Blog

September 19 & 20

The Riverwalk, considered to be one of the most beautifully maintained park grounds in the Midwest, features plants, trees, fountains and covered bridges along side a winding brick walkway. This paved path is a natural showcase for many of the sculptures and artwork commissioned by Naperville's Century Walk committee. As the focal point of downtown Naperville, it is a delightful setting for a Fine Art Fair. Visitors travel from far and near to enjoy the splendor of the riverwalk and the quaint restaurants and shops in downtown Naperville. 

This just in my inbox from Alice Moulton at the Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival:

This is a very hard email to send to you, but I must let you know that the 61st Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival has been cancelled.  Could you help us get the word out to the art festival community. With much regret, we have notified the participating artists through ZAPP. 

Thank you for all that you do.   Alice

“Due to current information regarding the potential spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), and events beyond our control, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (WPSAF), scheduled for Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 22, 2020, will be cancelled. The City of Winter Park and the WPSAF Committee decided together that the health and safety of the community, guests, event patrons, artists and staff are the very top priority. Thank you for understanding our concerns.

For the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding COVID-19, please visit the Center for Disease Control at cdc.gov/COVID19. For information related to WPSAF, please visit WPSAF.org.”

This is so sad -- when you think of all 365 days of devotion to produce a top art fair by this non-profit organization, totally volunteer-driven, plus the inability to recoup their expenses, the loss is pretty devastating and the recovery will take some time. 

And, of course, the loss to artists who were relying on the show for their income and so disappointing for them not to be there to meet the buyers. It is one of those shows that an artist looks forward to all year. 

Have any of your shows been cancelled? What are you going about it?

September 5 - 7
Breckenridge, Colorado
Colorado Mountain College
107 Denison Placer Road
Saturday-Sunday 10am - 6pm & Monday 10am - 4pm
120 Artists
Deadline: March 31

The 45th Annual Breckenridge Gathering at the Great Divide Art Festival has been consistently ranked in the top 200 Fine Art Shows in the country by Sunshine Artists (#37 in 2018).  As one of the longest running events in Breckenridge, the tradition continues as the highlight of the Labor Day Weekend and will be limited to approximately 120  artists and craftsmen in a wide range of mediums.  

Breckenridge is located just 80 miles west of Denver in Summit County (which includes Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Keystone) in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This is the last big weekend of the summer with many locals, destination tourists, front range tourists, and second home owners in attendance for this very well established show.

Due to construction of a new parking structure by our old location, this year's festival will be held in the Colorado Mountain College parking lot 

just north of town. This is a very large paved lot with great visibility from Highway 9, the only way to come to town from I-70.  This allows us to have free parking for artists and patrons. You can drive right to your booth. 

• No gate fee
• Free parking
• Free coffee, bagels/donuts each morning
• Water provided throughout weekend for artists

Apply: 

https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=8173

For more information: http://www.mountainartfestivals.com/

Contact: Richard Cunningham, dcphoto49@embarqmail.com

Yes, viruses and earthquakes. If you're feeling secure, and have the resources, please consider donating to CERF+'s fund for earthquake victims in Puerto Rico.

If you don't know about CERF+ it is a non-profit that supports arts and is "The Artists Safety Net", providing resources for artists in need. CERF+ participated recently in the 5th Clinton Global Initiative Action Network Conference, the Flamboyan Foundation formally announced our partnership and commitment to supporting the arts and creative economy of Puerto Rico in the wake of natural disasters.

The conference, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this month, brought together leaders from business, government, and the private sector to create opportunities for collaboration and secure commitments that advance and promote long-term recovery and resiliency in the Caribbean.

And, if you are an artist in need, CERF+ is there to help you!

Learn more here and subscribe to their newsletters which always include helpful information for you and your business in the arts: https://cerfplus.org

Here at ArtFairInsiders.com we are committed to providing resources so artists can support themselves with their art, but CERF+ also provides $$$ for those in need. 

I'm sure you're aware of the tornadoes that ripped through central Tennessee this week. The Nashville area is getting a lot of attention (and maybe the President will visit!), but the deaths in Putnam County, Cookeville area, were the worst. Poor people live in this region, mountain people, children died in their beds. Tennessee does not have a great security net. Per capita income is $19,000. I know artists who live there, maybe you do too: Marilee Hall, Lou & Christine Colombarini, Jason Stoddart and their families. Fortunately they are fine. 

However, Jason's father, Jack (better known these days as Hippie Jack), runs a non-profit (COARM) in the area. In 2010 Jack left art fairs behind began to focus his time and energy into humanitarian efforts for Appalachians in former mining communities around Overton County. This week he has been asked to bing his Hippie Bus to Cookeville to help with the distribution of food and supplies to the victims of the tornadoes.

Learn more & by donate to his 501c3 right here: https://Jamminathippiejacks.com/donations/

Working as an artist or crafter allows you to use your creativity to create works of art and crafts that people want to have. But how they want to buy can sometimes be an issue.

Like many other professions where creativity and skill are needed to do the job, artists and crafters occasionally have to deal with people that don’t always seem to understand how the buying process works. Sometimes it is a friend who just wants the product for free because...well, because you’re friends. Sometimes it is someone who offers to pay you with another product or service. Perhaps the most odd is when someone offers to “buy” your art or crafts in exchange for “publicity.”

“I can’t give you money,” a customer might say, “but I have something better. I have a gazillion followers on FaceTwitLinkPlus and I’ll be sure to recommend you and your art (or crafts) to all of my followers.”

Is it ever ok to give away your art or crafts for free? Should you accept other products or services as payment? Is free publicity a good form of payment? The following are some helpful tips when it comes to accepting payment for your art or crafts.

1. It is ok to occasionally give your art or crafts away for free.

   Is a customer a non-profit organization that you would like to help out? Is it a loyal and reliable customer who has already purchased from you many times? Is it your mom? All of these situations are ones where giving away your product for free might be a good idea. It’s up to you to decide whether, for example, the trauma and hardship of laboring for eight or 22 hours in order to bring you into the world and then feeding, clothing, sheltering, and in all other ways taking care of you (in the case of your mom), is worth the cost of giving one of your products away for free. In the case of your friends, they might want free art or crafts, but if you give away all your products away for free, you won’t be in business too long. Think wisely about who to give your products free to.

2. Think very hard before you accept other products or services as payment.

   If the product or service is something you really need or it would save you money in other ways, it might be worth it. For example, if a customer wants to purchase a painting and offers you free food at their store, daycare for your kids, or other types of useful products or services, you can at least consider it. That doesn’t mean that you should always accept it - it just means it is an option for you to consider. However, if they offer you 40 hula hoops or the book they wrote about the political economy of some nation you’ve never even heard of, it’s probably not a good idea. In those cases, money is the best option every time.

3. It is rarely (if ever) a good idea to accept “publicity” as payment.

   Try this experiment (ok, don’t really, but just imagine what would happen if you did): The next time you go to the dentist or the doctor, tell them that you don’t have the money to pay them, but if they will give you that root canal or perform that surgery for free, you will let all of your many followers on social media know about them. Think that will work? We don’t either. So, why should that work for you? You are a professional, and you deserve to be treated as a professional and that means you deserve to be paid money for your products. Here’s the other problem: You can’t buy groceries, pay the rent or mortgage, send the kids to school, or do very many other things with “publicity.” In some cases, people use publicity compensation simply as a way to get a free product. We’re not saying you should never accept publicity as payment, but you need to be very careful about it, and it should only be done if you are absolutely sure that the benefits outweigh all the costs.

Do you have an experience about compensation for your products you’d like to share? Have other tips for artists and crafters about compensation? Please comment below.

September 11, 12, & 13
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Shadyside neighborhood
Friday 1pm-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, & Sunday 10am-5pm
110 Artists
Deadline: March 15

Application fee: 1 medium $25, 2 mediums $50
Booth Fee: $395, Corner $445

This event is held in the affluent city neighborhood of Shadyside, in a lovely park beside Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
The Fair is free to the public and draws strong community support. Outstanding live music, artist demonstrations, children's activities, plus a variety of food choices are featured throughout the weekend. Make A Fair in the Park part of your 2020 show schedule.

Apply: https://www.formpl.us/form/936056112

For more information: http://www.afairinthepark.org/
Contact: Carrie Nardini, fairdirector@craftsmensguild.org

Do we have an app for that? Nope, but Mark Loeb has some common sense ideas on how to handle the disruptions that may be in your future, whether artist or show organizer. Mark is trying to get ahead of the problem and has instituted a comprehensive approach for his 2020 events. Granted, most events have a cancellation policy already in place, but this new challenge calls for reinventing the policy.

CANCELLATION POLICY for Integrity Events

We are pushing back payment deadlines to six weeks prior to each show.

What happens if you cancel after paying your booth rent? 

Six weeks before move in- We will issue a full cash refund.

Three to six weeks before move in- You may elect a 50% refund or a free booth at next years show.

Within 3 weeks of move in- No refunds (we will have paid all of our bills and likely won't be able to replace you). If you have a health issue we will consider that and try to help.

• What happens if we cancel, or are forced for health and safety reasons to cancel?

Six weeks before move in- We will issue a full cash refund.

Three to six weeks before move in- we will return two thirds of your booth rent and apply the balance to next year at that same event.

Within 3 weeks of move in- No cash refunds (we will have paid all of our bills). We will apply this year's rent to the next three years- 1/3 each. That way you will get your refund and we will still have enough to run the shows properly each year.

REASONING

In a move designed to give artists more security and peace of mind, Integrity Shows, which organizes the Belle Isle Art Fair and Funky Ferndale Art Fair, just announced a new policy in case the coronavirus hits metro Detroit and requires cancellations of events

The new policy provides artists with clear, time-based  reimbursement or credits on booth rents for Integrity art fairs, and extended deadlines to pay for shows.   “We want artists to feel supported and protected, in these uncertain times,” said Mark Loeb, president of Detroit-based Integrity Shows.  “And we want to be the most artist-centric shows, and proactive, thoughtful and transparent in how we run our art fairs.” 

The new policy applies specifically to Covid-19 and applies to the 2020 season only. Full details of the announced policy are shown below.

“Despite some close calls, we have been fortunate in 23 years of art fairs never to have canceled an event,” Loeb said.  

Integrity Shows organizes fine juried art fairs in and near Detroit and creative community cultural events including the Kensington Art Fair on Memorial Day Weekend, Palmer Park Art Fair June 6 and 7; Belle Isle Art Fair Aug. 1 and 2 and the Funky Ferndale Art Fair in September.   All the art fairs are run in partnership with local nonprofits, parks organizations and community groups. 

More information is at https://www.integrityshows.com.

Contact Mark directly: mark@integrityshows.com

What is happening around the world: 

An Update on How COVID-19 Is Impacting the Art World

I did this show the last weekend. In my former hometown.

Ironically, I have not been in G(gasparilla) for the last six years.  Then I sell my Ybor house and get in the next year.

Trouble is, now I had to stay in a hotel and pay $100 a nite.

I have done G 16 times since the early eighties. Always been a winner for me.

Thank God! This year too.  I needed a good show real bad.

Lots of booth fees to pay.

I can finally say, after seven shows this year, I had my first real, big show.

Felt like old times.  Had little scents of St. Louis in there. 

Amen.

This year they moved the show across the river to a new location.

Well, you know how that goes when they move a show.

The location is on a beautiful landscaped Park, bigger then the former location.

Everybody had rear booth storage.  So essential.

You had Thursday or Friday option to setup for the two day show.

I chose Thursday. They gave you two hours to unload the van and move.

Friday people got one hour.

Thursday was real windy and chilly.  The 50-it’s and 20mph plus winds.  Very tenuous.

Got the booth, with walls up, secured inventory inside, and closed her up.

Had a great meal fifty yards from my hotel at the Edison.  An upscale eatery.  Food is awesome.

Had a red snapper dish done Mexican style with a great red.  The wine was good too.

Friday morn I strolled down to the booth.

We are located on the river right by the University of Tampa.

The Park has a beautiful green lawn that angles slightly down to the river.

Bring shims.  Bring extra weights, no trees very windy.

They gives us ample space side to side and to the rear for storage, at least six feet.

A little aside here.

My pet peeve with most reviews of shows is that nobody tells you about the logistics of the show.  Like I just referred to.

It is tantamount to most of us, with inventory, to know how much storage do you have behind.

It affects your whole setup.

So please.  When you blog, telll us about the setup.  It really is important.

My fish sandwich just arrived, and I have tequila to sip.

So we will take a short pause.

Ok. I am at my favorite bar/grille on the ocean in NSB, the Ocean Breeze.

Its Monday, so it is Man Day at the Grille. Guys get half off any food or booze on the menu.

I am eating a fresh snapper sandwich with frys.

I am chasing it with Patron anenjo tequila, on the rocks with a salted rim and a lime.  This lunch is going to be under $15.  Gotta love it, gotta love NSB.

OK, back to the blog.

This is an awesome show, hard to get into, everybody is fabulous, no slackers here, no buysell.

The $25K best In Show attracts heavy hitters.  I think a merit award is about $1500, boo hoo!

I once got one in 1989 and I think it was $500.

I was surroundered by heavy weights of the circuit.  The air was intoxicating with creativity.

I held my own, meekly.

The crowd never showed up strong until about 1 pm. After, it surged.

Here is the one giant flaw of the show.

They built this beautiful park but only really put in about 100 parking spaces.

The Park is surrounded by ethnic neighborhoods and parking is precious.

The committee figured people would park across the river and walk over.

Or use a water taxi or Urber it.

Yeah.

Imagine walking all those big pieces back to your car.

Oh, get this, for the artists, it was worst. 

The artist parking lot was across the river, you caught a shuttle, easy half hour or more.

For me, and many, Saturday was the strongest day for sales.

Bigger crowds on Sunday, but nearly as busy.

Teardown was orderly, I got out in less than two hours.

This is a good show, I eyed a lot more like this one.