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Just wanted a take on what other artists thought of doing Coconut Grove if your art is more traditonal/realism watercolor. I know that crowd could be more partial to flashy contempory. If any one has done that show and their work is more traditional give me a feed back. I do very well in the east coast florida territory and have done well at Naples Nat'l, Winter Park, and Bonita Nat'l. I realize about the economy but just want a view point is that was a place for my style and that type of patron. If anyone want to take the time you can go to my new website (unconstruction)
www.barbaragroenteman.com to see my style. :}
Yesterday I did a demonstration on making pine needle baskets at the Besser Museum. It was great and the people were quite receptive, asked a lot of questions and I gave out a lot of business cards for The Drake's Nest Studios. The demonstration was from 1 pm until 3 pm and they kept having to bring out chairs for people who wanted to sit and chat and watch. The only down side was when I first set up a woman came in as I was just starting a basket, which is the hardest part of dealing with the pine needles, and wanted to know what I was doing. When I opened my hand to show her and explain, she grabbed the little beginnings and goes, "Oh, what's this for?" and pulls off the needle guide and handled it so roughly that she broke the pine needles. Needless to say I was not a happy camper but very nicely told her she wasn't to handle the materials and ask if she wanted to see something. She got quite snotty about it, but I did manage to keep my cool as I recollected teh damaged work, undid everything and started again with fresh needles and ignored her. She soon left. All and all, it was a wonderfully enjoyable day. I was doing the demo as a member of the Thunder Bay Basket Guild and promoting our exhibit of baskets there at the museum. The exhibit runs until September 11th, so if you happened to be in Alpena, Michigan, do stop in and look. They also have a wonderful WW II Exhibit honoring those who fought the valient fight. The exhibit is made up of pieces from various collectors and most of the exhibit is provided by a Mr. Dove who is working on getting a history museum totally aimed at WW II started in our area. He could provide the entire museum himself as he has over 1000 pieces of memoriabilia. I provided an extensive collection of WW II Nose Art found on the airplanes back then.
My studio will be having its grand opening in 2-3 weeks. Just need to put everything in its place and tidy up, as much as possible as I will be commencing to work in it just as soon as I have everything in it. I will be posting pictures on my Blog, http://www.drakesneststudios.wordpress.com, and on my website, http://www.drakesneststudios.com, of the completed studio. So why not pop in for a visit.
Just a reminder that the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival is from Oct. 7-11 in Alpena, Michigan and the main even is held at the Recreational Center. I will be its official photographer this year and we will have all sorts of vendors from Stainglass makers, to wine makers to artists - both visual and recording. Not to mention artist, food and a down right good time. Do stop in and see us, it is the 15th year for this and is quite the thing to see. All the lighthouses will be open during this 4 day event.
Guess this wasn't such a quick update after all . Thanks for listening!
Terri at the Drake's Nest in fallish Ossineke, Michigan
Orlando Art and Living Expo (BEWARE):
I’ve started seeing calls for the Orlando Art and Living Expo stating:
-175 “juried” artists
-“Because of it’s success we are “growing”-Art lovers of Central Florida have “strongly” supported the festival.
-Artists will be allowed to drive up to their booth to unload and load.I did this show in February 2010 (before I became a member of ArtFairInsiders. My booth was directly across from Ron Mellott (who introduced me to ArtFairInsiders).
I applied about a month before the show. As soon as they received my application, Jim Barton (the promoter) sent an email stating that I had been accepted but the only way he could reserve my spot is if I sent my check in immediately. Which I did.
My designated setup time was 6AM on Saturday (before the opening of about 10AM). I arrived early but no one was present. At just prior to 6AM the promoter and crew arrived and stated “just wait and we’ll be with everyone in a moment.” They had to unload all their refreshments and brochures and registration materials. About 6:10 they said to come in from a different direction from where I had been parked for the past 45 minutes. That put me much farther in line (even though I had been the first one to arrive). I did and waited in line as they registered each artist is single file. After they asked “what is your name”, the next question was “HAVE YOU PAID YET?” I asked “was that even an option? And don’t you even know if I’ve paid or not?? What a circus!
Once registered, I asked “OK where is my booth”. Their response was just wait in line and someone will tell you where to set up. After waiting patiently, Jim Baton finally showed up and direct the next few vehicles into the site. By the way, some artists had already set up on Friday which apparently would have made everything much easier. I only had a standard van and I almost touched tents on both sides of the vehicle as I traversed the street to where Jim asked me to set up. He was merely picking spots at random as vehicles arrived so that no two people would be setting up as neighbors at
the same time. Apparently he was doing this to avoid congestion in any one spot. Once unloaded, I had to move my vehicle to the next block to park on the street. No designated parking was provided.
Load out was IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to get their vehicle into the tiny venue until most people had dollied out. So if you’re in a hurry, just be prepared to dolly everything to wherever you may be parked. I was not in a hurry and I took down my display slowly and waited until the site was pretty vacant before I retrieved my vehicle. If it had been raining it would have been a nightmare for me.
OK, let me backup. About a week before the event, I had received an email from Jim and I happened to jump over to their website and see their announcements, etc. All of a sudden, instead of this being
billed as the “Orlando Art and Living Expo” (and promoted as an arts festival), it was not ONLY referred to as something like “Orlando Musik Festival” Their advertisements stated “just bring your dogs, your kids and your blankets and lay out on the lawn to enjoy the music of [band 1] and [band 2].
After all artists had been filled the attention of the promoter seem to have turned to nothing but the entertainment. And the entertainment was LOUD. The stage was at the end of the street where the artists had their tents. I was located about half way down the street (right in the middle of the artists row. If I stayed in my booth I could have conversations with patrons. UNLESS they were outside my tent. It was difficult to carry a conversation in the street. Later I went to the restroom near the stage and asked several artists who were closer to the stage. They said the sound was “deafening”.
OK, how about ‘sales”? Ron and I had continuous conversations for both days of the festival about how NO ONE was carrying a purchase. There were people there, yes. But no one was buying. Only lookers. I know at least 20 people near me that zero’d or didn’t make their booth fee (of perhaps $150). Even the jeweler beside me (who was a local artist with no travel expense) stated he would NEVER come back to this show again.
I happened to get two purchasers which actually paid my booth fee and about half of my expenses. Another photograher, who ended up winning an award, zero’d for the show. And I know two more
photographers who also zero’d. That’s incredible given the fact that all the photographers also had
affordable prints in a bin.
And was the show juried? Hell no! I saw buy/sell locations. I had someone next to me yelling at patrons to buy his book. Later he offered to give me one but cautioned that it was a little vulgar.. Dogs were everywhere (because they were invited). And they loved to excuse themselves on our tents.
Bottom line… I think this show is a lie. It is NOT an art show. It is simply a way for this promoter to fund his event. If you do happen to apply anyway, I do recommend that you NOT pay until you arrive at that show. At least that way you can skip if the weather forecast looks bad.
As befits this idea he says, "I'm very interested in the idea of personal identity," he said, "finding what is truly ourselves, and what makes us happy, and what's good and natural to us versus what we're fed about what we should be."
His work is a combination of playful and thoughtful images, with a mix of his influences Egon Schiele, Lucien Freud and Andy Warhol thrown in.
What you'll find in his booth at an art fair: charcoal drawings, mixed media paintings, watercolor sketches, spray paint and collage images. Traughber is one of a breed of artists whose youthful energy melds many techniques into a fresh exuberance, nothing "old school" here, a new look for new collectors.
He does only a few art fairs, but if you are lucky you can find him in Royal Oak, MI, (September 3-6) at Arts, Beats & Eats and Kansas City, MO, (September 24-26) at the Plaza Art Fair.
More about Mark & his art: www.ArtFairCalendar.com/featuredartist
Lisa Konikow and I have been working as the art directors of Arts, Beats & Eats since its' inception in 1998, in the glory days of our nation's (and Michigan's) economy. Like show directors everywhere we are always looking for ways to make it better and different from the other art fairs and we are so pleased to have these ribbons made especially for us for our show next weekend!
Learn more about Diane and www.MyArtzyRibbons.com on her website.
This show is close to home just a short 2 hour drive, and attracts serious collectors but with the decline in attendance and the poor attitude of the organizers it is hard to recommend it to new artists. I have noticed that this audience really rewards repeat artists (like maybe they think about you al year and come back?), several artists near me did not make booth and I know of one or two that topped the $10,000 mark so the sales where all over the place. As was the art this is always one of the wildest shows in the way of the art on display as well as my fellow artists it is fun just to see the wild and new. I have a few pictures here unfortunately I forgot to take ones of the really interesting stuff.
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Lake Geneva is in Wisconsin....but full of Illinois people....actually Chicago area people...they come to Lake Geneva to make the scene......etc...
This show was held on August 21 and 22 at Library Park on the shoreline.....nice venue.
Id have to say that the hot weather held down the crowd on both Sat and Sun......sure the recession was a factor also.....but I have done very well this year when the weather was "nice"......I mean cooler and less humid, so that is my take on the situation.
I paint pictures...I sell prints.....portraits of sports icons.....and I had my ever expanding collection of Chicago sports heros pics with me....Payton, Jordan, Banks, etc....and that is what they bought.....95% of my sales...so that shows it is good if you have a product that they can relate to....
There is another show there about 2 weeks before this one.....it is a fine art show.....and costs more than the arts and craft show that I did on the 21st and 22nd of August. I have done them both....Id rate them a tie in sales.
OK.....lets talk parking......very terrible......and very poorly organized by the city and Jaycees who put on the show.....they block off about 20 or so metered spots right on the perimeter of park......I believe they do this so that vendors can get out when the show is over.....but it leaves few spots for customers when you consider that parking on all the streets nearby is jambed.....I wrote the Jaycees a letter suggesting that they work on an ordinance change with the city.....but they have the same situation as last year.....nothing has been done.
It is a shame when you consider that there are many physically challenged people out there..some estimates say that 10% of the population has some type of physical limitation on walking...I was told by the Jaycees that "in Lake Geneva, people walk" to get where they have to go......I found this a very insensitive point of view......I told them (in a nice way) that I was a county parks director for 22 years and wrote ordinances and would have never promoted any situation which discrimates against the physically challenged......my comments fell on deaf ears......mainly the Jaycees care more about booth fees .....they care less about vendor sales or the physically challenged.
I was happy about my sales....3 DAVEY's..and will return if they dont blackball me for what I have written here.....lol.....
Sonnenberg Gardens is a National Historic site, park, etc. Its centerpiece is a sprawling Victorian mansion surrounded by amazing gardens.The setting is beautiful and lush. Canandaigua is a Finger Lakes town outside of Rochester, an hour and a half from Buffalo.
The committee had more volunteers than they know what to do with. 100 artists and they will never have more, they say.
The welcome packet looked like Chelsea Clinton's wedding invitation. They gave us a little gift bag with water and candy to energize us for set up. You pull right up to your site for set up and than remove your car to artist parking where your spot is marked with your booth number. Poles with colorful flags note each booth. They offered so much help that I wondered if we looked incompetent. :) Bathrooms were in an air-conditioned trailer with running water and piped in music.
I thought I was on Candid Camera.
There is a reception on the veranda of the mansion after the first day and it was a bountiful buffet. Beer and wine, too. 11 awards were given out which is a lot for this size show. I don't know what Best of Show got, but the others were a generous 250!
They do absolutely. nothing. wrong. Amazing.
Sadly, one thing they could not control was the weather. We woke Sunday to steady rain which eventually cleared up, but it took too long. People had made their decisions about not coming and a late clearing wasn't going to have too much of an effect. There was an admission of about 6 bucks I think which would have been a factor for late comers. Some people did come out, but not many. Sales Sunday were disappointing, but most people had a good Saturday.
Load out Sunday was a muddy mess and I felt bad for the groundskeepers. The committee was busy with tow trucks and other vehicles attempting to unstick people who are better artists than drivers.
All in all, a delight to do. This Upstate economy continues to pleasantly surprise us. My theory is that the recession came here long ago and we learned to deal. Also, people seem to love art fairs up in these parts.
This show has a nice combination of fine art and craft. Lots of people that I never saw before. Not a lot of jewelry. Just a fine mix of work.
I recommend this one.
Did you ever have a person enter your booth , grab a card, and say "My friends would buy this piece in a minute if they were here" So , of course, I added "Where do they live? the show is over at 5p.m. and I am from out-of town" He said "they live close to here and I am going to call them" I'm thinking, sure you are, ugh huh...and he did, and they came, and they bought HUGE!!!! Don't ever under estimate the power of close friends....or the expertise of the Michigan Guild in planning an art show. They have it down to a science- load in-load out and everything in between.
Rain the first day ruined it for most...all day! I took a nice nap in our car for two hours while Bob watched the rain. A nice looking well heeled crowd, but we just couldn't get them to buy our work...love it they did...buy it they didn't...
Dinner at Biaggi's with Nels Johnson- boy did we miss him! Haven't had dinner and lots of drinks with him since Boston Mills....and I needed my Nel's fix...he always has the greatest stories...pick a subject,he has one! As he sipped his Jack Daniels, we had our "Patti-thing", named for me, Belvedere chilled up, float of cointreau..yumm.
Sunday was the day that had to count...and it did....don't judge a book by its cover, this is a conservative area...but they love this show! We sold a very large piece, two middle size and lots of $100 items..it added up to a very successful show for us...and two hours from home.It doesn't get much better than that! Next year, same time, same place...
Can anyone comment on this show? History? Sales?
Thanks,
Patrick
Although my sales were not huge, there were many people interested in our art. Since we have 2 more shows in Madison, I saw this as an opportunity to develop sales for the next 2 shows in Madison.
The organizers did a very good job of helping artists. Breakfast was provided in the morning. The delivered lunch to your booth. Their was an air condition artists lounge and nice bathrooms available during the entire show. This is a welcome relief during the hot part of the day.
I was impressed with the show and will return in future years.
She was force to closed the show early on Saturday (3pm) because of the Bears game. She had to fight to keep the show open that late. For what I understand the Friday and Saturday traffic was slow and Saturday morning because of the rain the field was a mood bath according to several artists. For what I saw today I could not tell. The walking rows are to small, the layout a bit confusing, I can tell that set up and break down are just worst you can think in nice day (dolly in and out) and long waits. Most of the artists are hoping to make sales today and break even. I think that should be able to that because it was pack today. In my down several time the show was mention in the radio. She post banners about the move in old area of the show. She manage to get the School of Art Institute to purchase 10 spaces. I think with time she will make this a great show. Not this year but in the near future.
Amy has prove me wrong.
This is a recent commissioned painting I did. I am a painter of animals, mostly pets, and mostly dogs. I maintain a full-time blog at http://dottiedracos.blogspot.com/, and my website is http://www.dottiedracos.com. Currently, I live in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon; but I'll soon be moving at least temporarily to Florida.
now realize it is a great resource for you to bring patrons to art fairs. Here are suggestions for you:- Become a fan of Art Fair Calendar at this link: http://www.facebook.com/artfairs - its really easy, visit the page, click on the link and you are a fan. (Many of you are already).
- Whenever you do an art fair post the show's information with web links on this Facebook page. Going to be at Gold Coast? Tell all the readers about it on our Facebook page. Every post goes viral across the Internet and lands in innumerable inboxes. Only a handful of artists are doing this -- let's take advantage of this fr** advertising! this weekend?
Basically what I do is every Thursday or Friday I go to that page and add a link to the big art fair for that weekend (I did it this morning for Gold Coast). You can post your own show information there also. So far there are only about two members of this site (Dennis and Clair Thompson and Jon and Pat Hecker) who are utilizing this resource.
Think about doing this now and make a mental note to do it before every art fair -- use your links or the show's. It will be good for everyone.
Two shows are held on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in Western NY every year. One in July, one in August. You can apply to one or both and be accepted to one or both or neither. This is always my best show and so far, I've only been able to get one each year. They instituted a new on-line app this season and, apparently, had off-site jurors from as far away as Portland, Oregon reviewing the apps. The app worked very well, I am not able to assess the jurying. It always puzzles me. I guess one would need to be privy to the apps and the images to see what the jury sees. I think that most of the work shown last weekend was high-end and well crafted and I was proud to be included.
The only difficult thing about this show is load-in. The Institution is a very old, charming community with narrow roads and little vehicular traffic. The show is set up around the centerpiece of the grounds, Bestor Plaza, on a brick road that probably does not usually allow traffic and is just 2 lanes. To accommodate us, the committee assigns very strict sign in times and allots exactly 30 minutes to pull up, park on the right, unload, grab your packet and get out. If only people would pay attention. It works really well until the first wacky, who is not even supposed to be there, pulls up and argues with the crew that she needs to get through to help someone! Or a clueless one unloads all their stuff on the street which, for all intents and purposes, is like leaving a car there. Or one parks on the left, creating a wall where a lane should be. Sigh. What keeps this all from being a trainwreck is one of the best committees you will ever see in this business. They are everywhere. Directing traffic, putting out fires, walking the show constantly to check on things, asking if you need help, lunch, a booth sitter. Excellent job.
Sales are good here because this is a Summer retreat for people with artistic, cultural and spiritual interests and enough money to buy some time here. Nice combination for us. It is a beautiful place with people playing cello on the grass behind your booth and no kettle corn. :) You get a gate pass with your acceptance that gives you access to many of the concerts, lectures, etc happening while you are there.
This is a craft show, with the only 2D work being prints or collage incorporating craft. Lots of jewelry and clothing. Very expensive clothing. $500 shawl anyone? If you visit the site, there is a slideshow of the exhibitor's work that will give you an idea of whether this is a show that might be a good fit for you. http://www.craftsalliance.com/
Portland etc. What's hot 'n what's not? I did fairs years ago in the Midwest and am thinking of doing some out here.
