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Well, this was my first "up north" show for the summer.  Wasn't as good as other years, but I made enough to raise up the revenues in my anemic show bank account and pay bills.

Yeah, I sold a biggie for $375 instead of the normal $450.  Will talk about it later.

On to the show report.

This is a long-running show, I have done it about eight times,with 200-plus exhibitors, mostly low-to middle range sales.  They favor the tried and true, whimsy and of course "art on the stick."

New layout this year because of construction.  Same crappy buy-sell show going on across the street from it.  Lots of young people and young families, after all it is a college town--think Michigan State.  Anything with a Spartan logo on it has a chance for a sale.

It is a Sat.-Sun. show, normal hours, done by 6pm, set up on Friday, easy to do.

A very well run show with good volunteer committee.  They supply the sitters, water, an artist meal on Sat. nite.  They respond to artist requests quite promptly.  Can't say enough about them.

I have had a sudden health issue hit me out of the blue (will discuss in another blog, cause I need a helper to setup for Columbus).  I called Wednsday, and they arranged a capable helper to set me up on Friday and tear down on Sunday.  Thank you Cameron.  Thank you Michelle, she runs the show.

Saturday seemed to be the best day for sales, the crowds came out early and bought.  Not like in past years.  But I saw many more packages going down the aisle than I have seen at most recent Florida shows.  Temps hit mid-eighties with the heat pulsating off the concrete.  People bought early.  I set a modest goal for the show, about half of what I normally would do, and hit it on Sat. at 5pm.  Good thing because Sunday saw temps go up to 90 degrees and it killed sales for most of us.  I had a $185 Sunday.

About the "bug sale."  This is a hoot.  On one of my large framed pieces a fricking grey moth had wiggled down under the glass and wedged himself against the mat.  He was dead.  I figured fat chance of selling that piece until I got the bug out and cleaned/replaced the mat.

So the piece hung with my biz card strategically placed over the bug.  It is a dazzling tropical image of the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, BVI with beautiful blue waters and a guy laying in a hammock with a rum drink in hand.

So a guy walks into my booth around 4:30 and goes right to the piece.  Doesn't want any other one, just that one.  So the moment of truth arrives.  I remove the biz card and show him the bug.  I explain that I really am not set up to remove it and clean it at the show.  I was asking $450.  So I say," I WILL GIVE YOU THE "BUG DISCOUNT".  He says,"How much?"  I said, "I will give you $50 off."  He says, " I was thinking more like paying $325."  Hmmm.  must be an expensive bug.  I countered with $375 and he took it away, bug and all.  Made my day.

At artist supper that night, the consensus was that if you did $1200-$1600 that day, you did good.  Right where I was.

It was mostly small prints and packages and low end sculptural metal objects going by that day.  There was buying energy.

Sunday was beastly hot and sales sucked for most of us.

This is a fine little mid-range show to do.  Don't be traveling from far away to do it.  Friendly town, lots of good eating options.  I just would not want to do shows like this all the time.

Two weeks from now is Columbus.  Long hours, three days plus setup--God knows what we will get for weather.  It is usually a money-maker for me, so it will be a real "tell" as how the summer is going to fare in the midwest.

I got a serious health issue, came on me out of the blue.  Severe shortage of breath.  Gonna need help in setting up and tearing down for Columbus.  I will address it in another blog--along with contact info.  Take care out there.  Aloha, Nels.

Do you love ArtFairInsiders.com? Do you check in regularly for information, support or a good laugh? You are not alone!

Join us for the 3rd Annual Happy Birthday Celebration Show on May 23 at 6 pm ET.

Wednesday, May 23, at 6 pm ET, Connie and her son Scott will be hosting the birthday party show, talking about the art fair business and sharing insider secrets, "What Show Directors Don't Want You to Know". Call in live with your questions and wish Connie and AFI a happy birthday.

You can listen here and call in:  (805) 243-1338

Connie and Scott will be deciphering how to make a living at the nation's fine art fairs and discussing these important life questions:

• I was blackballed at my favorite show
• That show director hates me
• Someone has to die before I can get into Old Town
• Why sleeping in your van might not be a good idea
• What your art fair neighbor really thinks about you

We'll also be drawing names to award the great prizesdonated to us by our friends: free art fair booths, free consulting, Amazon gift card, paintings, fine crafts, jewelry, books, etc...

If you haven't pledged yet (pledges start at only $12) do it now to be entered in the drawing!

Here's the best part. This will be live and we want you to call us, tell us your art fair stories and ask your questions and give a shout out to your favorite parts of our business.

Has anyone done the Lewiston Fine Craft Show in Lewiston, NY?  It is held in August and I have been accepted, but do not know much about it. Would love any input.

On Sunday I attended the Wyoming Art Show (Wyoming as in a suburb of Cincinnati, not the larger, grander Wyoming) in order to scout it out for a possible application last year.  The last time I attended was at least 10 years ago, but I remembered the show fondly as having great artists and a healthy crowd.

So as I meandered through the show I stopped to chat with several artist friends, including some AFIers (hopefully one or more of our AFI friends will post a show report).  There was a strong consensus -- the crowd was very sparse, very disappointing.  I saw just four people carrying merchandise bags.  I saw twice that many carrying popcorn bags.  A fantastic, sunny day disqualified the "crappy weather" excuse.  What could it be?

Well, how about the fact that as I drove down the miles-long main drag leading to the show I saw one yard sign.  One.  Even the permanent, brick-and-mortar sign in front of the civic center at the entrance to the show site was advertising something else!  And although I looked in the newspapers every day for the last two weeks, I saw no notices or advertisements.  Needless to say, surrounding communities, some quite well-to-do, would have been great places to advertise the show, but I suspect they were ignored, too.

I don't get it.  Countless times in the last few years I've seen once robust shows die a long and painful death due to -- as it appears to me, at least -- a misguided belief that "everyone knows about our show" and/or that word of mouth will carry the day.  I know the economy is bad, and show attendance is suffering, so that could be part of the problem.  But isn't that even more reason to boost your promotion efforts?  To not even try to pull in the customers seems to be a dereliction of duty.

A show doesn't carry itself along on its own steam.  The people who attended years ago have moved away, grown tired of art shows, become busy with grandkids, whatever.  But there's a new generation, and they might like to come, yet they've seen there are 10 other things to do this weekend and your show isn't even on the list.

So, dear promoters and organizers, please remember that your artists are your customers, too.  We pay your app fees, pay your booth fees, follow your rules, set up in the rain, stay til the end even when nobody's there to buy, in short do everything we can do to create an exciting, viable, profitable show for us and for you.

Your job is to get the people there.  Paid advertising is great when you can afford it.  But free promotion is far better than nothing, and there are plenty of outlets at your disposal.

When I do a show that's miserably slow, I have no complaints if the show organizer did their part but was unsuccessful.  Bad weather happens.  Huge competing events happen.  But when the organizer simply doesn't live up to their end of the bargain, I get very cranky.  So this year, Wyoming Art Show, I'm cranky on behalf of my friends who were accepted into your show this year.  What a shame.

(This is reposted from my own personal blog, so please forgive referring to this site in the third person... hehe...)

So I've finally placed the order for the banners for my art fair booth.  And I am completely excited about how they've turned out!!  I had made some banners, but my partner Jonathan (who is a graphic designer) had some very specific thoughts about what he did and didn't like about them and ended up re-doing them to his satisfaction.  Thank goodness he did!  They turned out much better than I could have possibly dreamed.

I know enough about Photoshop to get around--I do all my own product photography and such.  But Jonathan said that he wanted to do them up in Adobe Illustrator (a program he is intimately familiar with and I know absolutely nothing about) to tighten them up and let me see some different choices.

All I can say is, "Wow.  What a difference a Graphic Designer can make."  I'm fortunate to have a professional in my family (ahem) because I can't imagine what these would cost if I were to actually hire someone to do them for me...

My plan is to use the large images on the banners to attract people to my booth from outside of it, a tip I learned from the discussion forums on the wonderful website, ArtfairInsiders.com.  I've been lurking there for a couple years, posting rarely but trying to glean as much information as I can for my big debut.  It's been an invaluable resource, and I'm glad I found it.  It has not only helped me decide on what type of tent to purchase, but it has exposed me to a lot of resources that I never would have known existed.  The people are friendly, offer great advice, and I'm actually looking forward to diving into the unknown world of art fairs and festivals with a lot more confidence.

I ordered the banners from Banners.com tonight, and I'm nervously awaiting their arrival.  Seeing as how I'd never ordered anything like this before, and my size requirements were a bit unusual, I looked at quite a few websites before I settled on this one.  It seemed to offer the most comprehensive Art specifications, as well as size flexibility.  Vistaprint.com is cheaper (they seem to be cheaper for just about everything) but they didn't offer grommets, nor hemmed edges, so my search led me elsewhere.  I'm hoping I made the right choice--I guess I'll see when I get a proof!  : )

Since I was incorporating the banners into the layout of my booth, I had to decide upon what that layout was going to be before I could determine the sizes of the banners.  I decided that I would use them on the center back wall, and alternate the banners with gridwall so I could display actual wearable art pieces.  So the banners are 8' long and 2' wide, the same proportions as the gridwall.  The gridwall panels I've chosen extend from the ground to ceiling, and will be held securely in place with lots of secure zip-ties.  Along the right wall is a table with matching tablecloths that I assembled myself, and along the left wall is more gridwall for display and sheer gathered curtains to frame it and make it look nice.  A mirror in a corner, a nice carpet, some dress forms, and some matching bunting to hang from the poles will complete the look.

Over all, I'm hoping to make a vintage-y, circus-y feel that is well put together, clean, and slick without requiring a spare, empty look.  As much as I understand the need for plain, strong walls to support artwork, I am not selling paintings or photographs.  I am selling wearable art, which requires a different method of display.  I felt my challenge was to create something that would be sturdy, stylish, and unobtrusive, and yet still be comfortable without being starkly empty. Yes, the work shouldn't be upstaged, but clothing and jewelry need an atmosphere around them.  Grey walls may allow fine art to spring forth and shine, but they don't do much to instill a sense of style or personality--elements that define fashion and attire.

And I want as few bungee cords as I can get away with--I much prefer the tighter zip-tie route that allows me to snip away the excess I don't need for a sleeker and more refined look.

When the banners get here, we'll see how it all works together.

My challenge has been knowing that the better fairs and festivals require artists to apply in different categories, of which I would have 2--wearable art and jewelry, with the possibility of 2 more--fiber art and sculpture.  I don't know if I'll ever accumulate a body of work for the last two categories, but I was  forced to decide on making the banners featuring my wearable art or my jewelry, just in case I didn't make it into one of the two categories...  I still need to make/order the banners featuring my art attire, but I figured since my jewelry is of a smaller scale, I would focus my photography on those items first.  I haven't even applied to any upscale art shows, so I've got a long way to go.  I figured I'd start with my local shows first so I can work the kinks out.  : )

So here I share my new banner images, and eagerly await their arrival so I can put up my tent and see how things work!  Wish me luck!

And Live Life with Relish!

November 2-4

70 Artists Booths
Deadline: June 14 - new deadline!

The 24th annual Metro Arts EXPO will be in the heart of downtown where thousands of people come to eat, shop and experience museums, music, and amazing architecture.  The EXPO is free to the public and offers a jury-selected array of fine art created by 70 professional artists from across the United States, live entertainment, demonstrations and an upbeat holiday shopping atmosphere.

The categories include 2D and 3D mixed media, ceramics, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

              
ARTISTS BENEFITS:

• Overnight and Daytime security
• Complimentary dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday and Sunday
• $2,500 in Sponsors Choice awards
• Exclusive Hospitality Area
• Booth sitters, and much more...

The EXPO is a smaller show that draws 6,000+ loyal patrons and serves as fundraiser for Metro Arts Alliance.  All proceeds go to support Metro Arts community and educational outreach programs.  www.metroarts.org 

More information with a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPMH32TNDlU

Schedule:

Friday Nov. 2: Opening night party: 4pm-9pm

Saturday Nov. 3: Show: 10am-8pm

Sunday Nov. 4: Show:  10am-2pm

The deadline to register is June 1st and the Jury Fee: $35

June 15 - Jury selections

June 18 - Artist Notification (10% off booth fees until July 1st)

July 1 - Early bird discount ends

July 31- Accept invitation & purchase deadline

Aug. 1 - Notify Artists on the waiting list

Aug. 29 - Artists on the waiting list, Accept invitation & purchase deadline

Apply: www.zapplication.org 

Artists are advised to submit images of professional quality.  Keep in mind that your images are what you will be judged on.  Clear, sharply focused, High resolution jpeg images are best.  They should represent a coherent body of work, by form, technique or concept.  Bold color is viewed better than pastels, whites, grays or blacks.  Please, don't let the background overpower or detract from your work.

For more info. about Metro Arts Alliance of Greater Des Moines, the EXPO or other programs, Please call (515) 280-3222 or visit:  www.metroartsexpo.org  

I always wonder what would have happened if I went to college for art instead of advertising, which was my father's suggestion.  I think a lot of artists could use a strong business background to help them market their talents.  Did you study art, or did you take a long, winding road to your craft like I did?

http://pencilenvy.blogspot.com/2012/05/irish-carnival-ride-at-apartment-21.html

In my latest blog entry, I tell the story of my very first portrait and the beginning of my college and corporate journey that one day lead me here.  I love to hear the stories of how my fellow artists got where they are today.

Well, seems that I was wrong in thinking I was doing everything correctly! I was going to participate in the East Lansing Art Festival this weekend, but upon arriving at the border yesterday morning those plans quickly changed! It was brought to my attention that as a Canadian Citizen I am legally not able to sell goods (art work in my case) inside the United States. This could be a much, much longer post, but for information purposes I am keeping it shorter. 

I was detained yesterday (Friday morning) at about 4:15am, and was held until about 8:30am. I was photographed, finger printed and questioned as to my intentions. I have never attempted to hide what I was doing, or lie about my intentions, it just seems that this is not something I am allowed to do. I can sell to the US from Canada, but not physically while in the United States. I can say that the Border Agents were very friendly and when this ordeal was over they were appologetic about the situation. I know they were just doing their job, and I was very appreciative to them for how I was treated. 

I am going to attempt to secure a temporary VISA for shows next year, but I have had to go and cancel all my shows for this season that were in the US. 

I also wanted to give credit where credit is due. East Lansing Art Festival (never been one to give personal names) was very sorry to hear what had happened, and even though I notified them about 6 hourse before I was to set up  my booth they agreed to refund my booth fee! That was one great thing to a long, and crazy day!

All I want to do is create, display and hopefully sell some art. Having the feeling that you are on the verge of being arrested and charged was not something I thought I would ever have to deal with. Hoepfully the VISA thing will happen, but if not then I'll focus on Canada and partnering with Galleries and not on my own. 

Safely back home, 

Jeremy 

Are you a fan of this site? An active member of the Art Fair Insiders community?

Do you find valuable info and friendships here that help your business?

Or, maybe you're even addicted to the forum??

If that sounds like you, we'd like your help.

Can you leave below a short "testimonial" quote about why you like AFI and how it's been helpful (and fun) to you?

We're in the midst of the annual AFI Pledge Drive soon and would appreciate your comments to use publicly in the marketing.

You know, short quotes like "I love visiting ArtFairInsiders.com daily because…"

Thanks for your help!

Scott
(Connie's son)

If you come upon a mysterious object, such as what I  found at this puzzlePhotos blog (above photo, from site, not my work) , you will surely wonder about its function.

But if it is a work of art, such as a painting,photograph,a sculpture, the question isn't normally asked, at least not in the same way. Ceramics has always floated in and out of the concern for whether it is functional or if it is art, (or some variation on that theme.) I would imagine that is why I get so many questions about what many of my ceramic pieces are for.

Don Bendel was my Ceramics professor at Northern Arizona University. He told this story that I get a lot of traction out of when dealing with the question " what is it for?".

(caption:Don used to put these on the top shelf of the salt kiln, toss empty beer bottles on top, creating a glaze pool)

"I got this commission for a dozen or so of my pots.
 She wanted to use them in her garden. I made and delivered  the pieces, and she thought they were great. Later, she invited me over to show me how great they fit in her garden. I was led into her garden and there were of my pieces, turned upside-down, buried up to the foot into the earth, being used as stepping stones.
After getting over my surprise, I realized that once I sold the pieces to her, they were hers to do with whatever she wanted. I then had to agree, they really did look good in her garden.” Don Bendel
  That's how I remember it.

It is not uncommon for me to relate this story when I get asked what one of my pieces is for, a  fairly common occurance, actually. Sometimes they make a suggestion, indicating how they might use it:

"Well, I could put a candle in it", or I might even suggest something "some people put a frog in the bottom and use it for an Ikebana. Of course either is fine with me. Normally I do explain that what I am really doing is looking at form and construction techniques and playing with them. Function following form. But then I usually define the vessel to them as what it in terms of function, that it is a bowl, or a vase.

It might even look good turned upside-down and used as a stepping stone in a garden!

This one does baffle a decent number  of people:

 I just bet that others (depending on the type of work you do, and maybe how easily it is categorized) get similar or more entertaining responses.

This one does baffle a decent number  of people:

Mmmm, gravy boat? In term of function, I leave it up to the buyer. As form, its what I call a two-sided bowl.

One my  favorites is when I had an 8" maquette of this piece on sale at an art fair:

Patron: "What is this for?"
Artist : "Its a band-aid dispensor" (the mouth was just about the size to hold 5 band-aids, and, well, after putting your finger in to get a band-aid, you would immediately need another one, as you cut your finger pulling out a band-aid).
The patron was very amused, (but apparently not enough to buy it ).
So, when I have a patron who wants to know, what a piece is for, I like to relate Don's stepping-stone story. It lets the patron know they are free to do whatever they want with the piece, and allows the artist to accept it too.

Caption: (Don, my sister Sheila, and me at my BFA show, circa 1981

A few days ago I spoke with Wendy Rosen, best known to this community as the founder of the Buyer's Market of American Craft. Wendy has been a fixture in this business for over 30 years most specifically focusing on the marketing aspect. The Buyer's Market, her magazines (Niche and American Style), her educational arm, the Arts Business Alliance, all are part of her big soapbox for the creative community.

It was a wide ranging conversation including

• solid tips for better sales at the shows
• ideas on how to launch a business that grows
• the economic importance of creativity
• her campaign for American made goods and strengthening our trade laws
• interacting with salespeople in the Bright Angel giftshop and asking for American made souvenirs and where they were found
• picketing for 1st Amendment rights at the gift shops at the national parks and protesting
• launching her Congressional campaign and how she plans to find herself in Congress
• how you can learn more and support these initiatives for a career that she calls "scary, fun and wonderful."

Listen here: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/artfairpodcasts

And download it at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/art-fair-artists-success-show/id440759328

If you like it -- then at iTunes there is a place where you can "rate" it. Clear at the bottom of the page. Hope you do!

Hi, Does anyone have history with Howard Alan's Redstone Art Fair outside of Park City? This is ony it's 3rd year.

I've been on the hunt for a few good indoor or panels-only shows to do.  I came across the Queeny Park show in St Louis - apparently they have one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  I'd never heard of it, but have always done well at shows in the St Louis area and wondered if anyone has done this show or has information from anyone they know who's done it.  Thanks!

No one predicted that Connie Mettler  would end up an
 Internet guru.

Sure, Connie's decades in the art fair business make her an expert in art events, and helped her develop
 friendships with artists nationwide.  But when I told her about this "Internet" thing, she first saw it as  just a
 distraction from the real world art fairs she loves.


Luckily, I kept up the pressure to put my mom's love for the art fair business to use on the World Wide Web.  In 2004 I started ArtFairCalendar.com to collect the nation's art fair event listings all in one place because of her concern about falling attendance at the events.


Then as social media arrived I develooped 
ArtFairInsiders.com to bring the artist community together online. In both cases it is Connie's decades of expertise that provide the inspiration and on-going expertise that have made these sites successful.

This week is Connie's birthday. Surprisingly to both of us, she now has four websites and has been working  full-time as a "web producer" for many years (in addition to her  roles consulting for other art events nationwide).

So, Welcome to the official Connie and ArtFairCalendar.com Birthday Party!


 
Will you please help me recognize Connie's years of efforts to support and promote artists and the art fair community?


I invite you to show your support these art fair websites and the art fair  community with a small PLEDGE
(starting at $12 which also makes you eligible to win some great prizes):



Thanks for being here!
Scott (Connie's son)

*prizes like free booth spaces at 3 shows, a GPS, Amazon gift card, very cool art, consulting from experts, etc.

Starting this post off by admitting to a little laziness, but well, my “day job” has been busier than usual lately and since we headed out on our almost 3 week road trip right in the middle of a  huge amount of work I haven’t had much time for writing or even thinking about writing lately.

I did review the first of our 3 Oregon shows, Astoria Crab, Seafood and Wine fest, you can read about it here:  http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/astoria-oregon-seafood-and-wine-festival-april-2012

From Astoria we headed east to Portland OR where we camped for the next several days just outside of Portland, OR.  Met Joe Clifton and his wonderful wife Mackie for dinner one evening in Portland at The Sextant, good food, good drinks, reasonably priced and a great view of the sailboats on the Columbia River.  Our next show was in Corvallis OR on May 5^th, a one day show that is held in conjunction with their Mom’s weekend events on the OSU campus.  I have to admit to a little “set up” envy as Joe and Mackie started unloading shortly after we did and were done way before us.  In fact, I think they were totally packed and gone at the end of the day before we had hauled our first load of stuff to the truck.  But, I digress, still it was amazing to see!  I usually thoroughly research a show before we do it,  but somehow on this one the details didn’t stand out and I hadn’t realized it was a same day load in and load out for a one day show until shortly before the show.  I also hadn’t realized that you had to haul everything to your spot, no cars were allowed in.  Uggg, talk about a test of endurance and stamina.   That being said, some artists did drive in and then by the time the rest of us had our booths set up, had a horrible time getting their cars out.  There were also some who decided to drive in during load out making it very difficult for those of us with hand trucks trying to get our stuff out to get past their vehicles. 

We lucked out with a good weather day, some artists (like Joe) didn’t even bother putting up a canopy.  We decided to put up the Caravan canopy, but without walls.  First time we’ve used our old canopy in 4 years since we bought a Lite Dome, but it was so much easier for a one day show.  The sun flirted with us all day but didn’t quite live up the weather forecaster’s predictions.  We all live in the Pacific NW where we understand the term “sun breaks” and enjoyed them for the short time they lasted and we were grateful that is didn’t rain, after the previous week’s rainy spring showers. 

The crowd was a little slow to start, but, this is a college town and the students were there with their Moms and several different Moms brunches were advertised on campus.  Sales for the first 3 hours were very steady and then died to a trickle with about ½ as many sales in the last 4 hours of the show compared to the first 3 hours.  It’s an inexpensive show to do with just $100 booth fee.  Overall we made money, but it seemed like a really long day and a lot of effort for the money we did make.   As we were packing up we were remembering why we didn’t like one day outdoor shows, so much work to set up and take down on the same day.

So why did we do this show? Our thought was that it would fit nicely into our Oregon Road trip schedule.  The show in Astoria the weekend before, the weekend after in southern Oregon for Medford’s Art in Bloom and a one day show on the Saturday in between to make a little money, leaving Sunday free to drive to Medford.  Sunday was a wonderful day for a drive with lots of sunshine and warmer temperatures as we headed south.  We spent the next week camped on the banks of the Rogue River enjoying warm weather and sunshine with a couple of family evenings getting together with a few members of our extended family that we hadn’t seen in well over a decade.  That alone, made us glad to be in the area.

Friday night load in for Medford Art in Bloom began at 7 PM.  This was a show we had heard good things about before we signed up for it, then after signing up heard a few mixed reviews.  Their pre-show organization left a lot to be desired so we were kind of wondering what we were getting ourselves into.  Their notification was 2 weeks late and for a show that notifies April 1 for a May 12 show, they aren’t leaving room for delays.  Once we were accepted we did receive the contract 3 different times, contract says no commission, email said there was commission, so we’re just a little  confused.  But, since the contract said no commission, we were going on the assumption that a signed contract was more binding than an email.

Friday night we wandered into downtown Medford and found lots of people setting up before 7 PM so we were able to obtain our booth assignment and actually get set up before 7 PM, ending up with an earlier night than expected.  Our biggest challenge was getting the truck out after we had unloaded and set up as the streets and adjoining parking lots were pretty jammed by that time.  All the booths on Main Street were set up in quads, giving everyone the advantage of a corner booth.  During load in we were told by another artist that the show was smaller than previous years.  Good, we thought, less competition, nice to go into a show with a positive attitude.

Unfortunately Medford’s Art in Bloom was not the show we were hoping for, sales were very slow for almost everyone, except those selling yard art.  The show was at least 25% jewelry, we got really tired of the comments, “Oh another jewelry booth”, “more jewelry”, etc.  Sales on Saturday were very disappointing, we didn’t even make our booth fee until Sunday which for us is a pathetic show given the booth fee was only $200.  We also unfortunately, had a pair of earrings stolen which made me grumble a bit.   A photographer we know who was also at the show was not having a good show, he was way down from previous years, other artists said it was okay, but honestly, no one other than the yard art folks indicated they had a good show, that was about the only style of art I regularly saw passing our booth that had been purchased.  The weekend was hot, temperatures in the low 90’s, the first really warm weekend of the year, so that might have impacted the crowds a bit, but overall, there were a lot of lookers, not many buyers.  Load out was relatively easy, but totally uncontrolled as artists started driving vehicles in even before the show was officially over.  The most difficult part of load out was the 90+ temperatures making everyone a little cranky.  This is a show we won’t even try again, realistically we didn’t even come close to breaking even by the time we include gas, camping fees and the booth fee.   For us it’s the first time in several years where we’ve actually lost money at a show, we had a couple of break even shows last year, but losing money?  That hadn’t happened since we were newbies and choosing the wrong shows to participate in.  So unfortunately, we were left with a long drive home on Monday, tired and a little discouraged as we realized this was truly the worst show we’ve had in several years and the longest (8 hours) drive we’ve done thus far.

Glad to be home and getting ready for our 4 day show over Memorial Day weekend, hoping for better results.   

Has any one done the Hotworks show in Oct in Estero Fl or have any opinions on it. I know that alot of snow birds come in Nov but leave again for the holidays. End of Oct?  Any experience with this show would be appreciated!

Has anyone done this show in Dallas? It has been held at the Fair Park in Dallas. It is supposed to be pretty big.