October 17 Walled Lake, Michigan Presented by the Walled Lake PTSA Walled Lake Central High School Gymnasium 1600 Oakley Park Rd. 10am - 4pm Deadline: Sept. 17 Walled Lake Central PTSA is featuring the area's most prestigious vendors & caterers! Being an exhibitor at this show gives you a chance to promote your business to people who are ready to buy. This exclusive show has one purpose, to put you the "seller" in a room with hundreds of buyers. This is not some intimate affair! You'll be alongside the areas top merchants and caterers, plus be right in the midst of a fashion show! This is the Shopping Extravaganza our Community won't miss. What's in it for you...Exposure in our program directory; this is the tool for the shopper...Make your company name one that they carry with them everywhere they go!!! Let's not forget a $100 Dior Gift Certificate for the most Extravagant Vendor Display voted by other exhibitors! Important Information: · October 17, set up from 6-9am · Free overnight/day parking · Easy load in and out
Sponsor Package - $250 - includes: * Your Company Logo placed on all of our marketing & advertising * Premium location inside our venue - 10x10 Booth Space * ½ Page Ad featuring your Company Name & Contact Information in our program guide that will be distributed to all attendee's
Vendor Package - $100.00 - includes: * Premium location inside our venue - 10X10 Booth Space * Your Company Name & Contact Information in our program guide that will be distributed to all attendee's * Options: o Booth spaces near electrical outlet are available; $25.00 additional charge. o An additional connecting 10 x 10 space is available; $75.00 additional cost. Visit:
http://www.wlcsd.org/webpages/wlcptsa/ for more info. Email application requests to:
shoppingextravaganzaptsa@gmail.com Tabitha Stasie @ 248-921-4531 or Suhair Kallabat @ 248-420-7123
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Posted by Connie Mettler on September 1, 2009 at 10:57am
1. Open Clay Studio Facilitator, Reach Studio Art Center - Lansing, MI: Reach Studio is currently recruiting an Open Clay Studio (OCS) Facilitator. OCS is a fee-based, drop-in ceramics program open to all ages. The OCS instructor will handle all aspects of running the OCS sessions for which they are scheduled. Major responsibilities will include instructing participants in clay building (wheel and hand building) and finishing skills, orienting new participants to the studio and clay building processes and rules.
For more information 2. Kresge Foundation to Provide $200,000 for Arts and Community Grants: The Kresge
Foundation of Troy, Michigan, is piloting a new community arts and engagement project in Detroit, Baltimore, and St. Louis that encourages residents to use art and culture as a tool to address issues in their communities. Individuals and groups are encouraged to apply. The foundation is investing $200,000 over two years in each city. Grants will range from $2,500 to $10,000.
More information 3. Ann Arbor based Artist-in-Residence, Martin Soo Hoo is screening and interviewing qualified candidates for
artists and art support technicians to assist in the production of
world class murals and associated decorative painting products for a client seeking multi-year commitments. Email Martin Soo Hoo for details:
soohoolm@gmail.com 4. Rust Belt to Artists Belt II Conference Dates: September 17- 18, 2009 - Cleveland, OH RBAB2 is a continuation of the conversation that began at the From Rust Belt to Artist Belt summit about how artists and community developers are partnering in their efforts to reinvent the industrial Midwest. This year's event will be held in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
Click for more information on RBAB2 or to register for the event. 5. News about the world's hugest
Art Prize: $500,000! 1,261 artists get matches for next month's ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. To be human is to often wait until the last minute. ArtPrize participants are not immune, even with $449,000 in prize money on the line. The competition has seen accelerated matching numbers. By the last day for artist-and-venue matching, more matches were registered.
Read full article.
6. A wonderful new tool from
Larry Berman's digital brain: a fr*e service anyone can use - a web site designed to help artists improve their jury presentation. It answers the two most asked questions artists have. Which images should I choose and what order should I put them in. Create a free account and upload your ZAPP or JAS images. Oh, no, did jurying just get easier? Check this out:
www.juryimages.comRead more…
CALLING ALL ARTISTS: the 2010 Arthritis Introspective Gathering Committee is calling all artists for Cover Art, Brochure Art, and the like. This years Gathering is in Tempe, Arizona on April 9-12, with the Theme: "El Festival de Amistad : The ...Festival of Friendship". Please submit rough draft artistic representations digitally to Pete Fischer at pjfischer@hotmail.com by September 15th, 2009.Some info can be found on their website - www.arthritisintrospective.org/2010gathering.htm and/or www.arthritisintrospective.org/ to learn more about the organization. I do recommend contact Pete for more info.Pete is a friend of mine and does a lot of work for Arthritis foundations and is an architect by profession. If you find you might not be able to help do cover art, at least pass this info on to friends or others whom you may think would be interested. Thanks a bunch - Michelle
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Sometimes it does the soul good to do a small community event for a change. I found myself with an open weekend and in my desires to get back to Michigan for a week of photo taking, I signed up for a lovely little weekend event. I will say that this is not a typical one for most "seasoned artists". Not one for those with only high price point items. I normally would not have given this one a thought. That being said, this "art show/business expo" was one of the delights of the summer and I would highly recommend to those "newbies" who are searching for a first show to get their feet wet.Keego translates to "Big Fish", thus the name. Keego Harbor is a suburb of Detroit in a recreational area with many lakes. I sent my $50 entry fee to the organizer, John and followed it up with an email asking for places to stay as this particular trip I was bringing my dogs. Only in a small community would the the organizer offer an artist the opportunity to stay at his home - dogs & all. I declined the offer, but was immediately impressed with John and the efforts he has made to carefully grow this event each year. Held on the grounds of the local school, the event is divided nicely. Artists on one side and a business expo tent on the other. Between the two is a row of yummy food vendors. At the far side of the schools parking lot, behind the business tent, is an entertainment stage. Between the entertainment stage and a Detroit radio station playing great tunes all day, I found myself bee boppin to the music all weekend. John - you sure get my award for excellent choice in music for this event!Set up was easy with drive up unloading/loading. Spaces were allotted on a first come/first pick basis. The artist booths were filled with a variety of art and crafts. Two first time show photographers shared a booth and hubby & I spent much of the weekend filling them in on presentations at art shows. I do hope they continue as they have great composition - just in need of better equipment and some art show polish. This is the second show in Michigan (Plymouth the first) where the community actively involves their children in the pursuit of fine art involvement. I was chosen to be a judge for the events art contest held for kids from the age of 4 thru 18 and was only too happy to comply with the request. Another local artist (painter) judge and I were blown away at one 17 year old girls talent and we were thrilled she overwhelmingly took first place. Her talents were far above many adult artists I've seen. The local artist has decided to set her up in his gallery and will be working on a scholarship for her.One of the reasons I find these small community events so delightful is the attention given to the artist. John's assistant in charge of the artists, Charlese (sp?) checked with us nearly hourly. She was absolutely fantastic as were her assistants. Attendance last year was 2,000 but I expect with the cool temps and on/off rain showers that weekend, it was down a tad. I nearly made the mistake of bringing only my lower price point items. I'm glad I brought some of the pricer framed pieces as my overall profit, after expenses, was just under $1200. I must note here that many artist/crafters I spoke with did not do as well - some nothing at all. It has been my belief that artists must carefully consider location of event and how it relates to their art. However, surprisingly this little event supported my week of photo shoots throughout Northern Michigan & the U.P. It did my soul good to not only remind myself of the small events that got me started, but also support this great little community event.As my practice, a You Tube video taken by hubby can be found by clicking LINKHappy Fall Shows Everyone!Linda Andersonhttp:www.andersonphotoworks.comRead more…
Here's an update on the Brandywine Arts Festival first reported here on August 18.
It seems as though the second site at St. Anthony in the Hills is NOT going to be the site for the 20,000 visitor event coming up in two weeks, September 12 and 13, reports the Delaware News Journal in its DelawareOnline.com.
Okay, art festivals get cancelled, but the event which advertises 230 exhibitors has cashed all the applicants checks at around a hefty $350 apiece. Just do the math on that! Artists are scratching their heads and holding their collective breath as they await word from the organizers about the location.
As you all know the booth fee isn't the only expense incurred by the artists, most have also bought materials and produced artwork with expectations of earning at the event. A friend recently told me that if she had a $400 booth fee she would have to sell $4000 worth of goods to break even. Food for thought?
Here is the rest of the story: Second Site Brushes Off Art Festival
Do any of you participate in this event or have more information? Please comment below.
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Welcome to the world of fantasy painter, Bruce Holwerda. Walk into his booth at an art fair and you are suddenly whirled away into another dimension. His human figures are all off on one wacky adventure or another. Put yourself into one of those images, rolling off into space, or soaring through the cosmos and consider what it must be like to live in Bruce's imagination. A painter for over 35 years, Bruce says every painting is a struggle between the balance and form the eye understands and the emotional investment in the work. Exposing the work to the art fair public adds another dimension from their comments and involvement with the images. "I've always loved working with the figure and so combining the human form with simple ideas, energetic poses or surreal portraits is fuel that generates my art," says Bruce. His media is acrylics on different surfaces; canvas, wood panel, and acid free papers. See Bruce and his work: August 29-30 in Highland Park, IL, at the
Port Clinton Art Festival September 4-7 in Pontiac, MI, at
Arts, Beats & EatsLearn more about Bruce and his painting.
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Keeping up on the art fair news is one of my duties here as chief moderator/bottlewasher. I regularly read several other forums and belong to other organizations. Recently, member
Mark Zurek, posted a thorough show report on the Telluride (CO) Festival of Arts both here and at Larry Berman's yahoo groups for art show photographers. Read it here:
Toughing it Out in Telluride. Shortly after that another report appeared about Telluride at the yahoo group written by
Maria Arango. While Mark's report spoke of the excellent amenities and the beautiful location it also reported absolutely minimal traffic. While many artists would just chalk this up to fate (and decide not to come back next year), Maria surveyed the situation and that evening went back down the mountain (yes, it was held in a ski resort and you took a gondola to get there!!!), got herself off to a copy shop, made flyers about the event and posted the flyers on bulletin boards, windshields and any other surface she could find.
The result: Maria brought her own traffic and walked away with
much more than pleasant memories of a few days in the mountains of Colorado. I am so impressed! How many of you when faced with this situation would have reacted as Maria did? In a similar vein, I run the art section of Arts, Beats and Eats. This event is very popular and they report up to a
million in attendance.
Ralph Rankin, a Florida potter and photographer, has the first booth on the right hand side coming into the art fair. (To those new to the business, this would be the most highly trafficked spot). He stands in front of his booth in a sea of people from 3-9 on Friday, 11-9 on Saturday and Sunday and 11-5 on Monday and talks to everyone who comes past! He is amazing he just goes on and on. He does not have a helper. He is so pleasant and thorough that sometimes I expect him to show up on Tuesday :) His demeanor is a lesson to us all. Ralph and Maria may be extreme examples, but when you consider the high overhead of participating in this business you can see they may be working harder, but they are also working smarter! Here is Maria's story:
I wholeheartedly agree with Mark on this show's assessment but I ended up with a good show. I did the same show plus the Vail Arts Festival (on the previous weekend) 2 years ago. In Vail, I handed out invitations to the Telluride show since not many Colorado people were aware of the then 1st-year show. My "invitation" postcard had a 20% off discount on the back and my calendar for the remainder of the year. Out of about 60+ handed out, I got 12 buying customers in Telluride! Usually I don't get that good return on these, truth be told. At Telluride, same experience, oh so great the food and help on load in, oh so lovely the ride up in the gondola, oh so lonely "up there" with hardly any customers. So on the first night back in the town proper and while my fellow artists dined and wined, I spotted a copy shop tucked in downtown and light bulb!; I made a flyer right then and there with the aid of one of my woodcuts, some magic markers, a friendly copy-shop attendant and a spur of the moment creative rush: 1000 flyers for 50 bucks. I spent the rest of the evening walking around historic downtown dropping off stacks of flyers wherever I was told I could. I put the rest on car windshields (Lord forgive my intrusion, I was desperate) parked in the main public parking lots in the town. I went back and spent some time on Monday before departing picking up discarded flyers, case anyone wonders. Well, I'd like to say I made out like a bandit on the next day but that would be exaggerating a wee bit. I did almost what I had done at the Vail festival though, around $4800 gross receipts and $11K for the entire trip. The best part? I saw a bear on the ski slope on the way up to my booth on Sunday (I get up early) and I spent a glorious 10 days NOT in the heat of Las Vegas. Ditto Mark's comments on the mountains. Maria Arango For those of you who don't know much about woodcuts, lovely as they are, these are not a high end product. This wouldn't have been a few $500 sales and maybe an $850 and trickle of other price points. For Maria to have racked up all those sales is a lesson to us all. What a breath of fresh air! I'd love to have your comments below. Either feedback on Maria and Ralph's assertive sales efforts or your own stories. Tell us.
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Just when you thought we were finished talking about the Ann Arbor Art Fair for another year comes this interesting news, courtesy of photographer Walt Pinkus, at the yahoo art-show photo group. A very interesting and lengthy article at Ann Arbor.com about the most recent turmoil in the city of many faces.
It seems as though the city wants to build an underground parking garage in the heart of the State Street commercial district (well, nearly the heart), disrupting businesses, but horror of horrors, disrupting parking for artists vehicles during the art fair!!
I, for one, do love Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor art fairs, etc., but do believe that the greedy business owners in this section of town are one of the causes this art fair has been having trouble in recent years. Yes, of course, we can attribute some of it to the economic turndown. I do admit that. But I truly hold that the proliferation of art fair spaces, the business owners selling every square inch of the city to the highest bidder has served to confuse art fair fans and given to the common refrain of, "oh, I don't go to Ann Arbor any more. It is too big, too crowded and there is too much junk."
Don't believe me that it isn't just the economic downturn? Then get the details of the numbers of people riding the art fair shuttle from Briarwood. Those numbers peaked some years ago.
Anyway, back to the real subject of this article. Find out if your space will be impacted if the city gets its way for this construction project. Click here.Read more…
As an art fair organizer are you still struggling with the problem of how to use digital jurying for your event? Or as a user of the current systems do you have unresolved problems? Or are you looking for something still better?
You already know about Zapplication.org and Juried Art Services, be prepared to be wowed by a new opportunity for digital services for your art fair.
Art Fair organizers, meet Entry Thingy!
Entry Thingy is:
1. Easy to implement!
2. Efficient for you and artists!
3. Cheap!
Who could ask for anything more?
Entry Thingy, def.:
A cost-effective call for entries, management and jury system that lives on your website.
EntryThingy is the first call for entries, management and jury system that lives on an event's web site. No extra servers or databases, just paste some html into a web page and it'll look like it was custom built for the site.
Originally built for and with Barry Witt, director, of the Bonita Springs National Art Festivals, EntryThingy offers all the tools needed to receive, manage and jury entries:
* Artist registration, entry, image upload and payment integration.
* Printable entries for registration by mail.
* Use statuses, filters and search to view and manage the show entries and jury results.
* Invite jurors to vote for entries on the event's website.
* Download entries and images for an offline jury presentation.
* You own your data. Download all data and images to your computer - whenever you like, as often as you like.
* No setup fee, only $2 per entry.
Ready to learn more?
EntryThingy is at http://www.EntryThingy.com
Contact Chris Ritke
critke@gmail.com for more information.
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November 28 & 29 Sterling Heights, MI 30th Annual St. Nick's Warehouse Arts & Crafts Show Henry Ford II High School 250 Exhibitors New Deadline: September 1 Where is Sterling Heights, MI, and Henry Ford II High School? You just know it has to be the Detroit area which abounds with buildings named for one Ford or another, right?
Click here. During the holidays there is a plethora of arts and crafts shows which pop up around the country in the local schools. In Michigan they have reached a zenith and are eagerly awaited by the shoppers. St. Nick's Warehouse is presented by the Boosters Club and aggressively promoted and smoothly run by them. They know how to run an event and they know how to bring in shoppers. My background is fine art fairs, but in recent years I have attended a few of these holiday markets. Here is what I found: --dedicated buyers waiting at the doors with lists in hand --craftspeople with unique, one-of-a-kind goods --Police directing traffic!! because of the crowd --shuttle buses running from nearby parking lots bringing shoppers --well-run events --affordable booth fees The Henry Ford II Boosters Club take great pride in their school and are well known for this event.
Visit their website for more details, contact info and to download an application.
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Hi,As full-time artists, we've made our living on the show circuit for the last dozen years, but we've continued to have trouble finding a decent Fine Art show in January. So, in discussion with several other artists, we've decided that it's time to take the bull by the horns and create a January or February Mid-Atlantic Fine Art show, provided that we find enough artist interest. That's where you come in - please help us by responding to this survey. No obligation, of course.The conventional theory is that once the holiday season is over, Jan. and Feb. are dead in the Mid-Atlantic. They certainly are for shows. And we've tried the Florida shows, which are way over-saturated. But folks, not everyone goes to Florida! There are areas of affluent buyers (in some places, like Chantilly, they are "showed out" by Jan., but we believe there are similar areas to be tapped).Let us hasten to say that this would be a Juried Fine Art / Fine Craft Show with no Buy-Sell and no commercial vendors other than food. We're well aware of what happens to shows who let in with a policy of "Jury by Check". Furthermore, categories and percentages of art types will be strictly controlled -- this is for the good of the show and the participating artists. Working title "2010 Art Awards Show"; we want a title that reflects the quality of the show. My husband has experience producing shows at convention centers.We have completed preliminary investigation of possible venues and resources, now we need to hear from the artist community -- YOU. We need your replies, and any recommendations you may have. Your answer can be as short as "1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D". If you answer, we'll let you know the overall survey results.We have sent the survey to artists whose work we saw in the past year at shows like Craftsmens Classic or Rose Squared or Corn Hill or Crozet or Berkshire show. We will be posting the discussion and info on any resulting show on www.artawards.bizAnswers can be emailed to info@digiartservice.comPreliminary response from artists we have talked with is very encouraging, and we appreciate your help. There are just 5 survey areas where we need your input: Size of the Show, Timing of the Show, Days of the Show, Geography of the Show, and your availability.1. Size of ShowA small show usually has a sponsor (church group, community itself, civic group, private or public school, etc.). Booths typically cost $100 or less and there are generally 50 booths or less, sometimes only 10 or 12. There is no promotion budget to speak of, the fees go to the facility and the sponsor. To attract gate and buyers, we are dependent on the sponsoring organization to bring members, friends and neighbors, and to spread word of mouth (naturally, for any size show, we will also have our own website). There can be multiple events in the same general geographic area a few weeks apart. The event is usually free to the public.A large show requires a professional crew and staff as well as professional promotion and services. Most large sites are setup to handle the services and parking (typically, a convention center). They can accommodate 100 or more booths and the 10x10 booth cost is in the $300 to $500 range. There is a large promotion budget for advertising and public relations / promotion, and the size and quality of gate depends largely on the effectiveness of the promotion program. It is important that the bulk of booth revenues go into heavy promotion to carefully targeted audiences after facilities costs are paid. There should only be a single such event in the area for the month, and there should be an entrance fee to help with the high facility and service costs, and to skew the gate towards the more serious buyers.Please indicate your preference for a Jan. or Feb. show:A -- small showB -- large showC -- neither2. Timing of the ShowPlease indicate your preference:A -- January, first halfB -- January, second halfC -- February, first halfD -- February, second halfE -- MarchF -- any of aboveG -- BOTH Jan. and Feb. (different locations)H -- none of above (tell us why)3. Days of the ShowPlease indicate your preference:A -- Friday afternoon setup, short show Friday evening plus all day Sat. and Sun.B -- Friday afternoon and evening setup, show all day Sat. and Sun.C -- Sat. morning setup, show all day Sat. and Sun.D -- any of aboveE -- none of above (tell us what you prefer)4. Geography of ShowWe have eliminated Chantilly, VA because of too many shows in the area. For the rest of the Mid-Atlantic, we are open to suggestion. For large shows, we have explored facilities and their calendars, and obtained costs, for the areas shown. Please indicate your preference:A -- Virginia Beach, VAB -- Hampton Roads Convention Center, VAC -- Roanoke, VAD -- suburban Philadelphia, PAE -- suburban Baltimore, MDF -- Greensboro, NCG -- any of the aboveH -- other (tell us)5. My AvailabilityPlease indicate whether you think you would be willing to participate:A -- Yes, if the show conformed to my answersB -- Yes, probably for any of the descriptions in Jan.C -- Yes, probably for any of the descriptions in Feb.D -- Yes, other (tell us)E -- No or probably not (please say why)(We don't have a "maybe" as that will not help us!)6. Your CommentsWe would gratefully appreciate any suggestions.Everyone who responds with answers (even if they can't do such a show) will be sent the survey results.Thanks,Larry and Shoshana MatthewsClassic & Textile ArtHandwovens by Shoshana
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Posted by Evelyn Zebro on August 24, 2009 at 3:19pm
Hi. I'm just starting the festivals scene and would like to buy used Mesh Panels (and Sta Bar frame) by Flourish, if anyone has one to sell. I'm in Asheville NC and would like to get one for the Kentuck Festival mid October '09, which we'll be attending (me and husband).If you have one to sell, you can reach me at 828-450-5189 or zebroevelyn@yahoo.comThanks!
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Posted by Kaelin Cordis on August 21, 2009 at 11:09am
Have you ever had a gorgeous piece of stone that you simply didn't know what to do with? I had been holding onto this pieces of stunning druzy quartz for about six months, reluctant to set it because I may never find another piece of such a neat stone.. I finally set it,
and yesterday I found two sets of pairs for earrings, three more singles for pendants, and I couldn't be happier or more excited. For those of you who are interested the stats are : "Space Dust" Sterling Silver, Titanium Druzy Quartz, Patina. Photo: Matthew Taylor http:www.kaelindesign.com/spacedust.html
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Well sports fans, did the Telluride Festival of the Arts this past weekend (www.telluridefest.com). While I should have done my due diligence to find out the show was not in Telluride, but the Mountain Village of Telluride, it was produced by the Cherry Creek folks which was enough for me to attend. The village is up about a mile from town, accessible by gondola, and received zero support from the townies (just so happens the town is where most stay during the Summer). It is an effort to bring folks up to the village, an area frought with ski condos and business' hanging on for dear life. The draw is a food and wine tasting on Saturday, a featured artist (Joan Osborne?) on Friday, and a very painful Sunday (read no people).I did learn how to buffalo the wine people to fill the damn glass rather than a squirt (played the starving artist card, need a buzz not a taste). I have to say, I was never so happily spoiled at a show. The Cherry Creek crowd has this down, assistance with the set up, lunch every day,free tickets to the food and wine party. They advertised the bejesus out of the event, a good attempt at making this a "destination" for the Summer crowd, but the buying crowd just never showed. We made our expenses ($2500) which paid for 5 days in some of the most scenic mountains I have ever seen. Managed to squeeze in some fun four wheeling over Imogene pass at 13,200 feet and pretended I could shoot landscapes. Guess a paid for working vacation ain't so bad after all. One of the pleasant things about a slow show is actually spending some decent time talking shop with others. We all are down at least 50% from previous years, but good to see a few tweaking and tuning their approach rather than bitching and moaning. I have a tendency to respect the business and marketing approach of photographers rather than talent or the equipment they use (is there anything more boring and irrelevant than the film vs. digital arguements?) Met one fella who left an impression on me, not for his photography skills, more for his ability to take a subject and turn it into something unique. Todd Van Fleet (http://www.toddvanfleet.com/) has taken a hot commodity (cruiser bikes) and turned into a marketing marvel. Kinda klitchy, but people are jumping all over it and he was one of the only artists having stuff walk out his booth. The kid does this full time, does portrait work to supplement the show income, has received commissions from Fat Tire beer, John Deere and others. Even an old fart like me came away impressed. Bottom line for the show, if you hike, bike, fish, four wheel, shop or just like to hang in a town where everyone seems to have money and a young blonde on their arm, don't mind playing second fiddle to the wine thing, and don't mind being spoiled to death, a fine place to spend a summer weekend. Just not one of those where you put money in the bank.
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Think art fairs have problems with buy/sell and imposters exhibiting? Look at this information from the 31st Annual Antique Indian Art Show (seems like that name should be Indian Antique, right?):
Federal Seizures of Indian Art Puts Damper on Indian Market "While there was talk about the beauty and rarity of some items, the buzz was all about the federal crackdown on the trafficking of relics in the Four Corners region, an area rich in prehistoric archaeological sites and artifacts. A two-year undercover investigation became public in June, with raids on homes and businesses throughout the region. More than 20 people were arrested and indicted on allegations of taking the goods illegally. Twenty-five people face felony charges—two of them have committed suicide," says the Denver Post. Wow! It seems "collectors" have been excavating, and buying and selling art that is illegally obtained. This is a very interesting look at the artifact business.
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Posted by Hamish Hafter on August 20, 2009 at 1:25am
For those of you out there who need to move framed artwork and canvases around, I have a great new product that makes life easy and reduces damages to expensive framing. For client visits this is a professional solution.The ArtPak makes all the difference. Packing up is fast at shows, the bags are re-useable and damages have been eliminatedYou can take a look at www.proartpak.comCheersHamish
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Posted by Bill Sargent on August 19, 2009 at 10:30pm
Note to Nels: your reply to John Hartung's tent problem blog was sensitive, helpful, and inspirational.Here is my wife's grateful response to your stern refusal to let improper English go unpunished.Hi, Nels, it's Ann Sargent. As you may know, I retired not too long ago; I taught English in middle school, high school, college and graduate school during the past 25 or so years. I have also worked as a professional copy editor for a Chicago publishing house.So when Bill showed me your post, I was delighted to see that you're a champion of proper usage, spelling and punctuation. In keeping with your spirit of helpful correction, I'd like to assist you in reaching the pinnacle of proper English usage.Your spelling is flawless. Your post, however, has a number of comma errors; surprising, since you address this very issue. For example, names in direct address must always be set off by a comma ("John, if you...." and "John, do not....") In the second line of your post, the meaning is unclear because of the lack of a comma. Do you mean "on roofs, especially during setup....", or "on roofs especially, during setup...." This is an excellent example of your comment that commas give "a clear meaning to what you are trying to convey."When you start a sentence with "Also..." it must always be followed by a comma. Beginning a sentence with "But..." is colloquial and OK in very informal writing; however, it would have been better to have combined it with the sentence before ("...almost no commas, but I know....")One last comment; you use the expression "...you are doing good". Strictly speaking, this means that you are doing charitable works. The expression you want is "...you are doing well." I know your intent is good, and I'm glad to help. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance in the future.For those who didn't see it, Nels's post is as follows:John if you get 2-4 years wear out of any of the industry's canopy roofs, you are doing good. It is just the nature of the wear and tear on roofs especially during setup,storage and teardowns. John do not take this as a personal attack, but your use of the English language is atrocious. Check your spelling out or at least proof it. Also commas are very helpful for separating phrases and giving a clear meaning to what you are trying to convey. You use almost no commas. But I know your intent is good--just thought I would mention that. You are not alone. Most people these days cannot write a clear declarative sentence with proper spelling and punctuation--Aloha,Nels
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Please include the name of the importers/"artists" as they show up on the lists of the art shows they exhibit at. I've seen families of SE Asians at numerous shows, most recently at the Uptown/Minneapolis show, with booths crammed with "handmade" goods. Without the names, the shows can't police the importers and buy/sellers.
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Posted by John Hartung on August 18, 2009 at 5:01pm
My Canopy DilemmaI have a Show Off Canopy and love the frame. It's strong and easy to setup. I love the telescoping legs and frame. This and their limited number of parts make setup easy. Most of it is aluminum making it light, but it has steal corners to make it strongest in the most vulnerable area.However, my 2nd top I've had for the canopy in 7 years is again turning colors. The skylight material is turning a rusty redish color. It's surface very sticky (like sap). It's top is developing more and more leaks in the roof.My first top I owned Show Off blamed me because I had used bleach to keep it white. So this time I followed their directions. I only washed it with regular soap. If I had to pack wet, I'd dry it out the next day. Nevertheless the fabric is giving me the same problems.I look around at shows and notice many of the Show Off's with redish skylights and others complain of it feeling sappy. Anyone with a Show Off found a solution for these problems? On my first top I discovered bleach did temporarily make it whiter, but then would turn red again (even worse).I like both the Trimline's and the Light Dome's fabric better. One option I'm considering is getting a whole new canopy, but I don't like either of their frames as much as Show Off. Today I contacted both Flourish and Light Dome to see if they'd be willing to make a custom top for me. Flourish said straight out "no" and Light Dome said they would consider it but was concerned the zippers wouldn't be compatible.If I were to get a new canopy system, I'm leaning toward's Light Dome's "Finale". They seem a bit more difficult to put up and not as strong as the Show Off, however much easier to setup than the Trimline and not nearly as cumbersome and heavy.What I don't like about the Finale the most is their seems no way to zip tie your booth at night, as there is no rings near the zippers to connect to.I've contacted Show Off with my disappoint of their material. They have offered me a 20% discount on a new top and say the fabric has improved UV protection as of 2 years ago, but I'm losing faith in them and not sure they are worth another try.Am I being unrealistic how long a canopy top should last? My 2nd top did last with great care for 4 years. Doing an average of 30 shows a year that's 120 shows.Okay, so I'm open to hearing any love or hate things people have to say about their particular canopy. Any advice on care of the material is also welcome!
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In its 49th year the Brandywine Arts Festival in Wilmington, DE, is in deep doo-doo for not paying its bills. Reports say that the event organizers still owe the State of Delaware $8500 in usage fees for the use of Brandywine Park on the banks of the Brandywine River. The fur has been flying (they say). Organizers and parks administrators continue to feud. With the dates of the event coming up fast (September 12 & 13) unofficially it has been announced that the event will take place at St. Anthony in the Hills in Avondale, PA, in suburban Wilmington.
Read all about it: Brandywine Arts Festival leaving Wilmington
and here: Dispute ends Brandywine Arts Festival's Del. tradition
The long-established and popular event, drawing some 20,000 people, has been a fixture of autumn events for the region for almost half a century.
Will one of you follow up on this and let me know what is happening? Is it really moving to Avondale. Please investigate and comment below. Thanks.
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