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Putting another hole in the Midwest art fair schedule:

This from Beth Hoffman and the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council and the Morning Glory Art Fair in Milwaukee:

... Most people are aware that the Democratic National Convention is coming to Milwaukee in July 2020. This is a great event and will bring thousands of people and millions of dollars to the city. The Milwaukee Bucks organization, owner of Fiserv Forum and the adjacent plaza where we held the 2019 Morning Glory Art Fair, were confident that there would be no impact on Morning Glory. What was not taken into consideration was the impact on many other large events in the city, and the need to reschedule them from their traditional times, to accommodate the DNC.

Morning Glory finds itself losing our prime show space and being surrounded by potential competing activities.

Our primary concern of WDCC's Morning Glory is the success of our artists. After multiple meetings over the last weeks and discussion of all options, we were not able to develop a strategy that would work to host the Morning Glory Art Fair for this year. Accordingly, and with great reluctance, the Morning Glory Committee and the WDCC Board of Directors have made the difficult decision to not have a show in 2020.

Zapplication will refund artists who have submitted application and booth fees. Artists who were jury exempt for 2020 will be extended that status for 2021.

We are already planning for Morning Glory Art Fair 2021 at the plaza in front of Fiserv Forum for the weekend of August 14-15 and look forward to seeing you all then. In the meantime, we wish you a great season of success with your business and greatly appreciate your continued support.

Learn more: https://morninggloryartfair.com/

Well, I just set up my booth at Gasparilla.  I am back in my old hometown of 20 years before moving to NSB.

So I am having a relaxing lunch at the Hall on Franklin Street in Tampa.

Eating a great poke bowl and chasing it with a great temponiollo wine.

So, I figured, what the hell, you got the rest of the day to fuck off.  Thus, my final behind the time blog of FM artfest which happened the first weekend of this month.

With this blog, I am officially caught up.

Do not let anybody tell you that retirement frees you up. I got things to do everyday.

Oh, maybe that means I am not really retired.  Only doing 24 shows this year.

BTW.  Just got good news this morn.  I am in Des Moines again.  This is a killer show.

Jeez! Nels, order another glass of wine and get on with the blog.  Otherwise, order a glass for all of us.

I guess I am a cheapskate(not!) So I will write the blog.

How I finally found happiness and put a little extra in my bank account this year.

FM is a big show, 220 plus artists.

It is well run on all levels.  Lots of volunteers.

Basically a two day show. Although a few unfortunates do the Friday nite preview which is a big waste of time for most.

Day before setup.  Plenty of backspace for inventory.

It is their one big outdoor art show of the year, so big turnout, and, they come to buy.

Mostly everybody makes moola here.

This year we had heavy rain for a big part of Saturday and it seriously impacted sales.

Sunday made up for it, big time.

I did more there in one day than I had done my previously two shows.

I was not alone.

This  is primarily an older, traditional and conservative, crowd who loves Fish and Feathers.

You ought to know what that means by now.

It defines most of the Florida buying market.

Lots of midwest people.  They will try to talk you down on price.

But not as nearly bad as the Boca crowd.

It was refreshing to see crowds of people Walking with art in their hands.

I went home a very happy camper.

A little aside.

It was my wife’s, Ellen Marshall, last outdoor art show of her illustrious 40 year career.

I am going to miss that special feeling I get whenever I am on the road to an art show.

I could a,ways look in my rear view mirror and see this gorgeous, smiling blonde right behind me.

It is a truly awesome feeling.

I was going to do a Tequila Report, but I will save it for my Gasparilla blog.

So,I am taking my last sip of wine and checking out.

I see a nap in my  near future.

This has been a long-running Show over 25 years old.

Held same week in Feb. as The Grove And Artigras.

This was my first time doing this show.

I bailed on Artigras, which I have done for nearly 30 years. It has been a downhill debacle for the last five years.

So, I always have heard great things about the Sanibel show.

Only about 220 exhibitors. Held in the height of season.  Plenty of money around. Lots of Midwest tourists.

Well, the long and short of it was that it ended up being a one day show instead of two.

Crowds were packed early, and buying, on Saturday.

Sunday was like a desert, very few buyers walking around.

I talked to many of the Rotary Club volunteers.  They were flummoxed too about the poor Sunday.

Never happened before, according to several veteran Rotarians.

It definitely killed me.  Saturday, I sold several large framed pieces (I am a photographer).

Sunday I barely sold $300 the whole day.  All Lowend images At $30.

This is a Well Run Show.  Great staffing, solid info about the setup, boothsitters and free water abound.

Storage behind booths is a problem here.

Lots of booths were backed up to a mesh fence(they charge admission) with no rear storage. Yet, there was plenty of room to have the front of the booth out further without disrupting the flow.

Also, this show is strung out between three exhibit areas and a lot of the elderly did not make it down to the end where I was.  I was booth 216 out of 220.

The crowd is mainly elderly, sixties and up.

The young people who came through did not give much attention to 2-D art, they just did not care.

I was disappointed with the show.  I just did not see much sales going on for 2-D Art.

This is a fish and feather show.  Very conservative tastes in art.

Also buying mostly Lowend.  There will always be the exceptional whale who walks thru.  Just not enough of them,

Personally, I think the crawl of autos on Periwinkle Way deters a lot of people from attending.

In season this island slows to a crawl.  More people on bikes.

This is an expensive booth fee plus high hotel costs.  You better be on your game if you try this show.

Lovely location but the sales are not commiserate with them.

So far, for me, the Florida shows suck Royal Canalwater.

Just The Facts...

Show Hours and Dates: Wickenburg Art Club's Artisan's Fair and Fine Art Show at Gold Rush Days 2020. February 14, 15, 16, 2020 9 - 5 all three days. Load-in was Feb 13th from 8 - 5. 

Logistics, Load-In/Out:

Load in for the show was Thursday  starting at 8 am. Depending on your location load-in/out can either be frustrating or less so. Local police were assisting with the move-in but it didn't seem to make things any less confusing. Artists had to check in at the front of the library and as a first time exhibitor that also added to the confusion. Those on the south side of the library had more congestion as there were more booths set up on that side. Artists had to park in diagonal spots to unload. If you had a booth on the north or east side of the library it was much less congested.

Amenities:

There was a "continental breakfast" on Friday consisting of coffee, bagels and sweet things. This show relied on the artists to figure out their own plans for food, the usual "fair food" is available. I had leftovers and there are nearby regular restaurants and a grocery store that I got sandwiches from the night before. The occasional volunteer booth sitters came by. Water was being vended for $1 a bottle by the show.

Storage, Booth Space:

Most booths, that I could see, had some limited storage space behind/near them. Booths were in some cases irregularly spaced, some were adjacent to the sidewalk. 

Demographics/Buying Trends:

Can't speak to "buying trends" as I didn't see much buying going on. I guess that is a trend in-and-of-itself! Low end was the rule of the show. I didn't see much large artwork walking by on my side of the show. Although the show started early, 9 AM, people didn't start to turn up till after 10, it was even later on Sunday.

Quality/Range of Art:

The range of "art" was very wide. From my survey of booths content was variable. There was some "fine" art and a lot more craft items, jewelry and wearables.

Food:

You either brought your own or went to the typical "fair food" vendors. See above for more details.

Weather:

The days were sunny and bright. Although earlier weather reports that I had read suggested temps in the mid 60's it turned out better as temps were in the mid 70's. I was hoping for some respite from the cold in Denver but not so as my booth was on the back (north) side of the library it was pretty chilly most of the day.

Reflections:

Wickenburg is a nice little town to the Northwest of the greater Phoenix metro area. Far enough away so that it has no association with the hub-bub of the larger city. It has a nice historic downtown with shops and restaurants of varying flavors. This was  a first time show for me. I was looking for something new to do in February as I haven't participated in the typical Thunderbird or other Arizona shows for a while, snowbirds and older second home owners are not buyers at those shows. I thought that a rodeo, car show and parade might make a good mix for my work, not so. This is what I would consider a nice little local show though I suppose there are exceptions to every rule. It should be noted that this wasn't the only show going on in the general area. The Chamber of Commerce also sponsors a show right across the street from this one with booths featuring replacement windows, realtors and the ubiquitous blow up toys. Interspersed were the occasional artist/vendors. This time of year in Arizona is when all the activities are happening and the hotel rates sky rocket. It is not cheap to stay in the area unless you are camping, live nearby or use flight miles to pay for lodging.  

Okay, now for the star rating! I'd give this show 2 ✩ out of 5, as far as the buying goes, I'd give it  1 ✩ and that's being way too generous. I will not be returning.  

Sorry, I am way behind on my blogs— busy show schedule.

So I will blog about my most recent, last weekend in my home town.

This is more a craft show than an art show.

People walking their dogs vastly outnumbered any buyers.

I have yet, in 45 years, ever sell a piece of my art to a dog walking fair- goer.

Maybe it is just me.

The dog senses my intent and secretly alerts his master.  “This guy is trying to get you to part with hardwon cash.  Save it for my dog biscuits.”

Dog always wins.

I wish they were walking their cats.  I get along great with the felines.

Oh well.

Nels will you fricking tell us about the fiesta.  Were the piñatas easy to penetrate?

No, I could not find any piñatas or margaritas.

Boring Show.

If you have decorated toilet seats, carved tiki totems, colored food carrier bags or the usual art on the stick, you can make a lot of money here.

They just do not want to spend even $75 for art.

But, they will buy three carved totems at $250 each.

Go figure.

Last year, my first time here, I did almost $2K, in my own back yard.

This year I did not even break a thousand.

This Show is about one month after Images.  It is a lovely craft show. About 220 booths with a $225 booth fee.

It used to be an easy setup the day before.  They closed the streets off at noon and you could amble in.

This year they changed.  No setup til after 6pm.

Trouble was we had 20 mph plus winds.  Almost nobody setup.

Saturday morn it was tedious to get a van near the booth.

Saturday was a chilly, windy day.  The walls were shaking.  It was not fun and almost nobody was buying anything of significance.  Lots of art on the stick going by,

I did $300 worth of biz.  My neighbor with the tiki totems sold at least eight of them.

All I could sell was $30 photos.  Not my crowd.

I went home whipped that nite. Drank way too many Manhattens.  They were yummy at the time. But their was hell to pay the next day.

Sunday we had beautiful weather and moderate crowds, dogs still outnumbered buyers.

I saw maybe eight 2-D pieces go by the whole day.

They Just were buying cheap here.

I got out in an hour. I had Position A with my van.  Some day, after I retire, I will tell you how to get successful PA.  I have been perfecting it for 45 years.

Off to Gasparilla this weekend in my old hometown.  Sure could use a great art show.

So far this season, they have been very elusive.

Okay, so we know two art fairs that announced their closing in recent weeks: in Columbus, OH and in Novi, MI. Here are some more big changes:

Chicago's (Evanston, actually) Custer Fair, a major summer art and crafts festival that has drawn as many as 120,000 visitors, is moving to Hammond, IN, after nearly a half century in Evanston.