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Happy holidays to all of you from the ArtFairCalendar.com team: Connie Mettler, Larry Berman, Jacki Bilsborrow, Tina Towell, John McKiernan and Meg Mettler

May 10-11-12

Please explain how to post Secret Santa pictures.

i purchased a used Showoff tent...we put it up and the tent is so wobbly...you can push it back and forth..whole thing moves.....I can’t imagine it should do this...have a show coming up and feeling insecure about this tent...didn’t try it with the pro-panels yet..any ideas?

Turning your art festival into a success is an expensive, time-consuming challenge. At ArtFairCalendar.com we are here to help. Help bring patrons to your show to buy art, help find sponsors, help share your concerns with artists, help build your event by showcasing its special nature.

Our 2018 Best Art Survey's purpose was to publicize the one of a kind work that the public can find at your show to encourage “art fair tourism" and we are eager to share it with you to make your show great, because, of course, NO BUYERS, NO SHOW.

Being informed and learning the best practices of successful events is your job. Our 21 page ebook is a wrap up of what we learned in this year's survey from the people who attend the nation's art fairs.

Look inside the survey and see who won and why. Click here.

(Introductory price: $20)

ArtFairCalendar.com has announced the results of its 7th annual "America's Best Art Fairs" survey. This survey is the only national online listing of the country's juried art fairs and craft shows, designed to reward the festivals that create opportunities for artists to sell their work.

The study opens the voting beyond the traditional "art fair insiders" such as artists and show organizers to focus on voting by art fair patrons, fine art collectors and the public that attends art shows and festivals nationwide, every event needs these 3 groups of people to make it work: show organizers, artists and the art buyers.

We asked our mailing list of over 57,000 art fair patrons what was the best art fair in the country and had an outstanding nationwide response. Nearly 90% of the respondents completed our lengthy 23 question survey and the answers were both expected and intriguing. 

The winners reflect who voted. The winning shows shared the survey, got their constituents involved and knew that the resulting PR would pay off for their event. Just like in any election its all about getting out the vote. 

America's Best Art Fair 

Our #1 art fair is the Old Town Art Fair for the 4th year in a row. The show earned more than double the votes of any other event.

Survey said:

• The setting is fantastic in the historic Old Town Neighborhood. It has a wide variety of artists with high quality art. We buy art here always.
• great art, great city - What could be better than Old Town Chicago????
• PERFECT mix of art, culture, food and FUN

2018 AMERICA'S BEST ART FAIRS - the Top Ten

52 Weeks of Art Fairs

See our entire Top 50 art festivals, a year round listing to encourage "art fair tourism":  www.BestArtFairs.com

At that link also find:

• who took the survey
• why people come to art shows
• what they buy, why they buy and why they don't come to some shows any more, including a lot of great tips for show organizers.

**Look inside the most recent results in our new ebook: "2018 Art Fair Survey, Who Won and Why", a 20 pages of analysis of what the respondents had to say about their favorite, and not favorite events.

For more anecdotal information listen to a recent podcast with Lynn Smith, vice chair of the Old Town Art Fair, where she shares her insights on why the OTAF garners so much enthusiasm throughout the greater metropolitan area, making it a "must attend" event. Art buyers from Florida and Ohio also join us to tell us why they attend art fairs and buy art. Winners! 2015 Best Art Fairs

Show directors, we have prepared a 60 page report of in depth helpful insider information from experts who already know how to produce a successful art fair including: 

• Our analysis of the extensive survey results and how to use them to make your show a "best art fair"
• 5 Important Keys to a Successful Art Fair +++
• Our 5 favorite ideas for encouraging buyers to attend

Click here for more info.

ArtFairCalendar.com's mission is to promote the American tradition of art fairs by showcasing events where art collectors find hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind fine work and encourage the interaction of client and creator. 

P.S. Surprised at these results? Me too! Kudos to the Sunriver Art Fair, Lakeshore Art Festival, Old Florida Celebration of the Arts and Geneva Art Fair for "getting out the vote." Tells you something, (doesn't it?), about the energy behind these shows. Comments welcome below.

actually 15,001 members

congratulations to Connie.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

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June 7, 8 & 9
Columbus, Ohio

Application fee: $40; Booth fee: $595 

The Columbus Arts Festival honored by Sunshine Artist and ArtfairCalendar.com as one of the top fine art and fine craft festivals in the country, attracted more than 400,000 art patrons last year to Columbus' Downtown Riverfront along the beautiful new Scioto Mile and Bicentennial Park. Approximately 300 national and international artists will be selected from over 1,100 applicants for coveted positions.

I've been doing art fairs for many years exhibiting my digital paintings (prints). A couple of years ago my wife, Marcia, and I opened an art gallery in the resort town of Douglas, Michigan, right across the river from Saugatuck. This area is billed as "The Art Coast of Michigan" and boasts 30-plus art galleries. We opened the gallery because we're getting old. After many years we finally figured out how to make money at art fairs, but they are so much work! More work every year. We thought, maybe we can make a living selling art at a gallery and make a living that way.

We work hard at it. We decided to make our gallery a niche gallery specializing in the growing area of Digital Art. We recruited some of the best digital artists on the art fair circuit, Chuck Wimmer, Ed Myers, Jason Brueck, Kate Harrold, Tanya Doskova, Geoff Harris, Susan Littman, Dewey James and Nels Johnson. And, of course, myself as well. Since its my gallery, I get to show lots of my own artwork. We pay artists 60% of sales.

We're making more money in our second year at the gallery than in the first year. But not enough to take the place of art fairs. Our dream of gallery sales taking the place of art fairs is a long way off. We continue to exhibit at art fairs. They are just too profitable to stop. But here's what I've learned. The gallery is making money, just not enough to supplant the art fairs. The combination of art fairs and gallery sales have definitely increased our income. We've also found that our contacts at art fairs help drive people to our gallery, and vice versa. So, our ultimate audience is greater.

We've also made some good friends and business attachments with the digital artists we represent at the gallery. It's kind of fun showing other artists work. And, although we're not gonna make any of them rich with their commissions, they all seem to be happy with an extra check now and then. Another advantage to showing at art fairs is that we can often connect with the artists we represent and exchange new artwork for the gallery.

They say it takes five years for a good retail business to be truly profitable. Maybe in another three years we can drop the art fairs. But, for now, we'll continue doing both and we'll continue recruiting new digital artists for the gallery. There seems to be more of them art art fairs every year.

IMPORTANT! If you ask yourself that way too often please take advantage of this free open blind jury. Watch the jurors for this show in action. Spend time, spend money to be there, it is worth it if you are serious about being successful in the art fair business.

You are invited to attend the blind jury process
January 26 & 27
Columbus, OH
presented by the Columbus Arts Festival
The Westin Columbus, 310 High St.

Please contact Sean Kessler,
Festival Director, at 614-221-8625 or skessler@gcac.org
for the weekend's schedule or to RSVP to attend the jury

June 21-23
Milwaukee,WI

Application Fee: $35  Booth Fee; $500

Named one of the top art festivals in the country, the Lakefront Festival of Art is a fine art showcase on the shores of Lake Michigan. This three-day fund-raising event has evolved from a gathering of a handful of artists in 1963 to a vibrant, wide-ranging festival that attracts close to 30,000 attendees and more than 180 jury-selected artists from across the nation. 

The festival takes place inside the Milwaukee Art Museum's spectacular Santiago Calatrava-designed building, as well as on the adjoining outdoor museum grounds featuring state of the art Clearspan tents. Enjoy the festival rain or shine, indoors AND outdoors! (Indoor booth availability limited, based on first come, first served basis.) 

Patrons love the indoor/outdoor event and fill the parking lots early. Many make the trek for the one-of-a-kind art exhibited at the festival, the wide range of activities and the museum's beautiful lakefront setting. This is the museum's largest special event and is highly visible, with setup and parking close by

Marketing:

In 2018 marketing and media coverage accounted for a total of 16.3 million impressions with social media posts reaching LFOA Facebook friends, 69K Milwaukee Art Museum Facebook followers, 20K Milwaukee Art Museum Instagram followers, and 48K Twitter followers.  The LFOA website saw 76K page views, with 22K unique users, and 64.2% new page visitors.

 

Awards: 

A total of $10,500 in awards will be presented. Ten awards of $1,000 each to be given where excellence is determined by the jurors. The remaining $500 is awarded to the winner of the Sculpture Garden media/category. Awards are based on the artist's entire presentation. The top ten award-winning artists are invited back to LFOA for the following year without jurying. 

Jurors will also select Honorable Mention award winners, all of whom are invited back to LFOA for the next year without jurying. LFOA typically receives roughly 1,000 applications for up to 200 booth spaces. Approximately (25) of those spaces are reserved for artist advisors, past award winners (selected by the previous year's jurors), the annual poster artist and the design award competition winner.

APPLY: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7036

Learn more: http://lfoa.mam.org

Contact: Courtney Kihslinger, courtney.kihslinger@mam.org