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Back in the day the Ann Arbor Art Fair ruled the art fair business. It started with the Ann Arbor Street Fair over 50 years ago, then the hippies came in and camped on the Diag and The Guild of Artists and Artisans grew out of that and became the Summer Art Fair; then the State Street Merchants Assn. decided they'd join the fun (and grew every year grabbing more real estate); then some unlicensed events popped up on private property. Way out of control (my opinion). Then the merchants on South University decided they weren't making enough money so they tried to make a deal with the board of the Ann Arbor Street Fair for more $$$ leading to a split with the board which roughly 10 years ago created the South University Art Fair. Lots of artists -- lots of people, lots of money flowing. 

Then it got to be just too much and Michigan's economy hit hard by the tech bubble just never recovered. Well paying union jobs were going away and the autoworkers/auto suppliers/auto advertisers really suffered. Oh, and the City of Detroit declared bankruptcy. Tough times all around for artists and the groups that sponsored the 4 official fairs.

Blockbuster this week: 

The South University show is closing its doors and the Guild is taking over the management of the event that included the S. U. streets. 

Why I believe this is good news: it decreases the footprint of the event, it means there will be fewer exhibitors, commercial booths will be gone, for everyone who has been saying "it is just too big", getting smaller should be of economic benefit to all the stakeholders. 

Learn more of the details: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021

Maybe its time for you to reconsider skipping Ann Arbor? What do you think?

This is the third show of the season produced by the Art Center of Bonita Springs.

They do one in early January, which I blogged, one in February,which I did not do, and one in March, which was my first time doing.

I was invited to their first one over 20 years ago which was held at a different location.

Now it is held on Old Highway 41 right in the heart of Bonita Springs. Booths are mostly on pavement with others on grass in a beautiful park setting, about 200 exhibitors.

This is a trendy area with lots of people with disposable income.Many are midwesterners who we see in the summer.

This year, after being shut off by Covid, they were out eagerly buying big statement pieces in all media.

I saw numerous six foot plus pieces go by me both days.  Saw lots of big sculpture and glass go by.

My potter neighbors from Colorado wrapped pieces continuously both days.

The Photographer across from me sold two huge framed pieces on Sunday, they were elated.

I had a strong January show here, selling over 20 framed pieces.

This Show more sales came out of the print bins and only sold small frames, 16x20.

Had an equally great show and ate well all three nights at my favorite restaurant there.

The only negative I can say about this show is their lack of spacing between booths.  There was none, I just do not get that in this time of Covid. Every other show I have done this year had six foot spacing.

Luckily, over 95 per cent of the patrons wore masks.  Thank God.

All exhibitors were masked and armed with sanitizers.

Every time I took a credit card, I sanitized afterwards. Every sale I sanitized and offered all my patrons the same.  Most took me up on it.

At restaurants and bars it was a different deal. Almost nobody came in masked before sitting.  Most ignored social distancing. It was like they could not be bothered.

I got my first vaccine last Tuesday, the Moderna. I still mask, socially distance and wash my hands constantly. I feel safe, I just wish more others would do the same.

It is a real problem all over Florida.

Still, after all the shows that have gone on this season, I do not know of one artist who has caught the Covid, so we must be doing a real good job.

This is a great time for us artists out there.  We do not have all the usual competition from all the great talent on the circuit.

People are tired of being cooped up and they are coming out to shows and buying big.

Here is my one example.

A couple came into my booth and were hooked on my one photo showing mileage distances from exotic locations that was done in Key West.

The wife liked my 16x20 matted photo which was priced at $90.00.

Then, the husband responded, “Honey isn’t that a little small for the space?”

She said, “Yeah.”

So he pointed to my 20”x30” same photo printed on metal, priced at $500.00.

He said, “Doesn’t this look better.”

She said, “Hell, yes.”

They took it within a blink of the eye.

And that has been how it is going all season long.

It is a great time to be an artist.

This weekend I venture off to Vero Beach, which ironically was my last show in 2020. It was cancelled at the end of the first day.

I plan on making up for lost time.

When I had no shows last summer, I started a new body of handcolored work.

It is strongly selling, and I am so grateful.

So keep your heads up, stay real healthy and get out and do some shows, this is a rare opportunity to make some heavy moola.

People are hungry for art.

Later, gators.

It is always great to do a show in your hometown and have it profitable.

No hotels, no travel, no restaurants.

In NSB you have two annual art/craft shows.One is Images but it was cancelled this year.

The Fiesta, put on by the city’s dept. of Leisure Services went on.

There were a little over 200 exhibitors spread out on the streets and in a park.

One caveat.  This is more a craft show rather then fine art.

That said, there were many respected fine artists there. And, they give out nice cash awards.

The majority of booths are festooned with lowend beaded jewelry, bird houses, pottery, etc.

People with images or sculptures of birds and marine life do very well here. The guy with carved totem poles, made out of palms always sells well here.

My neighbor across from me, with marine creatures cut and polished on metal, nearly sold out.  At showend he had two very little pieces left.

Most of the exhibitors are regulars every year.

The booth fee is well under $300 and you can leisurely set up on Friday.  I was there at 8 am and out on the beach by 11am sipping margaritas.

NSB is my hometown, moved here four years ago from Ybor City.  Best move I ever made.

We are right on the Atlantic Ocean right below Daytona.

The Town is very mellow.  We do not have the congestion that most East Coast towns have.

What we do have is an abundance of reasonable bars and restaurants right on the water.  You can drive your van on the beach for miles.

There is a lot of people with disposable income living here.  Most have conservative tastes when it comes to art and craft.

So, with Images cancelled, I was hoping we would see more of that crowd here.  Did not happen.

The weather was perfect, cool morns with warmer afternoons, no rain threat.

I was on the street, Julia. We all had six foot spacing between booths.  That is very nice, more room to hang images on the outside.

Last year, I did about $1200 here, and with Covid, I figured if I could do that again, I would be a happy camper.

Knowing that they tend to buy low end here, I came loaded with framed 11x14 photos at $99. Good move, sold them all.

So Saturday was great, made what I did here last year that day.  I celebrated very hardy Saturday nite.

Sunday tends to be a slower day, and it was.

Around noon a guy came into my booth.  Just recently moved here and was looking to decorate the new condo.  Almost hooked him on the first go.

He liked my new work on metal.  I have my 30”x40” images, on aluminum, priced at $999.00.

Around 2pm he came back, with his wife, always a good sign.  We talked a little, and then, he told his wife, “Honey, get on the phone and transfer $1000 to my checking account.”

Bang! I nailed the sale.  My first big one on metal.

Needless to say, I celebrated mightily that nite.  Watched 12 episodes of Schitts Creek.

Most of my fellow exhibitors did very well.  We had a thinner crowd than normal, but the ones who came, bought.

Keep this show in mind if you are batching a bunch for Feb.

BTW.  Got my first vaccine today.  I feel awesome.

Aloha, Nels. 

Did everything go smoothly at your last art fair? You may have had a good time selling your work and meeting new customers, but that may not have been the case for everyone. Someone out there may have caused some property damage or had someone get injured in their art booth. Accidents can and do happen at art events and regardless of the type of event you’re attending, you need an art fair insurance policy from ACT Insurance that’s going to protect you against worst-case scenario liability claims.

That might just sound like technical insurance talk so to help you further understand why you need art fair insurance at your next art event, we’ve listed three reasons below.

#1 The Show You Attend Requires Insurance

It’s becoming more common for the art fair, festival, or market you wish to attend to require you to carry general liability insurance and show proof of insurance before you can even set up your booth. With art fair insurance, you’re protected against third-party general liability claims such as personal injury or property damage that arise out of your business operations.

Let’s go over an example of how your insurance could help you. Say you set up a booth with your own signage and lighting. During the fair, a pole in your tent slides, and the entire tent collapses while customers are inside. Someone gets a concussion and is sent to the hospital. They sue you for medical bill costs as a result. Could you pay for that yourself? With art fair insurance, you could be covered in this situation.

Check out some of the other claims ACT Insurance has seen to get an idea for what you could be up against.

• During an art show, an insured had high winds pick up their tent and hit and scratch a trailer.
• Another insured’s tent blew over into a neighboring tent causing thousands of dollars in damage to their product.
• An insured’s inventory tipped over and caused damage to a passing truck during their art fair setup.
• A claimant used an insured’s hot sauce on his spaghetti dinner. He allegedly bit down on something sharp and cut his tongue.

With art fair insurance, you could be insured against similar claims and not have to worry about paying for your legal fees on your own.

#2: Additional Insureds Are Necessary

If an art event requires that you show them a certificate of insurance, then they’ll most likely also want you to list them as an additional insured.

An additional insured is usually just another entity (like the event organizer or property owner) your policy covers by simply adding them to the policy. The person or organization is protected by the same limits of your policy and is protected against your negligence.

When someone files a lawsuit they usually try to name as many people as possible. In the example we gave, you and your business partners would be named in a lawsuit along with the people who promoted or put on the event. Being listed as an additional insured would benefit you and them with protection.

#3 You’ll Want Your Stuff Protected

ACT Insurance offers different insurance policies for those seeking art fair insurance. You can opt for a show policy that insures you for 1-7 days (or even up to 90 days) or an annual policy that offers you coverage for an entire year and is usually better for those attending multiple shows a year.

With a show policy, your booth is insured against causing damage through business personal property coverage. With an annual policy, you get protection for art fairs and other events, selling online, and you get coverage for your handmade goods. What that means is that if you sell handmade goods and if something you made and sold caused an individual bodily harm or damage then you could be sued for that. The only thing worse than a general liability insurance claim might just be a product liability one. You want your goods protected whenever possible.

Enhance Your Credibility

On top of allowing you to attend more art shows, festivals, and markets, art fair insurance from ACT helps to show your customers just how committed you are to your work. Just being aware of the risks you face when attending an art fair or festival lets you continue to do business with peace of mind and may offer you support as you pursue your endeavors.

Go here to learn more about art fair insurance from ACT. Art fair insurance can be purchased online in as little as 10 minutes and allows you access to your insurance documents 24/7. Our show policy starts at just $49 while the annual policy begins at $265. Find out which policy could work for you and start an application today!

If for some reason you do not qualify for the ACT policy contact Insurance Canopy for a custom quote.

• Limited to 65 artists
• Significant paid advertising and news coverage
• Easy drive up unloading
• Experienced artists friendly organization
• Free parking and RV parking

Apply: www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=8694

As with all art fairs by Integrity Shows, artists are juried on a three-year basis, allowing artists to grow with the show. If you are accepted by the jury, you are assured of acceptance annually and re-jury in the fourth year.  Of course you still need to apply on time and your work has to be relatively the same. We believe that artists should be able to plan at least a part of their schedule.

Mark Loeb, Integrity Shows President, has been producing and consulting with events since 1982 in metro Detroit. In addition to these events, he consults with art fair and event organizers.

Intentional events for extraordinary results: www.integrityshows.com

May 29 - 31

Memorial Day Weekend 

A beautiful art fair next to the lake in the heart of Michigan's most prosperous area. The show is centered at the intersection of Michigan's two highest-income counties. Traditional images do well in all price points. Audience is a little older with large homes and gardens. Artist booths are in the grass in a serpentine layout.

Integrity Shows works hard to earn your trust. Artists rank us high for service, for marketing, and for results. We feature artwork as the focus of our marketing. 

Held in a popular park by the beach with 800 dedicated parking spaces. The park winds along the river with convenient parking, food trucks and river views. The park already attracts 1.2 million visitors annually.

More info: https://www.kensingtonartfair.com/

Contact: Mark Loeb Mark@integrityshows.com

Here's what I've found:

The 18th Annual Augusta Plein Art Festival, April 22- May 1, Augusta, MO

For the nearly 100 artists who will participate, the festival provides the opportunity to expand their market, enhance their skills, receive recognition for their art, and simply experience Missouri Wine Country in the company of other artists. As such, it is open to artists of all levels. Learn more.

Annual Festival Canceled, mid-May, Delaware, OH

Mark Hardymon, board president, said, “We worked with the Delaware Public Health District and the City of Delaware and found there are still too many unknowns. We were up against a timeline to make a decision, and the board voted to cancel the 2021 festival.” Learn more.

Artists sought for Clothesline Festival, Sept. 11, Rochester, NY

I found this information about the Gasparilla Festival today and want to share it for several reasons. Gasparilla Festival of the Arts made the tough decision last December to call off their in-person festival (scheduled for March 6 and 7) due to COVID-19 and do virtually everything virtually with a dynamic online platform. 

• This event is known by artists especially for its very large amount of prize money, $65,000 which includes a $15,000 award for Best of Show. They have announced that even though the show will be virtual in 2021 they would still be awarding the prize money. Good for them.

This disclaimer from the event:

• “We’re not kidding ourselves; artists might not sell as well as in-person. (italics mine) We’re just trying to provide a platform that they can make sales that they otherwise wouldn’t have and opening up to a broader audience that couldn’t come,” says John Scheffel, President of the Board of Directors of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. “It’s giving the festival a broader reach, so that’s one of the positives. Artists don’t have any costs to them except when they sell something, which is far less than a gallery’s commission.” Learn more.

When there is bad news there is also some good news.

Anyone here participating in this event? 

It has been 46 years ago that I did my first art fair.

It has been a fabulous journey, so let me take you there and get your minds off Covid.

In 1973 I lucked out and joined the US Army and got sent to Hawaii for four years with the 25th Infantry Division At Schofield Barracks on Oahu.

I lucked out further by being made the Sports Editor for the Tropic Lightning News, the base newspaper.

I further lucked out by meeting Nick Benuska owner of Surfboards Haleiwa who invited me to rent a room at his house which was right beside The Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. Pipeline is one of the best known surf breaks in the world. I lived there most of the time I was in the Army and also for a while after I took a local discharge from the Army.

So here is the story of how I did my first art show by a waterfall on the North Shore of Oahu.

Schofield Barracks was about 15 miles up from the ocean into the center of Oahu.

So everyday I would cruise back down the highway to the North Shore and on to my home.

When I would drive through Haleiwa towards Pipeline the road took me past a giant banyan tree by the road, the Kam Highway(it is actually called the Kamehameha Hwy, but everyone just says “Kam”).Under the tree were a group of artisans, maybe a dozen, who setup simple displays on tables and blankets. They sold scented candles, Puka shell jewelry and assorted breads and eats.

They always seemed to have a good time, plus they were drinking the Greenies, which is what the Hawaiians called Heineken Beer.  They also smoked some legendary pakalolo (which is what the Hawaiians called marijuana).

I always thought it would be a cool way to make a living selling my photos.

Plus I could drink and smoke while the moola rolled in.

Hey, you can dream, and I did.

At the time I was mostly shooting black and white film with my Mamiya C330 which was a twinlenssed camera with a large square negative.

I mainly photographed four subject areas.

Number one, was surfers carving out waves on the North Shore. Next I photographed locals in their pakalolo patches (I got commissions and got to smoke the product, not bad). Third, I shot naked women in waterfalls and on the beach, by commission again.

Last I shot color landscapes and beachscapes.

Every year the Army had a worldwide photo competition.

In 1973 I lucked out and took first place worldwide in four categories.

So, I thought I was hot shit, at least in my small mind. But actually I was just a lucky novice. I had the eye for the novel and unconventional image and I pursued it.

OK this how I got to do my first show.

One of my neighbors on the North Shore was John Bain.  He was a talented commercial artist from South Africa. He lived in a cool shack right on the point on Waimea Bay.

I would visit John every chance I got, we would smoke the best pot and get high while extolling our great talents. John had plenty, I was just a little grasshopper slowly learning.

John did not think highly of my images, said I needed more vision.

In turn, I smoked all the pot I could get and stole artistic ideas that he sometimes fed me.

So one day in the early spring of 1974, John said to me, “Nelsie, why don’t you try to peddle some of your photos at the upcoming craftfair at Waimea Falls.”

Waimea Falls was a famous tourist stop located right across from the ocean at the entrance to Waimea Valley. A beautiful stream ran beside it and it had a 20 foot waterfall.

They ran one day craft fairs there four times a year.

So I took on John’s challenge. I’ll show him how wrong he is about me.

So this is how the show went.

I showed up early Saturday morn with framed and matted photos, a tablecloth and of course, a cooler full of brews. Had two buddies along to help.

The director showed

me my space and said, “You can setup your booth and tent here.”

”Tent!booth!” I looked crestfallen.  I didn’t know I had to have my own.

I could just see John Bain chuckling away.

So my buds and I got resourceful.

First, we dragged a picnic table unto my space..This was now my booth.

Tent, who needs one, we are in fricking Hawaii.

Next, we went down to the river and dragged up about 25 small rocks.

I propped my photos on them.

We sat back on the coolers, popped open some brews, we were ready.

People started moving on by. Many stopped,looked and commented.

It was the first time I had heard feedback from an unknown public.

Most were kind and considerate.

My most popular image was “Billy and the Buds.”

It showed My Hawaiin buddy, Billy Kahele, standing tall in his pakalolo patch.

I sold my first one for $15. I was ecstatic.

Never sold another image the rest of the day.

Did not bother me. I was learning things fast, getting poised for future success.

For instance, I was having wonderful conversations with beautiful women.

What a way to meet women, this was better than baked bread.

I looked across from me at a Photographer who was selling color photos of underwater fish and plants.  He had a real booth with walls and a tent.  He sold steadily all day.

I think for his $15 booth fee he got a return of over a thousand dollars in sales.

I took the lesson well. If you had your act together, you could make mucho moola, plus have a great time.

We closed up at 5pm.  Just as well, we were out of brews and smoke.

Threw the rocks in the river and dragged the table back.

I was smitten.

Right then, I knew this was meant for me, I could do this for the rest of my life.

So after 1,000-plus art shows and 46 years of sales, I am still doing it and loving it.

Hope you loved my tale and maybe it will inspire you to tell us about your first show.

Aloha, Nels Johnson.

If it takes correctly, you will see an image off an old slide of me at my booth.

Also, the top photo is Billy in his patch.

**A Month Full of Art Fairs
News from photographer Evan Reinheimer -- After so many cancelations over the past year, it's exciting to see that I have a full month of art festivals planned for February!

It all starts this weekend (Feb. 6 & 7) in Fort Myers, FL at Art Fest Ft. Myers. The festival is open 9am-5pm on Saturday and then again on Sunday from 9am-4pm. It takes place in downtown Ft. Myers, right along the river. You can find me and my artwork in booth 329, near the Look Out Pier on Hendry St. The GPS address for the festival is 1375 Monroe Street; Fort Myers, FL. 

Learn more: EvanReinheimer.docx

**Clyde Butcher. Do any art fair artists ever "make it big?" Well yes, Virginia, quite a few do. It doesn't happen over night, but because entrepreneurial and creative people are drawn to the art fair opportunity, many of them keep scrambling and trying new things to see what works. 

One of them is Clyde Butcher. We first met Clyde in the early 80's. We did shows together for years and visited one another between shows. He'd recently moved from California to Florida and was trying to turn his photography into a way to support his family. He would show up with color photos, black and white photos, kept trying to see what would click with the buyers.

His love was landscape photography and he fell in love with the Everglades. His lucky break was being able to buy a piece of land deep in the Everglades, rarely available, where he and his wife Niki (also a photographer) built The Big Cypress Gallery. The rest is history ... gallery exhibitions, collectors, honors and awards.

More: https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2020/

**GULFPORT, FL — First Friday Art Walk returns to downtown Gulfport this Friday, Feb. 5 with nearly 20 of the region's most innovative emerging and professional artists showing and selling their creations along the stores, restaurants and galleries on scenic Beach Boulevard. The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and is hosted by the Gulfport Merchants Chamber.

**From Sunday Minnich at the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras in Morgan Hill, CA:

With the uncertainty of holding large events due and evolving developments with COVID-19, and taking into consideration the scope of work, size, attendance and the upfront costs of the Festival, it is with a heavy heart that the Board of Directors of the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras, Inc. have made the decision to cancel the 2021 festival and are optimistically planning it’s return May 28-29, 2022. www.mhmmg.org

**Real vs Virtual Art Sales, how's it going? How buying art went digital and why it won't go back

Mike Steib, CEO of Artsy says, "I think two things have happened during the pandemic. The first is that more people have become interested in bringing art into their lives, and second, Artsy has made it possible for those people to come into the art world, to discover what they would love to buy.

"The percentage of revenue that galleries are generating online has tripled in the last six months," Steib said. "I've never seen an industry go back once it's becoming digitized. This [was] the year that the art world [became] digital." 

Interested in what he has observed? https://businessinsider.com/MikeSteib

Do you have any news you'd like to share? Send it to us: info@artfaircalendar.com