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Milwaukee's Lakefront Festival of Art has always been held in long tents right next to Lake Michigan. It is now held right in front of the architecturally incredible Milwaukee art museum on the lake. It is now held on a street, rather than grass so that now when it rains, they don't need to spread hay on top of wet muddy grass. (this isn't wonderful the first day of the festival but by day 3, it is downright obnoxious!!)

Quality at this festival is always among the best. There is always a good mix of artists from previous years and new ones. The jewelry is always amazing but I think that this year had to be the best. This is supposed to be the year I only buy bracelets so of course I bought two pairs of earrings, from new artists who had incredible pieces. If my lottery ticket had the right numbers, I would have bought the entire booth of jeweler Beth Solomon. Exquisite work with metal, stones and pearls.

Beautiful oils, luxurious textiles, wonderful glass and useful ceramics were a joy to look at.

One of the major sponsors of the festival is a plant nursery. As you walk into the tent from the admission booths, you pass by what looks like a garden with large pieces of art placed throughout. It was a great way for a sponsor to contribute to the atmosphere of the show.

On Friday the show runs until 9pm so that news of a possible storm with 70 mph winds arriving around 5 was cause for concern. The rain arrived a lot earlier and most of the storm passed to the south of us. There were people from the festival advising the artists to make sure the back areas of their spaces were secured but they assured us that the tents were able to withstand the winds We took advantage of the situation and went to see the 20 artists with booths inside the museum. They were of the same quality as those outside.

Since weather always plays a role here, having a small amount of booths inside is not the disadvantage it may seem to be. Before the rain, it was sunny and extremely hot--so much for Cooler by the Lake. Going into an airconditioned building for a shot of cool air and more art is a good thing.

This patron drove home happy to find a dark house and no electricity for 24 hours. Yes, it was definitely LFOA weekend.

I belong to the Thunder Bay Basket Guild and we will be having a display at the Besser Museum in Alpena, Michigan. It will be viewable, I believe, starting July 9th. I will have four of my baskets on display and I'm thrilled to have been asked to contribute to the display. We have been told the display will be up until, I believe September! Couldn't ask for a nicer Anniversary Gift.

Just thought I'd share a little smile on my day.

Have a great day and a brighter tomorrow - Terri at the Drake's Nest in Ossineke, MI

Did the above show this past weekend. It was "produced" by City Dock Productions and held at the Naval Acadamy Stadium. Directions to the show had no street names and gate numbers on the the map layout did not match any gate numbers posted. Drove around the stadium twice before finally getting in. Signs were posted later on how to enter. Big help for the early arrivers. Show was on the parking lot with parking on the grass. Go figure. With heat index of over 100 degrees both days, you melted along with the blacktop. Needless to say the few patrons came early and kept their hands in their pockets for the most part. Layout of the show was terrible with booths backed up to each other. No storage space. Staff was friendly and the producer did come aroung several times a day with ice water.

Exhibitors were a mixed bag. Some good and others you can guess. Would not recommend this show to anyone even though Annapolis is an well to do area. Apparently there was some TV advertising and a spread in a local newspaper but no signs posted anywhere advertising the show. May have been a local requirement but did see some signs for local service organizations.

The only good experience was we found a great seafoon resturant that had the best crab cakes I have ever had. All crab with no fillers. All meals were prepared with fresh crab and seafood. Watress said the chef would take items off the menu if he could not get fresh ingredients. Resturant was called Deep Creek Seafood. Overlooked a inlet to the bay with boats of all sizes docking to eat there. Ate there all four nights and everything including specials were excellent.

Ed Schmidt

Wooden Toys

Travels with Emmy...

Our show this past weekend was at the Allentown Art Festival. Allentown is a party/artsy section of Buffalo NY. The weather report for both days included passing showers, of which we got few to none. Crowds on Saturday were sparse but we enjoyed a just-below-average monetary intake. There was heavier traffic on Sunday, but they didn’t spend much, at least not at our booth..

My wife is the artist, she builds beautiful bead embroidered jewelry, I am a retired truck driver. I get to do all things that are not actually artistic. We travel to the shows with our pickup truck camper and display trailer. It far easier for us to walk a few minutes to the camper and stay overnight even if the location isn’t ideal, than to drive the hour or so home and back in the morning.

This year’s overnight stays in Allentown were the quietest to date. Two years ago a security alarm started to ring loudly around 2PM during the first day of the show from the building whose parking lot we were taking advantage of. It rang for over 30 hours. I was surprised nearby residents weren’t alarmed and up in arms themselves. The police came shortly after the noise started but could not locate the owners to access the building and shut the alarm off.

The ringing bell wasn’t so bad, it helped to cover the noise of the college-aged drunken kids singing and arguing loudly as they roamed the streets from bar to bar. It has been pointed out to me that these are suburban children, not locals. I believe that to be true, when I was an inexperienced drinker I was one of those noisy young people. I lived in Hamburg, a suburb of Buffalo; I came to Allentown to enjoy the night life, noisily roaming the streets and frequenting the bars in that section of town.

I am always amazed at the patience the locals have for these arts and crafts festivals. I live in rural Western NY and when I have to wait for a car at a stop sign on the end of my road where there usually is no traffic I can be slightly perturbed.

Residents, who live where these shows take place, often have to park blocks away from their homes. Before and after ‘show hours’, while we are tying up loose ends or opening for the days show, neighborhood folks walk by with their dogs or hoof it to the market. They always have a cheerful “good morning” or “hello”.

‘Twere it I, it would probably be a growl… I’m just saying.

Oshkosh, my gosh....what a town.....the show was on a lagoon in South Park, Oshkosh......the lagoon was run by ducks who did not say AFLAC!.....they just quacked jokes.....sorry, lol......just trying to get your attention..

$90 booth fee....$10 jury fee.....100 booths.....nice crowd.....and they wanted to talk ....they struck me as cost conscious.....and very middle class....Ill have to check demographics on Wikipedia.com......weather wise it was cloudy.....75 degees....

So no problemo with the basics....

Unloading.....well it depends where your booth is.....if you are next to the road....it is easier......but if you are nearer the lagoon, you often have to roll 20 to 40 yards over the grass....I need bigger wheels for my cart.....maybe next year.....maybe, not.....I like a challenge.....I like to see the grass wrap around my tires and then my stuff hits the turf.....but no......I know this is coming and have someone else help me hold stuff on my cart.....haha.....I am ready for this.....

The show is run by the Oshkosh Fine Art Association which is getting better than years before.....but now they even have a website.....in the past, it always seemed like the award winners came from Oshkosh....but to be fair, there are more artists from Oshkosh than other places.......and this year people from all over won awards.....

Someone from the Oshkosh Fine Art Association said to my booth sitter...not me....that my current booth did not look like my booth slide......gee am I supposed to never change? ...they said I should be sure to keep bringing my originals....whatever that means.....I had originals as required by the rules.....so these comments were a bit obscure to me...I rather talk about the art itself.....unfortunately booth slides are used for art politics.....way too much

I sold a ton of low cost prints of my original paintings....no high cost originals...as per I usually do........I paint sports art and landscapes.....

I was going to give 3 and a half DAVEY's out of 5 for this fine show.....my art is all signed "DAVEY".

“I’m really into lilies right now and hermaphrodites,” says Peregrine, like a 3-year-old turned artist, describing herself.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom on the Arts Festival Oklahoma Show in Oklahoma City over Labor Day weekend? Fantastic? O.K.? Sucks? Anything you can offer would be appreciated.

Also, how does it compare to the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts Show in April? Is is as well attended? More/fewer artists?

Thanks to all.

40 Questions Blog Series – Question 23 How can I promote my craft/art business when not at shows?

I get this question a lot, not to mention see it a lot on message boards within the art/craft community. We all have to promote our work, it is just the nature of the beast. While the best way to do so is “in your face” through doing shows – people can see, touch and experience your work, but what else can a craft artist do to promote your work and/or business? The following are my top 10 ways to promote your business – for FREE!

Question #23 – How can I promote my craft/art business when I am not at shows?

1. Sign your E-mails, notes, message board posts, etc. with your name, business name, and website site address. Whether it is Emailing a promoters inquiring about a show application or giving your 2 cents on a topic on a message board you'll get people wanting to learn more about you and what you do. It is easy, completely free, and works.

2. Donate a piece to an auction or charitable function. While not all can do this or want to, it is still a good way to get your name out to people who may not get to see you at a show. It is also a tax write off too.

3. Get business cards made and give them out. It surprises me that so many artists do not have a business card or understand the benefits of having one. I can't tell you how many times I meet someone at a check out or party and exchange info and happen to learn I am an artist too. Don't forget to put a few in your local coffee shop, grocery store, etc. - I have had promoters find me that way.

4. Start a Facebook Page. The power of Internet social networking is growing by leaps and bounds . It is a major form of communication - linking up with others with similar interests and sharing that info with others. Starting a page takes about 4-5 minutes and again, its free.

5. Start a Blog. If you are an artist you must have some knowledge about your medium – share it with others! A blog could be about your works in progress, how your work is a form of therapy that helped you get over an illness, or a comical play by play of stories you have encountered in your journey of being an artist and business owner. Doing a blog is fun, a way to relieve stress and help others in your field, not to mention help spread the word of your business.

6. Network on art/craft websites or sites regarding your medium. You can't run your own business and do art alone - learning from others as well as sharing your opinions are a great way to connect with others. You never know when a fellow artist comes across a customer looking for something you do and shares your name with others. Another great form of word of mouth advertising.

7. Join an art guild or art council. There is at least one art guild or art council in every city or county. Get involved – learn more about what is going on in your community, and more specifically your art community and you never know what doors this can open.

8. Ask a local business if you can do a trunk show in their shop/gallery. Businesses are hurting, but showing that you can create a buzz and draw customers into the store may make store owners' ears perk up. Ask if you can come in on a weekend to sell some of your work in person – the owner can get a cut of your sales (better than paying for a space at a show sometimes). To boot, if you are willing to be there to autograph pieces, give a talk about your medium and offer some light refreshments – it can be a win win for you and the store owner. Depending on the trunk shows success you could be asked to come back again or the owner may ask to sell some of your work in the stores.

9. Create a press kit. Although this will be a future topic for the 40 Question Blog Series, working up a press kit can be an excellent way to get people to learn about your work. A typical press kit includes a photo of yourself, a few photos of your work, a short biography, business card, and a typed article about something you want your community, county, state, etc. to know about. Newspapers and the like are always looking for articles that highlight people in the community who have received an award, promoting a new or successful business in the community, or highlight an artist at an upcoming art show. Submit a press kit directly to the press as well as offer one to the promoter of upcoming shows, everyone who reads the article will want to immediately visit your website or be the first to your booth at the next show you do.

10. Lastly, tell your friends! Your best fans will come from the people you know – your co-workers, members of your church, your kids (or grandkids teachers), close friends, hair stylist, relatives and their friends, and more. From just mentioning what you do (not to be confused with bragging) and eventually showing these people your work, you may find some real gems who will then say, “my friend Tom loves wood working – and I know he and his wife are looking for some furniture to complete a newly remodeled room they have, I'll have to have them contact you.”

When it comes to your business, if you aren't promoting yourself who will? Seriously! If you are not talking about your business at least 2 times a day, no one will. I get it, money is tight – I know this very well, so while you can, exhaust your “free” resources first. It is after this then you can work your way up and try things like Goggle ads, mailing lists, and so on. I use all of these 10 ideas and they are still working because things change from month to month and season to season that I am always finding new people who are interested in what I create.

What do you do to promote yourself? Do you have an idea that you want to share with others that I haven't mentioned? Post away! Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com. Check out my business website www.bythebaybotanicals.com and become a fan of By the Bay Botanicals on facebook.com .

I also returned to Royal Oak, MI this year for my second time in this show and had one of my best shows yet! My family and I came in Friday night and stayed where they had a group discount for us. This show is decently organized, although there is always room for improvement. It does get a little hectic and crowded during loading and unloading time, but we always get it done without a lot of complaints.

I had my best sales of all of my shows, which is not many yet. I still consider myself a rookie in the field. The weather was humid, but I guess we can't help that much. We were lucky not to have any storms though! This is such an enjoyable show with great music, restaurants, tons of people and traffic (throughout most of the day, less on Sunday), and great dog watching! Join next year if you're a user of any of the included mediums.

Deb