First off, this blog is not just about me--there is some good meat, read on.  

We all, especially those of us on this site, have lot to be thankful for.

Me.  I am so happy to be live and breathing, very well, thank you.  I can now set up my own booth, with no help, and tug those 45-pound John Deere weights into place.  Ellen says I need to get a newer, lighter booth.  Fat chance. I know what I know--and everytime I climb that six-foot ladder to reach my roof on the van--I think,"I knew I'd make it to the top of the art world one day."

Enough about me.

Here is where I think we should really give thanks.  These are in no ascending or descending order, they just fly off the top of my head as I merrily type away this morn.  (Damn!  Where did I put that shot of tequila?).

Give thanks to Connie Mettler for starting this site.  It has changed in many ways, mostly, all for the better. Sure, some of the old vets no longer contribute (but I bet they still lurk).  We don't get as much news about how people are doing at shows.  We get some, but most of the significant shows have scant info.  I know people are reluctant to give sales figures.  I know a lot don't want to blab about a good show and then feel "I will probably never get in again."

We get lots of good info about so many others things germane to our biz.  It is all here on this site, you just got to know how to navigate it.  Be thankful, it wasn't like this years ago.  It took me eons to amass info that is now at the tips of our fingers.

Give lots of thanks that we can still find a way to sell our own art in this material world.  People envy our freedom (too bad they don't pay our bills).  To be able to create, market and then reap the rewards is a cosmic art high.  Be thankful.

We are still in a slow upturn.  The easy sales are still long away.  But we are tip-toeing closer all the time.  Be thankful that you are one of the many contributors to this.

Be thankful you don't have to work a job being a greeter at Sams Club,, or Home Depot, or similar ilk.  Yes, you get certain benefits from it, but it is a slow death for those of us who have worked for ourselves over the years.  I begin my 33rd year in the biz this 2013.  My goal is to never work for anyone but Nels Johnson.  He is a tough employer who expects a lot.  Early morn photo-shoots, making mats, long drives to shows--but he lets me play golf and fool around in the garden a lot.  Be thankful you have such an employer in yourself.

Be thankful for all the wonderful personalities who inhabit this site.  Their experience, and sense of giving, is astounding.We have such great, steady contributors.  Learn from them and just maybe, become a contributor yourself.  It is always cool to look at the computer screen and see words that you have written--and think, "Wow!  Tons of people are going to see this, and if it goes out on Facebook too, a ton more will see it, doesn't necessarily mean they will read it."  It is a great high.

Lastly, be thankful we live in the land of the brave and the free.  Say grace at your meal today, remember those of the past who used to partake, give thanks to have such good friends, be thankful to be in good health.  Take nothing for granted.  We are all little specks in the sands of time, but our colors will live on for eons.  That is why they call us artists--not vendors.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, from Ellen Marshall and Nels Johnson.

I reviewed this event last year and am pleased to say that this year the quantity of jewelry wasn’t near as overwhelming as last year.  You can see last year’s post for load in / load out, parking, artist amenities, etc.  None of that really changed.

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/fall-best-of-the-northwest-jewelry-and-art-show-and-yet-more

What did change this year was the crowd, or should I say lack of crowd??  Last year Friday and Saturday weren’t really busy but at least we had one day, Sunday, where the show was packed.  This year it felt like the bottom dropped out of the show with very poor attendance and even those that attended weren’t buying.  I know we’re not alone in saying that this was our worst ever Best of NW event.  Our sales were 50% of what they have been the last 2 years. For us, this meant that the show that was our best show in 2010, second best show in 2011 is winding up as our 3^rd worst show in 2012.   We’re sitting here feeling like someone has pulled a rug out from under us.  One artist, who has participated in the BNW events for over 10 years, commented that she thought the bottom dropped out in 2008-2009 (which is when we first started participating) and were starting to come back.   This year left all of us wondering if the events are once again on the downhill slide.

Each evening as the show wound down for the night we would see many of the artists wandering, chatting with other artists, complaining about lack of sales, lack of attendance, venue location, etc.  Many of the artists seem to be of the opinion that the location is just killing this show, it’s too difficult for patrons to attend, they don’t want to ride the shuttle, etc.   The fall venue is the Smith Cove Cruise terminal and due to Homeland Security regulations there are some restrictions/regulations that make parking a challenge. 

The Spring show is scheduled to be held at the same venue this year, as they once again move locations due to the City of Seattle renovating the location of the previous venue.  Most of us left there with a strong concern that patrons will continue to “vote with their feet” and most likely won’t attend the spring event due to the venue.  We’ve already submitted our application, but this is giving us pause and a lot to think about and consider as we plan for 2013.

Well, after spending most of the summer and early fall in Delaware, NJ and Virginia,  I'm nearly caught up on winter show applications, spreadsheet tallying, housecleaning, cat-feeding, new-neighbor meeting, and mailing out my 2013 calendars (not necessarily in order of importance).  So time to crunch a few more numbers and figure out whether all that travel was worthwhile.

Last year, I spent three weeks with my brother in Pennsylvania and another five weeks at an extended stay hotel in the Jersey-side suburbs of Philadelphia, then rented a home 20 minutes from the beach for my final three shows.  The lodging expenses killed me, and the show revenues weren't nearly able to keep up. 

This year, I drove my van up in the early summer, then flew back and forth between FL and Atlantic City airport on Spirit Airlines.  I booked shows so that I could fly up on a Thursday, drive to a hotel in Delaware (or Jersey shore), and do three shows in 17 days, then return to Atlantic City, park my van in third-party, offsite parking at the Ramada Inn just outside the city limits, and fly back home for a week or two.  Then: Lather, rinse, repeat through the end of October. 

Being able to return home was great for the psyche and the bank account (it costs me $550-$600 a week to be on the road, plus the show fees, vs. less than $400 for round-trip ticket plus parking).  From summer 2011, I learned that there's nothing worse than staying for a week in an extended-stay hotel with no revenues coming in--unless it's booking a crappy show just to keep busy. (At the end of the season, I nabbed a Spirit Airlines credit card with a generous mileage rewards program, so hopefully I can reduce flight expenses even more in 2013.)

The other difference to the bottom line was that this year, I managed to have a couple of gangbuster shows (Rehoboth Beach, DE and Stockley Gardens (Norfolk)) to offset the dead ones (two wildlife art shows in Ocean City and Stone Harbor NJ, among others).

Stockley Gardens (Oct. 20-21) was the summer's most pleasant surprise.  Held in and along four city blocks in an upscale downtown Norfolk neighborhood, this is one of those shows that residents circle on their calendars and plan for.  Quality was high, as befits this very competitive show.  Crowds were steady from the opening bell through close of the show, and never have I seen customers more focused on purchasing--and purchasing carefully.  They browsed, marked their scorecards with their favorites, and came back to buy.  If they had an issue (size, color, and--more rarely--price), they communicated it and were open to conversations to resolve it.  Only once(!) all weekend did I hear "I'll think about it."  Happily for me, it's a real 2-D loving crowd: painters and photographers did particularly well. 

Despite tight on-street parking that made load-in more work than I would have liked, this show was truly a pleasure to do, and as professionally run (by volunteers) as any show I've ever participated in. 

AFI member Dave Hinde, who lives in the area, also turned me on to a nice little show run by the Chesapeake Art Association in nearby Ocean View the previous weekend.  As the name implies, the show runs right along the ocean, and during setup on Saturday morning the 30-40 mph gusts made setup a back-wrenching challenge.  But the breezes died down a bit by 10 am, and the crowds were surprisingly steady for such a small show, particularly on Saturday.  I wound up with a sales total about 50% more than I'd expected for a small, artist-run event--giving me a nice "bridge show" so I could spend extra time in the Norfolk/Portsmouth area.  I headed out only a week before Hurricane Sandy headed up the coast, dealing a glancing blow to this area before hitting the Jersey shore.

The tidewater area of VA seems like an area worthy of more investment. Besides the shows I did (which included the Seawall Art Show in late August), there's Port Warwick, Virginia Beach Boardwalk, Gosport, and a few others.  

Overall, the Jersey shore area shows were disappointing. Summer weather scuttled all, or part, of nearly every show I did in June and July, and the much-heralded Wheaton Arts Festival of Fine Craft in Millville NJ (also victimized by all-day rain on Sunday) wasn't much of sales event for 2-D artists.  Beyond which, I miscalculated what would sell up there: I took larger canvases with me this summer, which have been selling well in Florida. But up North they didn't sell nearly as well as the smaller ones I'd shown in 2011.  Like all of us, I'm hoping that the Jersey shore and other areas afflicted by Sandy rebuild better, and safer, than ever...but I doubt I'll spend as much time there in 2013 as I did in years past. 

This was a first-year show put on by Bill Kenney and his crew at Paragon and I decided to do the show because it was at home and because I've heard only good things about Paragon.  I have to say I was very impressed.  It was a small show with around 50-60 exhibitors and was held in an up-scall mall in far North Dallas.  The exhibitors were top-notch and I didn't notice a one that was selling inferior work.  This little show turned out to be one of the best shows I've had this year.  It started rather slow but by Sunday afternoon the crowd had grown larger and prople were beginning to buy as we all like to see them do.  I think this show has a lot of potential and is one that we're going to see grow and become more popular as time goes by.  I think it's in the right place at the right time and I think we'll be hearing more about the Dallas Fine Arts Show.  The area needs another good show and I think this may be it.  I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else shares my opinion.

Wednesday, November 21, 12 noon ET

In a business full of taking chances the first big challenge an artist has is to make the jury cut at the shows. After all, if you can't get into the show you aren't in business. I'll be speaking with

• Mo Riley, Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair: Mo came to the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (the original one) about 3 years ago from the Detroit Festival of the arts. She inherited a complex jury system that has over a dozen jurors from various media who attend on consecutive days, breaking the jurying down into small pieces.

• Lyn Sedlak-Ford, Board Member Art in the Pearl, Portland, OR: one of a group of 14 artists who started this show 17 years ago. There are 3 left of the original group. We'll talk about how an artist's organization chooses a jury and what they expect from their jurors.

• Jerry Allen Gilmore, juror for many of the nation's best art fairs: with an MFA in painting and drawing he has had a career both as an artist, exhibiting internationally, and as an arts administrator in Colorado. Currently he is concentrating on curatorial projects, artist portfolio reviews, jurying for regional and national art institutions and on his own artwork.

We'll talk about:

• how to choose a jury, qualifications, diversity, experience

• demands on the jury

• how they showcase the applications

• jury instruction
• different kinds of jurying

Do you have questions you'd like me to ask? Please add them below.

We'll also be taking questions from callers at this #(805) 243-1338

Hi all, I had the pleasure of witnessing the afternoon jurying for Artisphere yesterday.  I won't go into all the details as much has been written about the process but will share a couple of observations.  I especially wanted to view the photography category, my media, and was astounded by the quality of the category.  There were 87 entries and last year i believe 9 were chosen for the category.  My immediate thought was "How is it possible to consistantly get into shows with so much quality work being submitted?"  This IMHO was also true in the jewelry category.  Having seen this,  I feel even more so that getting into top shows is quite a challenge and a bit of a crapshoot (of course).  I feel that when I don't get in, I will never again feel I've been slighted.  I could have easily selected 40 or so from that group. Perhaps many more.

The other big revelation was that I noticed that the jurors were not scoring.  I asked about that during a break and was told that the jury at Artisphere gets the images well in advance of the show to view at his/her leisure.  I asked if to their knowledge most other shows let the jurors have them in advance and was told that Columbus and another show that they consulted with did it this way.  It's good to know that the work is seen more than the 5 second group overview  and 10-15 second  viewing with artists statement.

I also noticed that Artists who used their full artists statement had a better chance of being viewed  longer than very short statements, but that may be inconsecuential  in light of the judges studying the images in advance.

Kathy Czopek's report on her recent attendance at a business conference on "How to Apply" in St. Louis is full of good information. One of the presenters at the meeting was Laura Miller, operations director of the St. Louis Art Fair. I attended that show in September. Here are some booth images to illustrate the information that Laura shared at the workshop:

Painting by Daniela Ovtcharov

Jewelry booth Ronald & Leigh Linton

Who can even see the booth for the crowd? Woodworker, Matthew Hatala on the left

Nice portable booth, easy to ship - jewelry by C. Hoffnagle

Porcelain by Robert Hessler

Amy Arnold, fiber sculpture

Ceramics by Nathan Grubich & Amanda St. Hilaire-Grubich

Glass by Sam Stang

Jewelry by Jonathan Rutledge

This is not the booth shot Robert Longyear would have sent it in, but wanted you to see the add'l tie downs and lights on the very nice panels which set off his work

Jeweler Matthew Naftzger's work is constructed from found elements, as is his booth, distressed metal cases and wall hangings reinforce the recycled element of his work

Two people who contribute a lot to AFI:

Artist David Bjurstrom

& Photographer Mark MacKinnon

Sorry, no photo of John Leben's booth, as it was blown to bits!

So, I met with my accountant today.  I mentioned that I started doing art shows in neighboring states.  He says that if I go into another state I need to file a tax return in that state, because I made income there.  Are all of you filing income tax returns in every state you do a show or how do you handle this?  Seriously, it is hard enough to make any money without having to pay my tax guy to do additional work! I'm having a tough time with this one.

So, I've been talking to someone in the travel industry -- with the hope of providing everyone going on his tours to get a piece of jewelry. 

Now he said that instead of just him, he will speak to the umbrella organization in which many of his tours (and others) first go to and perhaps we can do a pin or a pendant for all those going on these tours.  Wow - that would be great!

But now the dilemma.  If they want a commission piece - not one already in the collection - how does one charge for that?  And then they 'own the piece?  Or would I get a 'royalty' for each piece? If we made the piece, then we could price.  I wouldn't want the piece to go overseas ... and yet, if it's commissioned and sold to them, then i don't have any rights to that piece any more - do I?  I just looked up the umbrella organization - there's about 37,000 young people participating in this specific tour a year. 

Please help guide me.  If we get to the next step -- just talking - I want to come to the table in strength and knowledge.  Thanks in advance. 

Anyone at Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Gaithersburg, MD?  We're booth 15.

Karen Cooper's recent blog post, Running with the Bambi's, makes the point that you don't look back, you continue to learn and experiment.

Staying on top of all things "art fair" and not looking back is one of my mantras too, so last week I spent a day in Ann Arbor, MI, attending the Arts & Cultural Tourism Marketing Forum presented by the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Ann Arbor Arts Alliance at the historic Michigan Theatre.

The AA CVB sees travel and tourism as part of economic development and do direct marketing to bring visitors to town to stay overnight not only for university and sports activities, but also for cultural activities.

They have had wonderful growth in recent years. They "fill more beds" (CVB talk for hotel room sales) more consistently than any city in the U.S. except for Las Vegas! Their statistics showed a solid drop off in sales (beds) in 2009, and earlier in the century when Michigan really got blasted by the tech bubble busting and the auto company problems, so that Michigan and Ann Arbor were the first into the economic collapse and then because of their marketing and the attractiveness of the area they were the first out.

Take a look at their website: http://www.visitannarbor.org/

and this video:

Art fairs is one of the main tabs on the home page. Then look at their great presentation of the art fairs. Kudos to Mary Kerr from the CVB and Ken Yarsevich of the Pure Michigan campaign, bringing tourist and buyers to the state.

Why am I posting this here? All you show organizers who are visiting the site please take a good look and copy some of these good examples.

Is your CVB doing some of these things? Can anyone give us some more good examples?

I am a printmaker. I create relief prints; mostly lino-cuts on hand-made paper and directly water-colored. I print everything myself on an old Charles Brand etching press. I do not sell reproductions. Here is a letter I got from the Gasparilla show:

"I've reviewed your application and have noticed that your booth photo includes a bin for displaying reproductions of your work. In accordance with our Festival Rules, you must answer 'yes' to the application question regarding selling reproductions at the Festival if you plan to do so. I've marked your application "Incomplete" so that you may login and change your answer to that question as necessary. Thanks and please let me know if you have any questions."


Ashly Anderson
2013 Festival Co-Chair
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts

This was sent a day before the deadline for jurying and went into my spam folder. I did not see it for 3 weeks. I have called and emailed numerous times but no one has bothered to email me back or call. I am hurt, frustrated and feel like I have been accused of lying because of ignorance about the art of original printmaking (plus I want my jury fee back!). What is my art community's take on this?

I just read an article about artists who have their works used in movie and TV productions...and getting paid well for it.

Background scenery, plot points, interior design, atmosphere, etc. 

In fact, it said "The demand for background art is so great, in fact, that middleman firms have sprung up to help connect artists with filmmakers."

I always think that finding new ways to sell (or in this case "rent") their works is worth looking into.

Here's the link if you're interested (and who wouldn't be!)

Artists find profitable niche: renting their work to movie makers

Some artists are turning a tidy profit by renting their work to movie makers as set decoration.

Did anyone do the new Paragon show in Fort Worth this past weekend?  I was just wondering how the show was.  I was unable to do it but I am doing the one in Dallas next weekend.  I was able to go down on Saturday and walked the show for a little while and it looked sort of scary i.e. no patrons.  I would guess there were around 50 artists and I did see some nice work.  But, seemed like the buyers were very scarce.  I was able to talk with a couple of people and they said they weren't doing much.  It did look like the load in/out would have been easy.  Trailers were parked very near the tents.

I'm just trying to get a feel for what we might expect in Dallas because those I talked with were planning to do it as well.  I hope you did well in Fort Worth and, hopefully, Dallas will be even better.  I'd like to see those two shows catch on and grow into something lucrative. 

I have recently been invited to see the jury process for the first time.

This may sound crazy, but what do I do, I am interested in seeing this.

This will be my first real jury show.

I know it will be educational for me as well.

What about dress, is there a dress code to this kind of thing?

Will other artists(not the judges)be there too?

Can I talk to them afterward?

What do I do when I get there?

I guess I am a little nervous.

June 21-23  
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Art Museum
180 Artists
Deadline: Nov. 20

Join us for the Lakefront Festival of Arts in our magnificent setting at the Milwaukee Art Museum.  The award-winning, nationally-recognized festival takes place inside the museum's spectacular Santiago Calatrava-designed building addition, as well as on the adjoining outdoor museum grounds. LFOA is a gated festival that attracts 30,000 patrons enjoying the festival rain or shine indoors AND outdoors!  LFOA is a fund raiser for the Milwaukee Art Museum's Art Acquisition and Exhibition Fund presented by Friends of Arts.

The Lakefront Festival of Arts media coverage includes developing an aggressive public relations and marketing campaign each year, including:

• targeting a number of online and print publications
• TV, radio and social media vehicles within Southeastern Wisconsin, Madison, Green Bay and Northern Chicago markets.
• The festival receives onsite coverage from every major news station, as well as onsite live radio broadcasting.

A total of $10,500 in awards are presented each year! Ten awards of $1,000 each are given where excellence is determined by the jurors.  These artists are automatically invited back to LFOA for the next year.

Jurors also select Honorable Mention award winners, all of whom are automatically invited back.

A single $500 Sculpture Garden Award will be presented to (1) artist participating in the Sculpture Garden  that has been chosen by a unique sculpture judge the weekend of the festival.

Artist's Benefits: 

• Cash awards, Artist breakfast, booth sitters, electricity, guest housing, Museum admission, program image, 24 hour security

LFOA Special Features include:

• Fiber Art Fashion Show on the LFOA main stage, highlighting unique fashions created by LFOA artists
• Sculpture Garden-An outdoor Sculpture Garden will be professionally designed and installed to showcase outdoor and large scale work. We encourage artists, not limited to sculptors, to apply and take advantage of this distinctive festival feature.
• An online Silent Auction-Featuring numerous works of art donated  by talented LFOA exhibiting artists.  Bidding is open to the public, and is online prior to the festival weekend, offering art lovers a chance to bid from home or in person.  The silent auction provides the public with a highlight overview of the festival artists.

Learn more: http://lfoa.mam.org/

Artists interested in obtaining an online application for the 2013 festival, please follow link: www.zapplication.org/public_fair_preview.php?fair_id=2271

Thank you for your interest in our festival, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.  Best of luck to you in all your future artistic endeavors!

Krista Renfrew-Festival Director, lfoa@mam.org 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find more fine art fairs for your 2013 season: www.CallsforArtists.com

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Estero (FL) Fine Art Show on October 27 & 28, at Miromar Outlets!

$500 Purchase Awards

1. Patricia de Leon Alfonso, Painting - pictured
2. Su Griggs, Clay 

$100 Awards of Excellence

1. Mauro Pozzobonelli, Sculpture 
2. Rosario Garcia, Jewelry – Precious 
3. Herion Park, Fiber 
4. Kurt Ruby, Metal 
5. Luciano Duse, Photography 

The Estero Fine Art Show is a production of Hot Works