Blog

A Trilogy of Shows in NYC
Jacob Javits Center
October 19-20-21

1. The Contemporary Art Fair NYC provides a major showing of independent painters, photographers, sculptors and other artists doing non-functional work.
   
   
2. The counterpart show, The American Craft Show NYC, features the work of fine artisans working with glass, ceramic, wood, and other materials.   
   
   
3. ART OFF the MAIN is the first fair ever to showcase the combined works from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. With  the discontinuation of the National Black Fine Art Show and ART OFF the  MAIN being an online fair for the past 2 years, there has been an  enormous void on the art scene.  Buoyed by the numerous pleas for the  return of ART OFF the MAIN, we are pleased to return to fill the void.
   
   

Preview the entire show on line at AMERICANARTMARKETINGNYC.COM

 Late night web-surfing is a bad habit of mine-I start looking at stuff around 9:45 pm, and the next thing I know it's after 2 am and I've signed up for membership in The Original Twinkie Fanciers Society! This past summer I found myself applying to the Funky Ferndale Art Show in Ferndale, Michigan, at five minutes to midnight just because it was The Deadline. Actually my thinking ran along the lines of "It sounds good, my art is funky, and I can stay at Mom's house to keep costs down." Bam! The application was sent!

Only later did I remember that I had applied for another show The Same Weekend! Argh! No problem, I figured, I wouldn't be accepted to Ferndale anyway. Wrong!! I was accepted. I talked it over with my business partner, and we came up with a plan that allowed us, through the abuse and coercion of one husband and one daughter, to be in both places. Hooray!

Now you know this not going to turn out well, right? Right. Funky Ferndale happens on the west side of Woodward Avenue on Nine Mile Road. I will say that Ferndale has metamorphosed since the misspent days of my youth and is now a pretty cool place with some great pizza and a library with a green roof (green with vegetation, no less!). The downside of this art fair is that on the east side of Woodward on Nine Mile Road the DIY Detroit Festival is running concurrently! Booo! DIY Detroit has, among other features, approximately one thousand beer tents, tens of dozens of crafters, at least two music stages, a sideshow, and . . . (wait for it) . . . .A Ferris Wheel! Yay! 

The Daughter and I persevered, and sold enough to buy a pizza, cover the booth costs, and bank a little bit, but the number of people who were Just Passing Through to get to DIY was depressing, and the number of drunks who were Just Passing Through to go home again was unpleasant. Then everything went to the dark side. 

Saturday night, as we began to pack up for the night, the Daughter discovered that someone Just Passing Through had reached under the back of the tent and purloined her bag and her laptop. I will leave the ensuing tumult and clamor to your imaginations, but I will say that the show management was most sympathetic as were the kindly officers of Ferndale 's Finest who came to take the report.

The next morning found us still susceptible to sudden outbursts of weeping, and that is when we were overwhelmed by the kindness of our fellow funky artists! On one side of our booth were Jason Thomas and Jennifer Teeter with their hysterically dark Cartoons For Total Strangers, who give the greatest hugs (Jason and Jennifer do the hugging, no hugs from the cartoons!), and on the other was another AFIer, Linda, who has great and funky paintings, prints, and jewelry. I cannot say enough about how welcome their sympathy, outrage, and support was to The Daughter and me! We finished the fair in reasonably good humor, although the sales were not responsible for much of that, and headed home to Ohio, sadder but wiser.

From this experience I have drawn several conclusions. First, don't let your guard down! Second, artists are really good people to have around you in a crisis. Third, don't apply for Funky Ferndale unless the DIY show's dates don't coincide with it. Fourth, never apply for a show five minutes before The Deadline!

As a footnote, and to end with a semblance of Joy and Rapture, the following week we got calls from two people up in Michigan. One had found The Daughter's laptop, the other had found her purse with all its contents intact! Good people do rule the universe after all!

Thursday, October 17, 2 pm ET

Artists Casey Sheppard (a jeweler) and Evan Reinheimer (a photographer) join Connie to talk about their experiences using Kickstarter.com to fund their art projects.

Casey's project raised funds to enable her to participate in the Cherry Creek Art Festival this summer and Evan is currently fundraising to finance a trip to Australia.

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. Everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others.

Since its launch on April 28, 2009, over $350 million has been pledged by more than 2.5 million people, funding more than 30,000 creative projects.

We'll talk about:

• what motivated them to participate
• what they learned along the way
• how to market a kickstarter project
• whether your ideas are "big enough"
• rewarding your donors
• mistakes made

Call in to the show to ask questions. Here is the #(805) 243-1338, or post them below.

Have you participated in any of these projects? I'd love to include your experiences also.

See Casey's completed project here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37372733/casey-sheppard-jewelry-collection-for-cherry-creek?ref=live

View Evan's ongoing project here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1986082413/kite-aerial-photography-in-australia?ref=live

ALL YEAR I promised myself that I'd take an updated booth photo and I never managed to do it. So I painstakingly set up my tent in my driveway before my last INDOOR show, hung everything perfectly, and took dozens of photos. Then had to take the tent down, pack everything back up, only to immediately set it all up again. Finally just got a chance to review the photos and they are AWFUL. Grainy and crappy and I really should learn some basic photography or hire someone.  That's enough venting.  Sigh.

I haven't had time to write in my portrait blog in some time. Even though it can sort of be considered marketing, it's really just something that gives me joy, so it doesn't happen when there are too many other demands on my time. I need to be drawing my hands off this time of year, not to mention I've needed to grocery shop for a full week.  But... some stories demand to be told. I hope you enjoy this one if you have the time to read it!

http://pencilenvy.blogspot.com/2012/10/hey-soul-sister-justify-my-blog.html

Thanks!

Wendy

February 9 & 10  
Jacksonville, Florida
Saturday & Sunday
10am - 5pm
Deadline: November 7

Application Fee:  $25
Booth Fee:  $210

Don't miss this opportunity to join some of the nation's most talented and respected artists who will be showcasing and selling their artwork at this highly organized and professional outdoor fine art festival.

This open air art gallery is located in the gigantic parking lot on the corner of Blanding Boulevard and Wells Road at Orange Park mall - the largest mall to the west of the Saint John's River. Artists will be displaying and selling all forms of art including ceramics, metal, glass, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, wood, stone, fiber, photography, and more. All artwork is juried, which provides a higher level of quality, diversity and creativity of art on display.

Artist Amenities

• Extra space behind your booth for storage.
• Drive up access for easy unloading and end of festival loading.
• Friday setup from 3pm-6pm with overnight security and also Sat morning from 6am-9am.
• Complimentary continental breakfast, coffee and water (Sat & Sun from 6am - 9am).
• Floating volunteers will be available to provide breaks for the artists.
• On-site vehicle, trailer and RV parking.
• Discounted lodging rates at local hotels and local restaurant discounts.
• Free golf cart shuttle service as needed.
  Security  will be provided from the close of Friday evening setup (6:00pm) until  Saturday morning at 10:00am, and from the close of the festival Saturday  evening (5:00pm) until Sunday morning at 10:00am. 

Free Admission and Parking
All festivals are open to the public with free admission and free parking.  

Learn more about our shows at: www.BluArtFestivals.com

 Apply online at: www.Zapplication.com

Hi to all,

I am writing this to make all Artists, crafters and vendors aware of agreements/contracts issued by show promoters.  In talking with several other artists, it seems that a lot of them do not really read the fine print.  I can not say strongly enough that you need to read and understand what you are signing.  If you are not sure what it says, ask your lawyer.  It is very important. 

The shows that I am talking about are in the Chicago suburban area, but this could occur anywhere.

I just received the second solicitation from a promoter that I have never heard of before.  The first solicitation to participaate in their show indicated that this is  a first show for them.  (red flag)  Show was going to have over 300 booths.  (red flag).    Cost of booth was between 250 to 700.  (red flag).  Show had an admission fee of $5.00.  (red flag).

Let me explain my impression of the red flags.     A first show;  What is the size of their data base to attract customers to the show?   Over 300 booths;  Filling that many spots with a first show could result in "sponsors" or buy/sellers to fill the spots.  Booth cost of 700.00 for a 10X10 means that these would be corporate or sponsors most likely.  A 5.00 admission could keep a lot of buyers away.  It is unknown if there is a parking fee. 

Then I received another solicitation from this promoter for a remodeling show coming up in a week.  Saying that they had 16 booths available for arts and crafts at the show.  Cost was 200 plus 200 for electric.  ????  Like I am sure that someone going to a home remodeling show is going to buy some art.  LOL

OK that is what has been received from this promoter.  The application and agreement that they want you to sign is included and of course there are no refunds if you dont do the show.   Now let me get to the meat of this blog.  In reading their agreement I noted the following:

10)CHARACTER OF DISPLAY.

Distribution of samples and printed matter of any kind, or any promotional material, or staff associated with your company is restricted to the confines of the exhibit booth. No noise makers or anything not in keeping with the character and high standards of Show Host may be distributed or utilized by an Exhibitor in the exhibit area. Orders only may be taken at the show; no individual sales with exchange of money.  (emphasis added)

I re-read that several times because I could not believe it.  After seeing that on the first solicitation, I wrote via email to the promotor and asked if that was true.    She did respond timely, and answered my questions but said she would have to get back to me on that point.  Now she is the promotor and cant answer this question????    Like I am going to pay $400.00 for a front section booth to pass out brochures.   LOL    In your dreams.  Well as of today, which is 24 hours later, no reply to my selling question.  Then I received the second solicitation for the home remodeling show at Arlington Park and it has the same agreement. 

So if you get an application and agreement from a promoter be sure you read it carefully and fully understand it before agreeing to it.   I know a lot of artists that would be terribly upset to find out that after they stock their booth, they could not sell their product. 

B. David Kruser

www.imagesbydavidkay.com

First of all the weather was perfect for this show after so many years of wind, and rain.  The crowds were huge, and they seem to be buying.  This year they had a lot of portopotties which was good.   Three of the parks were filled with artists.  Wilbur park where the fine arts was,  was about 1/2 full, from other years,   The biggest problem with this show is all the buy/sell.   Someone a year ago who reviewed this show said it was walmartized, and were they ever right.  There was a LOT of buy/sell.     Had several customers who come every year ask me where the ART was.   I guess they walked two of the parks and was wondering where the real art was.  I was flanked by ceramics, so i knew of at least 5 booths that had real art done by the person in the booth doing it.

My neighbor across from me, left the show on Sat. night.   Yeas there were bags in peoples hands.  I heard also that parking was expensive   $10.00 to park in someone's driveway and that Boulder city had parking for 10.00 and they would bus the people to the show.   Years ago it was free then last year it was 4.00  so times have changed.  The one good thing about the show is the prices of show, jury fee have not gone up   (knock on wood)

Finally, yes i would go back,   I seem to have a following of customers who look for me every year.  And i did ok for that weekend.

I am an introvert by nature.  A huge one!  In fact, I often dont even like being with people.  I'd much rather spend times with my dogs.  But yet, I find myself in this business of art festivals, where being an introvert is basically your ticket home with zero sales.  I work hard every single second at festivals so that no one person (not patrons or other artists) knows that I am anything but a person who loves people.  That is why I was so shocked that this past weekend I had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR people come BACK to my booth to tell me thank you for being so kind, friendly, or patient.  One man told me that he hoped I had a wonderful show and that he would see me there again next year as I was one of the only artists who was nice to him.  He even said that a lot of artists ignored him, and a few even acted like he was a burden to them by being in their tent and asking questions about their art.  One man was not 100% mentally there, and I could tell he didn't have money to buy anything, but man you better believe he called every person he knew and told them about "this awesome girl with amazing artwork you gotta check out!" (his words, not mine)  Even though I knew he wouldnt be a sale, what did it hurt by me making an effort to be kind?  Nothin!

People!!!  Come on!  Where is the kindness?  Where is love and compassion?  The patrons are the ones allowing you to continue doing something that you love to do.  Keeping you out of a droning 8-5 job that you hate.  We need these people!  And they need us to make them feel a connection and bring a spark of something to them!  If I, the introvert that I am, gets FOUR people to make an effort to thank me for being nice, I know there is a serious problem. 

And no, 3 out of 4 of those people didnt buy anything this time.  And the one who did, just bought a small print (probably just b/c I didn't make him feel like a half rate person).  But you know, they signed up for my mailing list and liked me on Facebook.  And they will remember me for a good reason.  And maybe next time, they will buy something.  But even if they don't, I made them feel good, and isn't that most important?

Today was the first day of the two-day La Jolla Art and Wine Festival. As my first juried show, I didn't know quite what to expect. Gladly, I can say it wasn't bad at all!

Set up the night before was a bit stressful, but I think it was to be expected. This particular show is shifting away from it's original, fenced-in parameters to an open format that doesn't require a ticket for admittance--it was completely open for the general public. And that sounds a bit like a free-for-all street fair experience, but it wasn't. They had very high standards for their artists, and while it was apparently exponentially bigger than previous years the quality of the artwork still remained high. There weren't any buy-sell booths, and no blatant impulse buy kinds of vendors--most of the artists juried in had obviously "been around the block" a few times and had pretty substantial booth setups.

It was unlike my previous show experience at the OB Chili Cook-Off where the art was relegated to an Artist's Alley and there were many loud rock bands and a carnival with live ponies to compete against. Instead, there was a classic car display, and the stages featured acoustic guitars and quieter singer songwriters.  This event was clearly about the Art, and the primary focus was all about artists.

I'm not sure how it compares to other Art Festivals, but I can say I felt like I was in very good company. The two booths adjacent to mine both had kind artists who were confident and cheerful throughout. The weather was top notch--a perfect day for browsing artwork! And I got to meet one of my fellow Artfair Insiders members!  (Shout out to Lucia Friedericy!) I think this first day proved successful for everyone around me.

As I said, setting up was a challenge. They had wisely staggered set up times, but because the tent crews couldn't start assembling tents until 2 hours prior to the vendors arrival, not all the tents were assembled on time. We had paid for 3 extra walls, but learned quickly that extra walls were the last thing on the tent company's assembly list, so we had to make a choice: assemble our display without the walls or come back the next morning and try to set up at 5:30am. By the time we got our walls, it was 4 hours past our scheduled arrival time, and our booth assembly was long done 2 hours earlier. We just made do without the walls (which we had paid for) and struggled through. My booth lacked the "finished look" I had hoped for, but the two artists on either side had enough experience to not need the walls for their assembly, and had Pro Panels and canvas walls of their own, so our rented walls weren't required for us to complete what we needed to do.

We learned that the limited "specs" they had provided said nothing about the pre-assembled tents being lashed together, nor that the tent poles were significantly thicker than the typical kind used in Trimline or Craft Hut tents. But we had been warned by a friend of ours who had worked setup the year previously on this event, so I had purchased longer and heavier zip ties specifically with this in mind. Thank goodness I did--our set up wouldn't have worked if I hadn't. The specs also didn't mention a lack of horizontal support poles along the bottom of each tent, so we had to jerry rig pole supports to make my gridwall units stable. But everything turned out fine in the end. If we had waited until 5:30 in the morning to start assembly, we would have been under a time constraint and thinking on our feet. As it was, we were able to take our time figuring things out. It was a late night for us, but it just goes to show that one can never ask enough questions and you have to plan for all contingencies. I learned that on this site, thank-goodness!
But the day's visitors made the whole experience worth it. The attendees were my kind of demographic, and I made a lot of contacts and actually sold much more than I did at the OB Chili Cook-Off. And there's still one more day, so I'm excited about the prospects. The people in La Jolla were there to see the art, to contemplate decorating their homes, to find gifts, and to expand their wardrobes with unique and unusual pieces. They were not there to get drunk and eat chili. I never heard one complaint that my prices were too high (in fact, my partner was told they were too low for L

a Jolla) and I garnered a lot of attention painting a large black velveteen shoulder wrap in booth as an ongoing demo throughout the day. The customers were eager to try things on, dig through my stock, and take business cards. I have been told that the crowds at this particular event do indeed contact you later for custom work since they can afford to wait to get what they want specifically. And there were a LOT more people than the previous year, apparently. So I guess changing the nature of admittance was a wise decision for this particular event.

The volunteers were all very nice, and the Artist's Cove offered free bagels and cookies and coffee to all the artists. A lunch delivery service was arranged (pricey, but convenient) and it was executed beautifully.

I've never left my stuff over night like this before, and I'm hoping that their roving security is thorough (I think it is, as we saw many security guards around and that particular area is not known for spot crimes or petty theft). I guess we'll see. We did end up using one of the walls we rented to seal up the tent front, so at least everything is out of sight.

Tomorrow will be the true testing ground as I'll see how it all wraps up. I'm excited for the potential. And regardless, it was a beautiful day to be out making art and meeting new people. I could get used to this! Wish me luck for tomorrow! I'll post pics soon! : )

February 23 & 24  
Miami, Florida
29th Anniversary Festival
Downtown South Miami
10am-6pm daily
145 Exhibitors
Deadline: October 31 - deadline extended to November 5 due to East Coast storms

The 29th annual South Miami Rotary Art Festival is a juried two day outdoor festival that takes place in the vibrant downtown area of South Miami on Sunset Drive from US1 to Red Road (57th Avenue). The area is filled with historic buildings, restaurants and unique shops. Just 3 miles south of Miami's Coconut Grove, South Miami borders the University of Miami and the upscale neighborhoods of Coral Gables and Pinecrest.

Started as a small show in 1984, the event has grown into one of Miami-Dade County's most anticipated festivals. Dozens of friendly and dedicated Rotary volunteers staff the event, ensuring a pleasant experience for exhibitors.
 
The festival attracts a diverse group of art lovers numbering in the 25,000-30,000 range. Public admission is free and includes live mellow music throughout the weekend and an international food court.
 
The proceeds of the festival benefit South Miami Rotary charitable efforts including college scholarships for local school students as well as international and local community service projects.

We provide:

• load-in and out at booth space
• Cash awards of $3250
• Complimentary continental  breakfast both mornings 
• Booth sitters are available for brief breaks  
• Free parking for artists  

Fees: Application - $30; Booth - $295, $350 & $395  

This is my first year of getting back into doing art shows after an almost 20-year hiatus.  As such, I am very much a newbie and relearning the ropes, including what types of shows to watch out for.  Reading the call for artists for the Old Town San Diego Art Fair, I was expecting 20,000 customers to come through  with money to burn.  Oops.  Not so much.  Of course, part of it can be blamed on the fact that gas prices leapt by 40 cents per gallon that very weekend (!) and perhaps a lot of San Diegans were reluctant to get out and about, but I think that my husband's observation of Old Town being a tourist destination was also a valid point.  Many of the artists I spoke with were having a stinker of a show.  A couple of nearby booths seemed to be hauling in the bucks, however.  What I noticed about them was that they had great price points for impulse buys, such as less than $25.  I mention impulse buys because one customer said to me that my prices seemed high for impulse buys, and so I learned something here: tourist destination shows are something very different from shows that people go to specifically to buy art.

The show was organized by two entities: West Coast Artists and the Old Town San Diego chamber of commerce.  The people I met from these groups were VERY nice and helpful at the show, but I had some issues about getting juried into the show: 1) Artists had to pay the usual application fee, but also had to pay the booth fee up front at the time of application.  I had never seen this before, and I didn't like tying up my money, not knowing if I would be accepted.  I would not apply to shows like this in the future unless experienced artists told me directly that the show was worth it.  2) The organizers were very slow in letting me know if I had been accepted.  When I called West Coast artists three weeks before the show to ask about my status, I was told that the Chamber of Commerce people hadn't even sent them my photos yet.  As an out-of-towner, this gave me short notice for being able to arrange lodging and send out announcements to my email list.

I would love to get feedback from seasoned pros about what to look for in shows where the art buyers go, and what to watch out for in the future.  Thanks!

Don't know about others but, St. James (Belgravia) was a huge disappointment for me in my first visit to Louisville. 

According to others who had been there, the crowd was much smaller than usual and it reminded me of people viewing a museum exhibit rather than buying art.  A couple of people referred to it as "The Belgravia Shuffle".  Just plodding along eating popcorn.  The cool weather may have had something to do with it.

I had been told the ground was not level but, I felt like a Mountain Goat.  Seemed like about a two-foot drop from the back of the booth to the front.

In terms of sales, I had the 2nd worst show I've had in eight years.  A couple of my neighbors were also complaining about sales.

I'm sure a lot of people had a great show and I'm glad you did.  For me, I think I'll cross St. James off my list.  Considering the expense, I would have been better off at the art fair at the local high-school.  And, to ice the cake, I hurt my back loading out and have had to cancel The Bayou Festival this week.  I had hopes of it being my salvation from Belgravia but, sometimes things just don't work out the way we'd like.

This is a hell of a way to make a living!! But, I'll be loading the trailer again in a couple of days.

Having been too busy to report on past shows I thought I'd catch up while resting up for Bayou in Houston. The Affordable Arts show idea was borrowed from another show (Milwaukee? my memory doesn't serve well right now but it was mentioned in a blog here not long ago) which has been running for a long time now. The idea being that everything be priced at or under $100 be they marked down items, discontinued dust collectors or whatever. Jim DeLutes, a long time art show artist and director of the Downtown Denver Art Show, decided to start it out this year as he had participated in the previously mentioned event himself and liked the idea for Denver.

The event was held on Sunday August 26th on the campus of Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO. Jim did a good job of advance publicity with stickers on the local area newspapers, a roadside sign, etc. Set-up, for those that could make it, was on Saturday. We had to attend a wedding in the mountains on Sat. so it required an early set-up on Sunday. Jim was out there before the sun was up to greet us and give us our packet. Load-in couldn't have been easier as we could drive right up to our spot on the large lawn area. The grass was plenty wet so some tarps were required to keep boxed items dry. Booth spaces were extremely generous on both sides and around back so extra inventory could be stored and didn't need to be hauled from the nearby parking area. A few folks were lined up at the entry early on and the $5 admission, for the ACC scholarship fund, was reasonable enough to keep the casual lookers/entertainment seekers out.

The day was pretty muggy and uncomfortably hot (we had a record number of above 90 degree days this summer) as well, so, by the middle of the afternoon people were looking a little like heat stroke had hit! Most of my sales were in the middle of the day with one exception at 4:30 a "be-backer" actually came back and bought two big pieces for $100 each! 

After all is said and done I would do this show again. Given how dismal sales have been at other shows that I have had to travel long distances to, for a 1 day new show, I was quite satisfied with the results as I was able to clear out some big pieces that I don't show anymore and make some money as well! Jim reported that attendance was about a fourth the amount that show up at the other show and that one has been going on for 40 years or so. He was satisfied that his marketing efforts paid off for the shows inaugural year.

The only downside that I experienced was having to set-up and tear-down the same day but as I mentioned earlier that was only because I couldn't set up the day before. It made for a long day that left me more exhausted than a 2 day show! Hopefully, next time I'll have my tent up the day before and save a little wear and tear on myself.

says New York art critic Jerry Saltz.

As the culmination of Grand Rapids' ArtPrize one of the jurors, Jerry Saltz, gave a talk at the Kendall School of Design to the students:

“If you’re gay, you know when you’re young. If you’re a ventriloquist, you know when you’re young. There’s another thing people know they are when they’re young – artists,” Saltz began to standing room-only crowd inside the Old Federal Building...

This week I was speaking with an artist and asked her what she liked the least about the art fairs and she replied, "sitting all by myself." Do you know that feeling? So when I saw Saltz' quote above I thought about her. The vulnerability of the life. You've been there, you've seen them, those tentative people trying not to hover in their booths, putting their lives out for the public to see, sharing their creative lives and waiting for the affirmation. It is tough.

So, I think you'll like this article about Saltz' talk including:

• although he is a prestigious critic why he joined up with the maligned TV program Next Great Artist

• that art critics are not the only purveyors of taste

• his belief that the public can choose great art

• how the high brows call ArtPrize a showcase for "junk" -- his reply: “85% of the shows in Chelsea are shit. Don’t be upset when 85% of the things you see during ArtPrize are the same. You don’t have to like it to look at it.”

Alexandra Fluegel's article in The Rapidian can be read here: therapidian.org/make-art-dance-naked-public-says-art-critic-and-artprize-juror-jerry-saltz

I thought the article was a breath of fresh air. So, you don't think much of your neighbor's art and oh, you didn't think much of the art you saw recently in a gallery show. Really?

What do you think?

I was not sure what to expect from this event.  Savannah is well known as a great party town, especially down by the riverfront.  Oktoberfest would mean lots of beer and festival food.  Savannah Riverstreet is a vacation destination and always has conferences taking place.  We did well at the Riverfront during the Tall Ship Challenge in May. Oktoberfest was recommended by some of our friends.  Our daughter lives there so no hotel charges. So we decided to give it a try.  Thank goodness we decided to check out our space the day before.  We found Scott, Riverfront employee, to get our parking pass for the next day and he said there was a slight problem.  Uh Oh.  :-0  There was a meager six-foot space between the front of our tent and the counter of the beer tent.  Next-door was funnel cake and around this spot lots of picnic tables.  Not a good picture.  :-(  Scott offered us another location – way down at the end of the row of booths, far from the music stage, food and beer tents.  Hmmm.  Close to the parking lot.  Hmmm.  Wide open spaces.  Hmmm.  :-)  Throw us in that briar patch.  It was a great decision.  We still had lots of traffic without being in a highly congested area where beer, food and loud music would have been most interesting to the participants.  There were lots and lots of jewelry and accessories booths.  There were a few crafters.  On our right they sold embellished aprons for women and men with verbiage on the front.  To our left they sold folk art furniture and planks of wood with names or words made up from hardware.  I saw one potter, two painters and three other photographers.  The days were long running from 9am to 9pm Friday and Saturday.  Sunday’s show ran 9am to 6pm.  Sales Friday were moderate as typical for us.  Saturday was pretty good with plenty of matted print sales and 3 large framed pieces sold.  Sunday was a duplicate of Saturday.  By the end of the show Oktoberfest turned out to be our 3^rd best show ever.   I will say the change in Savannah Riverfront personnel was a huge improvement.  Scott and other staff checked on us several times throughout the show and were always positive and upbeat.  Three days sitting on the Savannah River watching the ships and enjoying a “Wet Willie” (aka frozen beverages with a little kick so to speak) in the afternoon turned out to be a good weekend.  This coming weekend we will be at Glynn Art in the Park on St. Simons Island, GA and we will finish the year with three (indoor YEAH!) Christmas Made in The South shows at Columbus, Macon and Savannah GA. 

Love being on the riverfront.

Lots of happy shoppers.

Love your photography Winthrop Heirs!  I saw your full booth had empty spaces by the end of the show.  I hope you did well.

At long last, I'm back in the saddle after a bad back forced me to scuttle a scheduled show in Bethany Beach a month ago and then kept the kayak in the garage during a planned 2.5-week "staycation" back in Ft. Myers.   I used the time to reload four shows' worth of inventory and ship it all to my rental home in Cape May County, then hopped a non-stop flight on Spirit Airlines, ready to sell 'em all...or at least a lot of 'em...while I photographed the fall bird migration along my beloved South Jersey Coastline.

Well, not so fast, cowboy.  My first stop, The Wheaton Festival of Fine Craft,  is as well-organized as any show you'll find, with friendly volunteers, well-orchestrated load-in/out, a beautiful 65-acre, tree-lined setting on the grounds of the WheatonArts Center, and a solid following among arts lovers. The site is home to  the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass Center of America International Fellowship Program, the largest folklife center in New Jersey, a hot glass studio, several traditional craft studios, five museum stores, a 13,000 sq. ft. Event Center and a beautiful pond-side picnic grove.  The center bills itself as "the soul of American craft and art." And their marketing program and mail list is top-notch.

So what could go wrong? 

Well, in what seems to be a recurrent theme this season, it was the weather.  A beautiful, summer-like Saturday with steady crowds was scuttled by the cold front that whipped through Saturday night to drop a half-inch of rain and chill the temperatures by 25 degrees.  So Sunday turned out to be a fireplace-and-football kinda day for Philadelphia area residents, leaving artists to (mostly) talk amongst themselves. The 40 or so artists who displayed in one of the indoor venues, or under the ultra-long canopy outside, fared somewhat better, but even those crowds were way off from Saturday.

I wound up selling only slightly more than I sold at the previous weekend's "Margate Fun Fest", which was a popular community event for the family and kiddos, but makes no pretense of being a serious art show.

So Wheaton wound up 'way below my sales expectations, and it can't all be explained away by the weather.  (I sold nearly as much on Sunday as Saturday.)  So wha' happened? 

First off, the quality of work was excellent, but as the show name suggests, it's heavily skewed toward fine CRAFT, not fine art (of the 2-D variety).  Of the 125 artists, the show's beautifully designed, full color program listed only three fine artists and seven photographers, compared with 16 clay artists, 16 fiber artists, nine artists working in glass, 15 woodworkers, and 10 clothing designers.  Jewelry (29) was the most heavily represented, by far--but nearly all that I saw was beautifully made.  I had lots of time, unfortunately, to walk the show on Sunday, and I saw very little work that didn't belong at a high-end festival.  But, many of the folks who strolled the grounds on Saturday were carrying crafts, not 2-D work.  "If you're a 2-D artist, you'll build a following here over time," a ten-year veteran of the show told me. 

There were plenty of savvy buyers who came in to meet me on Saturday, but they were making bee-lines for the browse bins of 16x20s and 11x14s, not my wall canvases.  Another wildlife photographer friend who sells only canvases and notecards (no matted prints at all) said that his sales came almost entirely from ultra-small (8x10, 11x14) canvases, not his larger ones.  One of the fine artists next to me had a "working display tent" set up next to her usual gallery tent, and she cleverly carved out a survivor's take by selling her demo 8x10 prints for $10-20. But she didn't sell any larger works, which were sized and priced similarly to mine.

(Photo, right: Saturday crowds)

The jewelers I talked with did OK "considering it was pretty much a one-day show", as one put it. 

All in all, this is clearly an event run by folks who know what they're doing, and they obviously enjoy a lot of community support.  Bottom line, I can't hold the weather against them.  If you're a fine craftsperson within a day's drive of this show, I'd put this one on your list for 2013.  If you're a 2-D artist, I'd consider it, too...but come prepared with smaller, less expensive work and plan your first year as a "seed investment" for the future. 

(Photo, left: Late morning on Sunday)

Unheralded Burbank, CA, artist Adonna Khare wins the $200,000 in the Grand Rapids ArtPrize!

Her drawing "Elephants", 8 foot high and 35 feet long that she created in her garage and installed at the Grand Rapids Art Museum for the competition.

Over more than three weeks, as museum-goers watched her progress, the mural grew to 13 feet high and about 40 feet long. Khare said she was working frantically until the last minute before the votes were tallied, so she never got to figure out the exact dimensions.

Though it's a vision of exotic animals, Khare said "Elephants" is also highly personal.

"It's kind of a biography of my life transplanted into animals," she said. "Sad things like loss and sickness, and happy things like the birth of my daughter."

For example, she said, an orangutan hooked up to medical equipment is a stand-in for a young nephew who was diagnosed with diabetes, representing "the sickness of a child, and what it means to inflict pain in order for somebody to survive."

She said the additions she made in Grand Rapids were not preplanned, and reflected her first long separation from her daughter, Kinsey, who is now 3...

"I honestly didn't think I stood a chance," Khare said.

It's a great story. Adonna started out as a teacher but found herself conflicted with her goals and was looking for a way to balance a career and family. What is she going to do with the prize money? "We really need a new mattress. That is one thing we'll buy for sure."

Read the story here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-adonna-khare-wins-200000-artprize-20121007,0,206128.story

Watch the video of her the announcement: http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2012/10/artprize_2012_see_photos_video_from_artprize_awards.html

Why am I talking about here on this blog? Because this prize is like the fairs -- populist. Who wins the sales? The people decide.

Just thought I would give all a quick update and review on this event.  We had mixed emotions going into this show.  However, we thought it would be worth another try.  This event is a country fair type of atmosphere in a local park.  The park area is hilly so it can be difficult for load in and load out.  Sometimes you are fortunate to find volunteers with ATV's and trailers to assist you.  However, this year, they were few and far between.  So we had to haul all of our items to our spot ourselves.  The nice thing is that you can set up on Friday.   So it does give you plenty of time. 

The show has beer sales, food area, and a bakery area The vendors?   A wide mix from artists to crafters to buy/sellers.  Yes a bit of everything there.  That is why we had mixed emotions.  Saturday the show opened at 10.  However we were told that the shoppers start arriving at 8 or so.  Sure enough they were right.  By 10am we had sold several pieces.  The weather on Saturday was cold, around 45, and overcast all day with a moderate wind.  Everyone was frozen.  But the crowds were there.  The place was jammed and we had a record sales day.  At one time, the two of us were writing out sales slips.   It was unbelievable. 

Then on Sunday the weather was actually decent.  In the mid to upper 50's with sunshine most of the day.  Only had one jacket on.  However the crowds were not as plentiful.   Now you figure that one out.   We can't.

Sales on Sunday were about half of what they were on Sat.  But we are not complaining.  Just saying, 

So all in all, we will most likely do this show again next year. 

One of the nice things that we do at some of these shows is get together with other vendors we know for dinner.  So, sure enough, we went to dinner on Friday with Mike from Stumpkins, and then on Saturday night we went to dinner with Liam and Corey from Liam's shard jewelery.  What a nice time both evenings sharing experiences and laughs and problems.  On Sunday night after tear down, C. Kay and I went to dinner, just the two of us to relax and celebrate the week end. 

So all in all it was a good show for crowds and sales.  But not good load in and out.  Cant have everything.  LOL.

B. David