Anyone know of any dog rescue groups looking for vendors for their fundraising gala in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin. I have been a vendor with two different greyhound rescue groups, looking for more.
Thank you in advance.
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Does anyone have any insight into this show?
The show is held on Washington Street, downtown Grand Haven. This is an awesome port town on Lake Michigan about 30 miles west of Grand Rapids.
The show is put on by Howard Alan. Show fee $350, $25 app. fee. Set up is at 5am Sat morning. The town revamped there streetscape which made some manuvering a little tricky, glad I started setting up at 4am(don't ask). There were banners above Washington street at both ends, yard signs pointing the way to the show and posters in many storefronts. People knew you were going to be there. Promoter provided Panera Bread bagels each morning, no other perks were provided..water, boothsitters etc. Which is fine with me, I can take care of those things myself. I would much rather see money spent on advertising.
The show was set up in two sections. Fine art down main street, around 80 artists. Crafters were on a cross street, around 20. The town had a block for sponser booths, kids activity, etc.
Saturdays weather started out with a little rain, by 10am it was blue sky and beautiful. Got up into the upper 80's. There were tons of people, but the buying energy just was not there. Plenty of interest,just could not get them to pull the trigger.
Early Sunday saw two thunderstorms come in. Lots of rain. Arrived at show to see around a dozen EZ-ups collapsed on the towns section. A couple of EZ-Ups in the art section were also damaged. I believe the rain filled the tops with so much water they couldn't take it, I don't think it was the wind. Sundays energy was about the same.
A bronze sculpture next to me sold his lowest price pieces for the weekend, he did around $1000. Was his worst show so far this year. A photographer friend of mine was happy with his sales, he has a double booth. I do not ask people what they make, if they share it with me fine. A fiber artist did $3000. A painter next to me did abstract fish. It was her second show ever and she did well. She sold her largest painting for $1100 plus a couple of smaller pieces. Was great fun watching her have success!! Me, I did $1800 and was happy to end up with that. This was my 3rd year here, previous shows were in the upper 3k. By the way, I make stone lamps and vases.
I sleep in my trailer so do not know what hotel costs are, I do know they are not cheap from the past shows. I pack my own food so no restaraunt reports. Sorry Nels, was to tired to go out for a drink to give you a report.
I will do show again, was just one of those years. Helayne with Howard Alan did a great job, was always around to put out fires.
Kevin
So, here in Upstate NY we have the Roycroft Campus which is a cherished place in these parts. Locals are aware of the Roycrofter tradition and when there is a Festival there devoted to craft it is well attended and there is an expectation about the quality of the work. For years the show was held on the Roycroft Campus which added to the allure and it really was very cool to be set up along the winding roads of the place where Hubbard actually worked. Across the street, there is an art show that is all 2D. Festival goers cross back and forth and both shows benefit. When something is that sweet you know it can't last, right?
Two years ago they started to fix the roads in town and that somehow led to the campus needing to rebuild walls and stuff and, long story short. They moved the show. 6 blocks off the main drag, in a school parking lot, tucked away out of sight. There was lots of signage in town, but this show draws regulars and they went to the campus looking for us and found antique dealers and craft demos.
Lots of folks did find us, but a lot didn't. And there were irritations. Like being on hot, unshaded asphalt instead of along leafy walkways. Like having the booths set up "cheek to jowl" making it close to impossible to roll up your sides or even zip them at the end of the day. I mean, really, 11 feet would kill your layout?
Most exhibitors said their sales were down but not as bad as they first thought when they saw the new location. The show may stay in the new place because the renovation of the campus back to its original state means no parking lots or roadways,
A regular customer asked me if I missed being on the grounds and I admitted I did. She nodded and said one of the sweetest things ever "Your work deserves better than a parking lot." Lovely lady, but you should see some of the places we've been! heh.
(I have no idea if this will show up as a review, but if it does, I may do more!)
Traveling the show circuit you soon become aware that some shows are managed extremely well. Francisco's Farm Arts Festival is one of those shows. The show takes place on the grassy grounds of Midway College in Midway, KY, a very nice setting. This is one of those community shows, run by volunteers, where the entire community embraces it... there are other gems like this: Medina, OH; Williamsburg, VA; or Belleville, IL come to mind. Many of these shows hover under the radar of the big rating sites so word about them is passed on like folklore from artist to artist.
It was the 7th year for the show. Local sponsorship by area businesses was solid, which kept the cost down for artists (booth fee is $150). I was impressed with this show... knowing all the thought and planning that had gone into making the experience positive and hopefully enterprising for the artists. Seldom do you meet a group of volunteers who are as friendly and hospitable. There
must have been 50 volunteers working this show and each knew their role and worked hard to make the show as pleasant as they could for the artists and patrons who visited. There was a sense of pride on the part of the volunteers from Marcie Christensen (show director) on down ... it was their show.
So where is Midway, KY? Well, it's in the middle, midway between Lexington, KY (20 min.) and Louisville, KY (60 min.)...pretty country but it's out there. Because of its location, the show has the challenge of developing a marketing strategy and reputation that can draw folks from outlying
towns and cities. Surprisingly, most of the folks who visited my booth were from outlying areas and yes, several came from as far Louisville and Cincinnati.
About 150 artists attended and many like myself had returned; it was my 2nd year. The quality of the art was solid and mediums were balanced. I would say, most of the artists I met were local, an hour or two away but the show's web site indicates that artist came from 14 different states. I had traveled some distance to get to the show and my neighbor (fabric artist) came up from North Carolina, about 8 hours away. My other neighbor was local. There is a fun group of artists from the Lexington and Louisville area who participate in this show. It's a treat to be around artists that are so positive.
So how were the sales? The weather was hot...I mean, real hot (90 -95degrees!) A good number of the booths were out in the direct sun and I'm sure sales were affected. This made for slow sales, especially on Sunday. However, most of the southern artists seems to take the heat in stride and have created elaborate cooling systems in their booths... multiple fans that run off a marine battery. By the end of the weekend, I had battery envy.
The artists around me seemed pleased with sales and finished in the 2 to 3K range. For me, my expensive items, in the 300 to 600 range, sold again and again. I had a good strong show and finished in the 3 to 5K range (up from last year). Though money was spent by patrons, folks were cautious about their spending. I'll get a better sense on how other artists did, later. This is one of the few shows that I've participated in that aggressively collects financial data and comments from artists and then generates a report a few months later back to the artists showing the sale ranges for different mediums.
Amenities: You could stay in college housing for $45 per night and many artists enjoyed convenience of on the grounds housing and free breakfast..a big breakfast but you're staying in a dorm. Sorry Nels, this is an alcohol free campus... but there are some good places in town. You can get Sam Adams on tap at Duggans and it went down real smooth after a hot set up on Friday. Dinner was provided to all artists on setup day, catered by a local restaurant. On Saturday, artists were encouraged to head into town and enjoy the local cuisine... a smart strategy for bringing business to local establishments. Six other artist and myself enjoyed a fantastic meal at Bistro La Bella (a little pricey but YUM). The show had music, GOOD music, a nice mix and not too loud.
Things that need changing: Layout was confusing. It was modified this year because of construction on campus. You had to pay attention to make it to every nook and cranny and a few booths somehow got lopped off the main flow of the show to an outlying area... those artists did not do well. I suspect that next year the construction will be over and the flow of the show will return to its previous flow.
Attendance could be better. It was light, especially in the afternoon and went down to a trickle by 4PM each day. That said, my largest sales came at the closing bell on each day.
From my perspective, this is a show to pay attention to. Would I do the show again? Hell yes! It is well organized, has community backing, and an increasing and faithful following.
If you were there, tell us how things went from your perspective?
Cheers!
Hello vodka, it's me, Patti and I will be visiting you after the art show every night that I am doing this show!!The events manager is called Special Events Management, and they are far from special...We can't blame the weather, because it was near perfect- the perfect storm never really appeared..the quality of the art was far from stellar, but not bad.What bothered Bob( my husband) and I most was that one of the awards was given to an artist who was not present...and they could care less.When we heard that the award for Best in Functional Art went to a particular artist(name to be held for fear of something happening to us)Bob went to the office and asked how they felt about awarding an artist who was 600 miles away...they said, oh he was here, we handed him the award this morning at the awards breakfast- Bob stated"no, that wasn't him,that was a worker doing the show- I know the wood artist who does inlaid work"She asked "how do I know if it is the artist at check in?" duhhhhhh! Check an ID, is that rocket science? That was the way it went, and down hill from there.With our coaxing- ten times- the committee finally approached the worker -stand-in-guy, who was busted.
The crowds came to the show, most of them did not buy...what a shame...a beautiful area, beautiful homes to fill- no buying power.Scratch this one off my list!!!
What happens when you gamble big can be a huge loss that makes you want to cry, as was the case for me. I had my worst sales in 5 years at an art festival. I am not going to bash Bill Kinney as I did see some positive things. I did see a fair amount of advertising (saw signs, saw full page ads in several newspapers, and even a tourist TV station ad.) Also I talked to people who heard about it on the radio. There was plenty of parking for patrons and parking for artists was only about 400 yards away. Setup and tear down went fairly smoothly with prior day setup available. Also pizza during setup was appreciated.
The weather was okay overall. Saturday was beautiful; Sunday was very humid in the morning and then threatened rain in the late afternoon. The show was officially closed an hour early to allow us to pack up before the storm hit. It was a good call, as there really weren't many people there at the time anyhow.
Despite the apparent advertising just not many people turned out, I'd estimate about 4,000 to 8,000 people with most attending on Saturday. Maybe the low turnout had to due with the fact not enough people live in the area. I thought this show was going to bring people from New York City and Philadelphia but I don't think that happened. Maybe that was a pipe dream. Atmosphere of show was rather dull; it was just in a big field near an elementary school. No art festival program either was provided. The quality of art was varied from quality high end work to questionable. There were way too many photographers and jewelers, making up about 40% of the 140 artists at the show! There was not enough space provided for storage. Most spaces were exactly 10’x12’ with the 12 feet being on the side (not the back). There was plenty of room on the field, why not lay it out to give artists more room? Of course the worst aspect of the show was sales. I did only $250. Of fellow photographers I had talked with their numbers were 0, $200 and $800. Some photographers might have done better, but this was just a sampling from three that gave me their numbers. I talked to a few painters with sales of 0, $1800 and $3200. I talked to one sculpture artist that did about $3000. Of the dozen other artists I talked to but didn't give numbers about half did "horrible" and the other half did "okay".
Why the low turnout? I think part of the problem may be not enough people live in the area.
Long Beach Island only has a population of 3,500 people and the mainland across the bridge of Stafford Township only has 22,500 people. They need to draw people from places further out and don't think it did.
Would I do this show again? No. Would I give any of Bill Kinney's other shows a try? Perhaps I would but not likely. I think he is aiming his shows in locations and markets that might not work for me. I generally need to do shows with more people attending and with people that can visualize my whimsical work on their walls in their homes. This show provided neither for me. I am not sure I can put my finger on what sells best here, but those that sell well in Boca Raton, Florida might have a chance here. As for me it was one of my gambles gone horribly bad. I’m over crying about it now and will soon be back at the craps table. We all gamble when we do shows, some gambles are bigger than others. Some pay out; some take all your money. All we can do is make our best judgments, based on the information we have available and throw the dice. May the dice be kind to us all.
“I just don't understand computers. I have gottenalong without them so far, why should I start now? ” “I would like tohave a website, but I don't know anything about how to set one up –what should I do?” “With pedophiles, internet cons, and identity theftout there why should I use a computer?” Whether you are technophobic,a person who fears modern technology gadgets, or knows someone who is,this blog is for you (them). While, the media helps fuel the horrorsabout technology, the solution is to be more educated about what isgoing on in the tech world as it really does make our lives easier. Ifyou are stranded with a flat tire, a cell phone call for a tow truck iseasy as 1-2-3. Having a business website opens the doors for people allover the world to learn about your business and purchase what you make.By setting up an online payment account it makes it easier to payreoccurring monthly bills. I find it most useful to find raw materialsuppliers easier and compare prices with others via the internet.Technology is all around us and helping those who are techonophoic seeit as not something scary but easy and fun, can help bridge the gapbetween people of different ages/generation gaps. Here's my adviceregarding learning how to use computers and other tech gadgets.
Question24 – What can I do to be less technophobic and use technology to helpme build my art business.
Go to stores, the library, and visitfriends who have computers if you don't have one. The best thing youcan do is actually look at them and touch them and learn what buttons dowhat. What you might find is that a computer is much like a typewriteryet instead of paper you have a t.v. hooked up to it. A lot of peoplehave fears that they might break their computer. The answer is, if youtake the time to learn just what a computer is, how it works, and howyou can operate one, you will be less likely to do something harmful tothe computer.
The next step is to take a class at a communitycollege, library, or a YMCA to learn how to use a computer and basicsoftware that comes with a computer. A simple course in Computers 101will tell you not only what a computer is and how it works, but how tooperate it in just a few simple steps. When you are done with a basicclass there are other classes available to help you learn software,build websites, and even learn how to do certain computer art forms.
Computerscan help those who have art/craft businesses too. Some basic skillswhen used with a standard computer you can set-up an email account andsearch the world wide web (also known as the internet). Being able toconnect to the internet opens the doors for finding art fairs, locatingmultiple art suppliers and purchase supplies online, find articles andinformation on experts in your medium, and that is just the tip of theice berg. As you find using computers easy to use, explore softwarelike Quickbooks or Microsoft Money to manage your finances, read booksor explore websites to help you decide whether you should create yourown website or have someone else design it, and play with desktoppublishing software so you can design and print your own business cards,letter head and product description tags /name signs (great when usedat art fairs).
If you know people who falls into this category,do them a favor and print out this blog and share it with them to shedsome light on why computers and technology are useful. Care to sharehow you got over your technophobia – use the comment button and tell uswhy you choose to embrace technology.
Lastly, I will be taking 1week for some R&R and while I am gone I want you all to vote, viathe comment button, for what you want the next Question for this blogseries to be. Choose from “How do I write a Press Release” or “Why do Ineed business insurance if I already have homeowners insurance” or“How early is too early to start pushing Christmas/Winter holidaycraft/art?” Have a nice weekend and wonderful 4th of July weekendeverybody! - Michelle Sholund, www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com
What a weekend! Because I was doing this show on my own, I decided to set up the tent and walls on Friday night. We NEVER leave inventory in the tent over night, NEVER! Am I glad we have that policy. The weather predicted rain over night and rain on Saturday morning. So I figured it was better to have the tent up and waiting for me on Saturday morning, when I arrived. Nothing worse than setting a tent up in the rain.
Everything was fine on Friday night. The tent was up, the walls were good, I put an extra tarp over the entire tent for good measure. I brought extra weights (totally 175 lb). About midnight the rain started. It rained hard, but apparently my tent did just fine, as nothing in the tent was wet. Then at about 2:30 am (according to the airport) there was a 50 MPH gust of wind. Based on the location of my tent around other building, it was just too much and down went my tent.
When I arrived at 6:00 am, my tent and walls were twisted every-which-way. The tent is broken in 6 different spots. The mess walls (from Flourish) did survive.
One other neighbor had their tent damaged too, but were able to save it. In all, 28 tents were damaged over Friday night. Most were able to repair and remain in the show. The show tried to find extra tents, but only found 2 tents. So, after an hour or so of being in shock and with all the support of my artists-neighbors, I decided to stay, with out a tent. The woman on one side of me offered her outside wall, an other offered their huge umbrella, someone else handed me a tarp. The 7 artists-neighbors around me were incredible. I would not have stayed, if they had not helped.
At the end of the show, I ended up with decent sales ... I can only image how strong my sales would have been, if I had a full set up. I was only able to put out about 25% of my regular setup.
This is a very good show. The people from Spring Green are very supportive of the artists. Many people come from Madison, WI as well.
This has long been one of my favorite festivals. This year, not so much. The exceptional work just wasn't there. There were many fine artists there but nothing breathtaking as there has been in the past.
The really good news---last year you couldn't get near the stone duck booth. This year, it was empty. I never saw any patrons in it. I also never saw anyone carrying any stone birds of any type. (I was at the festival both Saturday and Sunday)
The not so good news---a new yard art booth that seems to be franchised like the stone birds. I was suckered completely because the items are made of what looks like recycled material and what they sell is actually a lot of fun. The prices are exceptionally attractive. I am not trying to start another debate but since they were at both shows I went to this weekend, and they knew each other, I am wondering if the product isn't produced through kits of some kind like the stone birds. They were busy the whole time I was there.
I didn't see a lot of packages being carried either day although one large sculpture was gone on Sunday when I went to look at it again.
There were a lot of new artists there. This is pretty typical of this festival. Unfortuneately, a lot of the new ones weren't as good as in previous years.
I am confident that this is just a blip and not a trend for one of my top 5 festivals.
(the many dogs were not only well behaved but they were of exceptional quality)
We decided to set up Friday morning to beat the heat (scheduled to be over 90), and arrived at about 9:15 (check in was listed as starting at 9 AM). Two other vendors and we chatted for a while until one of the partners showed up. He told my wife we were in spot number 2, at one end of a single, back-to-back line running down the middle of a large field with microbreweries on either side. We began unloading and setting up, and got our Light Dome up when two ladies came up and said we were supposed to be in spot number 48 - all the way down at the other end of the line. When told that a partner had put us in #2, they went of to check things out. At least we had chairs to sit in while waiting for the verdict. When they came back a half hour later, they told us we were now in spot #37 and had to move. I told them we'd be happy to if the two of them helped us walk our tent down the line to the new spot. We had to wait for another half hour before that finally happened. By the time we were finished setting up and were ready to leave it was almost 1 and close to 94 degrees. So much for beating the heat on Friday.
Saturday was forecasted to hit 95 degrees. Everything started out fine, but as our new location had no power available (the first and second did), I brought an inverter generator to run fans and offered to let our neighbors run fans off it. Crowds were light, but not terribly so. As the day progressed, we had more and more 'customers' who were obviously over the limits we were told wouldn't happen. This could have been because of the heat - it was brutal - but there were people carrying several glasses of beer at a time that I had been told wouldn't be allowed. What was really interesting was that the 'festival' hours were until 9 PM, although the taps were cut off at 8. By 8:30 there was no one there but vendors, but we were told we couldn't bring vehicles on the grounds (remember, all us vendors were in the middle?) until 9 PM no matter what and I didn't want to leave the generator there overnight.
Sunday was forecasted to be 98. Crowds were very light, less than half of Saturday's. The heat was even worse than Sat., and no one was interested in buying anything but beer. Sunday's hours were scheduled to go to 7 PM with taps off at 6 PM. Around 4:30 a thunderstorm came through - we and several others who didn't want to loose product packed up and waited. The crowds really thinned out, but a few stayed for the last set of the band - I really doubt there were more than one or two hundred paid attendees left after the rainstorm. The management STILL insisted that we all could not bring vehicles in to pack up until 7 PM, even though the brewery folks had all packed up, the food vendors were tearing down, and all the commercial folks were long gone. At 6:30 they even escorted a kettle corn vendor in to pack up (he was on the outside ring, not the inside line).
Bottom line: I wouldn't apply for another show these folks manage ever. There was no 'management' shown towards either art/craft or buy/sell vendors - we were simply a way for them to make some more money. Their true focus was on the commercial microbreweries (and food vendors - don't ask me why!). They completely left the county EMTs (a total of four persons) to handle any and all health issues during truly dangerous weather. No cooling fans, no ice to even buy, no nothing. We know they can't control the weather, and when its this hot, customers don't buy much of anything. They can control how they assign spots, when their staff shows up, be flexible about letting us leave when there's no more 'civilians' about, and be more responsible about dangerous weather towards those attending their events.
Apply Today!
150 spaces
Application Deadline - July 2
Artists will showcase their work in an upscale premier gallery style setting with a booth package that includes hard walls, carpet and drayage.
Come exhibit in the world's center for art, fashion and culture!
Please note there are only 150 spots available each weekend so apply for one or both weekends NOW!
Top five reasons to exhibit at the One of a Kind Show and Sale® NY:
- Located in a new highly desirable location on 34th Street at 5th Avenue across from the
Empire State Building and a block from Herald Square- 7W New York gives shoppers access to some of New York's best restaurants, hotels, entertainment, with convenient access to public transportation.
- With only 150 spots available each weekend, this show is sure to be the best of the best!
- Our extensive booth package is like no other show. We provide gallery like space that includes hard walls painted white walls, carpet, free drayage, booth signage and extensive marketing.
- Unique Exhibiting Options:
We invite juried artists to exhibit with us for 4 days
Option 1: November 11-14
Option 2: November 18-21
We invite juried artists to exhibit with us for 8 days
Option 3: BOTH weekends! - We work hard to promote you, the artist. Our promotion begins the minute you contract with the inclusion of your images and contact information in our online artist locator, which links to your website and lists your contact information. We provide complimentary show passes, full color brochures and VIP passes for your individual distribution! Exhibiting artists will be featured in an extensive online campaign and through our aggressive PR efforts.
"The quality of the art is head and shoulders above other shows and the art savvy clientele is not afraid to buy. Throughout the year, I get business from this show...it's all good!" -Chuck Wimmer, Printmaker
"The marketing and advertising done to promote these shows is incredible. Everywhere you turn you see something about the shows. Judging from the size of the crowds, it's all working!" -Kim Dailey, Wood Artist
"The One of a Kind Show is the most organized and certainly most publicized show I do. They deliver a buying, not browsing, crowd and treat us, the artists, like their valued customer. That's why it is the best show I do." - Sue Rosengard, Jeweler
Or, apply right now: www.zapplication.org
The art fair opened on Friday and then Friday night as the artists were all tucked safely in their little beds a serious storm swept through the event site. One of our members, Carla Fox, who traveled all the way from Oregon, had such destruction to her booth that she (and three others) had to pack up and leave on Saturday.
Here's the rest of the story from the Des Moines Register: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100627/ENT01/6270338/1046/ENT/Volunteers-mop-up-fix-up-for-Day-2-of-Des-Moines-Arts-Festival
And here's another story, more about the storms themselves: http://www.kcci.com/news/24053483/detail.html
Does anyone know of large art shows where you can take a well-behaved small dog?
Do you know of any larger festivals that have tent-camping nearby?
June 25, 26 & 27, 2010
Downtown Omaha
10th to 15th on Farnam
The Omaha Summer Arts Festival has been named Omaha's Best Annual Festival, one of the Top 100 Fine Arts Festivals in the country and one of 2007's Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association.
Artists' Market:
135 Artists
At the heart of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival lies the Artists' Market, a virtual village lined with white peaked tents and filled with the
talented works of 135 of the nation's finest painters, potters, jewelers
and sculptors-just to name a few.
Each year the artists are hand-selected by a jury of local art educators and enthusiasts whose task is to fill the Festival with high quality
art that demonstrates original design and unique representation of the
chosen medium.
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.
Young Artist Exhibition:
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Children's Fair & Family Stage:
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
135 Artists
At the heart of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival lies the Artists' Market, a virtual village lined with white peaked tents and filled with the
talented works of 135 of the nation's finest painters, potters, jewelers
and sculptors-just to name a few.
Each year the artists are hand-selected by a jury of local art educators and enthusiasts whose task is to fill the Festival with high quality
art that demonstrates original design and unique representation of the
chosen medium.
Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Don't miss our featured artist John Leben in booth 104!
TasteFest:
Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
World Music Pavilion:
Friday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.
Young Artist Exhibition:
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Children's Fair & Family Stage:
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
That is not what John Leben is doing. A former video producer, painter, graphic designer, and documentary producer he has been compelled by technology since college days, exploring its various uses as an art medium. The continuous changing landscape in the graphic arts field led him to the art fairs some years ago where now you can find a man and his work that is the result of his various careers.
Relatively new to the art fair business John exploits his graphic arts background to continues his life's interests using his computer, painting and drawing on his computer screen, layering photos and color using software called "Art Rage" to create his imagery. This is not "photoshopped" imagery but original painting. You've must see it!
Lucky you, if you live in the Midwest you can meet John and explore his work soon:
Summer Art Festival -
Omaha, NE - June 25-27
Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff - St. Joseph, MI - July 10-11
South University Art Fair - Ann Arbor, MI - July 21-24
Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff - St. Joseph, MI - July 10-11
South University Art Fair - Ann Arbor, MI - July 21-24
Learn more: ArtFairCalendar.com/FeaturedArtist
The festival featured 170 artisans of all stripes. This is the first year of Zapp lacations and, as usual artists from way far away attended. This show is a good example of a show that should stay regional and not national.( I will give my reasons to you via email if asked.) The show is Fri afternoon, Saturday-Sunday show in Centennial Park with the 2nd year of very hot conditions which I felt kept good crowds away in droves. Those folks that did attend bought, but not willingly as everyone seemed very price conscious.
Set up and tear down is very easy here as most booths are accessible by vehicle. If you live within 8-10 hours of Nashville consider this show next year.
Carol was the founder of the American Craft Council, who started the first wholesale craft market in the U.S. in 1973 at the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. Carol's idea at that time was "If I could just figure out how to start some craft markets we could have beautiful things made in our own country. Probably 90% of the 500 people who showed in that first fair I organised at Rhinebeck in the early 1970's had some other job. When I left Rhinebeck ten years later probably 90% of the exhibitors were making their living from selling their craft."
Read more from her co-worker Mary Strope in this discussion: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/carol-sedestrom-ross-died
Here is an excellent article from 1998 where Carol was interviewed on the business of crafts: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/a-walk-through-history-the
You should read it!
Photo from http://handeyemagazine.com/content/carol-sedestrom-ross
