I have ATT and have never had a problem getting on line. I have heard that square takes up to 30 days to put your money in your account. I have Chase Bank business account and for $5 a month, I have Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express. I only have to use my phone to call into Visa, etc. and get my authorization number.
Carrie
I have noticed quite a few artists using the new cube attached to their I-Phone or Android and was wondering how well they are working? I currently have ATT and will be making a change soon as I never am able to check weather online because of connectivity problems, so also tell me who your carrier is and if you have ever had a problem getting online to process cards or to check the internet. Thanks bunches.
This past weekend, we were in Bloomington/Normal IL's Sugar Creek Arts Festival. We arrived on Saturday morning, with an easy check in process. Didn't even have to get out of the car. We worked out way down the street to our booth location. Being able to pull the car right up to the booth ... always a benefit to us. The booths are very tight together. It would be nice if we had a couple extra inches, between booth spaces.
We got set up and parked the car very easily. The street is a little tight for moving around during set up, but it works. The show is in the University area. As a result, you get a lot of students in the mix. Bloomington IL is also the home of State Farm Insurance, with over 20,000 employees.
We were told in advance that people show up early for the show ... and the did. Both days. There was a lot of excitement right away. Lots of interest. But by noon it was getting hot and the crowds seem to "cool off" in interest. It ended up being a decent show for us. Artists around us, were not as happy. We have accepted that the economy is still not great. I think other artists expected more.
The show is well organized. The staff and volunteers work hard for the artists to make sure everything is running smoothly. They provided plenty of COLD water during the 2 days. Which was needed. I drank a ton of water. Over all, we were happy with the show.
November 19 & 20
Boca Raton, Florida
The Shops at Boca Center
10 am to 6 pm
100 Artists
Deadline: August 1
Join us for Art Fest Boca, November 19-20, as fine artists fill Boca Center, Boca Raton's premiere outdoor location with an outdoor art extravaganza. Art Fest Boca showcases some the best contemporary fine art and craft from around the country. Artists are selected on the basis of quality, originality, and craftsmanship by a panel of jurors who are experts in their fields.
Art Fest Boca is a juried fine arts show. The location of the festival is Boca Center, in the heart of Boca Raton, a picturesque luxury shopping center that captures the atmosphere and charm of this beautiful Floridian community. Art Fest Boca is located in Palm Beach county, the third highest per capita income in the United States.
Visitors can take advantage of this Golden Opportunity to start
off the Holiday Shopping Season to shop for one of a kind gifts for your friends and loved ones. Art Fest Boca gathers renowned artists from across the country for this holiday season art extravaganza. Enjoy the weekend admiring the works of and meeting these fine artists and craftsman exhibiting their works. Visitors have the opportunity to meet with exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine, enjoy live entertainment and experience the local artistic culture.
Apply today: www.zapplication.org
Learn more: www.artfestboca.com
Ask questions: Joe Krow, info@bocafest.com, 954.234.1302
I was not planning on going to this show. Hadn't found much in the past few years and the quality was very uneven. But, a jeweler I hadn't seen in several years was going to be there and I wanted to add another of her pieces to my collection. I hopped in the car and got there as soon as the festival opened on Saturday.
The minute I reached the artist's booths, I knew this was not the same festival as in the past. The quality of work was solid throughout the festival. There is a lot of 2d and it seemed to be of good quality. (this is not my area of expertise) There was a lot of ceramics and pottery, unusual for a show. There was minimal glass. There was good quality jewelry also. There was lovely wood work. There were quite a few artists I had never seen before and that is always a great thing.
I don't know about load-in or artist amenities. The show was fairly well organized along the pathways in the park. The vendors were over by the food area and they were unobtrusive. There was what I call 'festival appropriate' music with live entertainment. EM Events runs a tight ship, if it wasn't in your jury photo, you weren't supposed to sell it in your booth. There was plenty of parking nearby for both artists and patrons. The volunteers I spoke with were helpful and enthusiastic. There were lots of signs around the area advertising the festival. Hot weather was a deterrent but what can you do about that? Atleast there were no damaging winds or rain.
The artists that I spoke with said they were doing OK. I didn't see a lot of packages but everything I bought fit into the gigantic bag that I carry and both pairs of earrings I considered on Saturday were gone on Sunday.
Thanks EM Events for bringing this show back to life.
We checked into the hotel on Fri., flipped on the tv for the weather and there was a tv ad on the local Fox station; I had a comp. copy of the washington post and there was ahalf page ad. Feeling good we went to the site and saw tons of signage on the way. A first year show, fit our northern bound schedule, we have done fine in previous Paragon events, so here we were at this town center that was packed with people Fri. night. We also saw a CNN ad for the show when we returned to the hotel. These are big $$$$ ads.
Set-up was easy, the quality level of the art was fantastic- especially my neighbor Edward Loedding- his photo drawing flowers (I am beyond description words) were WOW.. A pleasure to be next to a 2-d exhibit that isn't littered with browse bins and $25 copies. Just as it was really great to see people SELLING ONLY ORIGINALS at Virginia Beach (more on that later).
Our sales were real good; many were not so fortunate- as is the case at all art festivals- the folks that came were there to buy and we saw many packages and paintings walk by. Neighbors around us seemed to be doing o.k. but we stayed at our booths and had to work hard for every sale. It never seemed crowded on site although there were few parking spaces available. Maybe the vast layout just spread the population out. One point-- the event was advertised as at The Washingtonian Center (this is how the developement company has branded this town center) --the locals know this site as The Rio- Paragon will for sure advertize it as being at The Rio next year-.
Paragon had coffee,snacks,water, Sat. lunch; and an overall great attention to details and THE ARTIST'S SUCCESS. Keep it up-some shows work and some don't, weather etc. We were real pleased with Paragon and their energy.
BY THE WAY-WITH 5000 MEMBERS HERE WHERE ARE ALLTHE EAST COAST REVIEWS ??????
Just a quickie.
Crowds filled the walkways. Cool breezes off the lake kept the high 80s temps livable--and people were buying--mostly lowend. But artists were making money at this usually very reliable show. I did today, what it took me three days at Boston Mills to do. A fellow photog from Iowa doubled me, hope he is doing shots of Patron tonite--I know, I would--more on Monday--Walter Winchell reporting live from St. Joe.
A lot of you heard that my wife, ellen marshall, fainted while setting up and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Thanks for all your Alohas. She is doing just fine and will make an appearance tomorrow at the show. As usual, beautiful blondes always know how to make a great impact--but an ambulance, come on Ellen, maybe on a great horned steer. Thanks for your salutations everybody. She is going to make it.
It's been a while since I've posted anything and that is due to be extremely busy. Have participated in a few retreats with a basket guild, doing photography ops and working on some fiber art. A lot of my time was taken up with proofing and approving a book that I have written. It has been released and I guess I'll be busy with the promotion of it. It's nothing earth shattering, but does get my foot in the door in the world of writers and it has been an interesting journey.
Just a reminder that the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival is fast approaching and if you would be interested in displaying/selling your work, please contact Melanie Kirn at mjk361@comcast.net and she will provide you with all the particulars. I will have a booth there again this year with photo's and photo/needle art combo's and perhaps a few other surprises and will be the official photographer for the Festival. Hope to see some new faces there.
All the best to each and every one of you.
Terr at the Drake's Nest in Ossineke, MI
Swinging down through the Chicago Loop with the great Cher and Christina belting out about burlesque("show a little more, show a little less, let them know what's in store, welcome to burlesque!), we started out our journey to Gold Coast in high spirits.
When we reached the lake we could open the windows and feel the great breeze off Lake Michigan.
And that's what my tent has: a great view of the magnificent fountain in Grant Park and a cool breeze. Our booth is backed by huge trees that offer total relief from the noon sun. Amy handed out water jugs to everyone and there are tons of ice and water available at all times for us.
We were the first group to set up(we pulled in right by our booth. I owe that all to a fellow AFIer named Robert Campbell. He stalled unloading and saved a loading space until my husband arrived. Thanks, great guy!)
We left at 4 pm as the next group was arriving. I must say it was an impressive sight to see all those white tents....and that was just half the number.
I feel like Christmas Eve. I just can't wait to wake up tomorrow.
This weekend is the Haddonfield Arts and Crafts show. It has always been a great show. I was disappointed, however, after reading the Philadelphia Inquirer, that there was no advertising and not even one of the FREE listings in the paper or the weekend section. Despite being a very well established show, customers need reminders of upcoming show dates and times. Most promoters at least take advantage of the Free listings at least. This is a serious oversight as this paper is a large part of our audience base.
The Roses of Rosesquared productions always post where they have advertised. I like this practice and wish more promoters did so. It assures the participants that everyone is working hard to bring buyers to the shows. I always send out our own promotions to our mailing lists but also rely on the organizers of the show to make the general public aware of the event.
Where there is no entrance fee as most summer shows are, the motivation of the promoters to up the attendance numbers is not as concrete as shows where their is a "gate" fee for them to count on.
And that is my rant for this Friday morning. I have to go prepare for the show now. Glad the weather looks good for the weekend. Weekend road warriors unite!
Saturday, September 24
Overland Park, Kansas
Santa Fe Commons Park
200 exhibitors
Deadline: July 15
EVENT TIMES:
Craft Fair is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Farmers' Market is from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or sell out.
The Parade begins to march at 10 a.m.
Booths are first come, first served. Purchase quickly for prime space.
Booth sizes are:
10'x10'...$75
10'x20'...$145
10'x20' End Cap...$210
10'x10' End Cap...$120 - End Caps have two selling sides
We do not provide electricity or tents. We will rent you a table or help you find a tent vendor.
Special thanks to our presenting sponsors:
OP Fall Festival web site: http://www.opkansas.org/Things-to-See-And-Do/Overland-Park-Fall-Festival
I was also in Muskegon. This year due to health issues with my husband we have tried to stay closer to home. This show was a BIG mistake. The park is set up like a wheel with 4 spokes. I was placed on a spoke and found that at least half the people didn't come up the spoke. Had terrific show neighbors who also were doing the show for the first time. We all agreed that this would be the only time. On top of that 2 of us had thefts. My other neighbor with the theft ran into the promoter who said "well we Do have security" Couldn't prove it by us, they never came into the middle........same with the judges. I saw the artists who won and their work was very nice but it would have been nice to be included. Never saw so many people with whole body tatoos and pink, blue and yellow hair. I though the clown brigade was passing through. The park wasn't exclusively fine art there were lots of crafters in the mix. There were no redeeming features to this show in my opinion.
sherry curtis
Hello All,
I have been attending art shows now for over 10 years. In the past I would ask the artist if they had a website and most would say No. When I asked why the most common answer was "I don't want to deal with it". So after 5 years of serious pondering over the idea, I built a website for artist to sell their work on. Now I go to shows and meet artist and discuss the possibly selling their work on the website. I normally leave each show with anywhere from 3 to 5 that are interested.
I explain that I will go all the administrated work which includes product upload and removal. Promote their artwork on the blog and channel it through face book, twitter and Utube. Then notify them when an item sells. The interested artist is excited about the idea when I leave.
Now here,s the thing......when I do my follow up calls to discuss further, most of the time I have to leave a message. I never get a call back. I will call 3 more times, no answer.
Here is the question, I will do all the leg work so "why don't artist want sell on the internet?"
Here is the website http:\\www.artdelightshop.com
Any input would be great.
Thanks
Linda
Although I have been going to shows for six or seven years, I only do a few each year and still consider myself a "newbie" with a lot to learn. I started trading with other artists fairly early on. Another artist asked me if I traded and I thought that would be a great way to add to my collection so I said "Sure!" Since then I trade at 60% of the shows I do. Most of the artists I ask about trading are eager to "shop". The first, and only, man I asked looked at me like I had left a slime trail in his tent, so I don't ask guys anymore. There are artists and crafters at one show I do in Memphis that I trade with every year. We wear or display each others' things and send customers to each other.
I haven't found a mention here of artists trading at shows. Is this a taboo I have unknowing committed? Or does everybody do it but it just hasn't been discussed here?
Wow! We were blown away by the welcome we had at the Crescent Hill Art and Music Festival in Louisville, Kentucky on July 3&4. This is an old-fashioned neighborhood 4th of July Celebration and I envy the people living in this neighborhood! It looked to be a delightful combination of music (2 stages), food, art show. pet show, silent auction and fun run, held on and near the shady grounds of a historical house/museum.
Set-up was Saturday afternoon and Sunday early morning. My husband and I set up late afternoon on Saturday. We were shown to our booth, and almost immediately members of a local high school Key club were there offering to help us our. They helped unload, set up the tent and carried water for our weights. And they were soooo polite! We were able to back up the car behind our booth to unload, and we were able to do the same on Sunday and Monday mornings. Parking was a few blocks away with shuttle buses running.
Once the event began, there were volunteers coming around about every hour. There were coffee, juice and fruit available in the morning during set-up, switching over to iced tea and water as the day went on. The volunteers offered more fruit, including frozen grapes during the heat of the day, (and it was HOT and HUMID), and peanuts, and water later on.
Monday morning was an Artist's breakfast with ham biscuits, quiche, muffins, fruit, juice, etc. Delicious is too small a word. Throughout the day, more fruit, water and pretzels brought to the booth.
We sell jewelry, so we take out our "wares" at the end of the day. We weren't able to bring the car in, but the volunteers showed my husband where to bring the car, and at precisely 6:45 PM a golf cart showed up with 2 young men who took all of our stuff to the car. At the end of the show, more Key Club members to help us pack up, and again, the golf cart was there to take everything to the car! We began closing up at 6:00 and were in the car on our way before 7:00.
Now about the show: There were 96 artists according to the map. I was able to walk the show on the first day. There was a wide variety of artisans, and there didn't seem to be much overlap. Even with the jewelry booths, (which seemed to be breeding on the spot!) there weren't many artists whose wares were like each other. (A word about the number of jewelry artists. I counted the number of jewelry artists on the program and came up with less than 25%, but when I looked around, there were booths selling jewelry where the primary art was NOT the jewelry. A pet peeve of mine) That first day was really slow. Lots of lookers, and not so many buyers. Many of our neighbors were discouraged at the end of that first day. One of my Wire Wrap teachers, John Darlin, whose booth was 3 down from mine didn't think he'd be back next year. I didn't see many large packages being carried. And, as mentioned before, it was HOT and so humid, we just stewed in our own sweat! Lots of booths had fans. I missed the part in the application about electricity being available! We did have an occasional breeze. Hopefully next year we can get a booth in the shade.
July 4th. was a totally different story. There were a lot more people and they were buying. I'm not sure what was selling except for jewelry, because we were pretty busy, but everyone I spoke to said that they had a better day. We made expenses on the first day, so Monday was gravy. I LOVE gravy!!!!
This was my first time at Ludington's Art Fair, so I didn't really know what to expect. 155 artists which is about double the size I'm used to doing. It was a Saturday/Sunday show, July 2nd and 3rd. We arrived on Friday to set up. Our hotel was literally 30 or so yards from my booth and we were able to leave our trailer in their parking lot for easy access throughout the day. Load in and out was very simple from one of several streets surrounding the park. Sidewalks angled through the park for easy wheeling of dollies and wagons. Help was available for those who needed it.
We lucked out with weather, no setting up in rain, but just a little wind. Stakes are not allowed, but the park is 2 or 3 blocks off the lake and it wasn't too windy. Registration was easy and the promoter and her helpers were all ready to answer questions and direct us to our spot. They said to expect 80,000 people and I lost count at about 40,000... At any rate, the show was busy from about an hour before opening each day until 1/2 hour after it closed. Each morning they had wonderful breakfast foods: granola, cereal, bagels, fruits, juice/coffee, donuts, and plenty of it for all of us. They came around with water once or twice during the day as well.
I was able to walk the show a couple of times and I suspect there were several booths of bs jewelry, but I'm no expert and wouldn't want to say for sure. There was also a booth or two with 2d art that was from kits I think. They kept the food booths all in one area by the information booth which I thought was a great idea. There were not a lot of other 2d artists, maybe 1/2 dozen or so. A few really nice pottery booths and several high-end jewelry booths. Lots of photography, jewelry, fiber art, and furniture filled in the rest.
I rent 2 spaces for my shows and this show decided to display my paintings in groupings according to subject rather than color. My palatte is similar for most of my works, (colors of nature) so it all flowed and looked really nice. I ended up almost doubling my sales, not sure if it was the groupings, the large crowds or both, but I was very happy with the results. My second place prize money recouped my booth fees. My prices are somewhere in the middle compared to other 2d artists there, and one of the higher end artists said he'd had a good show.
