Posted by Bill Sargent on January 27, 2010 at 10:00am
We had an OK show at the Suncoast festival at Wiregrass. The prize money was worth shooting for if you're that kind of artist. When it comes to the taste of the judges, it's the same everywhere.. one year it's sunsets and puppy dogs. The next year it's dark, non-representational esoterica.There were many more people at the Wiregrass location in Wesley Chapel than at the old Longleaf location. The income level in that part of the state is high for Florida and will continue to be that way. There are many well paid professionals in that crowd. Right now construction has slowed, but the increase in new housing has been explosive in the last several years and this will pick up again as the economy comes back.It's true that regardless of income, most folks coming to a mall are prepared to buy an ice cream cone, a burrito, or a new refrigerator magnet. Although the organizers work hard to publicize the show, the sudden appearance of an art show at the mall is a surprise to most of the crowd and anyone who has done Disney will understand this.Our sales, although better than last year, were not spectacular, but we did turn a profit. A new artist who had just started doing shows in October had sales of about $1300. Most were lucky to make expenses. We had a neighbor who made clocks out of antique CD's and purses out of old record album covers. At least two of the judges spent more time at their booth than they did at ours. The guy was quite a talker, however. His CD clocks sold quite well.We will give this show a chance in the future. The organizers work hard, the setup is easy, and teardown was no problem. The $2000 best of show is not bad for a small show and the list of sponsors was impressive. It's been better each year.Although they started out saying you could not bring in your vehicle until your display was completely torn down, organized into neat piles, and certified ready by a volunteer.. they ended up walking each vehicle to the artist's booth and allowed loading up while tearing down. It went quite smoothly.I would not cancel a Coconut Grove or Winter Park to do this show, but if you live nearby or need a show to connect the dots in your travels, look into this one. A photographer friend said he was having a great time because the entry fee was reasonable, he didn't expect much, and anything he made over entry fee was fine. He wound up with 3K. Another friend did more like $350.
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I thought I knew how to create a goal.I'd think it.I'd write it.I'd keep my focus on it.And then I took a teleseminar from the Goal Diva, and I learned I didn't even know what a goal was. So I wrote a blog post about what I learned and where I learned it.I'm sharing, because it's my time to pay if forward.CHECK IT OUT HEREEnjoy, Jackie
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Just stick to it and build a show as an art show, moving a show never works well, and never to a shopping mall or plaza. Advertise, keep the fee reasonable to attract local artists. I personally think the shows need a boost to attract folks, my suggestion is demonstrations, maybe even a class right at the show. The artist's need to make money, bottom line, this show is run by the art league, I know a few of them could put that together. I think it would also give the Moog Rd art center a boost. Did the pottery class have a display there to advertise classes? Wouldn't hurt to fill a class and get folks excited about art. Speaking of the Moog Rd art center, why is the little gift shop full of what we all call buy-sell, show and sell the work of the artists, I thought that is what you were supposed to be about. Just my opinion after 30 years doing shows. By the way I was in Sebatian Inlet, run by an artist for 90. dollars and it was wonderful. Sorry, I do not believe shopping centers work. Review any really sucessful show, they are not in a shopping center. Well I take that back how about a downtown show in the streets or park.
Posted by Michael Lee on January 25, 2010 at 2:02pm
This show boast that 70,000 people come to it. Yes that may be true but of that 70,000 only a very few come to buy art. The rest are walking through on their way to the mall stores. I really wanted this to be a great show but The patrons had no intention of buying from the artist. The set up was easy, the volunteers were great, the booth had about 5ft of space on each side so you can use the sides for display space.Plenty of parking what more could an artist ask for? Well buyers would help for one. This was certainly not the fault of the promoter. I can not speak for everyone but the people around me were loosing just as bad as I was. I am an oil painter and I have lots of different price points none of which seemed to be cheap enough.I survived by selling prints just enough to make back my booth fee but not enough to cover expenses. I did not sell one original I thought I came close but the when it came time to swipe the card people seemed to turn into a zombie and walk away like they never even considered making a purchase. Lets put it this way my largest single sale was $34.00The only things I saw walking by my booth were items from the stores i.e pottery barn, coach, JC Penny etc. I do not think it was a lack of money by any means. It was more a lack of interest in anything hand made. My last two shows in Fl have been really bad. So bad I am loosing money just being here. I sure hope it s better for others than me. I have Deerfield Beach show next. Last year was ok but I blamed it on the economy if this year turns out to be as good as last year at least I will be able to make expenses and hopefully have enough gas money to get home.I hope others are having better luck than me. My fall shows were strong and I thought things were improving but at this point I am not sure. Please reply and let us all know how things are going so far.
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Posted by Larry Jelf on January 23, 2010 at 10:30pm
Because I was not trying to make a living at my pottery I could spend time experimenting with many interesting techniques. To me, the wheel was just another tool. I liked to cut, twist, beat, * apply or any other method to alter the appearance of the thrown piece. Some very fine teachers were greatly responsible for my learning. I then tried to push even further. I composed my own bodies at first but when I opened my own gallery decided that I either had to make clay or pottery and chose the latter. Age and health forced me to close the gallery after four years. However, I did make my own porcelain and loved using it. I compounded my own glazes, later starting to compound my own crystalline glazes, using them on my porcelain. I loved using the crystalline glazes, too.I also had a curiosity about the effects of natural ingredients in my glazes.I have a bowl that I threw from clay that came from 11000 feet under the Atlantic due to the kindness of Woods Hole.My advice to newbies or veterans is to try it. If you don't try something you'll never know if it will work. Also, read everything you can get your hands on! To throw pottery but buy your glazes is sacriledge to me. They go hand in hand. When I wrote this I didn't think that I bought my clay later in my career. There are hopefully, two photos in my photos section showing some of my specialized tools I discussed.** These are nothing more than caster wheels with a number of filed slots in them and a wire handle. See photo to left of duscussion. I have tried to show these tools but the only way I can get them shown is by replacing my own photo. I wanted to display the tools in one spot only so I could refer to them. They are my work but I wouldn't consider them art work.
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Connie Metler, after seeing the blog asked me to repost this here as both her and I feel it is timely and may help those who are new and old to the business.Looking for Art Business Resources? Here's my picks!It's a New Year - Happy New Year everyone! As with each New Year, I think it is the time we look at changing habits, looking for answers and advice on how to make things better, right? Today I am going to share some of my favorite resources I keep handy regarding art/craft business. Please note I am not paid to mention any of the following resources and they are in no particular order.1. Niche Magazine. This is a fantastic publication the helps unite retailers and craft artists offering advice regarding keeping great employees, market trends, wholesale show information, issues raised by retailers that artists should know, as well as business tips. It is put out by The Rosen Group the same group that is behind the Philadelphia Buyers Market of Art/Craft and the publication American Style. A quick Google search for Niche magazine will help you learn more about the publication as well as how to get your hands on a copy.2. The Art and Craft Show Yellow Pages. This is also a publication and it comes out every quarter and focuses on art/craft show listings throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. It also offers great advice for people who do art and craft fairs such as tips on attracting customers into your booth, organizing tips, financial tips (such as getting ready for tax time as well as insurance help) and much more. This publication isn't on newsstands, but available through the website www.smartfrogs.com .3. The Crafts Report. Another good publication is the Crafts Report magazine which can be found via some news stands and via their website. The Crafts Report covers a wide gambit such as photographing tips, regional vignettes, highlights art galleries and artists, chock full of art business tips, reporting on wholesale shows, art and craft shows, and more. Something of note - I was a freelance writer for Crafts Report and was happy to be apart of the magazine during its transition time. They are still working out the kinks to increase viewership, but the last few issues have churned out some great articles - for this reason I do recommend checking it out again if you are some that were turned off by them in the past.4. ArtFairInsiders.com . This website is a social network for art fair artists and crafts people. It just celebrated their 1 year anniversary in November and is growing like wildfire. I am lucky to be one of the people who regularly gives free advice and tips regarding doing art fairs - booth tips, customer service, finding shows, and most importantly review shows. I keep coming back to this site due to the wonderful networking opportunities as I am learning something new each time I am on the site as well as the feedback given regarding well detailed art fair reviews.5. "How to Start a Homebased Craft Business" by Kenn Oberrecht. I use this book off and on as a great resource for all things people need to know in order to run a home based business. Advice includes dealing with taxes and insurance, marketing your products via the web and shows, setting up a computer system, writing a business plan and why it is important to have one, marketing survey, and so much more. This book with others are available via Amazon.com as well as Barnes and Noble and Borders. I highly recommend looking at them first - via a book store or library - to ensure the information is right for you.6. "Handmade for Profit" by Barbara Brabec. This is kinda the bible on how to start your own craft business. I use it a lot as even though it is a guide on how to start a business it covers so much more. I also recommend all of Ms. Brabec's books - she has about 4-5 of them, her advice is spot on. Do check out her website as she offers newsletters and advice via her site too.7. "Crafting a Business" by Wendy Rosen. Did you know Wendy Rosen, the founder of The Rosen Group wrote her own book too? If you are looking to get into selling at retail and wholesale shows it is THE BEST book around. It offers advice on applying to events, customer relations, pricing, product development, and how to get free publicity. The downfall is some of the information is dated (in the resource area of the book), but all in all very timely advice. I use this book often - even today - because of the personal stories used to back up the advice, the sample sheets for writing up outlines of understanding(and other sheets) are something I refer back to as my business grows and new things need to be incorporated into my own applications.8. Sunshine Artists. A great publication that offers tips and listings of art shows around the country. There are some great reviews of shows and it does offer great advice too. What is great about this publication is it publishes a yearly review of the top 100 art fairs in the country as complied by surveys by readers and non-readers who sell at these shows.9. Bruce Baker's Cd's on Booth Design, Customer Service and Jury Slides. I love Baker's cd's as the advice given is amazing, revolutionizing the way artists think when it comes to doing shows. The advice is well organized and to the point (and I might add he covers everything). I often listen to his cd's as each time you hear it you pick up on something new and at the same time gets you in a motivated mindset if you listen to one on route to a show. The best tips are how to deal with negativity if it enters your booth, quips on how to deal with "I can buy that at Wal-Mart", and ideas on how to make your booth stand out from your competition at shows - for starters. Of these cd's I have 5 cd's on Dyanamic Sales and Customer Service Techniques as well as 4 on Booth Design and Merchandising (never opened) on hand right now! If anyone is interested in buying one or two from me they retail for $15, but I am selling them for $10 each (plus $4.50 for shipping and handling). If you want one please contact me via my website www.bythebaybotanicals.com and use the email form on my contact page to let me know which cd you are interested in. I accept major credit cards and checks and can send it to you the same day.I am hoping this information as well as all of my advice has and will continue to help you all in this new year as well as years to come. Feel free to share any other resources you like and others should know about via the comment button on my blog or here on artfairinsiders.com .Again, Happy New Year, Michelle
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Posted by Funky Finds on January 22, 2010 at 10:10am
The 2nd Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling is an indie craft fair to be held on March 13 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.The event will feature the work of over 120 artists, crafters & designers from various states. The first 50 attendees to purchase a minimum of five $1.00 raffle tickets will receive a hand-crafted swag bag full of goodies.All raffle proceeds benefit the Humane Society of North Texas and CASA of Tarrant County. The FREE indoor event is family and pet-friendly!
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I tried to get this note posted months ago about the San Diego Artwalk, which takes place in late April. Yes, Connie is right about their publicity, etc., but there is a downside to this show. I talked to two of the directors at the Peoria NAIA conference last Sept. I had a lot of questions to ask about the show, because I wanted to apply to it; it's near where I grew up.According to the directors, they get about 1,000 applicants for about 300 booth locations; previously accepted artists get precedence in acceptance over new applicants; previously exhibiting artists get preferential booth placements over first-time artists; the main street on which the festival takes place doesn't hold all of the booths, so overflow goes onto side streets, which doesn't get near the foot traffic of the main drag; and - the kicker - first time accepted artists usually get the side streets. In my opinion, you have to lose money the first year or two until you move up to the main traffic flow - if you have a product that sells. Take a close look at the images posted by the previous artists and the images posted by the show about the festival itself. If you think your work fits into this world, go for it. Enjoy San Diego in the spring, it can be quite lovely, with warm weather, lots of flowers, moderate temps and few, if any storms. Or, just fly out there and have a real vacation without doing any shows!Mike Stipek
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I am looking for shows to fill in beween Corn Hill (7/10) and Park Ave (8/7)..any suggestions...I have a few in mind...Canadaigua and Syraccuse (although I got regected from the latter last year).Also..In august anywhere on the east cost. The few I tried last year were awful (Collingswood!)Thanks for inputDonna
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May 22 & 23 East Lansing Art Festival downtown East Lansing 220 Artists Deadline: January 31 Produced by Art Festival Board of Directors under the auspices of the East Lansing Arts Commission/City of East Lansing Established in 1964, the East Lansing Art Festival is held every Spring on the weekend prior to the Memorial Day weekend. The popular Festival attracts 70,000-80,000 attendees from across the region. In addition to the 230 juried exhibitors emerging artists are also invited to participate through a competitive selection process. Emerging artists must be affiliated with an institution of higher education within the last 2-3 years. East Lansing is a charming University town with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, galleries and the beautiful Michigan State University campus across the street. Having exhibited in this art fair ourselves here is what else you will like: +well-educated visitors, unaffected by the economic downturn in the State; professional people from State government and the University +Well-planned entertainment that enhances the art rather than distracts from it +a festive mood as this is the kickoff of the art fair season +affiliation with the Public TV and radio stations, bringing the right people to you +a well-seasoned staff who "get it" +easy load in and out
New this year: +booth fees went up slightly this year to $250 (an increase of $20) for a 10' x 10' - necessary to cover costs for city services that have been charged to us. But it is our aim to hold that number down even though we have one of the least costly booth fees around. We are a great bargain!!!
From the director, Corinn Van Wyck:
Our artist survey from 2009 showed that artists have great sales at our festival - many, many artists reported that they had their best sales in quite a while at our show and were very happy to kick off the festival season in East Lansing! We have an informed and enthusiastic community of collectors here and they really appreciate the artists. Sounds good, doesn't it? Visit:
www.elartfest.com for more information. Then, don't dawdle. Visit:
zapplication.org to apply. Today would be a good day to do that, don't you think?
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Wasn't 2009 a challenge? Well, here we are on a headlong rush into 2010. What are you doing differently to effect a different outcome?
Do you remember the definition of "insanity"? "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Here is something that I think can be helpful to you. The testimonials sound like this is the cure you need.
Announcing smARTIST Telesummit 2010 - January 21-22 and 25-29, Build Your Art Career from the Comforts of Home
Come learn from 11 art career experts and successful artists exactly what it takes to be successful in any economy—with focus and facts standing alongside your fabulous art. Attend an online art career conference and professional development conference that only happens once a year.
What past participants have to say:
I’ve been selling online and elsewhere for years now (started out on eBay in 2000) and wanted to focus more of my efforts into success. I learned so much at the Telesummit about things I could improve, and ways to tweak parts of my entire work process.Believe me, at first I was a complete skeptic about the value of the smARTist Telesummit. But there have been so many changes in my art career since attending last year!
On my three main websites, I’m getting 600 sessions and 8,000 hits on average a day! WOW, and I owe a lot of that to what I learned from the smARTist® Telesummit.
This conference starts tomorrow -- January 21 -- learn more and register today! You deserve this, www.smArtist.com.Read more…
May 15 & 16 Art in the Park Historic Mills Park Oak Park, Illinois sponsored by the West Suburban Artists Guild 140 artists Deadline: February 1, 2010 $150 booth fee 10x10 space $15 jury fee Set up Saturday 7-10am Show Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday 10am - 5pm Please join us for our juried fine arts show, showcased in a new setting in the heart of historic Oak Park. We are looking for handmade unique items designed and made by the exhibiting artist only. This annual event includes live music, food vendors, and on Sunday only a children's art table area. New this year: --new location: on the grounds of Pleasant Home, a National Historic Landmark, in the Frank Lloyd Wright district of Oak Park, IL --two days
--overnight security provided --a lock up area to store art pieces over night --$1000 in prize money --Mills Park is located at Pleasant Street and Home Avenue --3 blocks north of Madison Street and 3 blocks east of Harlem Avenue in the center of the historic district. Artists have an opportunity to buy ad space in a brochure/program book being sent out with three local newspapers to 20,500 area customers. If the artist is not accepted into the show, the ad fee and booth fee will be returned. Visit
www.westsuburbanartistsguild.com for more info. For an application contact Mary Mieke at
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The Federal Mission ArtWalk in San Diego gets my award for being the most web-savvy and social media knowledgeable of any art fair out there. They showcase their artists, run contests, do newsletters, are active on Facebook and their site is interactive. Here is their latest promotion, a terrific idea for stimulating interest among art fair patrons and some excellent early publicity:
Posted by Deidre Nabors on January 16, 2010 at 11:48am
Has anybody out there ever participated in the Rising Sun Art Festival in Rising Sun, Indiana. I just came across it but have not heard of anyone doing it. Since I live in Indiana I thought it might be worth looking into but would like some feed back from someone who has actually participated
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I just got word that my work would be featured on the "See Your Art Here" page for the February Issue. Preview Massachusetts in a full color rag with arts content. If you want to send a jpeg of your work, here is the email to use: hcooper@valleyadvocate.com. for consideration. Heather is the person to contact. Family Heirloom pic will be used.
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The Animal Art Fair launches in London in April - there are still a few spaces for exceptional artists. How many artists are there who specialise in animals?
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I got an email today from the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts saying that people were complaining because they couldn't save the PDF form, so they could send back their booth request. There is a simple solution to this problem. If you only have Adobe Acrobat reader, you can only save the file as is. You cannot fill out the form and save it because, as it says, it is only allows you to read the form. You need the full version of Acrobat to be able to fill out the form. You can, however, print to a file, which allows you to save the file to your computer. If you have a Mac, simply click print and then choose "print to PDF." With Windows based computers there are 2 small applications you must install before you can do this. One is the program called CutePDF Writer and the other is called Ghostscript. Both are free. Cute PDF Writer allows you to create PDF files and edit them, much like the full version Acrobat. The other is an open-source application that lets your printer read the PDF, for publication.Here is the link to where you can get the files: http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/Writer.aspAfter you install the 2 apps, bring up your booth request form, fill it out, and click "print" as if you were going to print the form. There will be an option called "print to CutePDF Writer." Chose that one and it will save the completed form to the folder of your choice, most likely your "Documents" folder. Then, just attach that file to an email and send it to the show.
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June 25-27, 2010 36th Annual Summer Arts Festival Downtown Omaha, Nebraska 135 Artists Deadline: January 20 The 36th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival invites you to be a part of one of the most lively art festivals in the Midwest. Located in downtown Omaha alongside a beautiful park, the award-winning Summer Arts Festival draws a diverse crowd of 80,000 people for a weekend of unique visual arts, great music, tasty food and hands-on children's activities. Festival patrons enjoy browsing and buying an eclectic mix of functional and non-functional pieces by 135 artists in 14 media categories. High-quality work in the $50 to $200 range tends to sell most frequently, but, of course, higher priced artwork does not go unnoticed (or un-purchased) by Omaha's fair share of art-lovers.
"This is an excellent, well-organized festival," one artist said. "I have my highest sales here and always encounter enthusiastic, loyal customers." In addition to $2500 in cash awards, artists can expect hospitality and concierge services that are a step above the rest. The Festival offers you: * discounted hotel rates
* complimentary snacks and beverages * an Artists' Awards Brunch on Saturday and an Artists' Meeting on Sunday with continental breakfast * an air-conditioned lounge with indoor restrooms * booth sitters; water delivery; overnight, indoor storage * 24-hour security * reserved parking and electricity
Artists also reap the benefits of the festival's substantial marketing efforts and media coverage."[The Omaha Summer Arts Festival] is my favorite show to do; and [the] treatment of artists is the best! said one artist. Not many shows do anything for artists anymore-it is very important to us." This year, the Festival has transitioned to ZAPPlication, an online jury management system. Complete information about applications and digital submissions can be found on the website at
www.SummerArts.org. Paper applications are also available. The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is introducing an online application this year to streamline the submission process for artists and jurors, alike, said Vic Gutman, Festival Executive Director. We are committed to making our Festival enjoyable from beginning to end! Interested artists may visit
www.SummerArts.org to apply today! The deadline for applications is January 20, 2010. For more information about the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, please contact Elizabeth Balazs, Visual Arts Coordinator, at (402) 345-5401 or
ebalazs@vgagroup.com.
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We first reported problems with the Brandywine Art Festival in August: Art Fair Doesn't Pay Bills - Loses Permit - Moves to PA
And then again, Not So - "Art Fair Doesn't Pay Bills - Loses Permit - Moves to PA"
Then in September we learned some more: She Kept the Money! More Bad News from Brandywine
In response to our inquiry about the festival's 2010 dates we received this message:
We're sorry to inform you that the 49th annual Brandywine Arts Festival has been canceled indefinitely.
This is a sad time for our staff, the community, and the artists who have all contributed so much to this loved tradition. We'd like to both thank and apologize to those who have supported this celebration of the arts year after year.
There is a Sugarloaf Art and Craft Festival September 25, 26, 27, 2009 at the Chase center on the Wilmington Riverfront. This is a nice event I hope the community continues to embrace it. Click Here for more info
We're in the process of acquiring an attorney; it will be posted here when we do.
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