Well, this is Joan's husband Ed.  I was the gofer and substitute as needed, but we did discuss the weekend (and Joan will gladly change anything she thinks is wrong!)

Don't bother going here.

The Jour de Fete is lots of kitsch: Wal-Mart discount stuff.  The layout is great, and I know the local artist guild has been trying to make inroads into the weekend (Sat 9-6; Sun 10-4) but they are swimming upstream against lots of beer and food vendors and booths selling cheap crafts, yard ornaments, and objects made by someone else.  There are some galleries, but the booths dominate.

Besides Joan's original art (acrylic, some water and oil), there were two other painters (one had just prints) and one jeweler (silver).  Lots of kitsch jewelry, textile, metal and leather (e.g., belt and wallet for $35).  I'd guess 200+ booths over 12-14 blocks (some were in a park).

Towards the end of both days I had to keep an eye on people setting their beer or soda on the table near the prints and matted originals in plastic sleeves, or leaning near canvasses with their pork sandwiches.  However, only twice did we have to say something to people about taking pictures.

But they were not buyers -- at least, not of artwork.

Even postcards made on an HP printer, people would hold up a card, say to their friend, "Isn't this great?" then put it back.  Like two bucks would break the bank.

Two people said they would come back to buy paintings -- they didn't show.

One person wants to commission a piece -- we'll see.

Meanwhile, I'd love to try a real art show.  Here's the conundrum: the booth.  Are there rentals available for shows in St. Louis?

I guess you people who paint do it because you enjoy it.  I am envious of your talents; I just wish more people appreciated them.  Fortunately for us, Joan does not do it for a living.  Still --

Hello all!

I am still getting used to referring to myself as a photographer, but I sell photography, so I guess that's what I am!  I'm an oceanographer by day and due to my love of nature and ocean surveys, I have a collection of nature photos that I love and was encouraged to sell.  I also have some architectural photos but that's neither here nor there. 

I just started participating in arts festivals last year and am getting more confident with each festival even if the payback isn't there yet.  Receiving compliments about my work and meeting such friendly and talented artists has been great though.  

The owner of a really great artsy store has agreed to make room in her store for me.  I was quite excited by this until she said it's based on commission and the split is 60/40.  Is this the average commission for stores?  She would only feature my matted photos since I don't make my own frames (bc she has a framing service there) and so the return on this would be quite low for me.  I am trying to figure out whether it's worth it to place my work in stores. 

Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated. 

Thanks so much!

Renee Searfoss

I am having some trouble getting any information on this show.  Anybody here know anything?  Has it been canceled?  Anybody from Chicago heard anything?  Geri?

The average home value in Deer Park and the surrounding areas is $850,000!  There are, on average, 40,000 visitors to this lifestyle center every weekend.

The festival will be held around a charming gazebo in the center of everything.

There is free parking and free admission.

Our commitment to artists includes:

• Professionally jury and judging
• Best of Show and First Place Awards
• Aggressive marketing campaigns-print, radio, posters and Internet
• Free patron admission and plentiful parking
• Overnight Security-contracted through  a professional security company
• End of show feedback survey to help us continually improve the artist experience
• Enforcement of all Standard and Rules
• Shows located in areas of high income and traffic

Artist Amenities include booth sitters, free day and overnight parking, Continental breakfast both days plus afternoon snacks, cold bottled water delivered to your booth, indoor restroom facilities,discounted hotel options and easy load in and take down.

To apply and get more information contact  www.dwevents.org/deerPark or www.dwevents.org or call us at 847-726-8669.

Hi Guys!

I joined this group the other day, and wanted to introduce myself... i currently work as a sports video editor, editing highlights for pre and post game shows in the new york area... i've been doing that for a long, long time!  i love what i do for a living; don't consider it "work" or a "job."  Photography on the other hand is something i have a passion for.  i love to shoot, and i love to help people who are new to photography, have moved up from a point and shoot to an advanced camera, or just have questions in general.  i have a photography page on facebook called "Digital Photographers and Photoshoppers" which i have set up basically as a learning page for people.  the feedback has been excellent.  

I've decided to move myself to the next level with my photography by participating in art fairs and setting up a website.  Sounds like a great idea, right?  it should be so easy... the more homework i do, the more overwhelming it seems...  this is why i've joined this group - as suggested by a friend of mine who's an amazing photographer and one of my biggest supporters in this arena...  i have a few questions... they may have already been answered elsewhere on this blog, but quite honestly, i'm not good at this blog thing!  so here goes:

1) suggestions on whether to begin as a D.B.A. or an L.L.C... i'm thinking D.B.A. in the beginning, and if the sales are there, then creating an L.L.C.  any suggestions?

2) Do i need a tax I.D. number in order to do a show?  does it vary from state to state?

3) suggestions for good places for supplies, etc. would be very helpful...

4) suggestions for websites would be helpful as well...

i appreciate any and all feedback... thanks!

Join us on Tuesday, August 14 at 5 pm, ET at ArtFairRadio.com for this useful episode.

A continuing topic for artists is "what good is a website for me?" "Why should I waste the time and money?" and more positively, "I have a website, how can I make it make it work better for me?"

My guest will be Scott Fox, author of Click Milliionaires: Work Less, Live More With an Internet Business You Love

Listen in as he gets down to the most strategic, smart and inexpensive ways you can:

• get a website up and running for little money
• why you need it
• quick and easy ways to implement it as a marketing tool
• how to use it to promote yourself
• ways to make it make money for you
• using Facebook as a marketing tool

You'll get great tips on how to make your website work for you without a lot of technical background and time involved. Isn't it time all that promise about websites comes true for you?

I'll be doing two shows with Scott, this one dealing with the basics of Internet marketing and a second one in October, a call-in show where you can ask him your specific questions.

P.S. Scott is my son and he is the author of three books about Internet marketing and he taught me everything I know about running websites. He recently even started an online community patterned after ArtFairInsiders.com, ClickMillionaires.com. It's been my turn to teach him a little about community management, though heaven knows that is a whole other topic!

Do you have questions you'd like me to ask him on Tuesday? Please leave them in the comments below.

Catch up on our past podcasts at the "Radio" tab at the top of this page.

Besides making and showing my art I also run a small design and marketing business to help small organizations (and artists) maximize their marketing resources. Often I bump into people that are overwhelmed by the choices available to them these days to reach out and connect substantively for their personal use and for their businesses.

A forum like this one we're on, ArtFairInsiders.com is an awesome starting point. Because it's user friendly and enriched with all sorts of useful content. I find it to be an invaluable resource for my art fair business. But what about all the other tools we have available to us for connecting? There are so many social networks these days for us to use to connect with each other and our customers and associates. Are there too many? There are if you don't know how to choose which social network are going to do the best work for your different projects. Over the years and in some cases just months, I have become more familiar with the pluses and benefits of each of the following social networks.

What The Other Social Networks Can Do

Facebook

Perfect for all your personal connecting. Does comments and other media pretty well. Fairly easy to connect via smartphone and tablets too.

I use the Pages for the more personality driven of my main businesses and projects. I think at this Facebook is superb.

Interacting with my mini horse's fans has taught be so much about how best to leverage Facebook pages for other organizations. It's amazing how little interactions can build a real presence for people.

Google+

Not sure where this is headed. While it seeks to be a Big Giant conglomeration of everything you do, search and shop for on the web - it's got a sort of Big Brotherly feel to it. Also it's harder to cross connect with other media and networks. Not too many of my personal connections have adopted the G+ lifestyle so it's a bit of a deserted island for me and my posts.

That said, there are plenty of well connected seriously Googled people who LOVE it's connectivity. For example, I'm not big into connecting socially on Google+ I use their GoogleDocsfeature to collaborate with almost all my clients. I love the way we can all edit the same document at the same time or when we're not working together.

Instagram

I'm new to this picture sharing app so I'm still defining for myself how best to use it. I started out by taking pix of my art and posting those - but isn't that what my Facebook page and blog are for? So  I'm switching to have it be more of a distinct project 'personality' of its own and am starting up a #DogTrotHill (Instagram is BIG into using hashtags to organize content feeds) series where I will limit my pix to just be about the few acres I live on. My user name is: HappyArtMarti

My hope is that this will offer its own unique perspective and opportunity to differentiate and engage my eventual followers. A friend of mine has honed her offerings down to what looks like being just about the Bluegrass region of KY. She's AlpacaLindyand does a wonderful job of convincing me I live in heaven.

LinkedIn

You must be here if you're to be taken seriously as a contender in the job market these days. If you're not here, you're a known dinosaur. Some people really work its Discussions, Questions and Groups features. I don't. I don't have time but have a nagging feeling I should be doing more with it. Oh well, that's why God invented winter, right?

Pinterest

I run hot and cold on Pinterest. I'm not sure how I feel about people having access to all the cute things I find on the web - does posting my finds make me less unique? But then again - seeing what others share is fascinating and helps me navigate the wealth of creative flow out there in the Big Wide World - so I keep coming back to it. I work a little for my own art projects and Etsy store - but I always feel a little cheap doing so. That's partially why I invented a series of quotable and sharable images for people to share, some of which I cross post on Tumblr and Facebook for maximum exposure and share-ability.

Tumblr

As a blogging site it's a bit redundant with my own self-hosted blogs - but what it offers is an easier connection betweenTumblr 'bloggers', a little like Pinterest and Instagram - but allows for video as well strictly text based posts. Here's how I use it:

Twitter

Fantastic for immediate connection! Right now the Olympics are being played in London and millions are getting their news from twitter feeds. What's so great about this is you can hear what your favorite athletes have to say as the games are unfolding for them - as well as get up to date results from major network players. Twitter users are ok with non-immediate gratification for things like pix and vids. They're used to seeing miniURLS - but your use of the 140 character limit had better be tight, engaging and irresistible!

Your Own Blog

Like this one, running your own blog is a great way to keep things from you in an uncontaminated environment- but of course it ever so much more difficult to share and garner attention with. You have to cross post linkbacks to your posts using these other social networking tools.

Youtube

I use Youtube as an excellent resource that ties in with all my other networks. A well edited or otherwise fascinating video can really connect with people and they've made it so easy to embed videos throughout many of the above choices - you have to consider creating content and setting up your own channel. You might surprise yourself with what it can do for you. Here's a video I made for a client's book trailer. He's a dog, AND he's an artist!

It's worth it to create and maintain an active channel for your organization. There are many tips to help create content that's memorable and boosts your projects.

Comment below if you'd like some feedback on what might work best for you!

Verticals Need Not Apply

That could be one name for this. Or maybe, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Someone at Westaf has been making really bad decisions about the images. You know, our jury images, the only thing we have between an application and an acceptance. Or maybe it's not someone at Westaf but a hired programmer who came up with the idea of using the entire widescreen monitor space to display images. But then someone at Westaf approved the decision. And I want to apologize to Leah and Christina for taking the brunt of my concern. I realize that it's not their fault. They are the only conduit I have into the system.

I had posted about this yesterday on my web site and Don Ament rightly pointed out that maybe most of the artists reading it didn't understand the pixel dimension numbers and what they really mean.

Unfortunately for me, I can see the bigger picture when things like this happen. Like the detective Monk says, it's a blessing, and a curse. Since ZAPP went live in 2004 I've been fighting for fairness in how our jury images appeared to the jurors. This industry has enough problems and it doesn't need a lopsided representation of our images that may give one group a distinct advantage.

In 2004 when ZAPP went live, the image requirement was 1080x1920, widescreen TV format. As soon as I read that I called Westaf and asked Matthew Saunders (the tech person at the time) to make it square at 1920 with black borders masking rectangular images. Otherwise horizontal images would appear much larger than verticals. Within 24 hours they had changed the image format to 1920 square, because after testing the images, Matthew agreed with me.

Why is it that 8 years ago decisions that could jeopardize the system could be changed within 24 hours? But the real question is why is it that today, decisions that could jeopardize the system can't be acted on for months, if at all?

Here's the real issue. The new system upgrade allows larger or non square images to be uploaded. The issue is what happens to those images once they are uploaded. In the past, they enlarged in our profiles to 700 pixels long dimension on a black background so that rectangular or square, they displayed the same size to us when we enlarged them, and to the jurors of all the shows using monitors, about 90% of the shows within the system. Now once they are uploaded they are fit to an image size that is wider than it is tall. So much so that horizontal images without black borders appear almost twice the size of vertical images with or without black borders, square images or horizontal images with black borders.

This is where artists have a difficult time understanding the numbers. They have to understand that ZAPP is allowing horizontal images without black borders to appear almost twice the size of any other size uploaded into the system when juried on monitors.

That means artist that have vertical or square jury images (black borders or not) are basically screwed when applying to the 90% of the shows that use monitors.

ZAPP is now not providing the shows with tools to hold a fair jury.

Thumbnails are another related issue. They are now rectangular, meaning thumbnails of horizontal (non squared) images are twice as large as thumbnails of verticals, squares and squared horizontals. That in itself isn't that much of an issue except for the fact that all juries see the thumbnails on the page where the scores are entered, both projection and monitor juries. No matter how smart the jurors are, that sends a subliminal message at the worst that some work may be better than other work, and it will definitely send a confusing message as the row of thumbnails will be unevenly sized.

Now in a related but not critical issue. With about three quarters of a million images in the system (that's 750,000 in numbers), and if maybe one third horizontal, as word spreads there's going to be a mad rush for artists to remove the black borders and replace those images in the system. But ZAPP has removed the replace image button in the edit image menu because they didn't think it was used enough. Well if the new image format flies, that replace image button would have been the most used button in the edit menu.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, because how could the art shows, artists and system owners let ZAPP create an unfair playing field before the jurying even starts.

The article on my web site which shows comparison images, including thumbnails:
http://bermangraphics.com/blog/zapp-images/

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

December 29 & 30

Saint Augustine, Florida

Old Town Art & Craft Show-Winter

Francis Field

10am-5pm

125 Exhibitors.

Deadline: Sept. 7

(late applications accepted if category is not full)

Please join us for the Old Town Art & Craft Show-Winter, New Year's Eve weekend in Saint Augustine.  This is a carefully juried fine art and fine craft celebration of the arts.

New Year's Eve weekend is an extremely busy weekend with both tourists and locals alike converging in historic downtown to enjoy the Nation's Oldest City.  We are excited to offer you this premier event during the festive Christmas season in Saint Augustine.

Show Highlights:

• Free admission
• Reasonable booth fees
• Overnight security
• Easy drive up load and unload
• Free artist parking nearby
• Extensive marketing campaign
• Artist friendly, knowledgeable staff
• Free postcards for your customers
• Friday set-up
• By artists for artists

Holiday Art Shows offers three options for submitting your application; please choose whichever is most convenient and comfortable for you.

1. Holiday Art Shows Online Application:  http://www.holidayartshows.com/online-application.html  
2. Zapplication.org: https://www.zapplication.org/index.php  
3. Print and mail application: http://www.holidayartshows.com/support-files/application.pdf  

Media campaign includes: Arbus, regional newspapers, Folio Weekly(Jacksonville), radio, posters, flyers, banners, signage, social networking, and postcards.

Sponsored by Arbus-The Arts and Business Magazine of Northeast Florida. 

We look forward to receiving your application!

For more information: www.OldTownArtShow.com 

www.HolidayArtShows.com/application.pdf 

Lynn Wettach, Show Director

lynn@holidayartshows.com 

(904)794-0084 

I was wait listed for this show. In my category, wearable fiber I was number 9 on the list. I was still on the list as I headed off to do the Bellevue Art Museum Show. Since my husband was working in  San Francisco I was already planning on heading there after the show for a little R & R. As, I was waiting  at Southwest Air for my position I got the call that there was a cancellation and if wanted it the space was mine. WELL, since I was already going to San Francisco I figured,  might as well, As they say no rest for the weary. 

This show takes place in Fort Warden in San Francisco. A really beautiful location, right on the water. You can see the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz. It being August, it is pretty cool in SF, so I figured my wool would be well received. The show is big but not huge, a little over 200 artists, so it is an easy show to walk. The lay out is great for the artists, everyone gets space behind their tent for storage. Load in, it couldn't have been easier. You could set up either Wednesday or Thursday all day or both days. No rush. You were not allowed to drive into the venue, but you could park within 10 feet to unload and they had dollies there for your use. Not a lot of amenities for the artists, though they did have a Scotch Whiskey tasting for us on Saturday night. They also did not have a lot of booth sitters so doing this show on my own was pretty tiring.

Friday was a long day, 10 - 8:30, but worth it. All my artwear ladies came out. I was really feeling and receiving the love. Saturday was another really good day, but on Sunday, it was if the plug was pulled. It did turn out to be profitable show for me but I could have napped all day Sunday.  Breakdown was equally as easy and the show ended at 5 and we were packed and gone by 7. It did help that I was renting pipe and drape, I shipped my fixtures and garments and then shipped them back.

This is a beautiful show, with a lot of really incredible artists. It is such and honor to be part of this tribe. No matter what show I have done, I have met some pretty amazing, talented and generous people. It is a lot of hard work and not always as profitable as I would like, but it is the best job I have ever had and am very grateful to be able to participate.

A Consistent Body of Work

The most recent newsletter from Xanadu Gallery is about approaching galleries with a consistent body of work to get representation.

Just substitute gallery owner with art show jury and it will all make sense:
http://www.reddotblog.com/wordpress/index.php/artists-are-you-consistent-a-gallery-owners-perspective/

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

I am an Artist first,not new to that.  A new Gallery owner,and a small one at that.

This week we were at the Amish Acres 50th Anniversary Arts & Crafts show. This morning Jacki Bilsborrow and I chatted about the fair. This is not a review of the fair ... or even a full coverage of the events. As Jacki and I were chatting, it occurred to me that our conversation would make a nice blog posting about the "other" payback we get from arts & crafts shows. Money is not the only value we receive from our participation--perhaps the greatest payback is to have our work "touch others and to be touched in return."

The transcript of our conversation is pasted below.  

  LOIS ANDERSON

I'd like red dot bumper sticker

  JACKI BILSBORROW

Lois, this is Jacki Bilsborrow. I am in here doing some work for Connie. I will pass all this on to her, ok?

  LOIS ANDERSON

Great.

Thank you very much.

  JACKI

I can't see that she will mind.

  LOIS

Jack...has anyone told you that you look just like Connie in the picture? LOL :-)

  JACKI

LOL, no, you are the first.

  LOIS

Have a wonderful day! :-)

 JACKI

You, too.

Enjoy this cooler weather.

  LOIS

Amen to that.

It was hotter than Hades at Amish Acres this week.

  JACKI

Hades in Amish country? Is that possible, lol.

  LOIS

Trust me ... they were dropping like flies.

  JACKI

I have had enough with all the heat. The Artists or the shoppers?

   LOIS

Both

  JACKI

Was that in Pennsylvania?

  LOIS

We lost several artists

No, Nappanee, Indiana

  JACKI

OH, I wanted to go to that one! I missed it!

  LOIS

One of the top 100 shows in the Nation and one of the top 100 Sunshine shows.  www.amishacres.com

  JACKI

Darn! I have been so busy I am missing all the shows.

  LOIS

No rest for the weary

  JACKI

That is true.

How were your sales?

  LOIS

Some days (90 + heat) not so good ... some days (70-78 degrees) very good

I do Religious Jewelry and Rosaries

  JACKI

That is good, at least you had some good times there.

Oh, I bet people like that.

  LOIS

Yes, and some very touching times from stories that were shared with me.

  JACKI

Oh I bet!

  LOIS

One girl who purchased a Pro-Life rosary was telling me that is very much a pro-life supporter.

Her mother was with her and said, "She was adopted."

I said, "Your birth mother loved you very much to carry you to term"

The girl said, "That is why I am buying this rosary."

With that the adoptive mother said,

  JACKI

And that is an unselfish act! Too many girls won't do that.

  LOIS

"Yes, I thank God for that birth mother ... or I would not have my beautiful daughter." She was crying.

Another lady came to tell me that her sister purchased one of my rosaries last year and then became ill will cancer.

   JACKI

Wow, you must really hear all kinds of stories.

  LOIS

Her sister said that the lady "Darlene" always had my rosary with her and was comforted by it."

Now the lady who was telling the story told me that now she has the rosary and it is hanging on a picture of her sister.

  JACKI

Your booth must become a sort of confessional.

  LOIS

Yes, I often have been told that I have a mission and not a sales booth.

  JACKI

I can see that.

  LOIS

I can think of no greater honor than to have my work touch people and have them comforted by it.

 JACKI

Do the Amish get out and attend the art show?

  LOIS

Yes, the entire families and they are LARGE families.

  JACKI

Your work does that probably way more than any other artist.

Yes they are.

  LOIS

Of course, they do not DO human images, but they look anyway.

  JACKI

I knew that.

Well, I wish I would have gotten to that show.

  LOIS

They are always so sweet and kind. At least the ones I have talked with.

I just had a thought, Jack. Would you mind if I posted our conversation as a blog to share with others?

  JACKI

Will you take it off so that it doesn't look like Connie was speaking?

  LOIS

Sure! LOL

  JACKI

And make me a Jacki, not a Jack. I do have some people shorten my name to Jack and it doesn't bother me at all.

lol

  LOIS

I'll change the name to Jacki

  JACKI

It is easy to miss the i

Sure, I will look for your blog.

  LOIS

Can I leave the picture of Connie so that my comment about about you looking like her makes sense?

  JACKI

I guess so, she probably wouldn't mind. People know she has people who work for her. I usually work under my own name but when I give out awards I do that under Connie's name.

  LOIS                                           

Cool. Thank you. I am off to blog.

  JACKI

If I talk to anyone under her name I always tell them I am not her.

Ok, have fun.

This was the first time exhibiting for me in Loring Park.The weather was great, sunny and around 80. 

It rained a bit in the morning the first day but then cleared up.  The attendance was pretty good...but certainly not crowded.  I had people bee-line into my booth from the center walkway to ask me questions and talked my head off all day to so many that passed by.  From that standpoint it was really fun.  The interest seemed to be there, but, alas, I didn't see anybody pulling out their wallet to make a purchase.  Yes there was the older crowd there that thought I was a museum, but there was money around too.  I also have never been to a show that had so many men attend, which I also thought would be good.

My sales were really disappointing.  I barely broke even, and only sold one "medium" priced piece that was undervalued, and two smaller items, and all were on Saturday.  Again, I had so much interest and was working my booth, and although I had incredible conversations with several hundred people and couples, most didn't pan out.

The location for the show is incredible and the promoters and layout is fantastic.  The weather was great, and the attitude was very upbeat.  My prices were exceptional and the traffic was pretty good.  However, at least for painting, there was not a lot for sales.  Other painters I spoke to were experiencing similar results.  Several artists next to me, photographers, fabrics, all stated that this show generated half of last year, which was down.  One featured artist (like myself BTW) said she did well.  Her art was really good, being 3-D lady figures that hang on the wall.  Her prices were excellent in my opinion (undervalued), but she was really happy as a first time exhibitor. 

So, what went wrong?  A week earlier in Bayfield, WI, I had a bang up show!  I figured since we were among an age group from 30-50, this show would be really good.  The reviews and comments from former artists all liked this show, so it appeared to be a must do.  All I can figure is that a bigger force is weighing down on this and many other art shows...meaning economic concerns.  Art is not a necessity, gas is. 

Loring Park show is on the same weekend as Powerhorn and Uptown, both in the Minneapolis area market.  I haven't heard how those went, but hope to see people chime in.  I spoke to artists that plan on doing a different venue next year, and to would like to find out how the other shows in Minneapolis went.  I am still undecided, as it may be too early to "judge". 

As for the quality of art, well, frankly being biased and high minded, I thought that there was a lot of OK art there, and quite a few "pork chop on a stick" vendors.  There were some really good artists there too.  A lot of variety, and I didn't see anything suspicious. 

I liked the show.  I met some really wonderful artists there, many being so helpful.  I come away with good feelings about that, but disappointed feelings for all the work I put into this show with such dismal results.

Again, others please chime in on this and other Minneapolis shows this weekend.

Has anyone ever used a digital picture frame in an outdoor show? I have successfully used one with indoor shows but have not been able to use one in outdoor shows because of the lighting--(too bright to the pictures). I was wondering if anyone knew of a box or screen or anything else I could use to fix this problem.

Thank you very much, Susan Parry

September 22 - new event!
Saxapahaw, North Carolina  
SaxArt River-Walk Juried Art Festival
10am-6pm
75 Artists
Deadline: August 15

The word is getting out about this up-and-coming little spot on the Haw River, Saxapahaw, NC, a historic mill village on the Haw River that is getting lots of attention these days.  A major remodeling of the old mill is underway and has resulted in a fabulous art gallery, a gourmet restaurant, a great coffeehouse, a pub and the newly opened Haw River Ball Room.

SaxArt River-Walk is a juried Art Festival planned for September 22, 2012, from 10am-6pm. 

Learn more about this show: saxapahawartists.com/resources

Applications are available by email from: saxart.riverwalk@gmail.com

or contacting: Suzanne Connors at (336)693-4606

There will be "Cash Prizes" and ONLY 75 artists will be selected to participate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find even more interesting events like this for your art fair schedule: www.CallsforArtists.com

OK, I didn't expect the doctor that bought everything at Chautauqua to follow me to Syracuse, but I was riding high on possibility and determined to end my trinket making days for good.

Last year's show (Downtown Syracuse at Columbus Circle)  was a disaster that I wrote about at the time. This year, when the apps came out, I e-mailed the chairwoman of the show to ask if the changes she promised last year had been implemented. They had. I have friends there. I like the show. I had a free weekend. I bit.

My failure to thrive had nothing to do with the committee. I was given a primo spot right off the main circle on a shaded street with a parking lot right behind me and the artist bathrooms right across the street. My 2 best show buds were a few spots away. Plenty of back space. A photographer on one side, jeweler on the other-great guys. What could go wrong?

The show runs Fri/Sat/Sun. I don't know why they do Friday except that it is downtown and they are counting on the office workers to spend their lunch hour shopping. That means you have 2 hours out of 8 with people on the streets. They are out to take a stroll and get festival food. Precious few are buying.I expected that. Saturday started with a downpour and flooded streets. You always get that at this show, not sure why. By noon we were pretty dried out and people started to come. Sunday was ungodly hot but there were customers. Most of the people who came into my booth did so to pet my Silkie Terrier, Oliver, who runs away from dog sitters so we bring him when we can.

This is just not my audience. Some people did extremely well, others tanked. I tanked. My sales paid for the booth fee, my hotel and lunch. Scary. I started to re-think the trinket thing, but then I looked at the printout of sales and saw that I sold mostly the new items that replaced the trinkets: specialty books and collage. OK then! I would have had to make dozens of trinkets to account for those sales. 

I think I am on the right track and, more importantly, I am enjoying this again. I spoke to several people who had decided the same thing, Enough pandering to the economy. Most people are OK. Those who had money probably still do. Our area - upstate NY - is rebounding nicely.  In fact, I spoke to quite a few that had raised their prices this year with good results. Go figure.

I've decided to concentrate on having lots of inventory for people to choose from which will bump up sales. I've had health issues that got in the way, but I'm rolling now.

No more trinkets, ever!

Next up: Chautauqua again. I will not expect the same miracle to hit twice. But I will be ready.

Anyone in Glencoe this weekend????  Please come say hi - Booth 4!

Deborah and Jay

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