This past weekend I participated in a waterfront show on the grounds of one of the state's foremost hotels. I paid $400 to enter this show (jury fee included). The promotor, in his call for artists blurb, raved about the great sales and huge crowds his show (this being the 5th year) had been experiencing. One would think a place as touristy as this would have more than the average attendance. Perhaps better sales too. However, I noted that this year the show had fewer entrants than last year. (An ominous sign)  I also noticed that the amount of advertising that was done was disappointing, as was the signage.  Mr. Promo claimed his "regulars" netted "at least $1-2000 above costs."  Well now. As an artist who has been selling my stuff for years with varying levels of success at many different shows, I'm here to tell you that the man was blowing smoke.  There were maybe 5 painters in this show. Probably 7 photographers and probably 15 jewelers. 2 wood carvers, one of which made big scale model ships and sold them for upwards of $20,000!  I mean, he tried to sell them.  One of the jewelers had pieces in the thousands, as well, and sold only a couple of small items.  The girl next to me who painted very lovely whimsical pieces that were quite popular, did pretty well, but her prices were low, compared to most. I sold two small paintings. Paid for my gas. The fact that the weather was not the greatest, in my opinion, does not account for the low sales. There were plenty of people. People with money. They were not buying much. Period. As is so often the case, the promoter is the one who comes out in the black.  42 spaces x $400 = $16,800. I doubt that sales for that show totaled as much as that. I won't be returning to that show.

First Art Fair Coming Up in September and own a nature/wildlife photography business and would appreciate any advice on best practices and resources to get started (and for a moderate budget :). Thanks!

Here are the comments of the people who have entered to win the pass to the Zapp Conference in the order received. After you have read them all the poll is at the end to receive your votes. Be warned that you cannot change your vote after you have selected it. Deadline for voting is August 20 6pm ET.

1. The reason I want to attend the Zapplication Conference in Chicago is to learn as much as I can about the Zapplication process/system as possible. I’m new to Zapplication, even though I’ve been exhibiting for 22 years, one of my goals for 2013 is to exhibit at shows and in states I’ve never been to before. Attending this conference would definitely help me reach my 2013 goals……….please, please, please send me !
2. I have been exhibiting at Art Fairs since 1976. First 25 years with pottery and now with fiber, So, why would I want to attend? I believe the only way to be successful in this business is to continually learn, and learn from doing but also from others. Without continual change in product and in how it is marketed and sold, one can not truly be a full time exhibiting artist.
   
   I plan to be doing this another 20 years, so why stop now. The more I can learn the more opportunity to be successful and have the opportunity to exhibit at the shows that create an opportunity to sell and earn a steady income. I love to help others succeed in this business, but want to make sure I am providing good solid and current advice.
3. Why I want to attend the ZAPP conference: I need to move past the "You're so creative!" responses and reach an audience who will value and want to own pieces of my work. Also just reach a wider audience.
   
   Now on my own, I can work to develop my skill, etc., but to learn about the ins and outs of the industry takes an effort to seek out those with more experience and information than I can gather on my own. In short, I want to learn. Who doesn't? However, whatever I learn from this experience I pledge to immediately put into effective practice in my own work and share in a respectful way what I learn with others. And I'm a local if that matters.
4. I'd like to win the tickets to the Zapplication.  Just because I've never been to an art conference or to Chicago. I am 53 yrs old and have very mediocre career in art.  I have much experience in practice But marketing and selling hundreds of prints has not been in the cards.  I'd like to change that.  I want to get into this full time Art make me happy, Art makes me think,  Art makes me sane!  I want to go all over and visit art festivals and fairs.  I want to live my life the way God wanted me to live.
5. i am new to the art fair game, and need all the education and tips i can get-sure would be helpful to go to the conference!
6. My son Grant who has autism developed what some would l call an "out-of-sync" repetitive behavior of tearing paper for hours when he was very young (age 6).   He is now 17 years old and all those hours and people telling me to redirected an annoying behavior has turned into an art form and a possible career for my autistic son.   In the two years he has developed his ECo-Art form tearing and cutting recycling paper he has won major awards: Texas Rodeo Grand Champion (twice) and Houston Mayor's awards for  his outstanding volunteer work in the community teaching others to Eco-art and recycle.
   
   I would appreciate winning this conference because I have minimal knowledge of the arts.  I have had to learn quickly in these past two years in order to help my son develop a career for himself.  Having autism is a challenging disability in the employment world.   So I need to learn a lot and fast.  I believe this conference would help.
7. I want to go because I think it would be an invaluable experience not only to learn about applying for art shows, but to network with other artists.  I'm still fairly new to this and am a sponge for info!
8. I started doing shows back in the 70's as, believe it or not, a Broommaker.  I followed the show circuit on the East Coast traveling North in the summers and South in the winter months.  I did quite well with the brooms and would likely still be at it had arthritis not resulted in both hips being replaced with a long recovery period which ended the broom making as such.
   Up to date now, I've been working as a potter for a year or more and want to get back on the show circuit but am having a tough time with startup and entering shows.
   Attending the conference would give me an awesome leg up and allow me to find out what I need to do to get out there and start making a living selling my wares at shows.  Of course a comp ticket would really help me afford to make the trip.
9. I am switching careers ....from a postal worker to a full time jeweler.  This would benefit me greatly.  I have been on the art fair circuit for several years, but have never really been juried. Just getting some professional help would be a blessing. Thank-you.
10. You only get one chance to make a good impression. And when the room is filled with other competitors with the same idea, you gotta be your best. I wish to win the passes to move my images to the next level.  Then I want to show others how to do it. I belong to several arts groups in the Milwaukee area. I see myself giving talks to these groups. Helping others to help themselves.
11. I have been doing shows for awhile but I really need to get past the easy to get in shows and get into the harder to get in shows. This conference seems like it would be very educational and would help me move to the next step in getting into the better shows. Thank you!
12. I have been painting for the past 7 years. As of this year, I've been selling quite a few paintings. I've had quite a few commissions also. I think that my oil paintings must be getting better so I would like to expand my outreach to a larger audience. The Zapp conference sounds like just what I may need to achieve some of my goals.
13. Every once in a while, I want to meet someone. Every once in a while, I just want to know what they were thinking – or maybe what they are thinking.
    Occasionally I just want to sit down at a table, whether it is a dinner table or a conference table or some simple tavern's table and really try to understand the person or persons I am sitting with at that moment. Sometimes I just want to know when it all started to make sense. Specifically, I would love to sit down with certain people and just say, “Ok, at what point in time did you think this was a good idea and why?”.....
    Seriously. I want to go to the conference this year. I don't want to go and learn more about them. I want to go this year and write about what I see.
    
    I am an artist. I observe, interpret, and present my interpretations. I want them to know I am writing about what I see and hear. I have a show my home town the Saturday after the conference. I would like to drive to Chicago, observe and write about the the conference for every single bona fide, original, professional, artist that will read what I write before I drive to my show 400-500 miles away. I want them and you to know I will be there observing, interpreting, analyzing, and writing. Read this entry in its entirety.
14. I think I have lost my mojo.....I was working it, honest! - fifteen shows in 2010-11, I know there were things I could have done much better, but I felt pretty good about doing shows and selling (which I did ok at).  After a career in teaching high school for many years this was my dream to be a full time artist. Then I went to Switzerland for a year last year to teach at a boarding school- felt like I would never get an opportunity like that again and I rocked it-really- traveled like crazy, had some shows, it was fun but now that I am back I am having a really hard time trying to figure out how to make it work better. If I had the opportunity to attend your conference I think I might be able to get back on track and get a handle on what I need to do to grow in this business and in my art. I'm energetic, positive and in it for the long haul so I sure would appreciate any help.
15. I would love to attend the Zapp Conference in Chicago.  I have done only one art fair so far and feel very uncertain about this new business I have embarked on.  I  applied for three shows this year two of which I was accepted and one I have been wait listed for.  I know I have so much to learn and honestly I am not even sure of the questions to ask at this point.  I think this would be an invaluable experience for me to hear the experts talk about how the art fair world works, of which I fell I know very little about at this point and also hear the concerns of other artists that are present.

So there you have it folks -- great choices from beginners to seasoned artists. You will only be allowed to vote once. Deadline for voting August 20, 6 pm ET.

Here is the link so you can vote: http://www.esurveyspro.com/App/Polls/DirectPoll.aspx?id=13158

I found this on Facebook today. I wanted to share. I think this is expressed very well!

Hello, I am new to AFI and have found so much good info here, I love reading everyone's posts.

I am a painter selling originals & prints and I'm just getting started doing art fairs. I have a 3 month old daughter, so my wife will not be able to help me set up and looks like I'll be doing shows by myself. I have done the small local monthly art walks but have no experience doing a big show. My first show is in October at the Scottsdale 5th Ave Art Fest. I would love any advice you can give on setting up the tent & display's by yourself! I have an easy up tent and it says it can be set up by one person. My first trial set up and it definitely took 2 people. Is there any help at these shows or are you on your own? I'm sure it varies from show to show. Thanks in advanced for any advice!

Do you visit Wikipedia to get information? Did you know its vast content has been developed by volunteers? Have you ever contributed to its database of information? Is there a parallel between AFI and Wikipedia's development?

Here's a blog post from feverbee.com (a site for people who maintain online communities) that touches on some of the recent discussions on the site:

The Wikipedia problem:

Wikipedia attributes its volunteer problem to technology.

If it was easier to edit posts, more people would edit them.

Yet the technology hasn't changed much since its peak in 2007.

If it was a technology problem, how did they recruit so many volunteers in the first place?

Wikipedia can simplify the technology. It would probably help. More people might edit the posts. But this only adds more people at the top of the tunnel. This wont keep them there any longer. It's a temporary solution.

The problem is motivation. Why do those that spent the time to learn the technology no longer edit posts?

Too often we prescribe technological solutions to social problems. It's easier to change the technology. Move this button here, turn that to a lighter shade of green, and simplify the registration process. These things can help, but they're not a silver bullet. They mask the bigger social problems.

The real solution is usually social (or psychological). My guess is their motivation faded as Wikipedia's shiny object status faded. We know momentum is important. This decreased both each volunteer's motivation to edit posts and the number of people that wanted to volunteer.

Wikipedia never changed the volunteer commitment from desire to create something special (which faded once we took Wikipedia for granted), to an obligation to the Wikipedian volunteer community itself. The latter is more sustainable.

This problems afflicts many communities (and volunteer groups!). It's easier to recruit volunteers, contributors, and other help when your community is a new, popular, insurgent. Everyone wants to be part of it (I daresay, jump on the bandwagon).

Eventually, that shine wears off. You become part of the ecosystem, the establishment. Then the motivation dies down. We still love Wikipedia, but we're not dazzled by it.

Long time members here, do you see any parallels?

Newcomers to this site are dazzled by the depth of information available here and the activity. My mission is to keep the AFI community relevant to artist's lives. So many people have contributed so much useful information to the site and I know it is important to many. We'd be nowhere without these important people. I'm just pondering this on a Monday morning and looking for suggestions from you on keeping the site a useful tool for your art fair life.

We just sponsored a contest to win a pass to the Zapp conference. Who do you think should be the judges for the winner? Everyone? The featured members? Weigh in on this quickly because today is the day I plan to start the voting.

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.