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Call for Artists: 39th Annual Fall Art Fair at Queeny Park

Posted by Connie Mettler on June 4, 2013 at 3:34pm

August 30-September 1

St. Louis, Missouri

Queeny Park in West St. Louis County

sponsored by: Greater St. Louis Art Association

130+ Artists
Deadline: June 17

11 Important Facts:

39th Annual Fall Art Fair
Around 130+ Artists
This is an Air-conditioned indoor art fair. You don't need to worry about the weather, tents or security
Jury/Booth Fees ($25/$225) Free Electricity available for every booth at no additional charge
Cash awards totaling $4,500
Booth sitters, 24-hour security. Rest easy knowing your booth is safely locked up at night.
Excellent marketing campaign, including newspaper, magazine, television and radio advertising, internet and e-mail promotion
Promotional postcards, business cards and coupons are provided free to exhibiting artists.
Live music throughout the art fair
Wine Tasting Friday and Saturday Evenings
Interactive art program on Sunday afternoon to encourage families with youngsters to meet the artists

Mary Mosblech

For more than thirty nine years the Greater St. Louis Art Association has been providing opportunities for the public to see and purchase original works of fine art and fine craft directly from the artists who create them.

Every year we produce two juried art shows (Spring and Labor Day Weekend). Artists in all media are encouraged to apply. These shows feature juried local, regional and national artists' original work. From the pool of artists applying, about 130 artists from all over the US and Canada are invited to exhibit. These artists are selected by a professional jury process in eleven distinct media categories.

Both shows are presented in the indoor, air-conditioned setting of the Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park in west St. Louis County.
Food and refreshments are available on-site
parking for the public and artists is free.

For detailed information and to apply: www.gslaa.org/GSL_festivals.htm

For more information:

Vic Barr Show Co-Chairperson: (314)977-1181, vicbarr@sbcglobal.net

or Maggie McCarthy Show Co-Chairperson: (636)724-5968, mccarthyart@att.net

Frederick Festival of Arts, Frederick, MD – Review

Posted by Bill McLauchlan on June 4, 2013 at 8:41am

This past weekend we participated in the Frederick Festival of Arts in Frederick, MD. We did the show last year and had a terrific weekend – perfect weather, big crowds, great amenities and excellent sales.

This year was a mixed bag. The Frederick Arts Council has undergone some changes in leadership. Last year’s show director is gone and her spot was filled by an acting director. The acting director and her staff worked tirelessly to put on a great event but there were some noticeable differences, particularly in artist amenities.

Last year: Welcome reception with free drinks and a big spread of snacks/hors d’oeuvres. Free lunches provided by local restaurants that offered a wide variety of sandwiches, wraps, fruit, etc. that were served in an artist VIP area. Water wagons made regular visits to the booths to offer free cold bottled H2O. Sunday breakfast with lots of options including a waffle station (I think this is right – might have been eggs.)

This year: Welcome reception where artists paid for drinks and the snacks were very limited (salsa/chips, strawberries, mini brownies). Free box lunch – turkey, ham or veggie sandwich, apple, chips delivered to the booth on Saturday. Health department said “No” to that on Sunday. The same box lunch was offered in the VIP area on Sunday. No water wagon. Limited breakfast on Sunday (full disclosure – we did not attend but heard it was just muffins/bagels.)

Bottom line, we think budget issues made for a real dollar crunch. The booths were not cheap ($400 and $475 - corner) so I’m not sure where the shortfall came from but this year was not the same delightful artist experience we had last year. A letter in the welcome pack that explained the situations/changes would have surely gone a long way to mitigate some of the disappointment.

Don’t get me wrong – we’re not looking to get pampered but when you have expectations based on an experience from the prior year, the changes we saw were glaring. Also, I must reiterate that everyone who worked on the show, both staff and volunteers, was terrific. The new, permanent director stopped by our booth and we had a good discussion about the show.

Show specifics: The load-in here can be a challenge depending on your assignment. You will be dollying for sure as the venue is along a pedestrian-only area that lines both sides of a very pretty canal in the heart of downtown Frederick.

We arrived around noon on Friday, had lunch and then parked the van in one of several “artist only” reserved spots that was very close to our spot. After getting the first load to our spot, I went back to the van to discover a $50 parking ticket. Yikes!

It seems there was supposed to be an “unloading” pass in the Welcome packet to be displayed on the dash. Our packet didn’t have one. A quick visit to the parking “court”/ticket-stand about 100 yards away produced no joy. We explained the situation to the show staff and they took the ticket and said they would see what they could do. Welcome to Frederick!

We got set up in pretty short order but with frequent breaks for water – it was very hot.

Saturday dawned clear and pleasant. The show opened at 10AM and by 11:30 we were up about $800. This was going to be great! Sadly, at about 11:35 the temperature had hit about 90 and the buying energy disappeared. The crowd that had been smiling, enthusiastic and eager to shop had become lethargic and almost zombie-like as they moved down the aisles. Sales did pick up again around 4PM but what had started out so promising ended up being pretty mediocre.

Sunday was cooler but off and on light rain and the threat of thunderstorms kept the crowd down somewhat. We had a good day and salvaged the weekend but we ended up doing about 65% of where we were last year.

I know there were some other AFI folks at the show and would love to hear how the weekend ended up for them.

Load-out was an easy dolly as we had arrived at the venue at 6:30AM to secure the best parking spot for our location. (The Loading pass was cemented firmly in place). The show ended at 5PM and we were on our way by 6:30.

We will definitely apply again next year. For the most part, the quality of the art here is very high. I didn’t get to see every booth but I saw no signs of buy/sell

We love the venue, our sales have been good here in the past and suffered this year, I believe, only because of the heat on Saturday. We will lower our expectations for amenities and maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

High Jury Fee

Posted by R. C. Fulwiler on June 3, 2013 at 6:59pm

I just got the announcement from the Disney Masters Art Festival. The jury fee is $40. I sent them this reply:

"I wanted to tell you, as an artist who has done your show in the past and won several top awards this year, I will no longer apply to shows that charge more than $35 for a jury fee."

I only mentioned the awards because Disney requires their artists to have won at least a 3rd. place award in the last 3 years to apply.

I post this in reference to:

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/boycott

Thanks for your attention.

Show Review: Art in the Park, Columbia, MO

Posted by Elle Heiligenstein on June 3, 2013 at 10:42am

Hi Friends....Here is my review of Art in the Park in Columbia, MO...one note: I was originally scheduled to be at Summerfair in Cincinnatti, OH this past weekend, but chose this show instead due to a "gut" feeling. Enjoy!

I arrived at the show which is held in Stephens Lake Park in Columbia on Friday afternoon. The park is beautiful and an ideal place for a show. I checked in and due to recent rains, the park was not allowing any vehicles in the park or golf carts on the grass. In most cases, this would have been a dolly in by yourself set up, but not this show. I was met with 2 volunteers in a golf cart who helped me unload my van, placed everything on the cart and drove on the sidewalks to my booth assignment and helped me unload everything. It was the easiest and fastest load in ever! The volunteers were very nice and eager to help. I set up the tent, panels and shelves and due to the threat of bad storms overnight, opted to stop there and bring in the art Saturday morning. Fortunately, the area did not have the 60 mile an hour winds that were being forecasted, we got lucky, the storm took a southern turn and missed Columbia with the exception of some rain.

Friday evening was the artist welcome reception at the Columbia Art League Gallery. It was very nice with adult beverages and delicious pizza, salad and dessert. All complimentary and provided by the League.

Saturday morning was the remainder of set up and load in for many and it ran very smoothly. Some artists had to be relocated due to the mud and everyone seemed to be doing well. The show started at about 10am and the people came. I had good sales on Saturday and ended the day with all costs covered. Booth sitters were abundant and the show was cofortable to do.

Saturday evening the show held an awards dinner. The dinner was very nice in a reception hall that was beautifully decorated and the food was very good. Awards were given out in all categories with a Mayor's choice award and 3 Best of Show awards (1st, 2nd and 3rd).

Sunday was just as busy as Saturday with good crowds and good sales. I ended the show with a good profit and hopes of returning next year. Load out was similar to load in. After breaking down the booth, volunteers came with golf carts and drove everything to my van and I was loaded up in about 15 minutes and on my way home. It was amazingly easy.

Ok, now that the particulars are done I would like to talk about the show's Director, Diana Moxon and her volunteers. First of all, let me say that Diana is truly amazing. I have rarely seen a show director who is as involved and works as hard as Diana does. This show had its share of challenges due to the weather and having to deal with mud issues and the relocation of many booths. Diana managed to pull this off like a well seasoned professional. She was there late at night and early in the morning and worked all day long making sure artists were taken care of and happy. She truly values and cares about each artist and it shows. She was assisted by a staff of very caring and hard working volunteers who were as dedicated to the artists as she was. At no time during any part of the show, no matter how busy or tired they were, were any of the volunteers or Diana not friendy or attentive. They were all truly amazing. It was said many times that the people of Columbia look forward to this show all year and love it and they truly do. I was, as was every other artist I spoke with, grateful for and very impressed with Diana and her staff. If there was a show director award, Diana would surely win first place!!

I was able to meet many nice artists at this show and I bought a lot of art in Columbia. I felt the show was well juried and had just about everything I love in it. I was able to purchase an original piece from Lorraine McFarland, Pastelist, that I adore and have already hung it in my home. I met Lorraine earlier this year and she is also an AFI member. I was also fortunate enough to be approached by the Bluestem Gallery and offered representation with a 12 piece collection to start. I did not know this was such a well reputed gallery at the time, and am now thoroughly excited that they chose me.

Overall, this show recieves a grade of A++ from me for organization, Show Director and Staff, artist treatment and venue. Sales were good, I made a good profit and I will re-apply next year and hope to be accepted.

I will be doing Talbot Street Art Fair this coming weekend. My husband will be with me for the first time in a long time. Hopefully, we won't kill each other hehehe. Look for that review next Monday. Thanks for reading! Elle

Musings from Mulvane...in Topeka KS

Posted by S Brian Berkun on June 2, 2013 at 9:00pm

Looking for a new and different venue I choose to go east of Denver into Kansas and Topeka for the first time, I wasn't the only first timer for this show either. An artist from AZ and two from NM were there as well as a painter from MO and a few others I can't remember. This is the 21st year for the Mulvane Mountain Plains Art Fair which is held as a benefit for the Mulvane Art Museum on the Campus of Washburn University. The campus itself is a tidy little setting and has a wonderful esplanade north of the football field where the event is staged. Topeka is easy enough to navigate and once I got grounded in the location of the venue, relative to most of the hotels in town, it was stress-less to get around.The museum has a patrons program where members pledge to make purchases from artists in amounts from $150-$500 in advance of the show! Patrons were at the venue early Saturday morning enjoying a catered breakfast at 7:30. I could tell they were excited to be there by the high tone in the crowd and the volume in their conversations. By 8 or 8:30 they were rar'n to go and were circulating among the booths with their pledge packets in hand. The impression I had was that this is a very art savvy crowd and were genuinely interested in the art and the artists. When a patron would make their pledge purchase they would give the artist a ribbon with the patrons name on it. It made me feel really special and appreciated when one of the patrons purchased my art and left his ribbon. A local artist, Pam Somerville, filled me in on the details of who had come into my booth to enthusiastically purchase one of my prints.This initial surge did not let up till after 12 or so with "regular" patrons buying at a brisk pace as well until things seemed to settle into a normal browsing crowd. Pam suggested that in her experience the "be backs" actually do come back on Sunday after previewing things on Saturday. Sunday rolled around and although the initial weather report was for clear skies and temps in the 70's it must have changed overnight as the skies were clouded over with temps just below 60 until after about 1:00 when the skies cleared and the sun came out with pleasant temps. Apparently we were lucky this weekend as the weather can often be stormy, glad it wasn't as it kept the crowds steady all weekend long. In addition to that, people I had met on Saturday actually did come back and make purchases!Logistics: Setup is organized with pre-set load in times. I wasn't planning to load in early but when I got there to see how things were organized they were so easy going as to let me set up early, besides which there weren't that many artists there yet and the street was not crowded. Once you get your packet and locate your space load in is from the adjacent street and nearby parking lot with a short walk with your cart on sidewalks. Booths were setup on the grassy areas just next to the sidewalks with plenty of space in back. There were volunteers around with additional carts to help with unloading, I think they were anticipating a much more chaotic setup, but things went at a very leisurely pace all day Friday before the event. Load-out was equally easy once I had everything packed I carted it to a nearby curbcut, pulled up the "ArtMobile" and packed it out quickly.Show hours: Set up is all day Friday before the show. Saturday they ask that artists be there at 7 and it goes till 5. Sunday hours are from 10 till 4. The early Saturday was a rush but other than that the hours are very reasonable.Amenities: Some sweet stuff and coffee were available in the mornings with water available all day. Volunteers came around regularly with water and asked if you needed a break even though the packet said you had to sign up in advance. Sunday morning there were goodie bags and extra snacks as well.Demographics: There was a well mixed crowd age wise. The $6 gate may have kept the real casual crowd away.Food: There didn't seem to be a lot of food, just enough for a little variety and to keep the hungry ones from leaving.Quality of work: I'd have to say that the range of quality at this show was on the high average side. Overall I was pretty well impressed with the quality of this show. There were a few other artists there that I've seen at other shows and I think their work is among the best.Reflections: This was a first time show for me and all things considered I felt I did okay, better than the average of most shows I've done lately. I did the show in combination with the Omaha Arts Festival (didn't get into Salina this year ;-P ) While waiting for Omaha I got a 4 day road trip in for more rusty stuff and roadside attractions in KS, MO and IA!I like this kind of show where they are very well prepared but can still go with the flow and keep it casual with a friendly atmosphere. From where I stood everything seemed to go very smoothly and no one was having any drama. Well, okay, maybe one artist had a little drama when the glass from his jewelry case fell on the ground as he was packing up. Other than that I would seriously consider doing this show again, assuming the weather holds out!

california art shows, which are the best and which the worst

Posted by jo anne brooks on June 2, 2013 at 5:11pm

I am new to the bay area, moved from texas and am looking for some feed back on what shows, juried , are worth while. I am work with mixed media and create one of a kind pieces of jewelry or accessories.

Goodsmiths presents Swipe

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 31, 2013 at 8:27am

This is a sponsored message from us for a new service, Swipe, powered by Goodsmiths, that should be of interest to our "mobile merchant" subscribers.

Booth Flooring Thoughts?

Posted by Mark V. Turner on May 30, 2013 at 3:24pm

I have approximately a 10 ft wide by 8.5 ft deep LED-lit booth set-up using the moonbeam colored Propanels (light grey). So far, I have only made one $350 mistake by ordering panels which wouldn't allow me to hide my deep cycle marine batteries or use my tent weights...

I am hoping to be accepted into a Howard Alan event. I was accepted into one in Baltimore which got cancelled b/c it was the same weekend as the Baltimore Gran Prix.. Their booth guidelines suggest flooring other than asphalt or grass... Of course, their booth guidelines also ask for no exposed metal, suggest potted plants and other booth accents which most events do not ask for..

If I have to put down flooring, I am thinking it's to my advantage to put down something light dirt colored and easy to maintain in case of excessive mud and water/traffic. I would also like it to be of reasonable cost. My budget will likely be in the $100 maximum range.

I have seen everything from woven grass and bamboo mats to oriental area rugs.

I salvaged several from an flash-flooded summer show which folks left behind in either disgust or decided were too much to deal with. None of these is large enough to fit the space or they do not have the right colors to match the panels...

Thoughts?

Chelsea New York Gallery Unsolicited Portfolio Submission Request - Any Wisdom?

Posted by Mark V. Turner on May 30, 2013 at 3:07pm

These fine folks sent me an unsolicited e-mail asking for a portfolio submission in order to evaluate my work for potential representation. website address is www.amsterdamwhitneygallery.com

The person 'signing' the e-mail was Ruthie Tucker

Can anyone relate an prior experiences with Amsterdam Whitney International Fine Art Inc? They are located

I am always leery of unsolicited gallery e-mails.... Some of them have all the cachet of your typical Nigerian e-mail scam.

The most recent in memory was a gallery in NYC which offered rental wall space, plus took a 30% commission... And their per square foot wall space rental price was so unreal that I was unsure if this was a real offer or a joke... Four or Five floors up in a building with limited access and they wanted a couple grand for a 10 ft expanse of wall space in an area to be shared with other artists

Prizes & Winners - The List Almost Finished!

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 29, 2013 at 9:00pm

Carol Wilson - TrimLine Canopy from Flourish.com
Jacqueline Zajac - Free booth space at Sarasota's Festival of the Masters from Boulderbrook & Richard Sullivan
Ralph Sharp - Black Gum Wood Bowl from Jay Daniels, www.icthuspens.com
Robert Wallis - free booth space at the Lexington Art & Craft Show, Lexington, KY from Lynn Wettach, HolidayArtShows.com
Tim Longwell - 3 changeable gallery frames with art fair handles from Mary Anne Einarson, ChangeofArt.com
Joyce Wathen - Marketing for Artists & Craftsmen from Carolyn Edlund, www.ArtsBusinessInstitute.org
Bonnie Eastwood - free booth space at the Old Town Art & Craft Show~Winter, St. Augustine, FL, from Lynn Wettach, HolidayArtShows.com
Elle Heiligenstein - 1/2 day booth sitting at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs from Connie Mettler
Suzanne Ens - free booth space at any Paragon Art Event from Bill Kinney, www.paragonartevents.com
Megan Martin - Leather messenger bag from Carol S. Miller, carolsmillerhandbags.com
Renee Snell - Oil Painting by Katalin Luczay, www.seascapesandlandscapes.com
Judy Zeddies - free booth space at ArtWorks: Studio Clearance Sale from Colin Murray
Marge Park - Art Display Panel Plans from Ernie Kleven
Sue Shefts - free booth space at Fall Festival on Ponce from Patrick Dennis & Randall Fox at AFFPS.com in Atlanta
Roberta Starbird
Jane Miller - Handturned Honduran Fountain Pen from Rich Horner, www.handturnedfountainpens.com
Jenny Henley - free booth space at Piedmont Park Arts Festival in Atlanta from AFFPS.com
Susan Hohman - Imaging services from Larry Berman, www.BermanGraphics.com
Ann Light - handbuilt pottery from Lucy Clark, www.lucyclarkpottery.com
Mary Meehan - free booth space at the Gold Coast Art Fair from AmdurProductions.com
Geri Wegner - Canvas Gallery Wrap in Float Frame from Steve Sawusch, http://www.tptpro.com/
Barry Bernstein - $100 Amazon gift card from ACTInspro.com
Richard Sherer - Mixed Media wall piece from Phoenix & Scarlet Blackstone, http://www.etsy.com/shop/TurtleCoveTreasures
Victoria Heisler - 2013 + 2014 Online Subscription to the Art Fair Sourcebook from Greg Lawler, http://artfairsourcebook.com/about-us/art-show-craft-fair-book.html
Greg Little - free booth space Sandy Springs Artsapalooza from Patrick Dennis & Randall Fox, AFFPS.com
Christine Rodriguez - free booth space at any Rose Squared Productions event from Howard & Janet Rose, www.rosesquared.com
Candiss Cole - Expert Website Review from Scott Fox
John Kennington - Essential Sourcebook - Pocket Edition from Greg Lawler, http://www.ArtFairSourceBook.com
Andrew Shea - 1/2 boothsitting at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs from Connie Mettler
Jan Gussin - Pandigital Photolink One-Touch Scanner from ArtFairCalendar.com
Lucy Clark - consultation with Connie Mettler
Delpfine Welch - Expert Website Review from Scott Fox
Susan Cherry - Flameworked Glass Starfish Earrings & Pendant Set from Melanie Cech, www.melaniecechglass.com
Bobby Harr - $50 gift certificate from Mark Rogers at FrameDestinations.com
Kathy Clausen - One year Festival Network Online membership, FestivalNet.com
Jacqueline Bradley - Window frame wall art with original photos from Carolyn Landis, www.carolynlandisphotographs.net
Mike Leedom
Joanna McCoy
Teresa Haag - free booth space at the Wilmington Art & Craft Show, Wilmington, NC, Holiday Art Shows, from Lynn Wettach
Joyce McAdams - coral necklace from Dabanga dos Santos, http://Dabanga.com
Mary Perkins
Patricia Plasko - Hummingbird feeder from Bill Merritt, www.ozarklake.net
Miguel Wong - a year's member ship in the NAIA
Lorrie Dallek - $25 gift certificate from Mark Rogers at FrameDestination.com
Barb Machulis - Polymer clay flower wall piece from Layl McDill, www.claysquared.com
Stephanie Gutzman - free booth space at Chastain Park Art Festival, from Randall Fox & Patrick Dennis, AFFPS.com
John Powell
Angela Howard - 1 year subscription to ArtsyHome, www.ArtsyHome.com
Jim Norton - free booth space at Spring Festival on Ponce, from Randall Fox & Patrick Dennis, AFFPS.com
Dalga, Tara - 1 year subscription to ArtsyHome, www.ArtsyHome.com
Jerry Maschinot
Br. Xavier Pankovits
Chuck Bruce - free booth space at any Howard Alan Colorado art fair, ArtFestival.com
Michelle Bende
Carol Joy Shannon - Bodyscape photograph from Allan Teger, www.Bodyscapes.com
Dale Yakaites - $50 gift card from Binders Art Supplies & AFFPs.com
Alison Fox - Art Glass Cuff Bracelet from Leslie Belcher, www.accessoreez.com
Greer Peters
Hinde, Dave - $25 gift certificate from Mark Rogers at FrameDestination.com
Schwartz, Francine - 1 year subscription to ArtsyHome, www.ArtsyHome.com
Cech, Melanie - Artist consultations with show director Patrick Dennis, AFFPS.com
Freeman, Noma - hour consultation with Connie Mettler
Fisher, Lynn
Wolfgang, Maryllis - free booth space at the Old Town Art & Craft Show~Spring, St. Augustine, FL Holiday Art Show, from Lynn Wettach
Burke, Jane - free booth space at Peachtree Art Festival, from Randall Fox & Patrick Dennis, AFFPS.com

A "Unique" Art Festival

Posted by John Kennington on May 29, 2013 at 10:49am

I just received a call for artists, and this is a new one for me - an art show at a nudist resort!

I'll be passing (have they seen my photo!?!) but here is the info, in case any of you are interested! I'd really like to hear a report from this show!!

John Kennington

Please accept this invitation to participate as a vendor at the Second Annual Fall Art Festival. This year the Festival will be held on Saturday, September 21st at Oaklake Trails Naturist Park (OLT) (www.oaklaketrails.com). A vendor brochure is attached. The fee for a vendor space is $20 which includes free admission for two to the resort. We do not ask for a share of the sales.

The purpose of the Fall Arts Festival is to provide a clothing optional venue for artists and interested parties to explore the arts au naturel. The event is designed primarily for young adults but open to all ages.

Oaklake Trails is a 420 acre clothing optional family resort with heated swimming pool, hot tub, sand volley ball, and hiking trails. We are located about half way between Tulsa and Oklahoma City just off old Route 66. Food and beverages are available weekends at the Bare Buns Bistro.

We are also interested in artists who would like to give demonstrations of their techniques. If you have expertise in any art and would like to facilitate a session, please contact Bruce Dean at jotquec@yahoo.com or 918-261-4919.

To reserve your space or to get more information about conducting sessions or being a vendor, contact Oaklake Trails Naturist Park at 918-324-5999 or email oltnaturistpark@aol.com

Also please consider another opportunity. Stroud, a nearby community, is hosting a Historic Route 66 Wine and Food Festival on June 8th and is looking for vendors. For more information, follow this link http://facebook.com/stroudwinefoodfestival .

Pledge Drive Winners - Round 2 - May 28

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 29, 2013 at 7:30am

Many thanks to Alice Moulton and Carolyn Bird from the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival for joining me on yesterday's podcast where the two veteran show organizers of this fine all volunteer run event filled me in on some insider info about the show. Did you know that their offices are in a train car that sits on the tracks that run through Winter Park? I wonder if any other show has such an interesting setup.

On to the news! Using Random.org Alice and Carolyn drew the names and here is the list, including some very familiar names:

1. Geri Wegner

2. Barry Bernstein

3. Richard Sherer

4. Victoria Heisler

5. Greg Little

6. Christine Rodriguez

7. Candiss Cole

8. John Kennington

9. Andrew Shea

10. Jan Gussin

11. Lucy Clark

12. Delpfine Welch

13. Susan Cherry

14. Bobby Harr

15. Kathy Clausen

16. Jacqueline Bradley

17. Mike Leedom

18. Joanna McCoy

19. Teresa Haag

20. Joyce McAdams

21. Mary Perkins

22. Patricia Plasko

23. Miguel Wong

24. Lorrie Dallek

25. Barb Machulis

26. Stephanie Gutzman

27. John Powell

28. Angela Howard

29. Jim Morton

30. Tara Dalga

31. Jerry Maschinot

32. Br. Xavier Pankovits

33. Chuck Bruce

34. Michelle Bende

35. Carol Joy Shannon

36. Dale Yakaites

37. Alison Fox

38. Greer Peters

39. Dave Hinde

40. Francine Schwartz

41. Melanie Cech

42. Noma Freeman

43. Lynn Fisher

44. Maryllis Wolfgang

45. Jane Burke

& we still haven't heard from one of last week's winners, Roberta Starbird.

Thank you and congratulations to each! You may recognize many of them as they have been participants on AFI for some time.

The first 20 winners have already chosen their prizes, you know that TrimLine is long gone, but there are still plenty left. The procedure to claim your prizes is:

visit the discussion at this link: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/available-prizes-in-the-next-5-28-prize-drawing
choose your top 4 prizes
send me those choices: info@artfaircalendar.com
I'll make arrangements for fulfillment

Which, of course, also means that if you haven't pledged yet you have more time to help us support our websites. We really appreciate each and every pledge, no matter the size.

Three Rivers Art Festival

Posted by Larry Berman on May 28, 2013 at 6:41am

Three Rivers Art Festival - my local show

I'll be walking the show both periods. This year for some strange reason they are not offering my services as an award, something I've done for the last three years. But I'll be down there doing booth pictures and discussing jury images with interested artists. I also carry an iPad to show examples of the work I do with artist's images.

If anyone is interested in speaking with me or needs a booth shot, give me a call. 412-401-8100

I also rent my gray Pro Panels each year. So far this year they are only rented for the second period, so if anyone needs them first period, give me a call.

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

Drawing for Even More Prizes - 3 pm ET, May 28

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 27, 2013 at 9:05pm

Celebrity guests from the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival join Connie Mettler of to share art fair stories and draw the names of the winners of the rest of the prizes for the Birthday Party Pledge Drive on Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm ET.

Will they call out your name? Did you contribute to our pledge drive?

Have our websites

helped you avoid a bad show?
found you a deal on our classifieds?
made a friend either online or as a result of your presence on this site?
helped you find a good show?
taught you things to avoid in this crazy business?
taught you where to find credit card solutions, the best tents, insurance, display equipment?
lessened the isolation of your studio?
given you something to laugh about and share with others?

Will you be the winner of these artful prizes?

Free booth spaces from show directors around the country
Art Fair Sourcebooks from Greg Lawler
consulting with Scott Fox about your website
consulting with Connie Mettler about your art fair questions
a $100 Amazon gift card & other gift cards
lots of art
56 in ALL. Check them out here.

Then, tell me, isn't it worth $24?

What you'll get back

eternal gratitude from the boss (me)
a collectible Red Dot AFI bumper sticker
recognition on your page on AFI with a special Art Star

Last chance, folks! This afternoon we are going to call the names and we'd surely like it to be yours.

Click here to contribute and we'll add your name to the list for the drawing:http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Listen here: www.ArtFairRadio.com.

Call us too if you'd like to speak to Carolyn Bird & Alice Moulton of the WPSAF: 805-243-1338

A Mixed Bag at the Barrington, IL Art Festival, May 25-26, 2013

Posted by geri a. wegner on May 27, 2013 at 1:01pm

It is another summer season in the Chicagoland area. Amy Amdur kicks it off with her festival in Barrington.

The good and the bad about an Amdur festival is that you see a lot of the same artists at all of her shows. I say good and bad because if you like that artist, you get a lot of chances to see them but it also means you don't get to see as wide a variety of artists at her festivals.

I did find a new jewelry artist who makes very unique necklaces, some at very reasonable prices, so there went my plan to not buy jewelry. Fortunately for me (but not the artist) I forgot to stop back at another booth with amazing jewelry at great prices that I saw when we first got there.

Amy usually has signs indicating there is an art festival but we didn't see any on the way and since I am an on-line newsreader, I don't know if there was an ad in the Tribune like there has been in the past but there was an ok crowd during a cool, cloudy morning on Saturday. Didn't really see any packages but it was early.

There was some questionable art and an orphan booth area. 95% of the artists are on two streets that intersect. Mixed with a few sponsor booths were a few artists and they were to the left off one of the cross streets. The metal sculptor with the big animals was at the corner kind of hiding all those booths. These spots were definitely not getting the traffic that the other areas were. They seemed to be new artists to the show but I can't say for sure that they all were.

Amy is usually very particular about how the booths look but there is one jeweler that shows up at a lot of her shows with a booth full of what looks like junk jewelry. The booth looks like a flea market, visually crowded with way too much stuff on card tables. But, she buys a double booth to show all this stuff. As usual, money talks.

The candle people were there as well as a painter's rep who shows up at a multitude of Amy's shows representing an artist who lives on the east coast who had booths at 3 other shows this weekend.

And so it begins.......

Transporting the tent bones

Posted by Mike Driscoll on May 27, 2013 at 11:16am

I'm new to this fair life. in fact my first away game is this 8th and 9th of June. I signed up to AFI about 15 minutes ago but I've been reading all I can about the do's and don'ts for about 6 months. So i've bought the van and set it up for light camping. I've purchased a dome tent with a few bells and whistles and set it up in the barn driveway... Need more practice there. I've made the weights out of PVC filled with concrete. I have the stock of watercolors and the bins to put them in... and amazingly me and the all of it seems to fit. My question is if you cannot back up to your site and unload the tent

and especially the tent bones how do you get them from A to B that last 100 yards or so? The bins are easy, stacked on a two wheeler but the bones weigh a ton and and don't seem to want to be corralled with bungy's or cord or ratchet straps.

Call for Artists: 23rd Annual Sedona Arts Festival

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 26, 2013 at 8:41pm

October 12 & 13
Sedona, Arizona
On the campus of Sedona Red Rock High School
126 Artist Booths
Deadline: June 7
Jury: June 8
Invitations: June 15

We invite you to apply to the 23rd annual Sedona Arts Festival. A favorite in the Southwest, the festival showcases 126 juried artists, the Gourmet Gallery, the Guest Gallery (featuring an international guest artist) and KidZone, as well as music, great food, and raffle prizes. Fall is "high season" in Sedona and both tourists and locals support the festival, its artists, and its mission to financially contribute to arts education in our community.

We cater to our visiting artists, providing:

load/unload assistance
booth sitting
refreshments
and premium restroom facilities exclusive for artists.

In 2012, we completed a total redesign of our field layout, reducing the number of artists from 144 to 126. Our field is now set up with 100 quad spaces, providing artists with a corner booth location no matter where they are located on the field! We have 26 booth available at a reduced cost on the perimeter of the field of artists. The response to our redesign was enthusiastic and artists sales were UP over the previous year!

Sedona

Our organization produces a premier, annual fine arts festival which promotes awareness of the arts, supports artists, and builds community in the greater Sedona area. We financially support art programs and provide scholarships for our youth.

Our annual festival is a fundraiser for our giving programs. Since its inception in 1989, the Sedona Arts Festival has donated nearly $300,000 to area art programs and art students.

The festival itself has grown in size and reputation over the past 20 years. It has become a destination arts festival, known for the quality of art and first class treatment of both its artists and attendees. With 126 nationally known artists displaying their work surrounded by red rock splendor, there is no better place to spend an October weekend than Sedona.

Applications available at: www.Zapplication.org

Complete information about the festival can be found on our website: www.sedonaartsfestival.org

Please feel free to call for more information. We are happy to answer all your questions and hope you'll join us in one of the most spectacular locations in the Country!

Lori Reinhart-Executive Director

director@sedonaartsfestival.org

(928)204-9456

Winners in the Pledge Drive Drawing

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 24, 2013 at 9:00am

Many thanks to all the people who sent support to our Pledge Drive. We drew the first 20 names in a podcast yesterday and here are the winners:

Carol Wilson
Jacquelyne Zajac
Ralph Sharp
Robert Wallis
Tim Longwell
Joyce Wathen
Bonnie Eastwood
Elle Heiligenstein
Suzanne Ens
Megan Martin
Renee Snell
Judy Zeddies
Margaret Park
Sue Shefts
Roberta Starbird
Jane Miller
Jenny Henley
Susan Hohman
Ann Light
Mary Meehan

Congratulations to each! You may recognize many of them as they have been participants on AFI for some time.

The procedure to claim your prizes is to visit the Prize Page, choose your top 4 prizes and send me those choices: info@artfaircalendar.com, and I'll make arrangements for fulfillment. While many people had their eye on the top prize (the Trimline canopy) after that has been chosen each person may have a different idea of which prize suits them best.

Please let me hear from you before the next podcast so I can set your prizes aside.

There are many more prizes than 20. On Tuesday, May 28, at 3 pm ET, Alice Moulton and Carolyn Bird from the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival will be joining me on a new podcast. Carolyn and Alice will share some info about their all volunteer run event and then draw the names of the next segment of winners. Hope you'll join us then to hear your name called.

Which, of course, also means that if you haven't pledged yet you have more time to help us support our websites. We really appreciate each and every pledge, no matter the size.

PODCAST: Birthday Party Drawing + 10 Marketing Tips for Artists

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 23, 2013 at 11:00am

THURSDAY - MAY 23 - 6 PM ET - Call in at 805-243-1338

Do you love our art fair related websites where you can

find a show to attend
get the inside scoop about an art fair
stay in touch with the ups and downs of our industry
get support for your business
or just have a good laugh?

You are not alone! As we celebrate our 4th birthday there are nearly 10,000 members and our SEO is soaring. Thank you for making this happen.

Today's show is hosted by Connie Mettler and Internet marketing author Scott Fox. They have two missions:

Scott will give you 5 quick and easy tips helpful especially for artists for marketing your work online and Connie will share 5 quick and easy tips for marketing your work at the shows
Draw the names of the winners in the pledge drive

This will be live and we hope you will be listening to see if you are the winner of the great prizes that our friends have donated to our pledge drive, worth 1000's of $$.

Check out the prize page here: www.artfaircalendar.com/pledge-drive

AND we welcome your phone calls! 805-243-1338. Tell us your art fair stories and ask your questions. We'll have answers. We'd love to hear from you as we celebrate and shamelessly promote our art fair websites ;)

Winner April Blog Post - Oscar Matos Linares

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 23, 2013 at 12:30am

Oscar's candid post, "The Only Thing I Ask You God", struck a note with many readers last month. If you haven't read it yet -- do it now, and then look forward to meeting Oscar at a show one day.

Congratulations, Oscar, the members have voted your story as Post of the Month! Thank you for telling this story here.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.