Blog

I posted these two stories as part of a thread that Geoff Coe started about the dismal show he had in Jacksonville last weekend. Geoff asked me to start a new blog to share the "inspiring" stories so more people might have an opportunity to read them. These are copied from the original blog: 

1. "I did this show last year and it was exactly the same as Geoff described: Rain on Saturday, beautiful Sunday and nobody came out. I may have done $100 for the weekend. But on my way back to Atlanta I stopped to photograph the Okefanokee Swamp and I made an image that has been by far my best seller. It was even purchased for the permanent collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. If I hadn't done the show I would have missed out on thousands of $ of sales of this one photograph. 

So you never know."

2. "Geoff, Here's another example of "you never know" that happened just today. Last spring I met a woman at a show who was looking for photographs to decorate her husband's new office that was still being built. She wouldn't commit to anything until the office was finished and she could see the photographs in the office to make sure they worked. Delay after delay stretched out to almost a year but I stayed in touch with her with an occasional email. Finally she called me the other day to schedule a "viewing" at the office some images she had selected from my website to consider. I walked out this afternoon with an order for 11 large framed images for over $4K. My largest one-time sale ever.

So a below average show at the time was actually one of my best. Actual sales at a show is not always an accurate indicator of the success of the show."

The point of these stories is that a bad show is not always what it seems at the time. Anybody else have similar experiences to share?

This is my second year doing shows. I am based in the Milwaukee area. I have decided to branch out and try some shows in Door County this year. However, now that I have gotten into a few of them, I am stumped at figuring out where to stay economically. Does anyone have any ideas? I may end up borrowing a tent and camping for $20/night, even though that seems like a bit more trouble than just sleeping in my car in the Walmart parking lot for free. Unfortunately, these art shows all fall on holidays where the motel rates are higher to begin with. 

St. Petersburg, FL - April 20 & 21 - Mainsail Art Festival

Dean A. Porter, director emeritus of the University of Notre Dame Snite Museum of Art and himself a painter chose the 50 artists who received the $50,000 in awards. The $10,000 Best in Show award went to painter, Richard Currier.

This is my third time jurying the show," Porter said. "I spent about five hours reviewing the artists on the Mainsail website before I came and started a quality rating from 1 to 10. Very few were below 7. I visited Richard's booth twice and there was such a high quality to every painting.

                                    Richard Currier's abstract seascape - Best in Show

Award of Excellence – $1,500

Scott Coulter    Oil/Acrylic
Scott Hartley    Watercolors
Jeff Eckert    Graphics
Candiss Cole-Footitt & Roger Footitt    Fibers
William Kwamena-Poh    Watercolors
David Erdman    Sculptor
Jan Wang    Oil/Acrylic
Dawn Adams    Oil/Acrylic
Duncan McClellan    Glass
Jon Smith    Oil/Acrylic

Award of Distinction – $1000

Ummarid Eitharong    Mixed Media
Billie Barthelemy    Fibers
Leslie Bevis    Oil/Acrylic
Rocky Bridges    Mixed Media
Dale Lewis    Wood
Richard J. Auger    Photography
Ana Aguerrevere    Oil/Acrylic
Emily Barnes    Oil/Acrylic
Marc and Sara Aune    Jewelry
John Mascoll    Wood
David Gordon    Oil/Acrylic
Robert S. Wilson    Oil/Acrylic
Paul Jeselskis    Ceramics
Katherine Mathisen    Ceramics
Gail Markiewicz    Ceramics

Award of Merit – $500

Sue Archer    Watercolors
Randall Smith    Mixed Media
Sandra Matasick    Jewelry
Ellie Diez-Massaro    Mixed Media
Pam Fox    Jewelry
Mel Fleck    Graphics
Chas Rowe    Oil/Acrylic
Maija Baynes    Oil/Acrylic
Lawrence Packard    Graphics
John Bayalis    Watercolors
Andy Handwork    Graphics
Lilian Delgado    Oil/Acrylic
Dave Bruner    Graphics
Richard Miranda    Jewelry
Linda McAdams    Mixed Media
Erica Hall    Graphics
Charles Parkhill    Sculpture
Michael Weber    Watercolors
Russell Yerkes    Watercolors
Susan Gott    Glass

Purchase Awards – $200

Cheryl Mackey Smith    Ceramics    ARTicles Gallery by Leslie Curran
Marc and Sara Aune    Jewelry    Douglas C. Buchan & Associates
Marvin Bower    Fibers    Anthony J. LaSpada, P.A.
Patricia Karnes    Jewelry    Lazzara Family Partnership
Patricia Karnes    Jewelry    Lazzara Oil Company
Gail Markiewicz    Ceramics    Fred & Monika MacFawn
Dustin Cole    Sculpture    The Mahaffey Company
William Kidd    Ceramics    Shapiro’s Gallery
Jon Smith    Oil & Acrylic    Wells, Houser & Schatzel, P.A.
Lilian Delgado    Oil & Acrylic    West Coast Florida Cadillac Dealers

More about Mainsail:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/things-to-do/visualarts/painter-takes-best-in-show-at-38th-annual-mainsail-arts-festival/2116514

Thursday, April 25, 2 pm ET

Making the sale and making it easy for you and your buyer

Talking about:

• terminals, wireless & wired
• iPhones
• iPads & tablets
• PayPal
• PCI compliance & fees
• merchant support
• pay-as-you go processing
• monthly charges
• and getting the biggest bang for your buck

Steven Ballan, vice-president of 1st National Payment Solutions, one of the pioneers in providing merchant accounts to non-bricks and mortar merchants, lays out the current "best practices" and answers questions about making smart choices in your credit card processing options.

In light of the continuing discussion about credit card processing we'll speak with a merchant provider who has been in the business many years. 1st National stepped out years ago to provide services to artists and they have a long history in the business.

You can help make this podcast better by posting your questions below in the comments and also by calling in to the show: (805) 243-1338

October 12 & 13
Houston, Texas

Fall in Houston, the weather cools and Houstonians celebrate at the Bayou City Art

photograph by Syd Moen

Festival  Downtown. The festival surrounds the historic Houston City Hall and is  set against the dramatic skyline of the nation's fourth largest city.

1. Bayou City Art Festival Downtown has a demonstrated history in strong sales for artists.
2. National  studies show Houstonians consistently have twice the  discretionary  income that workers in similar industries have around the  country.
3. With  a median household income of over $50,000 and an  income growth since  2000 of 13.1% as reported in Kiplingers.com, Houston  has been ranked  the Number 1 city in the U.S. in which to live, work  and play in July  of 2008.
                   

There is plenty of money in them hills and cities of Texas--unlike Florida where the economy generally sucks for most artists at the shows.

I had killer shows at the Woodlands Show (just north of Houston) and then Main Street Fort Worth, last weekend.

The Woodlands is a very monied, conservative and traditional in what they buy.

The show is mostly along a waterway with artists booths backed into a hill with about 20 feet of pavement in front of your booth for customers.

Setup can be tedious, but everybody gets in there.  Also at teardown, you have the option of coming in on Monday morn, which I did--piece of cake!

This is very well-run show, I give the promoters and their staff high "A's" for all their work.  They could not have been more helpful.

A lot of artists with high end work, think $1000 and above, were not as happy as me.  I killed them.  It was my first time going there.  I did so well, it left me kind of thin for FT. Worth (Hereafter known as FW).

I had two days to kill before FW, so I stayed in Austin for the first time.  I shot Bluebonnets and Longhorns in the hills and then shot great urban treasures in town.  Found some new winners.

Ate my butt off, it will be interesting to see how much I weigh in at Ybor when I get home on Wed.  Left weighing 180, hope to not be over 185.

I will weigh in with a Wino/Tequila Report at a later date.

On to FW.

This is a major show.  Hard to get into, but you can make serious moola if you are chosen.

I have lucked out and been juried in four out of the last six years.  I put this show in my top three in the nation.

My setup started off rugged.

I showed up early on Wed. to set up, show starts on Thurs.  Got my packet, went back to the van and my left rear tire was flat to the rim.

Drove on it anyway, around four blocks got situated in front of the booth and called AAA.

They came, changed the flat, then told me that two of my tire studs were stripped.  Could only reattach six out of eight lug nuts.

I found a Firestone south of downtown, bought a new tire and they told me they would get new studs from Napa.  Five hours later (I have not got anything set up or unloaded yet) Napa, three times, brought the wrong size studs.  Pissed off and late, I left.

Got back to the show around 4 pm and could not get my van anywhere near the booth.  At this point the temps were around 87 degrees.  We all knew a serious cold front was coming in that night.  Winds were already clocking at a steady 15-20 mph, whipping down Main Street between the super tall buildings.

I did the only sensible thing.  Went to my hotel, took a good nap and woke up and went out to dinner at the Capital Grille.

I knew I would have to setup, probably in wind and rain and heavy winds the following morn.

Sure enough.  I woke up at 4:30 AM ready to go setup.  

Murphy's Law struck again.  It went from peaceful to a roaring rain, complete with thunder and lightning and hard gusting winds.  OH, and the temperature dropped down into the mid-thirties.

I did the sensible thing.  Went back to sleep for another hour.  Woke up, it had stopped raining but it was frigging cold.  Also very windy.

So naturally, I put on every warm piece of clothing and drove down to set up at 5:30 AM.

My fingers were totally numb within one hour. 

It took me 3 hours just to get the booth up inside their tents.  I got it stocked with an hour to spare, went back to the hotel, took a scalding shower, and an hour later I was finally getting some feeling back in my fingers.

Reluctantly, we all opened up at 10 AM per show rules--and then proceeded to freeze to death.

On Thursday, if you made $500 you were one of the lucky ones.

I called Ellen and told her I would gladly teardown now and come home.

Luckily I did not.

Luckily, I killed them, major killed them.  So did a lot of other artists.

Not everybody did so well.  It was more of a lowend crowd this year with like sales.  The cheap sneakers out-numbered the $500 cowboy boots.  Very strange.

I got to hang out with my old photography compadre every morn at the Marriot breakfest cafe.

Naturally, we dissed every photographer in the circuit except Alan Klug and Mark MacKinnon who were sitting with us.  The minute they left, we started working them over too.  It is a tradition the two of us  look forward to, everytime we can meet in FW.

Out of this episode came a great blog idea about getting "Moe-ed".  This happened a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. I will write about it at a later date.

I have to save some of my ammo, I can't blow my whole wad in one blog like I used to.

I have lots more to say, but I am worn out, am in Lafayette,LA tonight.  Shooting in Cajan country tomorrow, then Seaside area on Wed. and getting home that night.

Late date, can't wait.

Oh, BTW, Saint Louis--here I come.  Oh sweet mama.

Aloha, Nels.

:  The original post of this story, and a substantial number of the comments that followed it, contained a one-paragraph reference to damage that occurred when a photographer's vehicle hit another artist's tent. 

The photographer contacted me by phone today to present his side of the story, which included some information that I was not aware of at the time. And he felt that I was unfairly painting him as a bad guy.

Although we disagree on whether it was appropriate for me to mention the incident at all, given that I was not in the vicinity when it occurred, the one point on which we do agree is that--whatever happened in the heat of the moment--eventually, the right thing is being done, and the issue is being amicably resolved through the parties' respective insurance companies. 

I took notes as he spoke.  And I offered to post a comment on his behalf presenting his side of the story and explaining his point of view.  He declined, not wishing to provoke another round of commentary. 

Many of you know I was a journalist long before Al Gore, or whoever it was, invented the Internet.  In the world of traditional print media, even today, reporters are taught to check their reporting with (at least) two sources before filing their story.  And although there are no such rules in the blogosphere, my instincts are always to do just that. 

Truth be told, I had the thought to try to get in touch with this photographer as I wrote that paragraph...and didn't do it.  And he deserved that. For that failure, I apologize.

So:  What to do to make this good?  As I promised the photographer I would do, I spoke at length with Connie Mettler (publisher of this site). She left it up to me. 

In figuring that out, I stepped back to look at the big picture--what was the point of writing the show review in the first place?  And that one's easy: I had found, on AFI and elsewhere, a decidedly mixed bag of opinions on this show.  And I felt that it was, and is, important to keep on the record that this show, for whatever reason, didn't give the vast majority of its participants a fair shot at success. 

So I'm not going to delete the thread.  I HAVE removed my account of the collision from the thread.  And, to address the issue of fairness, I HAVE deleted comments that mention the collision, or the photographer. To give everyone who posted a chance to read this update, I am going to leave it up for awhile.  At some future point, I'll delete the update so that all that remains is the post itself.

I understand that this may not be popular.  But I think it's the right thing to do.  If you disagree, you are welcome to text-message me and tell me.  (Please do not start another thread.) But just so we're all clear: The decision is mine, and mine alone.  Not Connie's.

Dismal attendance and sales at the so-called "Jacksonville" art festival, which drew 'way fewer than 2000 browsers, most from the immediate neighborhood. Although the festival was promoted by "the Shoppes at Avondale", the show itself was held in Boone Park, a pretty park in the Avondale neighborhood which unfortunately was some blocks' distance from the shops.  Very little signage to lure patrons from the surrounding streets, and no major arterial close enough to the show to afford visibility. Not that, in this 1920s-era neighborhood, it would have been easy to accommodate outsider parking, anyway.

The weather can't be an excuse.  Granted, it rained most of the day on Saturday; hardly anyone attended, and you couldn't blame them.  But Sunday was nice show weather--cool and partly cloudy--and most the folks I spoke with on Sunday had planned to come the day before, had the weather not been bad.

One fine artist near me--and I DO mean fine!--sold a single $4 notecard in two days. The jeweler next to me barely made (under $200) booth expenses, and said she "got price resistance all weekend." The photographer next to me sold about the same, and is retiring from the business.  The painter who won "best in show" sold a $7500 painting, but as one artist commented, " Good for him!  And that's probably more than the rest of us put together."

The organizers did a great job communicating before the show. But that's where communication ended, pretty much--they didn't even come by and thank us for attending, let alone ask how things were going.

Although there were some schlocky booths at the show, there were also some really superb artists and fine craftspersons, whose time and talents were largely wasted this weekend. And that's a shame. Based on the level of pre-show communication, I certainly expected better. 

You have been warned. :-(

Ok, friends, here it is.....the first time in my life I have ever packed up on Saturday and left a show. I am sitting in my van typing this trying to calm down.

I arrived here last night to friendly staff and easy set up. This morning started as usual, no issues. The crowds were very light and have remained very light all day. About two hours into the show, the wind started gusting very bad. I knew wind was an issue here and came with plenty of weights. My tent hadn't budged at all, but the wind was so strong that my ProPanel shelves shook to the point of knocking down my art. I got the show director who was very helpful and she brought me a folding table to move my work to. That also didn't work, the wind is so bad here that the art blew off the table too. After 11 broken pieces of art and no sales, I decided to pack up before losing more work to the wind. I will probably spend the rest of this week fixing all of my broken work. The wind is no ones fault, just bad luck I guess.

The staff of this show is friendly and very helpful. The crowd is another story. This is a Wal-mart mentality type of crowd. It is not the right market for my work, ranging in price from $75-600. They weren't interested in buying anything I had. Apparantly, everyone here is a found object artist and were going to go home and make my work out of the old junk in their garages. They saw no value in what I had and weren't shy about it either. I felt this crowd was very low brow and very rude. I had a couple of people laugh when some of my work fell down. I haven't experienced this level of trashiest or rudeness at a show before.
I think these people were expecting a flea market instead of an art fair.

I am sad to say this show is a farce on many levels, but I dont think it is the fault of the staff or the city of Stillwater. They tried their best and were very helpful and kind to me.

I can say that from what I saw and from talking to other artists, if you have cheap art and are willing to tolerate the wind, then you may want to do this show, otherwise avoid it, it isn't worth driving to and the crowd is very unimpressive and rude.

I will be in Franklin, Tennessee next weekend and will review that show as well. Tha ks!

June 15  
Lathrup Village, Michigan
Municipal Park, 27400 Southfield Rd.
Hosted by: Lathrup Village Community Foundation
Saturday - 11am-7pm
30+ Artists
Deadline: May 12

Imagine the sweet tastes of BBQ fresh off the grill, washed down with the best of Michigan beers.  Listen to sounds of live finger-snapping music while you stroll through a unique art fair.  Hear the laughter of children as they create their own crafts and are taken to the land of magic.

The  art  fair is situated in and around a lovely park setting that  borders  Southfield Road, taking advantage of the 50,000+ cars that pass  through  on any given day. 

Lathrup Village is in the heart of an affluent area of Oakland County in Metro Detroit.

Marketing: A  comprehensive  PR/marketing campaign inclusive of radio, print, and web  along with  sponsor support from Michigan First Credit Union, Oakland  County Parks,  City of Lathrup Village, C&G Newspapers, Southfield Parks and Rec, DTE Foundation and more.

Our first rate hospitality is always a staple that includes:

• Staff who recognizes artists needs
• Friendly volunteers to help you unload and booth sit
• Continental breakfast each day
• Spacious booths 12x12 with ample aisles
• $95 Booth Fee * $20 Non-Refundable Application Fee  

         You will instantly feel the warm and friendly atmosphere that makes Lathrup Village such a joy for visitors and residents alike.  This 10th Annual craft festival is a favorite annual event, bring contemporary crafts from more than 30 crafters exhibiting and selling their work in tree-lined park turned outdoor gallery for the day. FREE PARKING.

For more information and to download an application: www.summerinthevillage.com and click on the Artist link.

Or contact Maralee Rosemond at:  (248)557-2600, x 224,
email: recreation@lathrupvillage.org. 

*This fair was formerly known as the Lathrup Village Art Fair.

I have been a poor AFI contributor lately!  I took on some side work to supplement my portrait business and the late winter has been surprisingly hectic, unlike the arctic tundra I usually face this time of year.

I finally made time to write a blog post, and I hope you'll enjoy this story about my latest portrait subject, which is a subject that touches many of us.

http://pencilenvy.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-truth-about-stephen-and-henry.html

Happy selling!

Wendy

www.pencilportraitcards.com

Security is always an issue at the nation's art fairs with smaller events not having to pay much attention to it but the large ones that attract 100,000's of thousands of people beefing up their staff to insure the safety at their shows. When the Super Bowl was in Detroit a few years back I was on the staff and went to a meeting with not only local police but FBI, Homeland Security and border patrol officials speaking to us and briefing us on what to do. It was very sobering.

Texas' big show the Fort Worth Main Street Festival is taking place this weekend in the shadow of Monday's tragic occurrences in Boston. Festival organizers surely had their load increased in preparation for the event as they redoubled their security plans. The Fort Worth Police Department is deploying additional uniformed and undercover officers, as well as bomb-detecting K9 units, to areas in and around all large public events, said a city news release.

Suggestions that will be helpful to artists not only this weekend but going forward:

The release recommended signing up for a free service at www.nixle.com, where the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management warns of natural or manmade emergencies in the area with texts and/or email.

Festival guests are asked to follow Homeland Security's caution: "If you see something, say something."

But because it's a free festival with 20 points of access, monitoring what people bring into it would be difficult, said spokeswoman Clair Bloxom.

"If someone saw a person leave a backpack at an artist's booth, you'd definitely want to report that to a police officer," she said. "We're encouraging people not to bring backpacks."

Guests also are asked not to bring coolers, said Jay Downie, event producer.

"If you bring a bag, keep it on your person," he said. "Any unattended bag will be confiscated."

September 14 & 15
Atlanta, Georgia
Historic Piedmont Park
Saturday 10am-7pm; Sunday 10am-5pm
200 Artists
Deadline: April 29

The Atlanta Arts Festival is a two day, outdoor festival with an emphasis on the visual arts.  Set in historic Piedmont Park, the festival fills the fall time art festival void in the City of Atlanta.

This autumn festival of excellence in the arts is an event dedicated to bringing together outstanding artists from throughout the country with the large and enthusiastic art buying community of the Atlanta area.

The Atlanta Arts Festival is produced by a highly qualified staff and strong volunteer pool, both with multiple years of event production and promotion in the City of Atlanta.  This annual September event is committed to delivering a quality experience for both artist and patron!

Items of Interest:

• Held in Piedmont Park
• Juried show; artists selected by a panel of experts
• Limited number of participants to increase sales
• $7,500 in award money
• Artists retain all proceeds from their sales
• Commemorative poster image will be selected from a show participant
• Ranked in the 100 Best Fine Art & Design Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine, September 2012 

Artist Amenities:

• Artist hospitality providing continental breakfast & refreshments
• Booth sitting
• Load-in/load-out at booth space
• Free parking (parking information will be forthcoming in artist acceptance packet and/or check-in packet)
• 24 hour security patrols
• Discounted rates at participating hotels

For more info:  www.AtlantaArtsFestival.com    

Applications: www.Zapplication.org  

(770)941-9660 (office)

(866)519-2918 (fax) 

Staci applied to Seawall in Portsmouth, VA for the first time this year.  The application was completed electronically using the show's website.  Image submissions were also handled via the show site.

When I clicked the “submit” button, the website starting acting a little strange and I didn’t get any kind of confirmation.  I then emailed the show to confirm that the application and images were received okay.  I got a reply back that all was fine.

Two days ago, I got an email from the artist liaison at the show with the subject line: Important Seawall Art Show Message.

Apparently, one or more jurors were questioning the booth image that was submitted with the Staci's application.  They told the liaison that it didn’t appear like the 2D work in the booth shot looked anything like the separate 2D images Staci had submitted and, in fact, it didn’t look like the work was fabric (Staci’s medium).

The liaison sent us the booth shot and sure enough, it was somebody else’s booth.  We’re guessing that the glitch I suspected at the time of submission actually resulted in some files ending up in the wrong place.

While one could argue that the home-grown online submission process had some flaws that need fixing, it is also true that this jury was obviously spending enough time with the applications to detect some inconsistencies within a given application.  This is the way the jury process should work.

We won’t know whether Staci is accepted or not for another couple of weeks but whether she is or not, we know she will have gotten a fair shot.  I think that’s all any artist asks for in the jury process. Thanks to the folks at Seawall.

Oh – the jury fee was $35.

Have any of you Floridians done the Apopka Art and Foliage Festival before? I notice they are making a call for artists even though the show is in a few weeks. Should I make the leap?

I have read a bunch of posts, opinions, issues on this topic and feel that I can contribute.  First, my credentials - I have sold Point of Sale software to many retailers for years.  Every one of them accepts credit cards, I have relationships with many processors and services, I do not sell Credit Card Processing nor any of the products I will review here.  I am happy to further explain anything to the best of my ability.

PCI - this is a big grey area.  It stand for Payment Card Industry.  It refers to security standards.  Your processor has the ability to charge for non-compliance, but that does not release you from liability.  If you violate PCI Standards, and a fraudulent charge occurs as a result, your processor may fine you up to $10,000 per incident (violation, not fraudulent activity!).  Take it very, very seriously.  A few points:

• Do NOT use knuckle busters.  Unless you lock up the slips immediately, and follow a specific security process to keep them secure, you may be in violation of PCI Standards
• PCI fees typically apply to older payment devices (credit card machines).
• Square, Paypal, Intuit, SalesVu etc are all PCI Compliant and do not charge PCI fees

Processor monthly fees - Don't pay them.  For our industry, the expense of the dedicated credit card machine is ridiculous.  Find a processor without them

Smartphone / Tablet processing - In my opinion, this is the only way to go.  You can buy an i-Pad for about the same as a wireless CC machine.  Square and SalesVu both have great iPad apps and they just plain work.  You can wirelessly tether to your cell phone, and the processing uses an insignificant amount of your data plan (you won't notice any difference).  There are no monthly fees, just the percentage.

The real math - Square charges 2.75%, SalesVu charges 2.7%.  Square charges a bit more for 'keyed transactions' (card won't read), SalesVu does not.  Your bank will tell you that they only charge "1.8%" or x basis points over the exchange.  What you need to do is estimate your monthly charges, then add all the 'fees', then estimate the 'non-qualified' and 'semi-qualified' transactions that carry a surcharge, then figure out what your REAL percentage is.  We used to have a ridiculously low rate, through someone that I have a long term relationship with, and it still worked out to over 2.2% net.  And trust me, you won't get the rate that I did.  Unless you are charging over $5,000  per month don't waste your time with the math. Get Square or SalesVu.

Square or SalesVu?  I can't address Intuit or PayPal, I have not used them.  We use SalesVu with Square as a backup

• Cost - SalesVu is a bit cheaper, does not charge for 'keyed transactions', but does cost a little more for Amex.  Square will give you as many card readers as you want, SalesVu gives you one, additional ones are $99.  No monthly fees on either.  SalesVu does have a minimum monthly processing fee of $15, so if you run less than $563 in a month they will charge you the difference up to the $15.
• Devices - SalesVu has a much better 'swiper' that does not spin around, the Square device is tiny.  Personally, I don't like the Square device, but many do!
• Application - Square will let you put items in the system with prices, including discounts, but this only works on the iPad.  SalesVu has a robust Point of Sale app that works on iPad, iPhone and Android.
• Reports - if you want to analyze your business, SalesVu wins, hands down.  Sorry, Square fans.  BUT there is that $15 minimum monthly
• Email - Square stores customers emails.  If they have ever used Square with that card, you don't have to enter the email for the receipt.  BUT you don't get the customer email address for marketing purposes.  For me, this is a deal breaker.  SalesVu allows you to download your customer base with email addresses any time you like.  Very easy to look up customers and orders on SalesVu as well.  If a customer has used the card with YOU before, SalesVu remembers the email address
• Support - I have never used Square support, but have heard from others that it is not great.  SalesVu does have great support, but you will use it more because it is a much more robust application.

Why even bother with Credit Cards? - If you are not accepting Credit Cards, you are throwing away money, plain and simple.  We did not accept cards for the first 3 years.  Once we did, our average transaction with CC is 30%-40% higher.  Overall sales up 50%.  Get over it, it is a cost of doing business.

Ok, so I have bared my soul, and am prepared to be abused.  Obviously I like SalesVu, but I don't have anything to do with them.  But remember, I have not charged you for this consultation!  This is a fabulous forum, and I am happy to share what I really know (my wife is the Artist, I am the sales guy).  I leave the Art expertise to Nels, Goeff, etal.

Does anyone have past experience or current plans to participate in Liberty Arts Squared in Liberty, MO on May 31 and June 1? Please share any thoughts, experience or insights on this show.

August 16-18    
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Park
Presented by the Friends of the Domes
60-100 Artists
Deadline:  April 30

The Milwaukee Domes Art Festival is a cultural extravaganza August 16th through the 18th in and around the historic Milwaukee landmark, the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Domes. 

The Milwaukee Domes Art Festival is committed to excellence and to creating a festival unlike any other.  Quality, beauty, and a wonderful and memorable experience, for both festival attendees and participating artists is our primary goal.  Our secondary goal is to support the one-of-a-kind venue, the Milwaukee Domes, or the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory.

Our festival includes live music, fine festival food, a children's art pavilion as well as a contemporary art gallery and a plein air competition.

We provide the highest awards amount of any Wisconsin art festival:

• $10,500 in CASH artist awards
• Best in show receives $3,500
•  best of plein air receives $1,500
• There are $5,000 in additional prizes for honorable mentions

Please apply to exhibit at the Milwaukee Domes Art Festival, paint in the Milwaukee Domes Art Festival's plein air painting competition, or both!

The application fee for the Festival is $35, and is non-refundable.   

Application and further details are available on our website: www.milwaukeedomesartfestival.com     

Please check this website for continuing updates and information about the MDAF!  If you any specific questions, please contact us via email: coordinator@milwaukeedomesartfestival.com  

We wish you the best of luck as you apply, and look forward to seeing you at the 4th Annual Milwaukee Domes Art Festival.

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Looking for more art fairs for your 2013 season?  Visit: www.CallsforArtists.com where you'll find Zapp shows, Juried Art Services shows, EntryThingy.com and all the others who host their own applications.  It is a great all in one place resource!! 

You know that a town is committed to a show's longevity when you arrive at your booth space for setup and see your booth number stenciled permanently on the curb.

But after two days, only eight buyers, and under $1000 gross to show for it, I can't help wondering if the locals look at it the same way. 

Or maybe, given the town's decided "back to the Sixties" vibe (think Key West, but without the bar scene, cross-dressers, and roosters), folks who attended were looking for 1960s prices, too.

Whatever the case, this show really has me torn:  I loved the laid-back atmosphere, beautiful scenery, Old Florida architecture, fun restaurants, and expansive waterfront views.  A week's vacation here would be heaven on earth.  But, at least this year, it was  challenging to make money at this show. 

The event has an impressive history--next year's event will be its 50th. Although the area surrounding Cedar Key is largely agricultural, the town itself is a tourist mecca; Gainesville (home of the U of Florida)  is a straight-shot 70 minutes away, and I spoke with folks who'd come from far-flung environs like Jacksonville (2.5 hours) and Baton Rouge, LA (9 hours).   And as befitting its long history as an artist colony, the artist amenities are excellent, with breakfasts both days, an awards dinner Saturday night, active and helpful boothsitters, and some really fine art. In an effort to engage the community, attendees got sheets filled with "heart stickers", and they were encouraged to slap a sticker under the booth sign of each artist they favored.  (Personally, I was tempted to write underneath: "KIDS: Show me your stickers!  GROWNUPS:  Show me your $100s!"  But maybe that's just me.) 

The show expanded from about 110 artists to 150 this year, and in this area of relatively low income and low population, that's slicing the potential pie a little thin.  The show had a heavy concentration of 2-D artists, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering that the area is a painter's paradise.  But a very high percentage of the 2-D was photography: at the south end of the show, it seemed like there was a shooter about every third booth. 

The weather was sunny and warm on Saturday, and there was a fleeting "buying vibe": I made four quick, small sales in the first hour, and the most of the artists I spoke with at the awards dinner got off to fast starts as well.  But although the crowds continued to swarm the show until around 3 PM, there was very little art being carried around after noontime. 

Sunday brought cloudy, threatening skies, and although the forecast deluge didn't hit until late afternoon, the crowds never materialized.   I'll give immense credit to the show organizers, though, who continually came by with forecast updates and gave us about a two-hour heads-up that they were going to close the show at 4 PM.  And then, when the first rumble of thunder was heard at 3:30, they quickly let us know we could start packing immediately. 

The storm hit with a vengeance about 4 PM, and the half hour of packing enabled nearly everyone to get their art under shelter, or into their vehicle, before the deluge.  Most of us knocked down our tents during lulls in the action; nearly everyone was on the road by 6 or 6:30. 

The sporadic nature of load-out gave me lots of time to survey the participants, and sad to say, very few did well (though, as always, there were a couple of exceptions). 

However, this show has a long history of support from the town, locals, and tourists alike, so there's a possibility that 2013 represented a one-year blip on the radar.

I hope the director (new this year) reconsiders the possibility of enlarging the show even more next year and ratchets it back to 110 artists, which would go a long way toward cleaning out the buy/sell that snuck in this year and give those remaining a chance at a few more sales.    In addition, next year's show (scheduled for April 12-13, 2014) falls on the weekend before Easter, not the weekend after--meaning that there will be lots more snowbirds and tourists filling the Cedar Key hotels.  No matter how much the locals love the show, we artists could use a little outside help to fill the coffers.