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Call for Artists: Chesterton Art Fair

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 28, 2019 at 1:05pm

August 3 & 4

Chesterton, Indiana

Presented By: Chesterton Art Center

Saturday 10-5; Sunday 10-4

110 Artists

Deadline: July 15

Application Fee: $30 Booth Fee: $220 and up

This is the 61st year for the Chesterton Art Fair, which draws art lovers from all over the Midwest, always the first full weekend in August. The fair will be held in beautiful Dogwood Park, close to Interstates I-80 (Indiana Toll Road) and I-94. This makes it an easy drive for our many Chicago and Illinois suburbs visitors, as well as those from across Indiana and Michigan.

Dogwood Park is accessible to all. Plentiful disability parking is at the front gates, and all parking is close.
Artists may stay in RV's at the location of the fair. Many hotel choices nearby.
Flat ground, shade trees, a huge covered shelter, and a new permanent restroom building are some of the park amenities.
Within a few miles of the magnificent Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan beaches.
Lovely downtown area, unique dining and shopping and also the well known fast food options near the expressways.
Complimentary continental breakfast for the artists Saturday and Sunday morning.

This is a very well-attended fair. The fact that we are in our 61st year speaks to the caliber the of the art, the management of the fair, and the number of artists who return every year. We treat you as our honored guests, and go out of our way to make you comfortable and happy. We know that being on the road is tiresome and hard work. We have many volunteers who love working with our artists, as well as helping our guests who attend the fair. This is a much-loved event in our community, and the community comes out to help!

What else: We will be inviting new food vendors as well as the much-loved regulars, and will offer some new activities for children. We also feature local musicians throughout the day in a specific area of the park. The music is gentle, strolling background music, conducive to perusing, shopping, and talking with the artists.

Marketing:

We market far and wide using social media, print media, direct mail, radio, and web based advertising.

Testimonials:

"It has become a yearly tradition!"-Karen

"An excellent Art Fair to attend. Our first year there and we'll be back."-Randy

"So much amazing art work to see. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The artists are fun to talk to also. Very impressive!" -Zandra

Jurors are selected for their experience and expertisein a specific media and understanding of that media. A diversity of backgrounds and skills is sought, including artists and educators.

Proceeds from the fair support the Chesterton Art Center, a not-for-profit arts organization. We host 12 + gallery shows throughout the year, and art classes for all age groups. Members can display and sell their work from our Member's Gallery. We also have an Artisan Gift shop featuring handmade creations in a variety of mediums.

APPLY: http://www.chestertonart.com/art-fair/

Contact: Wendy Marciniak gallery@chestertonart.com (219) 926-4711

Podcast Today: 3 Stories on Creating an Art Career

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 28, 2019 at 8:45am

Tuesday, May 28, 5 pm ET

Story telling today: An amazing podcast with three women covering the spectrum of creativity.

A stoneworker, Kathleen Teach, who with her trusty trailer traveled alone for over 160,000 miles participating in art fairs
A leatherworker, Stephanie Wheat, who starting from scratch has built a business that is taking her to Paris Fashion Week
Sculptor, Kathy Ross, a full time self-employed artist since 1978, creating one of a kind pieces from cookie tins, fabric, jewels, imagination. An example here: http://kathyross3d.com/two-horse-tin-horse-town/

You will be inspired and head into the day ready for your next challenge.

Learn more: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2019/05/28/3-artists-creating-a-career-as-an-artist

and click here to listen

PLUS: we'll be drawing the names of the first 5 winners in the Pledge Drive. Pledge now so you can be in the drawing: https://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

Pro panels

Posted by Victoria Jackson on May 27, 2019 at 10:50am

Would like the tall ones but 7' will work. also any free standing accessories

Looking for a Trimline Tent

Posted by Victoria Jackson on May 27, 2019 at 10:48am

I am loooking for a Trimline Tent and any accesories that can go with it.

Finished my 2nd Event

Posted by Cherie Smittle on May 26, 2019 at 10:30am

Finished my second event...Burro Races in Georgetown CO. Since my last event, I purchased Flourish mesh walls and absolutely love them. My husband does setup was talking them up to other vendors.

I decided to forgo the wood curtain on the back, glad I did the tent looks clean and crisp. I will be using smaller S hooks next time as it was difficult inserting the larger hooks in the mesh. Now I just need to figure out a good way of showing my stickers. I had them hanging on the wall but they kept flying away.

Shameless Pitch, but Doing it Anyway

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 24, 2019 at 10:30am

Just a few days left to contribute to our 10th Pledge Drive. All contributions will have their name entered in to the drawing on May 30, 5 pm ET. How do you like these prizes?

"Impact Splash"

Embellished Canvas Print, 18 x 24, by Shanthi Thiruppathi

donor value $190

printed by and donated by Joshua McClure

CanvasGicleePrinting.com

16 x 20 Framed Photograph
"Colorful Dining"

A Fine Art Photograph. Archival, on museum grade paper. Conservation mounted, Matted Solid Ash - Framed Black Metal- wired and ready to hang. Signed, with COA.

by photographer Larry Sohn - value $240

http://EyeofLarry.com

"Welcome to the Tree Museum"

Inspired by the Joni Mitchell song: "Big Yellow Taxi"

from John Leben - value $110, https://www.lebenart.com

50% off a Fully-Branded App* for Your Art Fair

Grandstand Apps is pleased to offer 50% off the first year price for our Limited, Bronze, Silver, or Gold packages, which will entitle any Art Fair to their own Art Fair app inside of our Grandstand - Events & Guides app in the App Store and a potential savings of $450.

*Includes a fully-branded guide with custom designs, custom maps, artist lists, password-protected content for the artists, and plenty of other features to enhance the Art Fair experience for all attendees.
From Jeff Abele - GrandstandApps.com

2019 Palmer Park Art Fair
(Detroit, MI)

High quality Fine Art Poster
16 x 24 (Unframed)

Value - $75

from Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows

Website Review (2)

Analysis of a web site, reviewing basic architecture, image placement, how well it works on a phone, a tablet and a computer, plus the basics of Search Engine Optimization. This includes a telephone discussion and a two to three page written report.

2 prizes - value $200 @
from Franklin Piuck, Cyberhenge, Inc.

Fancy Twin Hanging Water Garden

from Dave Emmons of Vermont Nature Creations

Donor value $50

(2) Gift Certificates of $300 ($600)

From our friends at flourishdisplays.com

800-296-0049

3 $200 gift certificates

Good for any products at Pro Panels

From our friends at MD Enterprises, Makers of Pro Panels

www.propanels.com

8 Free 2019 Booth Spaces (1 per artist)

(Provided the show isn't full, you pass the jury and the display is acceptable)

Spring Festival on Ponce , Atlanta - April 6-7
Turtle Creek Spring Festival, Dallas - April 13-14
Sandy Springs Artsapalooza, Sandy Springs, GA - April 21-22
Roswell Spring Arts Festival, Roswell, GA - May 4-5

Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival, Atlanta - Sept. 28-29

Turtle Creek Arts Festival, Dallas - Oct. 5-6

Fall Festival on Ponce, Atlanta - Oct. 12-13

Dallas Festival of the Arts, Dallas - Oct. 26-27

One free booth space, covers booth fee only. Artist must apply on Zapp. Show reserves the right to refuse (application fee will be refunded.) Non-transferable.

from Randall Fox & Brian Greene of AFFPS.com

2 Free Booth Spaces & Application Fee

(Provided the show isn't full, you pass the jury and the display is acceptable)

The Beaches Art Fest - Nov. 9 & 10, 2019, Jacksonville Beach, FL ($300)

Old Town Art Show - Spring 2019, Palm Sunday Weekend, Saint Augustine FL ($300)

from Lynn Wettach at www.holidayartshows.com

Free booth space at Berkshires Arts & Culture Festival

Great Barrington, MA
July 5-7

Value from $495

(Jewelry & photography are full. Openings for ceramics, painting, glass, wood, mixed media, drawing,digital ...)

from Richard & Joanna Rothbard, www.AmericanArtMarketing.com

Free booth space

The Original Boca Art Show at Boca Center
Boca Raton, FL
Feb. 29 & March 1

donor value: $350

(provided the show isn't full, you pass the jury, the category isn't full and display is acceptable)

www.artfestival.com

10 x 12 booth space at any Rose Squared Productions event

(Provided the show isn't full, you pass the jury and the display is acceptable)

Good for any of our outdoor shows - $420 value

from Howard & Janet Rose, www.rosesquared.com

Sanders Visual Images

Images with Impact. Rouse the jurors up out of that jury stupor. Visit or send your work to my Milwaukee area studio for the highest quality images of any art medium. Includes all costs up to donation value.

value $150

Larry Sanders, Sanders Visual Images

www.juryimage.com

Fine art and photo quality inkjet papers.

(3) $100 gift certificates for any products on Red River Paper's website.

From Drew Hendrix http://www.redrivercatalog.com

Excited about these prizes? Then don't forget to pledge.

Click here to go back to the top of the page.

Ingot Canopy Weight Set

This new weight is so versatile we call it the "Swiss
Army" knife of canopy weights.

Set of (4) 15 lb weights

from Larry Mitchell

value $99.99

http://www.canopyweights.com

Vintage 2009 hard copy of the Art Fair SourceBook,

Volume I

More than 400 pages of useful art fair information

"It was the last year that Greg published a hard copy and is still useful, in my opinion. I stopped doing shows last year, but would still be using it if I hadn't."

a gift from artist CC Barton Value: Priceless

Jury image or booth improvements or
art photography for jurying

value $200

from Larry Berman, www.BermanGraphics.com

2 - 1 year subscriptions to our NEWEST product:

Art Fair SourceBook Essential Directory of Arts and Crafts Events

The AFSB Essential Directory is a NEW online one year subscription providing affordable basic access to all events (1400+) maintained in the AFSB database. A MUST have for all artists who want to know about and keep track of the possible marketing opportunities available!

Provides ESSENTIAL data on all events
Provides fully indexed and cross-referenced events
Provides a wide range of search parameters for customized inquiries
Provides access to individual online Artist Reports for each event
Provides the ability to create a customized list of events that are of interest to you

value $99 @ from Greg Lawler, http://artfairsourcebook.com

"Marketing Strategies for Artists" an e-course

Successful artists inspire others to become collectors by using marketing methods that resonate emotionally with them. Grow your own art business by learning how you can do this, too.

value: $147

from our friend Carolyn Edlund of ArtsyShark.com

And even more at this link: https://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/pledgedrive.html

And if you've read this far, a surprise! We'll be drawing the first 5 names on Tuesday, May 28 at 5 pm ET. Get your pledge in early so your name will be in this first
"early bird" drawing.

Now here is the part where I stop begging, thank you for all your kind support and messages and make a genteel request from you a birthday gift to our websites. Easy and fast. Click here. Merci.

2 Posts Worth Reading: Booth Shot Examples and What They Said at the Art Fair

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 24, 2019 at 10:01am

Here are two popular discussions from our archives:

Shannon Blosser wants to know about booth shots:

As a relative newcomer, I still have tons of questions about every little thing I might do. It occurred to me, after seeing this category, that it would have been a giant help to me to just see examples of working artists' booths in one place, instead of searching around for information. I'm starting the thread by showing mine, and I hope others will add theirs. It really could help someone.

I know my shot isn't perfect. What is good about it definitely came from advice I found on AFI. I can say that while it is imperfect, it got me into a great show. I had to borrow the tent and walls from a friend because I still don't have my own tent (with only 30 days before the great show - yikes!), but I think it came out relatively well.

See what she found out from our resident experts (over 35,000 views!!)

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/booth-shots-to-show-exa...

Jim Dalton started a thread, "What's the Worst Question You've Been Asked at an Art Fair" many years ago and it continues to receive answers, over 13 pages of them. You'll like this:

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-questio... over 33,000 views

Surely all this information is worth $2 a month. Will you please make a donation to our Pledge Drive? CLICK HERE or go click on that birthday cake over there.

3 Ways to Keep Your Tent from Flying Away

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 24, 2019 at 9:38am

A sponsored post

US Weight launched into the canopy weight business with artist Jim Eaton's canopy weight - the Eaton. Since then, the company has transformed the Eaton with knowledge and solutions from Jim to expand its line of canopy weights - the Tailgater, Ingot, & Titan.

The Tailgater's unique design allows artists to customize the amount of weight per leg required for their canopy. With no-pinch interlocking grooves on every weight, stack the tailgaters until they reach a desired amount of weight. This 4-piece weight set is offered in fillable, 20 lb., 30 lb., & 40 lb. weight options.
The Ingot, known as Swiss army knife of canopy weights, takes versatility to the next level. Hang these 15 lb. weights with our C-hooks or secure the weights to the canopy poles using the interlocking design and included Velcro straps. Leaving a small footprint, this weight prevents tripping hazards & with its gray color, it blends to most tent poles, allowing the weights to do their job without taking away from your art! Weights are sold in a pack of 4, totaling 60 lbs.
Most recently added to the market are US Weight's new Titan canopy weight bags. After hearing the issues people were frequently having with other sandbags, US Weight was determined to help. Our Titan bag solves complaints often heard with sandbag purchases. It has triple layered protection to prevent leaks, YKK zippers to prevent zipper breaks, heavy-duty thread & box stitching in high stress areas to prevent stitching busts, & a longer handle to make transporting these easy! The Titan is a set of 4 empty canopy weight bags that when filled with sand, are 30 lb. each totaling 120 lbs.!

Windblown canopies are the number 1 cause of property loss and injury at outdoor events where canopies are widely used. US Weight is here to help! Protect your customers and art at the next festival with these professionally designed weights.

Direct from the manufacturer SPECIAL OFFER COUPON CODE:
(good until 10/1/2019) ARTFAIRINSIDERS

Shop US Weight at www.canopyweights.com. To activate this offer, key in the coupon code above at checkout and receive FREE FREIGHT PLUS an additional 10% discount on your order.

Call for Artists: Columbus Winterfair!

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 22, 2019 at 4:00am

December 6-8, 2019

Columbus, Ohio

Presented By: Ohio Designer Craftsmen

450 Artists

Deadline: July 7

Artist Notification: July 22

Application Fee: $27 Booth Fee: $485-$970

Listed in 2018 Sunshine Artist Magazine:

100 Best Classic and Contemporary Crafts Show category

Columbus Winterfair is 43 years old and still the most anticipated holiday shopping event of its size and kind in the region. This juried show is supported by a loyal, enthusiastic audience of 18,000, and draws patrons from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

Artist amenities include:

Discounted block room rates for artists
Convenient show hours and setup
Nine cash awards and ribbons for excellence
Hands-on activities for visitors
Friendly, helpful staff with experience running a well-organized show; booth sitters
Printed directory listing booth location and business website for each artist
Online directory on our website with photos of artists' work and links to their websites

Marketing:

We have an extensive marketing plan that combines print, digital and social media, including advertising on local television and radio stations, email blasts, postcard mailings, print ads, and coupons in newspapers and gift guides. We utilize social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to enhance marketing to young artists and attendees. We also utilize online ticket sales, ticket give-aways and shopping-spree contests to generate interest.

Testimonials:

"I have been to dozens of art exhibitions over the years but this one, by far, was the best in so many ways: location, facility, access to the artists/

craftsmen (plenty of room for walking), friendliness of the staff and the artist/craftsmen, and variety and quality of work."

"The staff is always friendly, helpful and professional. Everything runs like clockwork. Thank you so much for your efforts. Great job, once again!"

"For my first time at Winterfair I was exceptionally pleased with everything. I especially liked the bags that were handed out to every customer, the rest areas and plentiful seating, both things I think really help get people in the buying mood. I also thought the quality of work was excellent. I hope to be back next year!"

Apply: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7340

For more Information: http://ohiocraft.org/craft-fairs/artist-application/

Contact: Roxanne McGovern, Fairs Coordinator, fairs@ohiocraft.org Email:

Ohio Designer Craftsmen

1665 W. Fifth Ave.

Columbus, OH 43212

rmcgovern@ohiocraft.org, 614.486.7119

Call for Artists: Greater Cincinnati Winterfair

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 22, 2019 at 4:00am

November 29-December 1, 2019

Covington, KY

Northern Kentucky Convention Center

Presented By: Ohio Designer Craftsmen

220 Artists

Deadline: July 7

Artist Notification: July 22

Application Fee: $27 Booth Fee: $390-$765

The 41^st annual Greater Cincinnati Winterfair opens the day after Thanksgiving on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. This event attracts an enthusiastic and loyal audience of 8,000 attendees from the tri-state area eager to start their holiday shopping.

Located at the well-appointed Northern Kentucky Convention Center, just across the river from Cincinnati, the venue provides easy show hours and wonderful amenities for participating artists.

Artist amenities include:

Discounted block room rates at several hotels conveniently located across the street from the NKY Convention Center.
Convenient show hours and setup.
Nine cash awards and ribbons for excellence.
Friendly, helpful staff with experience running a well-organized show; booth sitters.
Printed directory listing booth location and business website for each artist.
Online directory on our website with photos of artists' work and links to their websites.

Marketing:

We have an extensive marketing plan that combines print, digital and social media, including advertising on local television and radio stations, email blasts, postcard mailings, print ads, and coupons in newspapers and gift guides. We utilize social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to enhance marketing to young artists and attendees. We post updates and share information -including feature stories- about individual artists to drive attendance to the event.

Comments from artists participating in the Greater Cincinnati Winterfair include:

"Great show. Great buying crowd. Good job by ODC. Thank you."

"Thank you so much for the hard work you did to create such a great show."

Apply: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7339

More Information: http://ohiocraft.org/craft-fairs/artist-application/

Contact: Roxanne McGovern, Fairs@ohiocraft.org (614) 486-7119

Will you do me a favor today?

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 20, 2019 at 11:57am

Our 10th Annual Birthday Pledge Drive to sustain our websites' mission of supporting artists and art fairs is started on Sunday, May 19 and will end on May 30.

Will you do me a favor and donate $24 to keep

the art fair news coming into your mailbox and this helpful website alive and well?

Bet you will!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW

When we started our 1st art fair website 15 years ago we wouldn't have guessed that they'd expand to five! Or that we'd have nearly 60,000 subscribers and have top Google ratings! You love art fairs, you found your way to one of our sites and we thank you!

Have our sites and newsletters helped you:

find a new art fair in your community?
meet an incredible artist?
fill your home and office with beautiful and amazing work?
earn a living as an artist?
shown you a new way to live your life?
made you new friends?

If so, will you contribute to our 10th Annual Pledge Drive that supports our mission of bringing fine art to your neighborhood and enabling the creative people you meet there to continue in their livelihoods? If our work has helped you and contributed to your life we'd really appreciate your help.

We're asking for a small pledge starting at $24 (only $2/month)? Plus, pledging makes you eligible to win some great prizes. Pledge here.

If you are wondering about ArtFairInsiders.com and its contributions to art fair life I think you'll enjoy this read from artist Nels Johnson some years ago:

HERE IS MY TEQUILA/ELVIS/ WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE AT ART SHOWS,...

Many, many thanks to all of you who have contributed in the past with such graciousness. It has been humbling.

Podcast: On the Road Again, Where do you Sleep?

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 20, 2019 at 11:30am

Wednesday, May 22, 5 pm ET

Participating in the nation's art fairs is not for the faint-heared or the penniless. So much overhead! We won't go into all of those costs, but a serious contender for the diversity of options and costs is lodging on the road. Some artists opt to stay near home so they can sleep in their own beds, thus limiting many opportunities, and at the other extreme some go for the full-fledged "its a write off" and stay in quality lodgings.

How about you? What do you do when planning a trip to an art fair? Sleep in your van? Air BnB? VRBO? tent camp? RV? frequent flyer points at specific chain hotels? Show lodging? stay with friends? We talk about all these options and more, To get it started our panel will include Fletcher Dean, a photographer from Michigan who prefers Air BnB and Don Hart, mixed media from Connecticut who travels with a camping trailer.

I know almost all of you have solved this problem in one way or another. Would you like to be part of the panel? If so,

email me asap: info@artfaircalendar.com
or would you just like to call in during the show? We'd love to hear from you. Here's the #(805) 243-1338
or leave a comment below for us to share, a photo would work too.

And for the rest of you listen live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs, or use that same link to download later.

Call for Artists: 24th Annual Summerlin Festival of the Arts

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 20, 2019 at 4:00am

October 12 & 13

Las Vegas, Nevada

Presented By: Summerlin/Howard Hughes

100 Artists

Deadline: June 3

Notification Date: June 30

Application Fee: $25 Booth Fee: $300-10x10 and $575-10x20

Summerlin Festival of Arts is celebrating its 24th year in 2019. Located on a grassy park-like area in beautiful Downtown Summerlin, this established outdoor art festival features fine art - the celebration's focus is to support fine artists and artisans.

The two-day event draws more than 40,000 visitors with thousands of serious art buyers each day - all ages, including families from the Las Vegas area and out-of-towners. Art enthusiasts enjoy fine arts and crafts in the inviting and festive outdoor atmosphere in Downtown Summerlin, a walkable open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination. The event is free and open to the public.

Artist Amenities:

* The location of the site is in a grassy area surrounded by Downtown Summerlin's open-air shopping center.

* The Summerlin area of Las Vegas is affluent and features beautiful homes and parks.

* Area will be lit at night with security patrolling the site 24-hours from Friday through Sunday until 9:00 pm.

* Real restrooms in a central location. Also, porta-potties available.

* Convenient artist and visitor parking on site.

* Coffee and sweet rolls provided Saturday and Sunday mornings.

* Volunteers available for booth sitting upon request.

* Volunteer helpers and motorized carts are available for set-up and tear-down on a first-come, first-served basis.

* Most booths have a corner location due to the 'quad' set-up. Booth Layout will be provided after acceptance into the festival.

* RV, trailer, and overnight parking are allowed in designated parking lots on site.

Publicity for the event includes citywide newspaper, radio, and TV coverage, outdoor signage, electronic media, social media, the Summerlin events calendar, a magazine distributed throughout Summerlin, artist postcards and artist e-blasts. The event is presented by Summerlin in partnership with their sponsors.

The three-person jury reviews all artwork on Zapplication and provides scores for each artist.

Apply: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7070

More Information:

Nancy Higgins, http://summerlin.com/festivalofarts, (702) 467-3540

Podcast Review: How I Built a Business from my Art Fair Career

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 17, 2019 at 11:00am

Review of the podcast - speaking with entrepreneurs on how they support artists and develop products for artists for their careers.

Although this podcast was a little off the track of our usual nuts and bolts discussions on surviving/thriving in the business, I was curious about some of the businesses surrounding the festivals and where they came from.

Carolyn Edlund, founder of Artsy Shark, a top ten art blog, who spent 20 years running a production studio making and selling jewelry, and now writes and consults on business topics for artists. Carolyn works from a rich background in making and selling art, an authentic source if you are looking for help in your art career.
Drew Hendrix, President of Red River Paper, founded in 1997 with over 40 years experience in fine papers that are integral to many art fair artists, talks about how his company that creates and markets fine art papers for photographers and other 2D artists has developed its solid reputation for paying attention to artists needs and creating products for them.

Jeff Abele, GrandStandApps.com, a software developer focused on the art fair business who has developed a state-of-the-art app to enable artists and art fairs to connect with their audiences. The purpose of the app is to increase the experiences of the attending public and to enrich their engagement with the event through the year and it will enable art fairs to understand who their customers are.
Marissa Wagley of US Weight, a company that works with artist/inventor Jim Eaton to market the weights he designed for his art fair booth. US Weight is a manufacturer that works in a niche business that is blow molding using a high quality plastic instead of a cast iron or steel making it a lighter weight filling plastic shells with concrete, making it easier and cheaper for the end user. An artist, James Eaton, invented a canopy weight for artists which was then picked up by US Weight.

We also talk about Larry Berman, Greg Lawler of Art Fair Sourcebook, Bruce Baker and Luke Block of FlourishDisplays.com.

You might like this podcast. Listen to it here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2019/05/16/how-i-built-a-new-business-out-of-my-art-fair-career

Call for Artists: Affordable Arts Festival - 8th Annual

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 17, 2019 at 4:00am

Sunday, August 25

Littleton, Colorado

Arapahoe Community College

9am - 3 pm
160 Artists in 15 Media categories

Deadline: May 30

Acceptance Notification: June 7

Application Fee: $35
Booth Fee: 10x15 $250, Double 10x30 $500 (limited), Corners available +$75

THE AFFORDABLE ARTS FESTIVAL IS CURRENTLY

RANKED #24 IN THE NATION BY THE ARTFAIR SOURCEBOOK!

We invite all artists to apply. The Affordable Arts Festival has a unique and appealing format for art buyers since all of the art in the show is priced at $100 or less. This concept has been modeled after very successful events that have been around for many years. The art buying excitement created by these festivals is unlike any other arts festival.

From the Director of the Denver Arts Festival:

This 8th year show promises to continue building on the successes of the last few years to the ever expanding art buying market in Denver. Proceeds from the gate go to the Arapahoe Community College Foundation and in the past 7 years we have raised over $102,000 for scholarships at the college. Be part of one of the fastest-growing festivals in the country.

Over $40,000 is spent on the promotion of the event to the art-buying public on TV, radio, social media, press releases, magazines, social and other venues

Set up available on Saturday, August 24th, or the morning of the 25th.

The festival is held outdoors in a large field on the campus, which is highly visible from Santa Fe Drive where over 65,000 vehicles travel daily.

In 2018 our crowds continued to show their enthusiasm by showing up over four hours before the gates opened to get the best deals. Several of our top selling artists went over $20,000 and several artists completely sold out in less than 1 hour! These are great numbers for any show, but the AAF is only 6 hours long!

Apply at: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7057

Email questions to: info@affordableartsfestival.com

Or call Jim DeLutes, Director - 303-330-8237

Call for Artists: MOSAICS Fine Art Festival

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 15, 2019 at 4:00am

September 13-15

St. Charles, Missouri

Presented By: MOSAICS Fine Art Festival
Downtown in Historic St. Charles

100 Artists

Deadline: May 20

Artist Notification Date: June 14

Application Fee: $35
Booth Fee: $315, $415 Corner, $630 Double Corner

MOSAICS Fine Art Festival is centered along Historic Main Street of downtown St. Charles, Missouri, in the historic shopping and dining district and within walking distance to the Riverfront Park and the Lewis and Clark Museum on the Missouri River. The Festival transforms North Main Street into an outdoor art gallery featuring fine art for sale from approximately 100 local and national artists. The Festival offers $5,000 in prize money for juried artists.

New this year:

2019 marks the 25th Anniversary
of the
Annual MOSAICS Fine Art Festival

The City of Saint Charles, Missouri, is celebrating their 250th Anniversary throughout 2019, and plans are underway with several city-related entities, municipal groups, and organizations to incorporate the 25th Annual MOSAICS Fine Art Festival into their overall celebration plans.

To mark both occasions, The Festival will host a special booth/competition for high school artists, featuring cash awards/scholarships to support future education in the visual arts.

Artist Amenities:

Complimentary Friday and Saturday night Artist Dinner delivered to booth.
Booth Sitters and helpful Volunteer staff
Water delivered to artist booths all weekend long
Vehicle street access for setup and tear down under the direction of festival staff
Assistance with load in/load out before & after the Festival
Free electricity and overnight security on Friday and Saturday night

Marketing Plan:

Comprehensive advertising and marketing campaign for 2019 throughout the greater St. Louis metropolitan area - including TV, Radio, local and regional print media, electronic billboards, promotional banners and yard signs, on-site signage, social media/ networking, online/web presence, and a full-scale public relations campaign - plus LIVE radio broadcasts from the Festival during the event.

Testimonials:

- "I have attended the Mosaics-Missouri Festival for the Arts for many years, I think it's one of the coolest art festivals in the state. This year I am an exhibitor! I never dreamed that I would be IN this show, But I made it through jury I'm so excited and grateful,to be included in the company 100 amazing artists!" ~ Maggie Biesiada-Lowe

- "After retiring from a 22-year teaching career I was starting to establish myself as a professional artist. Being accepted into the Mosaics Fine Art Festival was integral to this start in my new career. The festival allows me a venue to display in the Historic Downtown St. Charles. The Festival has helped me develop a client base of enthusiastic collectors, and I've been fortunate to earn awareness and financial growth through continued interest and requests for commissions."

~ Joe Kopp, Photographer

More Information: www.stcharlesmosaics.org
Apply: Zapplication.org

Contact: Jim Inghram (314) 482-5476, mosaicsartfest@gmail.com

PODCAST: How I Built a New Business out of my Art Fair Career

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 13, 2019 at 3:30pm

THURSDAY - MAY 16, 6 PM ET

There are thousands of artists in the U.S. who participate in art fairs for years and years. There are many who drop out after a few years (it's a lot of work!). Then there are those who take their art fair experience to build their own business, leaving the street behind.

A fair number have become show organizers, including: Jim Delutes in Colorado, Bonnie Blandford and Donna Beaubien in Michigan, Bill Kinney in the East and Carla Fox in Oregon.

We'll be hearing from these entrepreneurs:

Carolyn Edlund of ArtsyShark.com, Drew Hendrix of Red River Paper, Luke Block of Flourish Displays, Jeff Abele of GrandstaffApps.com and Marissa Wagley of US Weight, talking about the canopy weights artist James Eaton developed.

Learn more about this podcast: artfairradio.com/how-I-build-a-new- business

We'll also take your phone calls if you'd like to call in: (805) 243-1338.

(You do not have to call in to hear the podcast. Please call only if you'd like to be part of the podcast.)

North America's top 500 retailers

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 13, 2019 at 1:57pm

and what you can learn.

Retailing is what we are doing, right? You are creating and we're all involved in selling. This info recently came into my inbox and made me very curious. The most interesting part to me was the growth of sales on the Internet ... what do you think of this info:

It won’t come as a shock that Amazon.com Inc. is gaining ground in ecommerce, but there are many online competitors growing faster than Amazon.

Internet Retailer’s 2019 Top 500 report, which ranks North America’s leading online retailers by web sales, shows that the retailers ranked Nos. 401-500 this year grew their collective web revenue by 24.3% in 2018 over 2017, faster than the 20.0% growth of Amazon, and well above the 14.1% year-over-year ecommerce growth in North America.

The Top 500 as a whole increased their worldwide online sales by 17.6% in 2018, and accounted for 89.8% of U.S. online retail sales in 2018, up nearly three percentage points from 87.0% in 2017. Amazon, by far the leading online retailer in North America, accounted for 22.4% of U.S. ecommerce in 2018, compared to 20.9% a year earlier.

Analysis of ecommerce versus total retail growth over the past decade
The fastest and slowest growing retailers broken down by merchant type, merchandise category and size.
In-depth analysis of the ecommerce performance of web-only retailers, retail chains, consumer brands manufacturers and retailers with roots in print catalogs and TV shopping shows
A report on Amazon’s recent initiatives and the response of competitors and government regulators.
Consumer survey data on how they shop online, their view of Amazon, how they view in-store pickup, their propensity to return online orders, and more
Benchmark data on conversion rates, growth by merchandise category and merchant type, free shipping policies, payment methods, website traffic, and more
Recent developments in online marketplaces, mobile commerce, fulfillment, omnichannel strategies, holiday sales, and online grocery sales

I'm not trying to sell this report, but even the points reported here give some food for thought on the impact of the Internet on our personal retailing. What do you think?

Link for the report: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/product/top-500/

Call for Artists: Sugarloaf Craft Festivals Fall 2019

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 13, 2019 at 4:00am

Fall 2019 Tour

Apply to Sugarloaf Crafts Free Today.

Submit your application today - don't miss out on a great opportunity!

Sugarloaf Craft Festivals produces 11 highly-attended shows in affluent areas of Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Enjoy the ease of professionally managed shows and connect with artists and shoppers. Be a part of a special community. Make a living doing what you love! Space is limited, don't wait!

Apply FREE with code "Sugarloaf20"

FALL 2019 TOUR

Limited Space Remaining!

Oct. 11, 12, 13 - Timonium, MD - Maryland State Fairgrounds
Oct. 18, 19, 20 - Chantilly, VA - Dulles Expo Center
Nov. 8, 9, 10 - Oaks, PA - Greater Philadelphia Expo Center
Nov. 15, 16, 17 - Edison, NJ - New Jersey Convention & Expo Center
Nov. 22, 23, 24 - Gaithersburg, MD - Montgomery Co. Fairgrounds (Barn/outdoor spaces available; indoor sold out)
Dec. 6, 7, 8 - Chantilly, VA - Dulles Expo Center

Call for Artists: ARToberFEST

Posted by Meg Mettler on May 10, 2019 at 4:00am

October 19 & 20, 2019

Galveston, Texas

Presented By: The Grand 1894 Opera House

125 Artists

Deadline: May 17, 2019

Notification Date: June 3, 2019

Application Fee: $10 non-refundable

Booth Fee: Single Booth 10X10 $180
Double Booth 10X20 $360; Corner Booth $200

(Please note there are a limited number of double and corner booths available. These are available on first come first serve basis.)

Galveston's 23rd Annual Juried Fine Art Festival will take place October 19 & 20, 2019 on Postoffice Street amid the historic charm of Galveston in the Downtown Cultural Arts District.

Over the past 23 years, our reputation has grown to be one of the best-juried events on the Gulf Coast. We generally have 8-10,000 attendees. The Island's hospitality and the relaxed atmosphere provide a beautiful outdoor setting in which to enjoy a weekend of fine art and fun!

The fair is open to any and all artists 18 years or older working in ceramics, digital art, fiber wearable, fiber non-wearable, glass, jewelry metal, jewelry non-metal, leather, metal, mixed media, painting and all associated 2D media, photography, printmaking, sculpture or wood.

ARToberFEST donates free booth space to local high school and college art students, to enable them to obtain valuable experience in the real world of creating, marketing, and selling their artwork. All proceeds from ARToberFEST will benefit educational programs at The Grand 1894 Opera House.

APPLY: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7367

More Information: www.artoberfest.com

Contact: Sarah Piel, spiel@thegrand.com, (409) 765-5066

FALL 2019 TOUR

Limited Space Remaining!

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.