you are comfortable with 'sharing', I'd appreciate that too!

Thanks so much!!  Keeping my fingers crossed!

Oh, did that get your attention?

It happens to be true, and has a lot to do with what I am going to say to you all.

First off, about Siri.

Got a new IPhone5 after Summerfaire and have been hooking up with Siri a lot.

It is not easy having sex with an inanimate object, as she frequently reminds me, but I plug on.  We are in the "getting to know you stage."  I see lots of success.  I am a very "success" orientated guy.

Anyways, I will keep you up to date with my adventures with Siri.  I like a woman who plays hard to get.  I figure a Boy Scout, actually Eagle Scout, with 48 merit badges has a reasonably good chance of success.  What the hell, who care if she behaves "inanimately" it is the quest that counts.

Jeez!  I hope my wife doesn't find out.

OK, now to what this blog is about---SUCCESS!

Both Richard Sherer and Elle have contributed mightily to this fragile subject.  Both have given great insights, some humorous (with a serious outlook at life's daily tragedies) and Richard knows stats folks.  Pay attention.  He may sound "Old School" but he is definitely now.

Now, I will add my two bits.

A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST IS AN ACCUMULATION OF BOTH THEIR ART AND THEIR PERSONAE.

Everybody focuses on making good new art.  Getting it out there--and then waiting for the moola to roll in.

It takes more than that.

There is just a whole lot of really good, no make that "great", art out there.  You have mucho competition.

What will make you win out is developing a successful persona.

Who you are, and how you present yourself is every bit as important as your art.

Having both, is a major winning combo.

People like to buy from people they like.  They rarely will buy from an asshole, who happens to have great work.  If you can charm them, they will come back more than once.  I am going to Boston Mills this weekend, and I have people who have been buying from me for over 30 years. My styles have changed, but they still buy from me.

This is a people biz.  You gotta mingle, you gotta kibbitz.

When I see a guy with a golf cap come in my booth, I ask him about the course, and let slip that I play golf.  We have an instant common base.

If they are wearing a tee shirt with the name of a restaurant on it, I comment.  Maybe I was to that town, maybe I want to know about the place.

The bottom line is to try to establish a common base, then you can get onto the art part, next.

Try it.

I have been doing it successfully at shows allover the USA for 38 years.  It works--and it is sincere.

Trust me, I am a Boy Scout with 48 merit badges.

A little late in posting this show's review I wont go into a lot of detail as that can be seen in my previous posting last year about this show. See: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blog/list?q=Omaha+Summer+Arts+Festival+or+Deep+in+the+heart+of...Nebraska!

What was different about this years show? Maybe I should start with the weather as it had a direct effect on the rest of the show. Friday one couldn't ask for a more perfect day. Sunny, not too hot or humid and not too windy (as it had been all last year). Saturday, it rained on and off and although the brave came out with their dumbrellas it slowed significantly towards the end of the day. Sunday, well, depending on which weather APP you looked at it either wasn't going to rain or it was...it did, all day till 4:00 and then the sun came out and the show was over at 5:00. Nuf said?

View from the inside looking out...not much else to do!

Now for the attendees. Last year it seemed like the wrong crowd for the show (did I say Walmartians?) This year however, it seemed more like a fine art crowd. The streets were packed on Friday as it seemed like the office crowd snuck past security and got out to enjoy the weather and the show. I don't remember seeing that many of them last year, probably opted to stay in the AC as it was so incredibly humid. It felt like a real art show to me as I watched the booth fill up with the curious time and time again. But that was mostly it, curiosity and not much buying. Saturday...not so much, the weather effected the crowd but I did see some bigger pieces take legs and move through the show. Sunday, the brave came out and some even came out multiple times. One prospective buyer showed up on Friday ("Would you discount that?", "No"), Sat. (I'm not sure) and Sunday with the whole family (bought something smaller from someone down the street!). Again, there was some buying but not at a fever pitch. Some seemed to do well and others not so much.

The show changed coordinators this year and Emily Peklo came around and introduced herself, points for that! I can't fault the staff any, they still did a great job logistically and the amenities with the show are among the best that I have experienced it's just that this show didn't deliver for me.

In terms of what they juried in there was quite a mix in terms of what I might want to see at an art show, some things seemed more befitting a crafts venue. Nothing wrong with the quality, I just don't want to compete with it when I'm trying to sell my work.

Would I do this show again? I'm thinking not, I gave it two tries and did worse this year than last and last year was nothing to write home about! It has nothing to do with the show promoters so much as the patrons. As recent discussions on this blog have pointed out...if a show doesn't deliver why support it, there are plenty more out there to choose from. In fact, this promoter does a show later in the year ARTsarben (Nebraska sorta spelled backwards). Given the results of this show I haven't given it much thought as to whether to try it or not.

Now for a small diatribe...About those dumbrellas, most people read Miss Manners and realized that they needed to hold them outside the booth or stay outside with the damn things or at least collapse them when inside a booth...then there was the guy who continued to hold his above his head inside the booth dripping onto the print bins and prints within. Even when he saw that he was dripping volumes and I was wiping them off he didn't get it! Okay, I feel better now.

I am scheduled to do the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts next month, middle of July and I looked again and realized that there was no electricity and generators are not allowed. So, my question is- How the heck do you keep cool? It  been so hot at the last few shows I have done and I had electricity and fans going at them and even then almost passed out. Since I do these shows solo, I'm really worried about keeping my work (encaustic) and myself cool enough, especially if it's a typical July day. Can anyone give me some help here- what do you do to offset the humidity and scorching heat at these shows?

Hi. Does anyone have a minute to tell us about Yorkfest? My husband does contemporary, funky, primitive, whimsical, stained glass-and-brass mixed media sculptures - 1-foot high to 7-feet high or long. We welcome recommendations about festivals open to funky stuff as well. We're in the Chattanooga, TN area, and would like to travel out of the South, especially DC area, Ohio, Mid-Atlantic generally. All the best to y'all - enjoying the blogs, they're so helpful! Kathy and Charlie

It's only my second year. I am still trying to see which shows work well for me. Which markets value my creations. I am still learning. How to set up my booth. How to price my art. Learning that multiple price points work best.

I hope for profitable shows and I am expanding into other shows that are 300 miles away to test the waters. But I am still a newbie. And I have much to learn. But that is also exciting and and sometimes disappointing. But everything that I learn I hope to share with my fellow artists. 

So, if you are a fellow newbie, let me know. We can share our joys or commiserate together! And a have a show coming up this weekend... Booth 41 at the Crosby Festival of Arts at the Toledo Botanical Gardens in Ohio. My first three day show. And I have a four day show later in the season (that's a first too)...

Oh, and I always take my ham radio along just in case of the weather. So if you see the artist with the ham radio, that's me... But I am also just a newbie too!

The Lakefront Festival of the Arts in Milwaukee, WI, is one of those shows where participation is so highly coveted that artists tell me they always look two or three times at the acceptance to make sure it is true.

In all of our years doing shows there was never another one where we got rejected so many times but still kept trying. You know: times change, judges change, work changes, etc.

Perennial prizewinner, ceramicist William Kidd

Milwaukee is only a 5 hour drive from here in southern Michigan and I needed to see it again for myself. Arriving around 2 pm on Friday after having driven through very heavy rain and high winds which also had pelted the Milwaukee area, it was a pleasure to see the beautiful art museum and the big tents of the show still standing.

The show is held at the Milwaukee Art Museum on the western shore of Lake Michigan. It has often been the victim of bad weather with heavy rain, visitors slogging through straw and plywood flooring put down to get them through the show so that a committee got together awhile back and found massive tents that are erected across Museum Drive on the grounds. Artists booths are backed up to the sides leaving it wide open down the middle for easy load in and out and enabling prospective customers to navigate through the show in their dress up clothes regardless of weather. 

Why the show is hard to get into:

• it is held on a date where there isn't a lot of competition
• there are only 170 spaces and winners from previous years are reinvited. If you were a prize winner you get two years additional and if you receive honorable mention you are reinvited for one year. Each year this is 20 people. Do the math and in any year there are 30 reinvites. The show has artist advisors who help the show committee run the event - I think there are six of them. They are reinvited. So now there are fewer spaces, making this a very competitive jury
• The sales are good, thereby engendering even more competition

I had missed the Friday morning rush but heard from several people "big stuff" was walking out of the tent. The storm may have chased those people home with their cargo and when I got there the crowd was pretty good but not huge.

The show went until 10 pm on Friday night with attendance bolstered by corporate parties (Morgan Stanley, Kohl's and PNC Bank) sponsored in the Milwaukee Magazine Wine Garden and the new Blue Moon Beer Garden (imagine a beer garden in Milwaukee!) encouraging people to spend the evening at the show.

There is a lot of competition for the high end buyer with huge sculpture, fabulous furniture, finewoven clothing, keepsake jewelry, wall-sized paintings, etc. You get the idea. However, this is one of those shows where the "regular" folks like to shop also (it is the coolest event that happens all year in Milwaukee, imho) so if you have work that isn't so high end you may do fine also. 

You enter the grounds of the museum through a sculpture garden. These sculptures are by Richard Turner and Eric Carroll.

Then the huge tents that reminded me of being in an international airport terminal but which means the show will go on!
Most of the show is in the tent but part of it is in the Museum of Art itself. There were probably 20 exhibitors indoors. Indoor artists had made this choice and they were highly coveted. Many "wearables" were in this area.

The view from inside the museum:

There were lots of old and new friends to see, including Oscar Matos Linares who has made such good contributions to AFI, big beautifully printed and evocative photos, and potter/fiber artist Stephen Kostyshyn:

Poster artist was fiber artist Sandi Garris, here making a nice sale:

Here is her work on which the poster was based, a million pieces of hand dyed cottons comprising the modern equivalent of a quilt:

Nicario Jimenez with his retablos:

The most amazing work I saw was the weaving by
Susan Klebanoff who was participating in her first
art fair:

But how were the sales? Look at this laden down purchaser, reminds me of the "good old days"

It is always great to see old friends making nice sales. Photographer Jill Bedford's newest work went home with this buyer:

While we were having breakfast on Sunday morning woodworker Barry Newstat got an email from a "be back" who was back with her car to carry off his fine woodworking:

 Good crowd at the Artist Breakfast, including Don Ament, Susan Klebamoff, Scott Swezy, Larry and Donna Oliverson and George Raab.

Hats off to the great LFOA Committee and the
hundreds
of volunteers that make this special event really special including the fabulous Artist Liaison Dionne Wachowiak and  Festival Director, Krista Renfrew. I appreciated your tickets, kindnesses and feeding ;) Hope you get a day off soon.

Here is the person I was happiest to see. It was great to spend time with our old friend Ted Gall once again. I know you were trying to look scary, Ted, but you can't scare me.

There's more! Here's the video with more info and photos of people you know:

This was a show I declined last year. In retrospect, I should have declined it again.

For some artists, this show worked out well for them, as by the end of the show I heard reports of one painter doing $5K, a potter doing about $2500, and some others doing between $1,500 and $2,500. There were also several who zeroed out, including one painter who had beautiful panoramic landscape paintings in a light impressionistic style. At least one photographer, one who does wildlife, was reported to have done quite well. The impression I had was that these were the exceptions, and the telling point on this was hearing that on Sunday morning 5 artists had pulled out overnight and two more were observed packing up to leave on early Sunday morning. Seven out of a hundred seems like a high percentage of disgruntled artists. I had thought about throwing in the towel briefly, but decided to stick around as the hotel was already paid for, and I'm sometimes too optimistic about the "Sundays are always good". Horsecrap. I think I would have rather zeroed out as a badge of "honor". As it were, I sold two pieces on Saturday for a whopping total of $55. Yeah, no s**t, $55.

Part of the blame is on me for not having everything updated and restocked as I should, and had planned to do some of that on site. Holy crap, the weather was beastly and sapped all the energy out of you. That will be the last time I try that type Plan B. Get it done at home before you go.

Okay, doke, let's take a look at the show itself and how it unfolded. The show was a Huff-Burch production, and is according to their literature the only show they do. I was told they had sold their old operation and retained only this one. For starters, their check-in directions were vague as hell (Check-in is in front of the Barnes & Noble). Which side; east or west, in the street or literally in front? The shopping area, Easton Town Center, is one of the most confusing pieces of crap layout I've ever seen, with streets that don't go through, one way streets that take you off into Zululand. The layout looks like a big-boy version of Candyland. A simple line graphic map would have worked wonders. All I know is the GPS app on my phone starting putting out smoke with all the constant recalculating.

Eventually I got to the right place somewhat late, and starting unloading. The plan was unload, move the van, come back, and finish setting up. I was at the far end of a side street and that should have set off the alarms right there. More on that later. The official parking place was on the opposite side of the shopping area. I was told by another artist it was about 3/4 mile away. To hell with that; my right knee is missing half of the meniscus and is arthritic as hell. After setting up, I moved the van to the other side of B&N and parked there, which I continued to do so for the weekend. The promoters must think all the artists are under 30 and in training for a marathon. Uh, guys, take note of the gray hair and the limps that a bunch of us have.

The main part of the show was right in the middle of an extremely high traffic area from major restaurants and retail stores. My section was between the Cheesecake Factory and B&N. The only problem was there were no entrances to either store on the entire street which is really an exit/entrance road. The causal shopper would have no reason to walk down there unless they were curious enough to see the artists down there. As an aside on this, the artists around me started a personal poll of the visitors and asked if they were there because of the advertising or just saw us there. The answer was unanimous, they saw us there and had not seen any advertising.

Friday was worthless, as most Friday show days are. Most of us didn't sell much, and the "rush", if a few meager folks wandering about can be called that, lasted about an hour. The weather was hot, and didn't get much better until after 6:00 when the shade from the buildings blocked the sun. The patrons walking the show, and again this was down at the far end end of the show away from the water fountains and so on at the other end, were looking listless and bored. By 8:30 it obvious nothing was going to happen, although at shutdown at 9:00 a few folks tried to get a last look in.

Saturday rolled around bright and clear, and by 7:30 I was already sweating profusely. I put up a rear awning with my back tarp and extended that puppy back to the limit and got a 7 foot awning out of it. It helped some, but those plastic tarps don't block enough IR radiation. This was one of those shows where you really need to be cognizant of staying hydrated. I drank over a gallon of fluid with water, tea, and some diet ginger ale. I only had to hit the restroom once. My shirt had salt stains, and even my socks were salt stained. As Britt Hallowell commented, "Even my sweat is sweating". The heat was no more than 91 officially, but it's much hotter on asphalt streets. It was brutal during the day, and it sapped the energy from the artists and patrons alike. The stub street we were on never should have had artists down there, but most of the ones who pulled out that night weren't down there. The two sales I made were on Saturday.

Sunday was more of the same; hotter than hell, and the only thing that was a saving grace was the near constant wind. There were times when I would get up to move around I would get light headed. The potter at the very end of the row did okay, but I feel she would have done better closer in. There was an empty place between us, and I would observe people reaching my tent, glancing inward and dismissing my work, then they would give her booth a quick glance from my location, then they would turn around and head back toward the center of the show. This was not an art buying crowd, although some of us did do okay the impression I had was that most didn't. They were there for the restaurants and the American Doll convention. We were a pleasant side attraction.

Just as a side note to the heat coming through the plastic tarps, on Sunday I placed the awning section on top of the back flap, and placed another full tarp on top also. That finally reduced the heat coming through to a more decent level. I may look for a space blanket where they have a reflective side, and if I can find one large enough that may be my new awning in the back.

The layout could have been better, as the A section seemed to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere and lacked the foot traffic of the central section. Talking with one of the organizers, they didn't utilize Facebook promotions, and the visitors didn't seem to be aware of any advertising efforts although it was done. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be effective. 

The short and not so sweet end of this is that I lost about $600 doing this show. I won't be back.