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This is always on the first full weekend in November. It is three days, ending at 5pm on Friday and Saturday and at 4pm on Sunday.

In my humble opinion this is the best fall show to do in Florida, nobody else compares.

Also Pensacola is a very cool town to hang out at.

Lots of good seafood bars and restaurants (more about them later), easy traffic, cheap lodgings, a mellow setup and a great wholesale seafood outlet to stock up on Monday morning.

Plus, most artists make at least $3-4K here, and some make more, and sadly, a few do badly here.

Hey, that is the art shows biz in a nutshell.

Well, there is lots to talk about. So I will begin with my journey there.

OK, crank up the Siri XM, tune it to Tom Petty Radio, listen to Last Dance with MaryJane, set the cruise control at 75 and let us get rolling.

I now live in New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic Coast. So all my travel times have changed. Previously, living in Tampa, this was a nine hour run, course you gain an hour going into CST when you cross the Applachicola River On I-10.

Made it there in seven hours. Tom was wailing all the way.

Setup for the show was on Thursday.  I left on Wednesday. Gotta get Position A for the van which I leave on the street near my booth all show.  There are only about six available spots on the street.  I used Lyft to get to our AirBnB.  My first time using them.  They were perfect, and cheap.

Do not get on me about depriving some Show patron of a parking spot. Those spots get grabbed way before any patrons show up.  If you ever do the show, you will understand me.

Position A is vital, especially as we age.  I am now at that ripe old age of 73.

I roomed with my NSB buddy Phil Hall, the jeweler.  He found a cherry AirBnB a mile from the show.  The accommodations were awesome.

Thursday, setup day, was supposed to have vicious weather, high winds with copious rain.  Artists could start setting up as early at 8am.  We all had staggered times.  People in the park get the first times, then ones on the perimeter facing out to the street are next, then booths on the street, like mine, are last.

It rained like hell all morning, then wimped out to light sprinkle by 11am.  Most artists adopted a wait and see. By noon, the majority were setting up.

I was done by 5pm  and headed to dinner at the FishHouse Restaurant which is almost right across the street from art show.

This is still one of my favorite places.

Sits right on the bay, classy settings inside and reasonable prices for fresh seafood.

Shrimp a Ya Ya, which is shrimp and grits, is a deal at $19.95. It will fill you up.

I Lyfted back to the BnB and got to watch Netflix while sipping Knob Creek.

Friday dawned with perfect almost chilly weather which keeps the folks off the beaches and the golf course.

Never got busy til about noon, then it was mostly retirees with their walls already filled.

Usually if you do $500 on Friday, you are lucky.

Wow! I did a whopping $850.

Many zeroed, many did like me and a few got real lucky.

They hold a free feed for the artists at a nearby restaurant on Friday nite.  Awards are announced too.

I skipped the free feed and ate at Dharma Blue which is right by the show on Alcaniz Street.

We are talking good sushi here and a great selection of spirits as well as hot and cold sakes. Yumm.

Saturday dawned with quiet wind and sunny skies.  Perfect for great sales.

Near our BnB on Gregory Street is a great breakfest place called “Another Broken Egg.”

Unusual scrambles, omelets and great waffles.  It is a class act and they open at 7am.

We ate and were at the show in time for Phil to find a close parking spot.

Bigger crowds Then day before.  Not a lot of buying going on.  It was mostly lowend, think $30-$85 range, all out of the print bins.

My neighbor to the left with great clay wall pieces, zeroed both Friday and Saturday.  They were using new colors and the people were not buying.

I only saw less than a dozen large pieces go by my booth that day.  It was mostly low and slow for most of us.

I sold a large one-of-a-kind handcolored photo of Christopher Walken for $750.  That was my only big sale of the show.

Only sold two 16x20 framed photos,$150, the whole show.  Usually sell a half dozen.

I think the Mid Terms dominated people’s minds and their inclinations to buy.  That is just my theory.

I ended up with a lot of Lowend sales that made it a great day for me.  Trouble was, they were wiping me out of the popular ones, which means I would be under-stocked for next weekend’s show in Covington.

Overall, most artists were disappointed with their sales.

Of course, we all kept telling ourselves, “This is a Sunday show.”

That nite, I ate at Atlas Fish Restaurant which is in the same complex as the FishHouse.  You just climb the stairs and go left.  You are there.

Atlas features more shellfish, think yummy oysters.  They do a killer Mahi fish sandwich, grilled or blackened for $12. Comes with onion rings sprinkled on the top of the fish.  They give a very generous portion. The fish sticks out beyond the bun on all four sides.  This place is a deal, and it is classy.

Lyfted it back and Netflixed it.  Hoping for a strong Sunday, because this is a poor Monday show.

We hit The Egg for breakfest and then a Seven Eleven for the New York Times, standard operating procedure for me on Sunday.

I already had Position A for teardown, but Phil was looking, and then he lucked out big time. Bingo, Position A for Phil!

We had great weather for the day.  The crowds never showed up til after noon.  It is the Bible Belt as well as Prime Trump territory.

Had lots of pleasent conversations with a few turning into mostly low, very low, sales.  That is just how it went for the day.

Teardown was a snap,was down and out in 90 minutes, not bad for a man in his mid seventies doing it all by himself.

Pick up those John Deere weights and you will know you have had a workout.

Phil and I did Atlas one more time.  Another great fish sandwich with a yummy bottle of red wine.

Monday, I met up with Lou and Terry at Joe Pattis seafood.  We stocked up with plenty of shrimp and fish then we were Mississippi bound.

Three days of golf with Lou, for big stakes. But, that is a story for another time.

Aloha, Nels.

I am looking for a female artist (45+) who wants to do art fairs around the country. Someone who feels that an "accomplice" and partner could make it easier and a lot more fun than doing it alone.

I've been doing the Art Fair circuit for only 9 months and after 35 years of doing TV around the world I am now hooked on the lifestyle of selling my art around this country. I do look at couples (made lots of great friends) doing the shows, and I confess.. I am envious. Alone is harder.

I am thinking of buying a small RV, but before I do, perhaps there's someone out there who already has one and wishes had an "accomplice" or partner to make it easier and more fun.

This is what I do in TV: www.sucubi.tv

And this is what I do now in art fairs: www.lymontells.com

I've been fortunate enough that only after 1 year in the circuit I've been invited to almost every show I've applied so I am willing to go from east to west and north to south. I just don't want to do it alone.

If you want to talk and meet, write to me: lymontells@hotmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from my future "accomplice" and art partner....!!!

Ly

In my mailbox today: 

CherryArts Marketing Manager

In my mailbox today from NBC:

All of you artsy/craftsy folks, fine artsy, loving hands artsy, weekend warrior artsy ... this might be for you! 

Anyone interested in applying can go to https://www.nbc.com/making-it and click the casting link.

P.s. I actually know someone personally who was a runner up on one of these programs, someone from our "industry." 

Deadline: Midnight, November 8, Best Art Fairs Survey

Can you share this link and get some of your fans to complete our survey before midnight. You know how the crowds flock to the art fairs ... not just because they are bored ... but because they love the ambiance, the art, the artists, the unexpected at each and every booth. 

Our mission is to help those people find the best shows so they keep coming back for more to put $$$ in your pocket. 

Leading today: Old Town Art Fair, Chicago; Ann Arbor Street Art Fair; The Ann Arbor Art Fairs; One of a Kind Show, Chicago; Geneva Art Fair, Geneva, IL; 57th Street in Chicago; Coconut Grove Arts Festival; Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago.

Seems some biggies are missing ... you and I know what the best shows are, let's help draw people to those events. 

The link for the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/18BAFsurvey

Open Call for Artists: Hungarian Multicultural Center AIR-HMC residency program in Budapest, Hungary.

Deadline: November 25, 2018

Subject: “Environmental Project & BookArt2”

Session 1: Tuesday, May 14 - Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Session 2: Tuesday, June 11 - Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Session 3: Tuesday, July 9 - Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Session 4: Tuesday, August 6 - Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Session 5: Thursday, December 26 - Friday, January 10, 2020

HMC International Artist Residency Program, a not-for-profit arts organization based in Dallas, TX / Budapest, Hungary - provides national and international artists to produce new work while engaging with the arts community in Budapest, Hungary. 

For more info and application form write to: Beata Szechy

bszechy@yahoo.com

http://www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com/

We just finished another first time show sort of.  I have done Las Olas Part 1 and part 2 but never the part 3 in October.  I had heard the Las Olas in October was not as strong as the ones in January and March but this was our best Las Olas to date. True the crowds are not as big but there are still a ton of people who attend the show, (see pic above taken around noon on Saturday) and most of them live in the area verses tourists and for our work we sell best to non-tourists.   It can be expensive to stay in that area in the winter but in October you can find inexpensive lodging options.  We rented a wonderful large Airbnb with an outdoor area about 100ft from the show for $75 a night. The best part of the October show, the booth spots are not as tight as they are in the January and March Las Olas.  We had a ton of room and were even able to show work on both corners of our booth and we were not a corner booth spot.  So, if you haven’t already figured it out I really liked this show.  The only negative was the weather.  It was hot and humid but the show is in southern Florida, it can be hot and humid any time of the year.

A quick recap of the logistics in case you aren’t familiar with the layout.  I won’t go into a ton of detail since I have written this up multiple time in the past, you can search for more info easily.  Booths are set up on the street of Las Olas, a shopping and dining area.  The booths are back to back but there is a median with plants and bushes behind the booths.  You can drop off your work on Saturday morning as early as 3:30 am but cannot start setting up your booth on the street until after 5:30 am.  At 5;30 am all vehicles have to be off the street. If you show up after 5:30 am you will need to dolly.  This year’s set up was very calm and easy.  For break down you tear down with everything on the sidewalk.  The show closes at 5pm and they open up the streets about 6pm for artists to drive in.  Here is something I love about a Howard Alan show and wish more shows would do. If you have a trailer you will have to wait a little longer to come in to your spot at breakdown.  We always have a double booth and no trailer so our vehicle can fit into our booth spot once the booth is broken down so we don’t block traffic at load out. When a trailer gets in and doesn’t have anywhere else to go except to block the road it can get ugly. Howard Alan holds off trailers from coming in until there is room for them. It was maybe 30 minutes more they had to wait and load out was a breeze. My only disappointment was that we were too busy to spend an extra night to enjoy the area because this area of South Florida and Fort Lauderdale is wonderful. Hopefully next year.

It’s been awhile since I have shared a review.  I got tired of reviewing the same shows every year so decided to keep the reviews to new shows.  Bethesda Row Arts Festival was October 13-14.  Bethesda is a city just outside of DC.  This is a very wealthy part of DC.  The show takes place on the streets of a high-end shopping area.  Communication from the show is excellent.

The show runs on Saturday 11-6 and Sunday 10-5 with free admission.  Set up is early morning Saturday with scheduled arrival times. Ours was for 4 am and you could arrive as early as 3:30am.  We woke up at 3am, before the alarm went off so decided to go early and everything was calm and easy to do. Drop off your stuff then go park.  That early in the morning there are a ton of parking spaces on the street and artist parking was close by.   I am glad we arrived early because it started to lightly rain.  We already had our tent up so no big deal for us. Since it started raining The show allowed artists to set up their tents quickly then unload into their tents.  The set up on our street was back to back other streets had booths across from each other.  The back to back tents had next to no space behind or side to side, so no storage outside of the booth.  We planned for this and I have to say it’s sort of liberating not having all this extra stuff you don’t NEED at the booth. 

The show doesn’t open until 11 am on Saturday.  That was very nice to have a few hours after set up to go back to the hotel and relax/nap before the show. The weather was on the cool side for us and was a nice change. The rain stopped before the show started on Saturday.   We arrived at our booth at 9:45 am to finalize a few things and made our first big sale at 9:50 am, over an hour before the show even opened.  That’s the way to start a show.  The crowds were strong in my opinion all day Saturday but other artists said it was usually more crowded.  We were busied all day talking to serious buyers so I was thrilled with the patrons. I had no idea how my booth neighbors did on Saturday because we were just too busy in our own booth.  Sunday morning it rained, not heavy but enough to keep the crowds away.  It gave me a chance to talk with my neighbors and almost everyone around me were very happy with Saturday.  The rain stopped I think around noon, I can't remember exactly and the crowds came and again bought.  As usual Michael handles the deliveries on Sunday mornings, no traffic, and was gone most of the day only coming back to take pieces to deliver from Sunday sales.  All of my neighbors were happy with sales as were the other artists I talked to.  Love when you can report a good to great show for most.  The entire staff and team were amazing.  They were very friendly, always in touch, reaching out to the artists.  I can’t imagine wanting anything more from a show director and the staff.  Even the police were some of the nicest and helpful we have worked with at an art festival. This show is in a logistically difficult location but they pull it off wonderfully.

Breakdown went a little differently this year but since it was the first time we did the show we didn’t know any different.  You break down get a pass then line up.  They let just a few vehicles in at a time which slowed the process down according to artists but it went very smoothly with no chaos and for a tight breakdown I thought it was pretty fast. We hope to be back in the future.

Artsy Shark is currently seeking 48 artists to feature and promote through individual portfolio articles in the coming months. Submissions are now open. We invite visual artists in all mediums to apply.

Deadline is November 1, 2018.

As a Featured Artist, you present your portfolio and in your own words, describe your inspiration, technique, goals and accomplishments in an article that is all about you.

Artists are selected through a competitive juried process that includes viewing your art website. Features are published for the purpose of sharing your portfolio, creating interest in your work, connecting readers with you on social media, and sending traffic to your art website.

A submission fee of $20 per artist applies. Artsy Shark receives no payment or commissions on any sales or contracts which result from featured artist exposure.

Learn more & apply: https://www.artsyshark.com/become-a-featured-artist/

The 10th edition of Art San Diego kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday. And as an Art Fair Insider subscriber, Art San Diego is offering exclusive tickets to attend the 10th-anniversary show where you can see works from more than 75 exhibitors and specially curated programs, parties and events. Join the celebration Oct. 19-21, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Get your complimentary ticket for the 10th-anniversary Art San Diego show:

http://bit.ly/ASD18-COLLECTOR

Presented By: Naples Art Association

Naples, Florida is home to a robust and successful tourist industry. The county saw 1.03 million visitors in the first six months of 2017, a 1.5% increase over the same months in 2016. In the first six months of 2017, approximately 49% of visitors enjoyed shopping and 16% of visitors enjoyed attendance at an art gallery, show, festival or fair. Over 504,000 visitors enjoyed browsing and shopping for art at festivals et al. as part of their visit to Naples.

This juried show has openings for 250 artists looking to show in the popular seasonal destination, Naples, Florida. Over 37 states and 3 countries were represented last year. Show guests enjoy the set-up along the main street and can take advantage of free off-site parking for the festival. 

 

The quad setup for artists affords every artist a corner booth and great visibility. Engaged shoppers, looking for that last minute purchase opportunity, make this show a great opportunity to share more of your creations.

 

Marketing:

• The Naples Art Association hosts one of the last major art shows of the winter season on the elegant Fifth Avenue South in Naples, FL. 
• A favorite show for artist enthusiasts, and collectors, rated in the top 7% in the Sunshine Artist Top 200 survey. 
• This show benefits from significant media coverage that includes articles written by major local print news sources. 
• Paid advertising in print-media and communication resources includes: multiple advertisements in print publications, online advertising across the state of Florida on popular national news websites, a significant social media campaign engaging members and friends of Naples Art Association and multiple radio advertisements during the week prior to the festival. 
• The upscale Fifth Avenue South shopping and dining district is the site for this fine art and fine craft festival and is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike. 

Our jurors' panel consists of independent jurors selected for their in-depth knowledge and experience in multiple mediums. A diversity of backgrounds and skills are sought, including working artists, educators, fine art and craft gallery owners, and museum directors/curators. It is the policy of the NAA to select a new panel of jurors for each show to allow for a fresh perspective.

APPLY: http://www.juriedartservices.com

 

More Information: naplesart.org
Contact: Maureen Roberts, Maureen.Roberts@naplesart.org, (239) 262-6517

Highwood Starving Artists Show, Highwood, IL 
Dates: 9/29-30/2018
Time: 10AM - 5PM
Weather, Saturday, 50-60 degrees, cloudy
Sunday: 50 degrees, rain off and on all day
Load In: Friday night 6-7pm. no early check in since they have to close off the street. Saturday morning 6-9:30am.
Load Out: Sunday, 5pm. Everything has to be broke down and at the curb before you can get a sticker in order to bring your car in to load up. 
Booth Fee: $230.00
My Media: Oil Paintings
Promoter: Amdur Productions.
Price range: $10-$350
majority of work to be $100 or less OR highly discounted.
I did not make my booth fee.
Very slow show. Crowds weren't there and the weather didn't help. The woman next to me sold ice dyed scarfs, shirts, etc and did well. My friend who sells jewelry made $170 over booth fee. Others I talked to said sales were slow. 
Second year I did this show. Last year it was 100 degrees and I made my booth fee, however the booth fee was only $115 because they cut it in half. 

Hello;

I live in South Florida and want to plan half a dozen art shows between now and next Summer in Florida. I was thinking of (if accepted!) limiting it to the Howard Allen Art Shows as they seem to be well organized. (I say this as I have not been in any of them yet.) Do any fellow artist have past experiences with these shows, and can direct me to the better ones? (In terms of crowd and POSSIBLE sales...) Thanks.

Well, I was halfway thru this blog and it disappeared into the eternal ether.

So here we go again.

The things I do for you guys.

Be nice to me and read this review and then, actually comment about it.

It is my birthday in two more weeks so be kind and read and respond.

This is a great little show in a very historic neighborhood. And, it is a moneymaker for most.

SF is held in the Shaw district slightly south and west of downtown.

Henry Shaw founded the Missouri Historic Botanical Gardens here.  And the show is held right beside it on two blocks of tree lined Flora Street. The gardens are considered the top ones in all of America.  So old Henry had his shit together and figured out a way for people to remember him forever.  Pretty crafty.  I would have loved to drink Manhattens with Henry and cull his mind.  He was a true visionary.

OK, back to the show.

As I said before it got lost in the ether, this show has a lot of parallels to St. James Court.

In fact the woman who founded SF forty years ago was originally from Louisville.

When she moved to St. Louis, she wanted to mimic the SJ show and make the Shaw just like it.

Both are held in old historic neighborhoods.  Both are run by associations who use the money produced from the show to make neighborhood improvements.

The Shaw is a far better show to do.

Here is why.

One. It is two days rather than three days to do.  Yet, I made just as much money in two and had a great time.  Later I will tell you about The Rooster, Thurman’s and Sasha’s.

Two.  It is cheaper to do.

Three.  It is a smaller show, only about 140 exhibitors.

Contrast that with SJ which has almost a thousand booths between their five shows and associated scab shows.  The one big problem with SJ is too many exhibitors for too few customers.  Fine artists have a tough time making a living here.

Four.  It is a far mellower setup and teardown than SJ.

OK, to balance it out.  Here is the only downside to the Shaw.

Weather can ruin it, especially rain.

This year, around 2pm a storm hit us out of the blue.

No soft beginning with floating drops hitting the canopy.

This storm rained down two inches of windy, hard-driven rain in less than twenty minutes.

After that, the crowd disappeared.  I made about $100 in sales til close of show at 5pm.

A photographer near me said, do not worry this is a Sunday show.

Guess what?  He was right, thank God.

OK Nels, enough with the yada yada.  Gives us some meat, facts.

Thought you would never ask.

How I did, and made money at the Shaw Art Fair.

First off, I forgot this.

The SF can put artists up in the neighborhood homes for free.  No hotel bill, what a concept.

I took advantage of it.  Arrived Thursday nite after a six hour drive from Saugatuck listening to Tom Petty on Sirius while going 80 mph.  “She went down swinging.”

Arrived at this 125 year old house with my room at the top three stories high.

I tried to time it so I showed up when they got home from work, about 7pm.

Being anal, I got there at 4pm, damn you Tom Petty.

So I consulted Google maps and found two cool bars and restaurants to hang out at.

OK, now we are into a Kill Bill moment, but no bloodshed, just lots of shots.

How I found Thurman’s and blundered into Sasha’s.

Thurmans was three blocks from the house I was staying at.

Luckily, they just opened at four.

This is a full on bar. Liquor, wine and craft beer.  They also do California food truck kind of food.  Think chicken, pork or fish tacos— for $3.50 each.

I had a well earned Eligha Craig Manhatten, chilled up in a martini glass.  Followed up with a shrimp taco and then a chicken one.  I bought a bottle of Spanish Temponillo wine for half price, which I was taking to my host’s home.  They were doing vegan chilling.  They loved the wine.

OK. How I found Sasha’s.

I realized while I was having fun at Thurman’s I still had an hour to kill before I showed up at my guest’s house.

My neighbor at the bar, JD was his name, said I should try Sasha’s.  It was five blocks down Thurman Avenue from Thurman’s, the bar.

Hope I did not lose you there.

Thurmuns, the bar, was also on Thurman Avenue.  Sashas was just down from Thurmuns about four or five blocks a way,

Heck, after a good Manhatten and a few tacos, what’s another block.

Sashas was very chic. Marble bar tops, music loud, a young tattooed crowd. Everybody drinking and talking at the top of their lungs.

My kind of place—sometimes.

They had a great wine list, I had one, wine, not the whole list.

They had lots of tapas dishes, think cheese trays,olives, cured meats and pizza.

Eventually, I ended up eating here every night.

OK, I got home safely, ate vegan chilli qand drank some wine.

I slept very well that nite.

Geez, Nels, when are we going to hear about this show.

Thought you would never ask.

So Friday, we could check in at 1pm and setup, take The whole day if you wanted to.

I ate breakfest at the Rooster, on Grand Blvd, just blocks from the show. They were awesome, think omelets, crepes, tomato jam and sriracha.

So It was about 10am and I was  ansty.

 So I went to the show and spocked out my site, booth 45.

Hell, I parked right there, we setup on grass.  Position A.  I pulled out my chair and sat under a shady tree.  Figured I could do a few hours of Candy Crush til registration time.

Then I noticed the next block down, a guy was unloading and setting up.

It was  Bill Lemke, who I know well.

He said, it is a mellow committee, you can setup, no problem.

So I did.

Was done by 2pm.  It was hot, high eighties,  But we had big shade trees.

Also, there were tons of room behind the booth.  Also had room on both sides to hang.

Friday nite, I ate at Sasha’s, the pesto pizza, was awesome.  Made it to Thurmuns and listened to great live jazz.

Saturday. Show started at 9am, ended at 5pm.

The Show has plenty of heavyweight exhibitors there.  Saw Darron Olsen, Ronnie Phillips, Sara and Marc Aune, Miki and Reicko, even saw Nels Johnson.

Crowd was slow coming. Never got busy til about noon.

Most people were walking with their dogs, not really looking at the art.

I mostly sold precious little pieces of paper.

Around 2pm the storm hit us fast.

The crowd never really returned.

I was not very happy, so I went to Sasha’s.

They put on a free artist dinner at a nearby restaurant. So I spent one hour at Sashas

and ambled over to the dinner.

They had great tapas chased down with free wine and beer.

Everybody was happy.

Sunday dawned with heavy fog. Went to Roosters, got a NY Times at Starbucks and got my van into Position A, ready for teardown.

 Crowd  never showed up til about noon.  Now I noticed more people carrying art in bags, a big difference from Saturday.

By 2pm, I was still sitting with a very low sales figure.

Then things started popping.  Bam, bam, thank you mam, I doubled my total sales in one hour. An hour later, I doubled it.

My neighbors were raking it in too.

Half hour from closing, a woman, who had been in three times before, walked in and bought my biggest one of a kind piece.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Trust me this is a great show to do—if the weather does not get you.

Well, I think I have said a mouthful.

Aloha, Nels.

March 29, 30, 31
Indian Wells, California
Presented By: Indian Wells Arts Festival
200 Artists
Deadline: October 22

The Peoria Art Fair took place in a riverfront park in Peoria September 28-30. I had the pleasure of being the featured artist for this show, including the use of my images on posters, billboards, programs and a delightful mural-sized mosaic depiction of one of my paintings created by patrons of the art fair. In return for the show using my images, I was given a free booth in a great location. Great perk! I guess you should realize that my "featured" status gave me a BIG advantage over other exhibitors. I had a terrific show selling 81 pieces of art to 57 customers. My gross for the show was twice what I grossed at the same show a couple of years ago. I must admit that my success had a lot to do with my balloon images being on 10 billboards all over town and on the posters and ads being run by the committee.

So... great show for me, but a random poll of other artists gave me the impression that most other artists did pretty well too. I think this is due to the great work the two directors brought to this long running show. Shannon Cox and Kim Sanders did a great job, as did all the members of the committee. Advertising was widespread for weeks prior to the show and really worked to bring people out.

Setup was all day Friday and was a luxury for us artists who take a long time to set up. It was cool on Friday, making set up comfortable. The committee sponsored a pizza party for the artists from 5-6pm on Friday and the show opened to the public at 6pm. The cool temperatures continued into the evening and us artists froze our buns for the rest of the night. There was a great band that played classic rock most of the evening. We were a distance away from the band and enjoyed the music, but exhibitors close to the band complained. The band's contract called for performing until 10pm, so the art fair stayed open until 10pm... a mistake. Could be that more customers would be around late into the night if the weather was better, but traffic was pretty light after about 8:30.

I did pretty well Friday night in spite of the cold weather, selling a large canvas that the billboards were based on as well as a few other pieces. At least half of the booths did not make it to 10pm, and closed early because of the light traffic and cold weather. This is the first year Peoria opened on Friday, and they will probably reconsider that decision next year. Since us artists have all day to set up on Friday, we might as well open for a few hours in the evening to get in some extra sales. But maybe close around 8pm instead of 10.

Saturday's hours were 10-5. Weather was still cold, but not as cold as the night before. In spite of the cold, attendance was good and it seemed like every other group was carrying packages. Our sales were also good. Lunch for artists was brought to the booths, but not to artist assistants. Lunch was nothing to brag about... a sandwich. Saturday evening the committee sponsored finger food, beer and wine for the artists at the Peoria Art Museum. Food was very good and a blessedly brief awards ceremony gave a best of show ($3000 I think) and three additional awards. We were out of the gathering by about 7:30 and went out to dinner.

Sunday hours were 10-3pm. What a great idea to close at 3 giving us plenty of time to tear down and pack up while still light out. Weather was great on Sunday, warm and sunny. Again, lots of traffic and lots of packages going by. Seems like the people of Peoria really came out to support this art fair.

Here's one idea this art fair has been doing every year. They take an image by the featured artist and break it down in a grid into 280-plus 6-inch squares. Then, they ask patrons to reproduce each 6-inch square with paint on a piece of fome core. They have a big horseshoe shaped table set up with paint and brushes and visitors paint a reproduction of the art piece by piece. The result is surprisingly effective. And visitors to the art fair participate in creating this big mural.

This has always been a good show for me. Never a great show, but a pleasant one, easy to do with a lot of support from an artist-friendly committee. This year it as a great show for me; my best show of the year. Hopefully next year will be just as great. Hey Peoria! You need another featured artist next year? I'll volunteer...