Here is Shary Brown's (former Ann Arbor Street Art Fair director) report from Yokohama:
The Yokohama International Open-Air Art Fair opened yesterday, October 30, in Yamashita Park, along the waterfront in the center of Yokohama, with artists from the U.S. and Japan, many volunteer interpreters, and a Halloween-themed kids art area. Most of the twelve U.S. artists were selected from the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, which was the inspiration for this first-time event. They were joined by artists from Japan who were showing their work directly to the public for the first time ever in Japan. They ranged from very famous and noted Japanese artist Kuri Joji, 81, to several just out of the university, showing paintings, ceramics, works on paper and intriguing paper hats. The art fair was held on Halloween and the Americans enjoyed seeing the Japanese celebrating the holiday with masks and costumes. Me, I'm confused. Japanese celebrate Halloween? Read the rest of the article here:
www.AnnArbor.com P.S. FYI - I spoke with Karen Delhey, sponsorship director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, today. Many of us are curious about Shary Brown's successor and Karen told me the board was still interviewing candidates and hadn't made a choice yet.
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Well, I'm new at the show reports but I did want to share my experience at Frisco Art Festival. It was held October 16th-18th in a well-to-do area of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Frisco, TX. It is mainly a young town where the average age is young 30's. Most people drive SUV's or beamers and live in new houses. I guess what I'm saying is that it had potential to be a good show if people were looking to put art into those new houses.We were located at Newman Village an upscale housing complex for the very wealthy. The main stage was set-up in their central park area (a beautiful little oval with trees, grass and tables set up for the patrons to eat). Unfortunately the artists were not put in this location but on a side street along opposing sides. The food was all up at the park area and the art was on the concrete. Weather was great. The first sunny weekend in a long while. It was windy and cool but nice.Got there Friday at my staggered time slot and it seemed to go pretty smoothly. My thanks to those who thought through the set-up as that can be the most stressful time for me. I did not get to park right next to my booth but was pretty close and able to make several trips to unload. My only beef was that they had me so close to my neighbors that I couldn't fit a sheet of paper between us. It was the tightest fit I've had at a show. Looking across the way I noticed that the artists on that side were given about 3-4 feet between them so the north side of the street was the tighter of the two. I figured this was because we had ANOTHER stage set-up on our row for Frisco High School bands and local acts. Porta Potties were all the way down either lanes.Friday ran from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with an after party for the artists with food and drinks. Hats off also to those who spent some $ on snacks and good food for all of us. I got a good chicken salad sandwich with a cold soda. Sorry Nels, no Tequila. I ended out not going to the after party as Saturday was going to be a really long day 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Friday had a one sale and I started to get an uh-oh feeling as soon as I saw NO CROWD. Parents showed up around 7:00ish to watch their dears play instruments and dance but there wasn't much buying.Saturday, make or break day came with some high hopes all around me. Some artists travelled from California for this show as well as Arizona. I have to say that the work was really great. I walked the festival that morning and as a whole it was top-notch stuff. The people started to trickle in around mid-afternoon but never any crowds to speak of. I made one sale all day. My neighbor had no sales, my other neighbor, one sale. My friends down by the park weren't seeing anyone. Well, a sense of "yikes" spread through the ranks as well as some artists pretty mad. At one point a former client of mine came in my booth and said, "We must have passed the festival four times. We never saw any signs for it!" My heart sank. I had heard ads on radio, t.v. and online for this show so I knew they had spent some $ on promoting it but when it came to the actual area it was tucked away inside a housing complex that patrons had to take a shuttle to get to. Some artists started packing up for the day around 8:00 p.m. I stuck it out until closing time and stayed with my sister who lives in Frisco.Sunday's hours were 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This ended out being a two sale day for me. My neighbor did get a sale on Sunday. But let me be clear: not many of us made our booth fee. I made a little over it $10 over my booth and I heard that was lucky. The artist from California made $0. I saw some quality art out there folks but no one was there to see it.Some things they did right were load-in and load-out, it was orderly and regulated carefully. They also were concerned the artists were getting breaks and wanted for them to have a good show. This was a first time show for Frisco and I really think they wanted it to be great. Several asked around to see how the artists felt and did at the show and the majority said, "We like you all but you've got to change the venue if you want me back." This area has some great potential if located in the right area. I would try it again if they did that.
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In an effort to better manage this site and make it friendly to all of you I have begun some editing of the site. With 1600+ members, 3369 photos, 513 blog posts and 299 separate discussions it has really grown in the year since we opened the doors in November of 2008. The discussions were particularly scattered so I have broken down the discussion area into ten categories:
Hospitality area - - this is a place where new people can come and introduce themselves to the community
Art Fair Discussions -- general talk about the art fairs
Art Fair Equipment -- What works? what's best? how can you make it better? tents, weight, lighting, panels, etc.
Jurying for Art Fairs and Craft Shows -- Preparing images for jury, presenting images, zapplication, etc.
Business of Art Fairs -- taxes, self-employment issues, insurance, credit card processing, etc.
Vendors & Supplies -- office supplies, art supplies, where to go, what to use
Marketing & Sales -- Share tips on marketing and making sales
Let's Talk about Show Biz -- all the dirt, all the glory, all the stories
Newbies Central -- the place to ask all your questions from the veterans
Home and Room Sharing -- Make it easy on yourself. Looking to share a room at an art fair or do you live near a show? Make connections here to save money and make a new friend. This last one should be a great resource for all the travelers in our group. I look forward to helping you make connections and save some money.
I have also been asked to do a "singles" meeting area. Anyone interested in this? Look over the categories. Did I miss anything? Do you see a better ordering or a better description? Please let me know. This site is all about us and it can't be about you unless you talk to us!
Sculptor Sonny Dalton resurfaces into the art world at the Great Lakes Art Fair. We were all glad to see him. Let me know what else I can do to make ArtFairInsiders.com a useful tool for your art fair and craft show life. Feedback welcome below.
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The economic downturn has felled another victim. In Worcester, MA, "the Worcester Center for Crafts, one of the city’s oldest cultural institutions, has suspended daily operations and may have to close permanently if it cannot raise $1 million by the end of the month," reports Nancy Sheehan at Worcester's telegraph.com.
"Doors will close to the public at the end of the business day today, and the center’s staff of about 45 people, most of them part time, will be laid off," Barbara Walzer, craft center executive director, said.
This center has been an important part of the arts activity in Massachusetts since 1856 and is a part of Worcester State College.
Does anyone have any news of other closings? Or, better, does anyone know about any openings?
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I just had a bad show this past weekend. Maybe you, yeah you, the one reading this did too. I have had quite a few of them this year with some glimmer of hope shows in-between to make me think, ok, maybe the economy isn't all doom and gloom. So, with my experience of having several bad shows under my belt - bad meaning not profitable - I feel I can add this to my expertise book too - an expert on doing bad shows. However, I want to illustrate that just because a show isn't profitable doesn't mean it has to spoil the whole day. There are actual good things that come out of bad shows, but you have to open your eyes and mind to see them. Here's a list of things I have learned that can make a bad show kinda fun and still walk away with a smile at the end of the day.First, I want to make it clear I am disappointed as others in my position when it comes to doing a bad show. Aside from theft or having your work destroyed, one of the worse things that can happen is not turn a profit - not be compensated for all the hard work in making the art, but go through all the motions to sell it too. So, in hopes of trying to make a bad situation better, please consider the things you can still be thankful for, no matter how rough a show can be.1. Stock. I labored until 12:30 the night before this past show, which took place in a mall, to make sure I had enough stock. After all you never know - people should be planning ahead for the holidays or take a mental note to find you again when the holidays get closer at future shows. In making extra stock, you always think - whoo hoo, I won't have to haul it all back home, it won't be as heavy then. That is something I always forget, because if a show is bad you still have to haul it all back home and sometimes more difficult to get back into the car. The good part - I don't have to make any more stock for the next show! Think about how nice that is for a moment. The simple notion of all one needs to do is simply load everything back into the car when the time comes, well, puts a big grin on my face. Perhaps you too? This is why I do not recommend putting things on sale at the end of the day to hopefully move it all is selling yourself short. Why discount your work, that is in perfect condition, so you merely have to go home and slave away to make more for the next show? Not only that, people start to expect you to discount your work at every show and will only start shopping when you lower your prices. Totally defeats the purpose, right?2. Down time = networking time. There are only so many things a person can do when there is down time at a show - rearrange your display, do an inventory check, tidy things that may get misplaced... Take this time as an opportunity to learn a little about your neighbors. Just as you have a fascinating story about how you got involved in doing art shows so do the countless others you are selling next to. You may find they have advice for you, live just minutes from where you live now or when you were younger, offer info on up-coming shows, maybe even buy from you because you never know. This past show I learned a fellow exhibitor had a birthday and a small group of us surprised her and sang Happy Birthday - she was surprised. I didn't know her, but she was so tickled to know that there are some great people out there willing to do something as simple as wish her a happy birthday, probably made her day. I also learned another vendor is from Hawaii - as I am part Hawaiian, and the last 2 hours of the show we talked about food, places, jokes, all that stuff. If I was in my 10x10 the whole time ignoring the world around me, I would have never had a good time meeting nice people, learn about how others are fairing at other shows, all making the hours pass like minutes.3. Breakdown. The first thing you think of, when you have a bad show, is how much longer before I can pack up. Maybe the thought would people notice if I pack up early creeps in your mind too? Well, most opt to pack up early. I even did - the show ran until 9:00 p.m. and I started packing at 8:00 - consolidating overstock and turning lights off. However others were out by 7:00 p.m. While you take your time breaking down and others are rushing to get out of there you realize two great things. A) You still get a few sales as the show is still open and people will only buy from those still open. B) After these people leave, it frees up a closer parking space (loading space near the entrance) where you can just pull your vehicle up without traffic congestion and get in and get out in no time.4. Doing bad shows forces you to be more observant. When I say observant I am referring to watching what others are doing and learn a little more about the lifestyle of how things work in the environment you are selling in. So many people, who have a short fuse when they have a bad show quickly blame things on everyone else. But what I saw are little things that could be improved and an even bigger picture that "fate" is out of your hands. What I saw that could be improved was that there were no real signs within the mall to let patrons know there is a craft show going on TODAY. IT was a first time show and something so obvious was just overlooked by the organizer. The show took place inside an abandoned dept. store - big and in a great locale (very secure and great access to all things like being near the food court and movie theater). However those who come to the mall on a regular basis will always assume it is a vacant area UNLESS they see something somewhere that tells them otherwise especially those who may have seen some advertising and get there and think the event is canceled because there are no obvious signs a show is going on. You also see that people don't go to a mall - or ART SHOW - and buy from everyone. They have a plan to seek the place they need to go to and if there is time, see what else there is - maybe a sale, a new shop, a new style of clothing for the season attracts your eye... So many artists/crafts people believe that every patron shops at every place - impossible! I have never seen this as what each artist offers isn't what EVERYONE needs at that very day. This is why some shows are better than others (where some shows offer such variety and attract so many people that you are bound to have good sales) or why some locations are better than others. You also pick up on tidbits regarding your target market - and in other instances who will never be a customer of yours and why. This will help you down the line when planning shows - which merchandise might move more (depending on the show) as well as focusing your work to a better line of what is more likely to sell, purging older works at the same time. In other words, having some down time really allows you to really see things they way they really are than how we all assume how things probably are.5. Count your blessings. I always think it could have been worse. I could have paid a whole lot more for the space and lost even more money - the space this past weekend was very cheap. Hind sight is always 20-20 and you learn from your mistakes, it makes us smarter for the next show we do. I was so happy it was an indoor show as it was a horribly windy and rainy day where I could have lost stock and possibly catch some sort of cold verses being dry and warm inside with a decent selection of food. I did have some sales - I probably would feel even worse if I spent the whole day not making one sale than the 5 very small ones I did have. These could very well be trivial to you all reading this, but I am a thankful person. It keeps me going. I realize that everyone isn't guaranteed the best show ever bringing "my" whole stock and at the end of the day left with a pile of money. It isn't realistic during any type of economic climate. But it makes you want to do even more at the next show - be more outgoing, set-up earlier to get some quick morning sales from some early shoppers, and of course realize what happened in the past doesn't determine how things will go at the next show (it's in the past and today is a new day).I open this up to you all - what have you learned from a bad show that has made you a better person/artist at more recent shows? Thanks and have a good week! - Michellewww.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com and www.bythebaybotanicals.comRead more…
Another one of the challenges of being self-employed is the uncertainty of medical insurance. Throughout our career in the art fair business we changed carriers several times and luckily have been able to find decent coverage at a not too extravagant price. Not so for many of you, especially those with chronic conditions.
I am linking here to a story from the American Medical Association's online journal that includes the story of one of our members, potter Paul Gerhold, and his search for medical care throughout the world, what is euphemistically called "medical tourism," Faces of the Uninsured.
Art fair artists joke about the delight of turning 65 because it seems to be the end of a long quest for coverage. Thanks Sally Bright, of the NAIA for sending me this link.
Are you letting your Senators and congressmen know how you feel about the health care debate? This is a defining issue for our times. Speak up and help make history.
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Our very good friend printmaker David Bigelow has been selected to be part of the inaugural
Yokohama International Open-Air Art Fair 2009, October 30 to November 1 in Yamashita Park. David, who now lives in Ozark, MO, with his wife Marcia, a former Michigander and University of Michigan graduate, was selected along with eleven other American artists. “It’s a great honor to be chosen among the first to represent American art to the Japanese in person,” says Bigelow. “I’m looking forward to seeing Japanese artworks firsthand, and meeting and working with other artists who share the same passion as I do.” David started exhibiting at art fairs right out of college. His finely detailed drawings and etchings have been a popular part of the Ann Arbor fairs since the late 1970's and they are widely coveted by the art buying public. The Yokohama Art Fair is co-hosted by
International Arts and Crafts Promotion, a non-profit association formed in May of 2009, in cooperation with the City of Yokohama. In 2008 Midori Ueda-Okahana had been studying art in New Jersey and decided to visit the Ann
Arbor Art Fairs with the view of becoming a participant. When she arrived she was amazed at the energy of the atmosphere and determined to replicate it in Japan. “I just felt we, Japanese, need the power and the energy of the (Ann Arbor Art Fair) artists and the fair in Japan to change not only the art scene, but also the people, the society, and to free rigid minds by experiencing a variety of art work created by many individuals,” Ueda-Okahana says. Read the rest of the story here:
Japan's first outdoor art fair draws inspiration, artists from Ann Arbor event "Dust and Dreams" by David Bigelow Anyone who has studied art knows the eminent place of Japanese artists through the centuries but there is not an art fair scene in Japan. Art is reserved for museums and galleries. This new event will give the Japanese an opportunity to interact with artists face to face, Japanese artists as well as an international group of exhibitors. Here are the rest of the artists recruited from Ann Arbor: Jenny Mendes, Julie Fremuth, Larry Oliverson, Michael Nemnich, Thomas Wargin and Tiffany Ownbey. Can't wait to hear the report! The organizers goal: We aim to facilitate rich life environment with art by bringing Japanese and American artists and community closer and creating a venue, where people can pick-up casually their favorite artwork.
Learn more.
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Posted by Bill Sargent on October 22, 2009 at 1:30pm
There was a bit of water management left to do at check in time. Yes, that white card on the string in the background is a booth marker.
Ann was trying to stay warm at fifty degrees. Quite a change from the hot, muggy 93 degrees in the booth at Gulf Shores a week before!!
..and here we have a special treat for Nels. With instructions. First of all, I would do Kentuck again if they take me. Once you’re set up it’s a fun show and the staff works very hard to keep the artists happy. It’s a good crowd looking for offbeat stuff. OK, that having been said, it was our first time at Kentuck and our first impression was one of confusion, dismay, and just a touch of fear. The day before the show it had rained torrentially and the park was in bad shape. Old timers who had done the show for teens of years said they had never seen anything like it. When we arrived at the noon check in time we were told to come back at two. There had been a delay. Front end loaders were at work spreading gravel and mulch so it would have been a chore getting in. I watched a couple of ladies staking out booth spaces through the middle of a ten foot puddle wading in water up to their ankles. We headed straight for Walmart to get rubber boots. The supply had been thoroughly picked over and I wound up with a pair two sizes too big on the label, but comfortable on the feet. The only pair Ann found in her size were steel toed and we figured in order to get our money’s worth we’d have to drop our 65 pound tent weights on her toes several times while she was wearing them. When we returned at two it was a chaotic scene. People were lined up at the check in windows thirty deep or so and the line did not seem to be moving. There was a line of cars already on the one lane strip of pavement circling the park. If you were in the line of vans waiting to get to your space and someone ten vehicles ahead of you had to stop and unload.. you’d better have a good book. Driving off the pavement would get you stuck. Just about the time this scene was sinking in I noticed that there were few complainers, people were laughing and joking about the situation, and many people shrugged and started dollying in from the parking lot, mud and all. We joined them. In the meantime the show crew kept working to fill in the mud holes and drain the puddles with electric pumps. By dark we were tired and cold, but we were pretty much ready to go. When we showed up the next morning there was a large puddle at the entrance to our row which would have stopped foot traffic. I mentioned this to the staff and they said they would be on it at first light. Soon after that I watched in amazement as a dump truck and front end loader filled the hole with railroad rock and leveled it off in a matter of minutes. We got an early buyer who was quite enthusiastic about our stuff and he made a fairly good purchase before the official opening time of eight. The rest of the day, however, we just tried to stay warm. We were thankful for our new rubber boots throughout the whole weekend. There were some spots that looked solidly mulched, but would sink you to your ankles if stepped on. Veterans of the show said the crowds were much thinner than they had been the previous year. Sunday was a bit better (a reverse of the usual pattern) but it was still slow. The few people who were there bought well but there just weren’t enough of them this year. A primitive artist near us had done as high as $4500 in previous shows. This year he only did a thousand. Our total wasn’t a whole lot higher. We did get a glimpse, however, of the kind of crowd this could be in better times. An afternoon flurry of sales on Sunday saved our show for us. The teardown wasn’t as difficult as the setup. We dollied out the first few loads and brought in the van for the last one. Mistake. We got stuck and the nice man with the tractor had to pull us out. We were only stuck about five minutes. By then he had lots of practice and had already pulled out a couple dozen vans. The old timers say that during check in you can normally pull out of line next to your booth and unload. This is the first year they remembered that this was not possible. We were glad to be out of there and were looking forward to the trip home after a month on the road during which we were alternately baked, frozen and rained on, and occasionally sleep deprived. Variety is good.
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Oh how wonderful is Tennessee!I fell in love with your photographs!!! I lived in Tennessee for almost 2 years, and loved the state. Your work takes me back to a simpler time and place. I remember the old barns & homestead buildings as they began to appear out from the morning mist. The muted colors of the passing seasons and the stillness of winter. So peaceful, so delightful. Thank you for your wonderful works of art. Sincerely, Linda Creager
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Posted by Bill Sargent on October 22, 2009 at 11:52am
The night crowd was something else. We expected them to start eating each other any second
lambert's, home of the throwed rolls, serves lots of good food at a good price in a nice setting. It's just a short trip up the road from the festival. This is the second time for us in this show. The setup was not bad, although some of the vendors have a tendency to block traffic and pretend not to have a clue when they are asked to move over. Once we were parked, however, we were able to take our time unloading and setting up without being in anyone’s way. The weather was so hot and muggy on Wednesday setup (It’s a four day show) that we decided to return early the next morning before showtime to finish up. We learned afterwards that several others had done the same. When we got there the next morning the humidity was just about a hundred percent (a fogged camera lens held in front of our fan stayed fogged) and the temperature was in the mid eighties already. Then it started getting hot. Fortunately we were able to set up a shaded nook behind our booth with two fans working full speed. That combined with our handy cooler made it just about bearable. The crowds were thinner than the previous year and even the food and beer vendors were more sparsely patronized this year. This crowd goes for low priced shiny stuff but higher priced shiny stuff will occasionally sell. Our sales were about the same as last year, but our spot seemed to have more of a crowd walking by. Walking by. The show stays open until ten, five on Sunday. Most artists pack up as soon as it gets dark. Oddly enough, the crowd grows quite a bit but by then they are shuffling by the booths without looking at them. Beer and food in both hands. We struggled to reach a total of $1700 over a period of four days. An artist who had $4,000 in sales at Marietta was up to about $1500 at Gulf Shores late Sunday. They had been our neighbor at Marietta. We are ambivalent as to doing it again. It’s a long show and the teardown can be difficult. Last year we had managed to dolly out by the time the tow trucks were being called in and managed to escape unticketed from our weekend parking spot in the middle of the street that had been closed for the event. If you park in the street you are told to be gone by six Sunday evening or get towed. This gives you an hour to get your display torn down and ready to haul. In reality we were able to stay there until 7:30. THEN they started getting serious. This year we just zipped up and left for two and a half hours. We were thinking about the heat and traffic chaos. Normally we don’t like to do this, because as difficult as a teardown can be, we’d rather get it over with. This time, however, we came back to a nearly empty site and were able to get everything down, packed and loaded with a minimum of hassle. The temperature, as predicted, dropped off significantly after sunset. It was worth it. If you’re thinking about doing the show, remember that it is a beach, beer and corn dog crowd favoring work that is more casually decorative than thoughtful. Any concern for the human condition has been numbed by the suds. One of the award winners features innovative well executed paintings with dogs as the main theme. For bread and butter he paints dogs in martini glasses. He was making loud framing noises during the entire show trying to keep up with demand.
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I did Westchester (White Plains, NY) last weekend for the first time. It's held in a community center and has an audience obviously familiar with the show. The load in and out were easy in spite of cold rain, and the show volunteers friendly and helpful. Coffee and pastries available in the mornings, apples and candy to keep us going. It's like doing a show in a tiny convention center. I think there were under 100 booths. Ppl seemed to come and hang around most of the day, taking coffee breaks, returning to shopping. Having said that, considering the cost of doing this show, I made only about a day's worth of $$, not 3 day's worth. Others barely covered their expenses, some old timers saying they couldn't afford to come back. A few I spoke with made zip. I would try it again unless the economy gets worse. It has potential and the reception for my work was very good.
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February 27, 2010 Kalamazoo County Fairground & Expo Center Kalamazoo, Michigan 9:30 - 4:00 Approximately 110 booths Deadline: November 1, 2009 (received by) You've heard how fun it is. This is your chance to find out for yourself! This is the show to sell your seconds, overstock, duds or things you're just tired of looking at in your booth, even your art supplies or art you've traded for!
It's only 5 ½ hours long with morning set-up. So make it easy on yourself, rent some tables and forget the normal time consuming display. It's run by Bonnie Blandford (jewelry) and Michael Kifer (clay) who both make their living doing art fairs so hopefully they know how to make it more fun! Besides, who doesn't need money in February? The scoop: * No application or jury feel
* Booth fees are the same as last year, starting at $90 for a 10x10 * Very few rules (no buy/sell) * Share a booth if you'd like * Mark things down and move them out! Applications, more information and pictures are at:
www.GarageSaleArtFair.com P.S. Okay, I attend this show every year -- fabulous shopping and fun for everyone! -------------------------------------------- Find more art fairs for your 2010 season:
www.ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentriesRead more…
Out in Des Moines (home to one of the nation's top art fairs) an experiment will be taking place on November 7 and 8 at the Metro Arts Expo in the downtown convention center. The organizers, the Metro Arts Alliance, have been awarded a $25,000 grant from Iowa Arts Council, so they are opening the doors free of charge!
In past years the admission was from $5 to $7 and the arts alliance is hoping that a free admission will double the number of attendees. This is a very nice event (a fair number of years ago we participated in it), in an attractive building and there is good community support, usually around 5000 people attend.
"This is a really great event, and the most important thing for us is to be able to offer it free to the public," said Kim Poam Logan, executive director of the Metro Arts Alliance. "We've always wanted to arrive at this point."
Read the article at the Des Moines Register.
What do you think? Do you think that an admission fee (that is less than the price of a movie ticket) affects attendance? Are you affiliated with an art fair that could maybe squeeze some money out of a sponsor to make the admission free?
Are any of you taking part in the Metro Arts Expo? Please report back to me! I am very interested in seeing how this turns out.
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It was great fun meeting Connie, Ron, Peter and other artists at the lovely Rock Financial Showplace facility. The below describes my experiences - I hope others add theirs. Check In: Very easy and well organized. Load In: Artists had the entire day on Thursday for drive in load in & set up. There were no set times - ie: at some shows you are assigned a timeline to drive up, unload and drive away. This was far more pleasant. Booth Area: Nice spacious 10x12 booth area with about 4' to 5' of storage space behind each booth. Any artists that did not have panels that blocked off that storage space were required to purchase backdrop drapes from the facility. I had thought I would not need them, but my panels cover a 10x10 area (not 10x12) so I decided to add the drapes at the last moment and the facilities director made that purchase easy for me to do on the spot. I also decided on Sunday to purchase a one day connection to their wireless network for $20.00. There were three day packages also available. Staffing: Both the event staff and the facility staff were terrific. I left the facility several times throughout the day (take care of my dogs in the van) and I found security persons were very warm and friendly. Facility: This was only the second indoor show I've done and I will say it is so nice not to deal with weather! The inside of Rock Financial was beautifully decorated. The entrance was set up with mini gardens and fountains and had carefully placed artist items lining the walls - all well lit as if it was the entrance to an art gallery. A nice welcome to all patrons. There were (6) aisles of booths placed approximately 15 ft across from each other. A huge facility, the lights from the high ceiling were great, but each booth needed it's own lighting for appropriate viewing. Food: Beverages, popcorn, soft serve cones, pretzels and roasted almonds could be found at several corners of the show. The center held a food area that had catered items such as $7.00 Panini's, a salad bar and an Italian dish area. The rules of the show stated food/drinks could not be brought in and the types of food (and costs) did not appeal to me so Friday I lived on the popcorn & pretzels and Sat & Sunday had a sandwich from my car when I visited the dogs. A wonderful artists get together was held Friday evening. Absolutely yummy foods and each artists was given a couple of drink tickets. It was fun mingling with new friends as well as catching up with some old friends. The owner of the facility gave a nice presentation and Connie is a great speaker and handed out the awards. I was pleased that in addition to the top 3 awards $500,$300,$200 plus free entry to the Spring Event), a few awards of merit were also handed out. Artists: From my point of view I think that the mix was good.... not too many of each medium. I did notice a few that I would not have expected at a high end art show and I think this event could support more quality artists in future years.... more on that later. Sales: Well, I'll generalize my thoughts here as my sales were not typical of most Michigan shows I have done this year. First, let me say that from what I saw, advertising was well distributed. There were panels at the artist entry that displayed the advertising that was distributed locally. I also saw a tv promo during Saturday evening's news and Sunday morning's news. It could have been there on Friday, but I was drinking with my artist buds. Friday was quite lean on patrons, but a somewhat steady flow. Saturday morning we all were ready for the crowds, but they never came. My sales were less on Saturday than Friday. Sunday was likely the busiest, but still not huge. I did okay however and I did notice more patrons carrying purchases. I have some thoughts that may or may not be contributors to the low attendance: From my travels throughout my favorite state of Michigan.... I have come to the conclusion there is not too much excitement over the Lions (played GB on Sunday). HOWEVER, they love their college ball. Unfortunately both the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Michigan State (East Lansing) played on Saturday. Combined those nearby stadiums hold about 175,000 fans. Guess that explains Saturday, especially since Michigan State played Northwestern! The Detroit Marathon was also held Sunday. Methinks I will pay attention to these schedules before applying next year. My random thoughts: I would have considered that my low sales may have been due to my focus of work (Great Lakes Nautical & Nature) or the economy (which has been a factor all over this year) but I did very well (6 times the sales) at the Plymouth show and even at the very little Keego Harbor event (3 times the sales). Both were in close proximity to Novi. I also was surprised that I did better the week prior at a little festival in Alpena than at Novi. This show was well run and I absolutely love Erin (organizer) and Connie (consultant). They were marvelous and it was appreciated that great detail from them AND the owner of the facility placed artist comforts at the top of their lists. I think this event will grow in upcoming years with high end and experienced artists competing for booth space. There were quite a few "first time" artists attending and not being experienced, they did quite a bit of grumbling. The rest of us tried to educate them on art show set ups and expectations. I also noted that not many patrons entered the show area an hour or two prior to show close. Was there an afternoon discount offered Connie? My suggestions: I hope to be accepted next year as I would like to be part of the group that was in on the beginning - It will only get better. I would hope to see the Food area changed. Several shows I attended this summer have brought in great local restaurants rather than catering. Each restaurant submitted a menu of what they would offer so no two offered the same food. Most kept the menu to small portions to keep prices down.... Ribs, sandwiches (hot & cold) and speciality little items like won tons, mini tacos, soups & salads etc. And of course, there was the hot dog guys. This not only provided the show with a large variety, it provided the show with additional exposure (signs and promotions at the local restaurants). Perhaps the organizers, facility owner and artists could work together and offer entry fees returned to the patron after purchases. For example.... if a patron purchases $50 from an artist, that patron receives a stamp or card punch or similar indicating the purchase. At the end of the day, the patron could return the stamp or punched card for a refund up to the entry fee. Or, each artist could offer $1.00 back on each $25 purchase etc. There are ways to accommodate a patron in this manner and could be a part of the advertising program as well as encourage purchases. I have seen this work successfully at events that include an entry fee. Sure would be nice not to have to pay for a day or two of wireless. I'm a little on the lazy side and would rather not leave the show to drive to a McDonalds to check my email or website orders when on the road. It's the little extras that add up - internet ($20/day), additional drapes ($84.00), expensive food within the facility, and while I don't use flooring for my display, my neighbor was a little miffed that she had to use the facility tape to tape down her carpet at $14.00 per roll. Last suggestion would be scheduling..... sure don't want to compete with Michigan's college football or marathon again. Nonetheless - I sure want to come next year. I hope the attendance improves and this becomes the new mini Ann Arbor must go to show (that one is just too huge in my opinion). OK Connie, Ron, Peter & others I missed meeting....... please add your experience. I'm thinking I missed something. Oh.... I did miss mentioning Connie's gathering on Sunday morning. I was very tardy so Ron can you recap on the marvelous presentation she gave. I heard many artists - especially newbies - comment on how useful and informative her information was! Thanks Connie I'm still downloading my You Tube Videos..... I'll add them soon! Linda Anderson http://www.andersonphotoworks.comRead more…
This is a second year show. It is small with maybe 50 artists. Jurying was tight and I didn't see any questionable art and the overall quality was high. There are only 3 awards but they are generous at $3,000; $2000; and $1000. There is a big Jazz festival several blocks away, but it starts in the late afternoon and goes into the evening. There is a small stage in the middle of this show for jazz performers too. Many attendees to the show are carrying folding chairs and are on their way to the "real" jazz show. Set up was on Friday afternoon, but as soon as I arrived the heavens opened up and it poured rain for an hour. Many hardy souls continued with set up, but Kim and I waited it out. We pulled up to our booth and unloaded. Then parked and set up. The show is right in downtown Clearwater on a boulevard with grass down the center. There is room for only one vehicle at a time but everyone cooperated and all went smoothly. We set up against the curb and most spaces were 11 to 12 feet wide. We worked it out with our neighbor and had an outside wall to display on. There is room behind for storage. I would estimate that 80% of the store fronts were empty and there were homeless folks every where I looked. The police asked some of them to leave for the day. Clearwater is the Florida home of Scientology and someone told me 70% of the property was owned by the cult (as decreed by the Supreme Court). Down the block was the "Church of Scientology". It is a huge converted bank. The show opened at 10 AM to light crowds and slim sales. The day ended the same way with our total somewhere in the $300 range. Kim walked our pull-behind luggage bag and soft-sided cooler to the corner while I went for the van. The jazz crowd was building (while our show was closing) and it took me almost 10 minutes to pick her up. When she got into the van she said a couple of homeless guys took pity on her and told her to come with them as they were on their way to the food bank for a free supper. They too, were pulling everything they owned behind them! Sunday was more of the same but cooler and windier. We totaled out at $750 but our neighbors all around complained about not making expenses. Pack-out wasn't bad we were headed for home by 6:30. Kim had a long talk with the director of the show and said she had confidence that he would take some of her suggestions to heart and improve the show for next year. My inclination is to write this one off, but Kim wants try it again, so... we'll see.
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Winter Park is a well-to-do suberb of Orlando. The fall show is held in the same park where the spring show is held, but it has fewer artists (maybe 200). When I am able to get into the spring show, it is always my best show of the season surpassing Gasparilla, Mainsail and Coconut Grove. I therefore had high hopes of having a really good show. These are my people!I returned to Florida early this year (right after Louisville) in order to do the Winter Park Festival. I have applied for several years and have only gotten as close as the wait list. This year I got in. We left Michigan's 50 degree weather and arrived in Florida's 100-year record setting heat (95 and humid).We went over to Winter Park Friday afternoon and killed time until sundown to set up. Most of the booths were already in place. The heat was oppressive but we were able to pull into the park (crossing the RR tracks) and unload from about 30 yards away from our booth space. You can't drive into the park, but the fringe is assessable. Garry and Rita Seidel were setting up across the fountain from us and we had a good time drinking beer and trading insults (he likes to think he walks like John Wayne, I had to add, "A short, John Wayne).The show opened Saturday at 9 AM and a crowd was present when we rolled up our sides. Breakfast was available both mornings. We had a corner booth with space behind and 2 sides. It was perfect. Our neighbor said we had the spot he was in for the past several years. This year he said he couldn't afford the extra $50!Sales were average in the morning and by noon we were between 3 and 4 hundred dollars. We had one sale over $100. We ended the day at $600. Garry and Burt (Herrera) came by often complaining about low sales. Steve Vaughn and Dick Cunnimgham also had little to praise. There were good crowds but poeple were not buying.The show was top quality and the judges came around and picked a piece or two for judging. The awards dinner was well attended, but while we were lined up drinking beer and wine waiting for the food to be served it began to rain. Have you ever seen an artists stampede?All semblance of order faded away and it was every man/woman for themselves. Fortunately, Kim and I had plans to have sushi with Garry and Rita after the awards were announced and didn't have to vie for sustenance. We, therefore, were able to maintained our dignity.Sunday was a 9 AM opening again and it was in the high 80s. By noon it was 95 and breaking records. Sales were near to nonexistent. Again I had one sale over $100 and did $300 by the end of the day. I felt lucky. Many did not make booth fee. At closing time the clouds were building and the cops were swarming. This is a show that is held along a busy double railroad line in downtown Winter Park. Two years ago, an artist in a van pulling a trailer along the tracks got a front wheel caught over the rail and suddenly heard the wail of an Amtrak train coming into the station. He leaped for his life and lived to tell the tail! He is a friend of mine and told me it pushed his engine all the way to the back of the van.So, the cops are reluctant to give us a free hand at loading out. I had to cart out about 70 yards over the 2 railroad tracks: it was anything but easy and then the rain came. It poured for an hour and it almost fell good to be wet from fresh water as opposed to sweat.I think I'll pass this one next year and stay in cool, cool Michigan an extra week or two.
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In the midst of writing my weekly newsletter for ArtFairCalendar.com (you are a subscriber, aren't you?) I started reviewing this site for tidbits of activity. As they say in blog world, OMG! I really try to keep up but someone out there has been talking about ArtFairInsiders.com to others. Who in Virginia started that flood of
new members? Was someone talking about us at an art fair? At last count ten new members joined us from that state. Who do we give credit to? Was it Dave from Norfolk? Whatever, thanks so much.
Then I went looking for
show reports. Not only do we have the high profile ones by our stalwart bloggers Nels Johnson, Michelle Sholund, Linda Anderson (and many more), but I visited the
Show Reviews tab and saw lots more, including: Don Crozier, Jorge Caligiuri, Whitney Peckman, John Hatcher, Cindy Schmidt, C. David, Pauline Ross, Terri Drake, Kaelin Cordis, Genece Hamby, David Hipwell, Lizz Harris, and so many more covering art fairs from Missouri to Massachusetts. Very cool! There are over
3000 photos in the gallery! And, amazingly
274 discussions! We know Ron Mellott did not write all of those, or William Eickhorst or Paula Johnson.
We have had a few spammers that I have had the high pleasure of "banning" from the network. Thanks to those of you who ferreted them out and let me know. I'm still waiting for participation from DJ "Assassin" who joined in the winter. This is my sincere thanks for everyone's participation (even you lurkers). Art Fair Insiders is just about to celebrate its 1st birthday. Look what we have done together. I'm trying to come up with some presents to celebrate. Maybe you have some ideas? Are you recruiting for Art Fair Insiders? I hope so. We are working to help everyone out in this business and I need numbers so I can impress advertisers so I can afford to keep this running and pay my Internet bill. Right? You're there for me, I know. How about some suggestions below to let me know how I (we) can improve the site. Your input would be so welcome and it would be great to know I'm not just talking to myself.
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It's always a thrill when friends receive recognition for years of work. Recently in my mailbox:
The Board of the Tennessee State Museum Foundation Cordially Invites You to the Members’ Reception & Private Preview of Renaissance Jack: The Work of Jack Stoddart "Hippies, Hill People & Other Southern Marvels" And Celebration of The Museum Acquisition of The Jack Stoddart Plateau Collection of Photographs Thursday, November 19, 2009 6 to 8 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres with a Southern flair Tennessee State Museum 5th Avenue & Deaderick Street, Nashville RSVP by November 13 to beth.lekander@tn.gov or (615) 741-9255 These photos are his documentation of the hill people of rural Tennesse and his life among them. Congratulations, Jack. This is a well-earned reward. Tennessee loves you and we do too! Do you know Jack? Visit his
ArtFairInsiders page and send him a message. Comments below also welcome.
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June 25-27, 2010 Western Gateway Park Des Moines, Iowa Deadline: Oct. 31, 2009 The award-winning Des Moines Arts Festival invites you to be a part of the Midwest's premier celebration of the arts on featuring the art work of 185 of the nation's top artists and 24 juried emerging Iowa artists. Creating opportunities for people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds to embrace the arts, the Des Moines Arts Festival is one of the most respected arts events in the country, and brings more than 200,000 art enthusiasts each year to its downtown location in Iowa's capital city and largest metropolitan area. The Festival is a non-profit organization founded by the Des Moines Art Center, attracting over one million people to Des Moines' downtown since its inception in l998. Festival proceeds benefit the Des Moines Art Center and the continuation of the Des Moines Arts Festival. What the artists say:
"This is one of the most professionally produced events we have participated in that caters thoughtfully to both patrons and artists." "Des Moines Arts Festival should be a benchmark for all other outdoor craft shows. One, we are lucky enough to have had very excellent sales. Two, the treatment of the artists before, during and after the fair is so good, it's almost sad when it's over." "Stellar event in every way." "I was mightily impressed with the obvious effort extended for this festival and glad to have the venue to present my work within. I was proud to be part of it." What to expect: Projected Attendance - More than 200,000. * $11,000 in Cash Awards at the time of publication. $600 to each category award, $1000 to the Best of Emerging Iowa Artist; and, $1000 to The Des Moines Register People's Choice Award * Official Festival Guide includes color image for each artist distributed to 220,000+ households via The Des Moines Register; as well as distributed to point of sale locations and on-site during event * Web site includes full-color image with name and live link to artist web site * Free reserved parking
* Invitations to special events and receptions * Exclusive Hospitality Area * Free Electricity * Leisurely set-up (full day is available) * Booth sitters and energetic volunteers
Introducing New Directions We are implementing a new program for juried artists in 2010. New Directions is designed for professional visual artists (we make the distinction because we have an emerging artist program) who are juried into the show and who, between the time they are juried and the date of the show are exploring new directions in their current work. All artists will jury with their body of work as they normally do. Upon acceptance into the show, artists will be notified of the details of the policies surrounding its integrity. Should any juried artist find themselves exploring a new direction with their work and want to participate in the program, we will work with them on a case-by-case basis within a set of parameters that all of us (including the show) must follow. In order to keep intact the decisions of the jury, the rules will be: new work may occupy only a small percentage of the overall exhibit space; the work will be identified as "new work" within the exhibit space;
the work must be an extension of the work juried into the show; the new work must be clearly defined within the exhibit; and, it all must be original. What it may not be is a completely new body of work. Our goal is to encourage artistic exploration while trying to maintain the high standards of the jury process. We recognize that artists wander outside their box and often find themselves rejuvenated by the journey of discovering a new talent you had or wanted to explore, but didn't because you were working too hard to stay inside the box we created for you. And because we appreciate that we are collaborators in this industry we are reaching out to offer this "new direction."
Note from me: My husband Norm Darwish and I have participated in this event several times. It was our favorite. Terrific hospitality, wonderful promotion, friendly and interested visitors who actually thank you for coming to their city for the festival. Plus, they take art home with them. All art fairs should be this good! Apply:
Zapplication.org, For more info:
www.desmoinesartsfestival.org ***************
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