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Image by Michelle Lundgren

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Actually, the deadline has changed on the image above. It is now April 15.

The band of nomadic Gypsies descended on Estero, Florida on Feb 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th. I arrived early on Friday, but, as usual, there are 30 or 40 already up. What “go getters” we have in our merry band! There is definitely something uplifting when you glimpse those white exclamation points in the distance. Man! One just gets overwhelmed with optimism.

While asphalt parking lots are not particularly welcoming, an easy set up kept the positivity going and after just a couple hours I had things set and was checking out the local restaurant scene before heading back home (about 30 miles away).

I knew the Saturday load in was limited to 8:30 but arrived at 8:32 (caught in horrendous traffic) with my ice chest and survival supplies. The lady controlling the scene would not let me drive in to drop off the ice chest. 2 minutes late! Not a good start, but I know “Rules are Rules.” This relegated me to carrying a 40lb object about a half mile, since the artist’s parking was Way-Way off in the distance. Grrr! I was still cursing under my breath when we kicked off.

That dissipated when the crowd started to arrive. I noticed that there were more folks carrying stuff home than the last shows I’ve done. And right off the bat. However, by Saturday PM, the crowd had thinned and sales were less apparent. What seemed to be moving? I saw a number of ceramic flower wall hangings, electric lamps made from old musical instruments, pictures of WW2 planes, and the usual doo-dads on brazing rods. Also, a number of framed prints and at least one big painting of sand dunes. (Yeah, sorta’ real art!) The problem was that this little gush of commercial success was short lived and by around 2PM the sales died and pretty much of the mall shopping crowd did too. “Ut-Oh!”

The farther one travels down the Southwest Coast, the older and the more conservative the populous gets. For instance, the congressional district here is the reddest in America. SWFL also must hold some record for the most decrepit fair attendees. Go-go scooters, casts, canes and bandages galore. Kind of like an art fair at Mayo Clinic. We had a pretty large contingent of bicyclers as well. I wonder if they realize that 4 bikes gathered in front of a tent gabbing is definitely not conducive to sales. Also, hard to buy art when you are on a bike. Where was the Show Sheriff when we needed her?

I have one large piece that features 2 nudes, back views. Nothing risqué. I had groups of 4 to 6 adults standing in front of my tent, pointing and laughing. Sophisticated crowd, huh? So maddening and RUDE. But, I’m not too sure these attendees were there to buy anyway. Lookie-loos. Or, “Laughy-loos.”

Saturday died away with no sales on my part, and neighbors starting to grumble loudly about the situation. Sunday, Day of Hope, was even worse. Smaller crowd and less sales. By about 3 it was dead and gone. We were all just sitting there waiting for 5PM. I was warned by a pro to not even look like I was starting to break down early because the tent across from me was staffed with a Snitch! Can you imagine? We pay $500 to get in the show, make little to nothing for our efforts and the promoter insults us with Snitches and Show Sheriffs? I know you can’t break down at 4:30, but a snitch?

I had plenty of time to discuss the situation with my experienced colleagues. Here’s what they were saying:

There are basically three kinds of shows.

One is a Community Service Organization show (like Rotary) in which they have a goal for the years fund raise. These tend to be a bit looser, sometimes not heavily promoted and often, poor sales. Not all! But many. But they are kind of fun and have amenities. Man, the donuts and coffee were great in Maitland.

Then, there are the Promoter’s shows (in this area Howard Alan and Paragon) which are more advertised. They are run by the books, very tight and with little to no amenities. Not even a name badge. They want to make every buck they can; strictly business. I’d say the average promoter collects between $125K and $150K on entry fees alone. I suspect they also get funding from the malls because the fair brings so many customers to the site. It looks like to me the promoter has a half dozen or so employees present. Maybe their overhead on that is a few thousand dollars. I’m sure they have insurance and other costs, but I’d guess the profit off a show is in an astronomical range compared to the 2 to 15% profit level of most businesses. I don’t really care how much the promoter makes, if the artists are doing well. But the promoter’s strategy is putting on as many shows as is utterly possible. This tremendously dilutes sales and kills the craftsmen. The guy in the tent across from me says one promoter has single handedly ruined Florida art fairs. Yes, yes, I know: nattering nabobs of negativity! But I can’t blame him, he came all the way from California and Florida has been awful for him. Coconut Point was a zero. Not coming back to Florida.

A third variety is the Community sponsored event. Coconut Grove, Winter Park and Ft. Myers come to mind. Here, the city has a formal event planning department and they handle everything. There is only one big show a year. Theoretically, this would give the best experience for the individual artist. However, if the local Service Club and the Promoters have also been active in the area (and if it’s Florida, they’ve been everywhere and repeatedly) the show can still be a bust.

My Pro network seems to complain (accompanied by foot-stomping) the most about the Promoter shows, secondly the Service Club shows and least the Community shows. But everyone agrees: there’s just too many shows. Art-wise in Southwest Florida the population is uneducated, uncultured and overfed.

Still, I do see success out there. The guy selling painted hollow doors knocked off 3 of them for 2K a piece! “Wall Furniture,” my neighbor exclaimed! Some of our crew really knows the crowd and what they will buy. Me? NEP! Not whining, just the truth.

So, I ended the show with a goose egg. Nada. Nothing. Along with at least 3 of my neighbors. Lots of “My worst show ever.” Lots of long faces in the neighborhood and lots of vows to never come back to Florida. Perhaps this is a self-correcting problem.

My own response is that these shows are darned hard to do and doing them for the sake of some Promoter, who sort of disrespects you, is especially grating. I had three shows left on my calendar and all three were Promoter shows. I bailed on all of them. One, in Sarasota, is in a venue where they have dozens of shows a year. It’s every 2 weeks all winter. I know exactly what will happen. A St. Pete show turns out to be one no body up there has ever heard of and is sandwiched between bigger, better shows. Get real. In Tampa, there was a 5AM Saturday set up in an area that has gotten somewhat sketchy reviews in the past. No thanks.

I’m leaving about $1500 on the table which is killing me. But the out of town shows cost me well over a thousand to do and so I’d likely loose another $1500 trying to do them. You gotta know when to hold them…bla, bla, bla.

Next season I’m going to be much more selective where I show. My stuff just doesn’t sell in SW Fl. I’m going to hope to get into a few Community shows on the East coast. No more Promoter shows for me and I’m going to be very skeptical of the Rotary scene, as well.

Get a new plan. One foot in front of the other, chin up, hut, hut. I’ve taken a lickin’ but I’m still tickin’. And, without a Go-Go or an oxygen tank. I just don’t fit Southwest Florida! Onward! Somewhere-else-ward!

Yikes!

I just remembered I never did a blog on this show that happened last July.

So here goes.

This Show is always held around the Fourth of July.

Last year it was the weekend after, this year it will be the weekend before.

This is a two day show held at a lakeside park in SoutHaven.

It is a small show due to the size of the park and that is a good thing, otherwise not many exhibitors would make a lot of moola.

Setup is the day before, very mellow. Or you can do the setup the day of the show. That can be a little frenetic.

Overall, this is a very mellow show to do.  You are dealing with a beach crowd, most of them hail from Chicago.  So you never know who is in for the weekend. Some are high-rollers and most are your average Joe.

That said, sales can be hit or miss here. For me, if I get $1500-$2000 from it , I am doing good.  I can sleep in my own bed because this is only thirty minutes from our summer home, Saugatuck.

Crafters usually do better at this show then fine artists. The crowd is not looking for serious art.  Also, they buy very conservative here.  The tried and true always reign.

The wonderful two women who run this show are very artist friendly.  They will listen to complaints and suggestions, how rare in our exceedingly corporate-Run art show biz these days.

I highly recommend trying this show if you are nearby in this area or if you are doing a run of shows all near this area.

For example, you have Grandhaven the weekend before, you have Krasl (St. Joseph) the weekend after, and Ann Arbor a week later.

Plus, SouthHaven has some very cool bars and restaurants and their beach is fabulous. Also the booth fee is very reasonable.

You gotta love Michigan, especially it’s coastline, in the summer.

Being accepted at Florida's two biggest shows can be the highlight of an artist's winter brining in income for the current time AND if you win a prize that can mean $$$ and a highly desirable invitation to next winter's festival. Who were the winners?

COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL
Feb. 16-18, 2019

Best of the Best Award: $5,000
Purchase Award: $1,000
Director’s Choice: $1,000
Best Booth: $500

1, 2, & 3 in each category: 1^st - $1,500; 2^nd - $1,000; 3^rd - $500

Total prize money this year: $46,500

sculpture by K. Willcox & K. Nordausen

Best of the Best - Kimberly Willcox & Kevin Nordhausen, 3D Mixed Media
Best Booth - Carlos Montanaro, Jewelry & Metalwork
Myrna & Sheldon Palley-Award of Excellence in Glass - Wesley N. Rasko
Director's Choice Award - Ummarid Eitharong, Painting 

Jana Epstein, 2D Mixed Media 1st Place
Daniel Lai 2D, Mixed Media 2nd Place
Joseph Bradley, 2D Mixed Media 3rd Place

Dakota Pratt, 3D Mixed Media 1st Place
Stephen Palmer, 3D Mixed Media 2nd Place
David Burton, 3D Mixed Media 3rd Place

Glenn Woods & Keith Herbrand, Claywork 1st Place
Marvin Blackmore, Claywork 2nd Place
William Kidd, Claywork 3rd Place

Pottery by Marvin Blackmore

Lissa Hatcher, Digital Art 1st Place
Tanya Doskova, Digital Art 2nd Place
Ed Myers, Digital Art 3rd Place

Bounkhong Signavong, Fiber 1st Place
Amy Gillespie, Fiber 2nd Place
Robert Stadnycki, Fiber 3rd Place

Richard Ryan, Glass 1st Place
Scott Gamble, Glass 2nd Place
Kit Karbler, Glass 3rd Place

Kristin Holeman, Jewelry & Metalwork 1st Place
Kate Rothra Fleming, Jewelry & Metalwork 2nd Place
Adrienne Gaskell, Jewelry & Metalwork 3rd Place

Ken Orton, Painting 1st Place
Marc Anderson, Painting 2nd Place
Rey D'Alfonso, Painting 3rd Place

Painting by Marc Anderson

Lisa Kristine, Photography 1st Place
Don Donelson, Photography 2nd Place
Doug Cavanah, Photography 3rd Place

Richard D. Wilson Jr., Printmaking & Drawing 1st Place
Abdiel Acosta, Printmaking & Drawing 2nd Place
Jacqueline Roch, Printmaking & Drawing 3rd Place

Lewis H. Tardy, Sculpture 1st Place
Gary Traczyk, Sculpture 2nd Place
Nnamdi Okonko, Sculpture 3rd Place

Carmen Lagos, Watercolor 1st Place
Witha Lacuesta, Watercolor 2nd Place
Blanca Palian, Watercolor 3rd Place

Ray Jones, Wood 1st Place
Derrick Crossland & Danielle Long, Wood 2nd Place
Steve Uren Wood, 3rd Place

wood boxes by Ray Jones

Alex & Christi Lamier, Digital Art Honorable Mention
Michael Braun, Digital Art Honorable Mention
Darren Olson, Photography Honorable Mention
Leslie Peebles, Printmaking & Drawing Honorable Mention

Lawrence Packard, Printmaking & Drawing Honorable Mention
Copper Tritscheller, Sculpture Honorable Mention
Tyler Stinson, Sculpture Honorable Mention
Greg Stones, Watercolor Honorable Mention

The 60th WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL
March 15, 16, 17, 2019

• BEST OF SHOW ($12,000 Purchase Award) Helen Gotlib, Dexter, MI - Printmaking
• EDYTH BUSH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ART OF PHILANTHROPY AWARD ($5,000 Purchase Award) Amy Lennard Gmelin, New Port Richey, FL - Sculpture
• MORSE MUSEUM AWARD FOR A DISTINGUISHED WORK OF ART($2500) Marina Terauds, North Branch, MI - Printmaking
  

Helen Gotlib - Printmaking

10 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ($2000)
Ummarid Eitharong, Orlando, FL - Painting
John Herbon, Saint Ignace, MI - Clay
Richard Judd, Belleville, WI - Wood
Ronna Katz, Albuquerque, NM - Printmaking
Claudia Melchiorre, Cape Canaveral, FL - Jewelry

Woody Patterson, Birmingham, AL - Mixed Media - 2D
Cameron Ritcher, Richmond, VA - Mixed Media - 2D
Suzy Scarborough, Columbia, SC Mixed Media - 2D
Robinson Scott, Anoka, MN - Glass
Ken Tutjamnong, Philadelphia, PA - Painting

Kathrine Allen-Coleman - Printmaking

20 AWARDS OF DISTINCTION ($1000)
Kathrine Allen-Coleman, Jackson, GA - Printmaking
Gaston Carrio Houston, TX Mixed Media - 2D
Matthew Cornell, Orlando, FL - Painting
Mark Gardner, Saluda, NC - Wood
Stacia Hollmann, Deland, FL - Mixed Media - 2D

Aletha Jones, Madison, WI -Watercolor
Brenna Klassen-Glanzer, Minneapolis, MN - Jewelry
Birgit Kupke-Peyla, Salinas, CA -Jewelry
Rick Loudermilk, Austin, TX - Mixed Media - 2D
Amanda Outcalt, Norfolk, VA - Printmaking

Shirl & Jim Parmentier Mars Hill, NC Clay
Dennis Peterson St. Marys, OH - Wood
Luke Proctor, Mt. Horeb, WI - Metal
Melissa Schmidt, St Louis, MO - Jewelry
Bounkhong Signavong, Secaucus, NJ - Fiber

Cheryl Mackey Smith, Fairview, NC - Clay
Andrew Sovjani, Conway, MA - Photography
Mark Sudduth, Cleveland Hts., OH - Glass
Thomas Wargin, Menomonee Falls, WI - Sculpture
James Whipple, Winter Park, FL - Mixed Media - 2D 162

Raku pottery by Barry Bernstein

30 AWARDS OF MERIT LIST ($500)
Jennifer Ardolino, Homosassa, FL - Watercolor
Bert Beirne, Flowery Branch, GA - Painting
Barry Bernstein, Marquette, MI - Clay
Elizabeth Borowsky, Andrews, SC - Clay
Michael Bryant, Atlanta, GA - Photography

Lisa Burge, Taos, NM - Painting
Roxane Chardon, Hollis, NH - Drawings and Pastels
Sarah Collier, Wilmington, NC - Mixed Media - 2D
John Costin, Tampa, FL - Printmaking
Rey D'Alfonso, Greenville, SC - Painting

Leslie Emery, Sun Prairie, WI - Mixed Media - 2D
Robert Farrell, Venice, FL - Metal
Brendan Fuller, Redmond, WA - Clay
Michael Hayes Spruce Pine, NC - Glass
Charles Hazelaar, Cape Canaveral, FL - Sculpture

Aaron Hequembourg, Monticello, GA - Mixed Media - 2D
William Kidd, Lakeland, FL - Clay
Robin Kittleson, Geneva, IL - Glass
Heather Laurie, Denver, CO - Fiber
Phillip Michaels, Miami, FL - Painting

Mixed Media - AB Word & Barry Bryant

Mike Nemnich, Indialantic, FL - Printmaking
J Nielsen, Minneapolis, MN - Jewelry
Kyle Osvog, Jackson, GA - Clay
Sean Parrish, Dunedin, FL - Painting
Corey Pemberton, Spruce Pine, NC - Mixed Media - 2D

Dahlia Popovits, Boston, MA - Fiber
Steve Rogers, Ormond Beach, FL - Watercolor
Kristin Schillaci, Santa Fe, NM - Photography
Radim Schreiber, Fairfield, IA - Photography
AB Word and B L Bryant, Kirby, WY - Mixed Media

What about you? Did you win any awards? Do you have any comments on these awards?

Every year Marcia and I head south for February and March to do art fairs in Florida. Lets face it, there are not very many opportunities to make money in the frozen north during the winter. Is it worth the trip? For me, it is worth it. In fact, the trip has become essential for us financially. We would have a lot of unpaid bills in the winter without the Florida art fairs. How did it go this winter? Results are mixed, but we were able to pay the bills, and we are coming home with some money in the bank account.

I'm a digital artist. I sell prints on paper and canvas. My price point is $45 for small unframed prints up to $695 for large prints on canvas. I work on environmental themes with images that use surrealistic imagery and humor. Our best show was at Jupiter ArtiGras where we grossed $8600 and won an award. Our worse show was March Bonita Springs where we made $2700. We grossed a total of just over @28K for the tour and averaged around $4700 for the six shows we did. We scheduled the shows back to back, and did six in a row, every weekend so the schedule was a little strenuous. 

Last year our average was over $5000 per show and the year before we averaged $6K, so, it seems that the shows are becoming less profitable for us. But, we were in better shows in past years. This year I applied to many of the shows with new, unproven images and was rejected from a couple of good ones, Gasparilla and Winter Park. We also got snowed in during the Polar Vortex in Michigan and we missed doing ArtFest Ft Myers on the first weekend of February, a traditionally good show for us. I think if we were able to do Ft Myers, our average per show would have matched the 5K we did last year.

The weather for all the shows this year was spectacular. Sometimes a little hot, but no rain, no windstorms.

My wife, Marcia is an important member of our two person art fair team. She keeps me calm and she is an excellent navigator, helping me find the sign-in booths and the artist parking lots. We have a rather complex setup that takes 4-5 hours, and she is extremely helpful in setup and take down. She is also a good sales person and (usually) has a smile on her face. Having said that, she would rather be somewhere else. These art fairs are a lot of work, and I agree that a little pampering between shows helps to keep her involved. So, we don't try to save money on accommodations or restaurants, She deserves it. This year we rented a house in Ft Myers Beach with a close friend who we have been traveling with for years, splitting the outrageous cost. From this base we were able to commute to two shows in Bonita Springs, Naples National and a show on Sanibel Island. So, we paid lots for the house for our two months, but saved on hotels at these four shows. We did cross to the Atlantic side for Jupiter and Vero Beach, so we had to pay additional lodging for those two shows.

I don't know whether it is significant, but the four shows we did on the Gulf side were well below average in revenue, while the two shows we did on the Atlantic side were well above average in revenue. The shows we did on the Gulf side were heavily attended by retired people while the shows on the Atlantic had a lower percentage of retirees.

Will we do a Florida tour next year? Yes. We already booked the same house in Ft Myers Beach for February and March. But next year we can (hopefully) get into Gasparilla and Winter Park. And next year we will try to plan the schedule so we don't have six shows in a row, every weekend.