Blog

September 29-30
Augusta, New Jersey
Presented By: Peters Valley School of Craft
150 Artists
Deadline: April, 14

Application Fee: $40 with code EB2018 
Booth Fee: Indoor Booths $465+; Outdoor booths $425 +                                                                       
The Peters Valley Annual Fine Craft Fair is a juried event that attracts exhibitors from across the country and attendees from the tri-state area (NY, NJ, PA). Approximately 150 artists will be accepted into the event as well as a very limited number of Artisanal Food exhibitors. All artwork must be made by the exhibiting artist. There are wholesale opportunities as well as a limited number of Emerging Artist opportunities available.

The site for the craft fair is the Sussex County Fairgrounds located in Augusta, NJ. The venue is less than 60 miles from New York City, is fully accessible, offers camping with or without hookups and has ample parking with easy load-in/out. Booth spaces are indoor/enclosed spaces with concrete floors.

The show is promoted through newspapers, magazines, billboards and social media. Promotional postcards, posters and digital ads are available to exhibiting artists. As a non-profit organization dedicated to artists and artistic practices, our Craft Fair Committee is focused on making this event successful for you. We strive to improve each year in attracting the right attendees to the show in order to make your participation profitable for you. Our goal is to provide a selling venue that helps you continue your artistic practice while also introducing the public to artists and their processes.

New this year:
We are offering a very limited number of outdoor exhibition spaces.

Testimonials:

"Over the past several years I have seen an increase in the level of sophisticated buyers coming to the show. Consequently my sales have increased beyond my expectations." Jewelry Exhibitor.

APPLY: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=6190

More Information: http://www.petersvalley.org/html/craft_fair_exhibitors.cfm
Contact: Lindsay Gates    craftfair@petersvalley.org    (973) 948-5200

Let me start by saying I never really know where to put these reviews because it is not an "art" show.  So Connie, if you want to move it elsewhere, please do.  I will fill you in on our experience but YMMV. 

This past weekend dh and I went Brandon, MS, which is a suburb of Jackson, to attend Vintage Market Days of Mississippi.  VMD is not for every artist or crafts person, which is true of any show.  There is no show or event that fits everyone, including VMD.  VMD is a franchise-based event.  Each franchisee has one or more events they run/promote.  Many, to my understanding, have more than one event, each in a different locale.  Most, if not all, do a 2 season line up.  Some shows are in the summer, most in the spring and fall, and a few in the winter.  Each show must be applied to separately, even if 2 or more that you're applying to are run by the same promoter.

We had scheduled set up at 1:00 PM on Thursday.  We arrived a little early and were told we go ahead and pull in & set up.  Dh and I took a few minutes to eat lunch from our ice chest before heading in.  Some had already set up or were in the process of setting up but it was not hard at all to pull up to our booth.   Set up was uneventful and quick, considering we were short one person.  (Our dd chose to stay home for the weekend so we did not have her help.)

We were done setting up by about 4:00 PM.  We took a few minutes after set up to walk around and see some friends from the road, if they were available and not too busy setting up.  Afterwards we went to Cracker Barrel for a little comfort food.  Yum.  :D  Our hotel of choice, where there is a special rate for VMD vendors, is about 5 minutes from the venue.  Yay!

We went back to the VMD venue about 9:00 AM on Friday with a 10:00 AM opening time.  We had only a little tweaking to do to the booth.  We were left with enough time to walk around and see some friends we had missed the afternoon before.  Friday's attendance was typical for a Friday, which is still a work day for most people.  We have come to expect not a lot in terms of attendance or sales on Fridays.  We keep our expectations low and then if it is gang busters, we consider it lagniappe (a little something extra), as we like to say in south Louisiana.  Friday proved to be an average Friday for us.

Saturday had a good bit more foot traffic.  As typical, it was our best day of the show.  We still were a little disappointed in the amount of foot traffic but considering the economy in south Louisiana and Mississippi, it was okay.  There are many people who work in the oilfield who live in south Louisiana and Mississippi.  This industry is struggling still, and the economy is still sluggish.  We can see signs it's coming back but it's not back yet.  This translates into probably an almost equal number of lookers and buyers, at best.  Our price range of products in our booth is from $5.00 to over $100.00 (furniture type pieces).  Our average sale is around $25.00.  Shock. Gasp.  No getting rich here on single pieces that sell for several $100 or $1K.  I am working on finding furniture pieces that can bring in more and also am trying to build my skill level.  However, I know that it's the small pieces that most people can afford and actually purchase, so these will always be in my booth.  I know there is a draw for my work as I have good response to what I do and even have had discussion with shop owners about having my products in a mall situation where there are booths (or a brick and mortar store) available for my type work.

Sunday in the south ... typically the attendance is low until church lets out.  Some will come straight from church and spend the afternoon eating and shopping at the venue.  Others will go eat out, then come walk off lunch.  We had slower sales than Saturday but did have some, even at the last minute.

There are 2 arena type buildings at most of the VMD events.  These buildings are equestrian type arenas with open sides but a full roof overhead.  When I first heard about doing a show in one of these arenas, I was concerned about possible odor from previous functions that involved the live stock.  We have not experienced any odor due to livestock.  The dirt floor at Brandon is packed very well.  It is not loose at all.  I was speaking with Don, the husband of the franchisee, and he said he pays a hefty price to have it packed to so well.

There is no climate control in many of the venues, but at this time of year in Mississippi (and Louisiana) the weather is typically mild. If climate control is critical to your work, then the show in Mississippi is not for you.  Some of these shows do have climate control.  If you want to apply and climate control makes a difference, then ask before applying.

We were in the 2nd building where the food trucks are.  There were 4 different food trucks, I think, each serving their own unique line of food.  Most of the time we just snack from our ice chest and have a good meal at the end of the day once we leave the venue.  Professionally designed and manufactured signage is hung to let shoppers know about more shopping in the 2nd building.

There was live music in the building we were in.  The music is a single musician, usually playing the guitar and singing.  The same 2 ladies have bee playing at the different VMD events we have done in Mississippi and Amite, LA.  They have good voices but are different in style.  Most customers enjoy the live music, from what I hear.  For those who are there all day long, you realize their set is about 45 minutes long, but is repeated for the duration of their time there, which is about 3 hours each.

As I have stated in previous comments about doing VMD events, this is working for us right now.  We will continue to do it as long as it makes sense.  If you have any questions but don't want to post them here, you can PM me.

I am considering purchasing a 2017 Ford Transit 250 Van. I have seen a number of them and I am trying to figure out how to outfit it to carry Panels, Tent, and Watercolor paintings, If any one has pictures of how they outfitted their van I would like to see them so I could get some ideas.

Thanks Wallace and Lu Fuller

October 5 - 7
Louisville, KY
Presented By: St. James Court Art Show Inc.
700 Artists

Deadline: April 15

Application Fee: $40   Booth Fee: $575 

More than 700 fine artists and craftspeople from throughout North America converge the first full weekend of October for the Saint James Court Art Show. Ranked in the top ten fine art and craft shows in the country by the industry's Sunshine Artist Magazine, this autumn tradition draws over 100,000 visitors every year who come to purchase unique handcrafted items directly from the hands that crafted them. 

The show is held in the heart of historic Old Louisville, which boasts the largest collection of Victorian homes in the country. Old Louisville is an elegant backdrop for this display of fine arts and crafts, which will be exhibited and sold along Saint James Court, Belgravia Court, Magnolia Avenue, and the adjacent blocks of Third and Fourth Streets. 

Event organizers work diligently to cater to all artistic preferences and budgets. The result is a tasteful selection of high-quality original works that include paintings, sculpture, pottery, leather and woodcrafts, photography, textiles, glass art and other fine arts. Proceeds from the show fund various community charities, art scholarships and neighborhood maintenance and restoration. 

Admission is free, and the event is held rain or shine. No pets please.

Testimonials: Insider Louisville called it "The MacDaddy of all art shows"
 
Marketing:
Our artists are important to us. We work hard all year long to make sure Louisville knows you are going to be here the 1st weekend of October. Our annual marketing plan includes Louisville Magazine, Kentucky Monthly, Nashville Arts, Playbill Cincinnati, StyleBlueprint, ArtFairCalendar.com, Insider Louisville, Ad Network Kentucky, Art FM WXOX 97.1 FM, WAVE 3 TV, Facebook, Instagram, and subscriber based e-newsletters.

Please note:

The show is comprised of 6 sections which operate simultaneously and contiguously. St. James is the original show and hosts 250 of the 700 total number of artists. You may apply to as many sections as you wish, but can only accept an invitation to participate in ONE section in a given show year. At this time there are several ways to apply to the 2018 show depending on which section of the show you would like to participate in. 

Which Section should I apply to?
All 6 areas have good traffic flow. When a patron comes to the Art Show they don't really know when they are walking from one section into another. We don't advertise the different sections to the public. There are several differences that I like to tell artists about. You are welcome to call me and I can explain further. 

Applications:

4 sections are listed on Zapplication and only take digital images and applications through Zapp, http://zapplication.org. The other 2 sections, West End Baptist Church and 1300 Association only take paper applications which can be downloaded on our web site under "Exhibitors". 

August 11 & 12

What we missed that you want included: 

Contact: Pam Marshall,   marshallp@shelbytwp.org    (586) 731-0300

Chicago, IL
14th Annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts

The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts is Chicago's premier fine art and fine craft festival showcasing over 125 juried artists. Lakeview is located on the north side of Chicago, near Wrigley Field, north Halsted and Lincoln Park in a very diverse, culturally rich community with unique boutique stores, cafes and restaurants.

Lakeview East Festival of the Arts encompasses all fine art and fine craft to include: acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, printmaking, drawing, fiber, ceramics, glass, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, photography. This festival is open to other disciplines upon individual consideration. 

Lakeview East Festival of the Arts strongly promotes this event and has created a marketing/multi-media plan to reach a wide audience. The event is in it's 14th year and the event has seen 45,000 plus attendees in previous years.

Security detail will be present throughout the event to include setup, overnight and during each day of the festival.

Marketing: 

For the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts, the chamber partners with a local marketing and PR agency for a multi-media advertising campaign across the city of Chicago, northwestern suburbs and a full digital media campaign. Our marketing plan includes over $50,000 in ad buys which encompass digital, print, radio, television, and on-site advertising.

Jury Rules and Artwork Requirements:

• All artists who apply must submit work of their own conceived creation and must be in attendance throughout the duration of the festival. An artist is not allowed to send a representative in lieu of their personal attendance.

• Work must not have been made in a production studio or using commercial molds, patterns, kits or prefabricated pieces. 

• Artists must submit a booth image with their jury application, preferably from a previous show. If the jury feels that the image is not an actual representation of the artist's booth layout, the submission will be declined.

• Once accepted, Lakeview East Festival of the Arts reserves the right to use images for award jurying during the festival and possible event promotion.

APPLY: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=6386

Advertising Contact Email: dillin@lakevieweast.com

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Find more art fairs looking for artists: www.CallsforArtists.com

Hello

Asking the veterans out there.. I have been preparing my show tent for Jury..  I am a photographer and will be selling smaller packaged prints of my larger photos on display...  

I see that pro panels  make a type of print bin?   Are there any dos and dont's  or advice I need to know for my submission to Jury?  

Placement in booth?

Type?

alternative possibilties? 

Logistics for success in my photo submission of my booth with print bins or anything i need to know for that matter,,

Thank you in advance,,

chris

We're here to help. At the recent Arts Festival Conference, sponsored by Zapplication, in Deerfield, FL, one of the presenters was Brenda Conway whose session was geared to all participants in this art fair business.

Her Mission: Provide resources so art fairs and artists can succeed.

My favorite quote from her talk:

When you are doing well and feeling good, pat yourself on the back, and don’t start worrying about what isn’t done.

Quick overview:

First tip: Concentrate on spending your time on the jobs that support your mission. Does it support your goal? If it doesn't set it aside.

Second tip: Organization: Concentrate on the plan that will support your mission, create an annual Plan/business plan and a time line; create a calendar that insures it is taken care of; create a support system; plan for attrition and life getting in the way. dates, accountability

Third tip: Plan for growth. As opportunities come your way think long term. Don't use the lemonade stand approach (here today, gone tomorrow), but each day builds for the future.

Fourth tip: TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE; reward your team members; make it fun

Fifth tip: If you're stressed, change it up. If you change nothing, nothing will change. Sometimes you need something completely different: take a class, meetup with like minded people, do yoga first instead of when you have time, reward yourself

Directly from Brenda:

Burnout robs you of your passion; your joy.  Taking steps to avoid/address burnout can help you find your way back to your passion and help you realize your goal/s; make it a conscious choice to live and thrive in that sweet spot.  What you do matters so much – you should get to feel the joy rather than the “drug through the mud for forty hours” that burnout brings.  Here are some tips that can help you avoid burnout in the first place or, if burnout is staring at you from the mirror, to make it pack its bags and move to Siberia. 

• Know your goal/s for being involved – all decisions should tie back to this “mission statement”.  This keeps your focus in focus!  Write it down – words have power!
  
  
• Know what you are willing to sacrifice (and what you are not willing to sacrifice) to reach your goal/s.  Also know what you are asking those around you to sacrifice so you can reach your goal/s. Give them the courtesy and power that agreeing to their role deserves. 
    
• GET ORGANIZED – This is often the point where everything breaks down.  People often get so busy “doing” they forget the planning.  This creates a “can’t see the forest for the trees” situation every time.  Burnout ensues and people walk away.  Better to put everything on hold and get organized than continue this sure path to mediocrity and a loss of passion especially when you think you don’t have time. 
  
  
• Change it up – take a different role or give yourself the gift of being involved in a way that challenges a different part of your brain and your skill set.  It is sort of like taking a vacation (new sights, smells, scenery, new challenges) but within a festival.
  
  
• Have fun and celebrate!  It’s a festival – it’s supposed to be a fun and entertaining event.  This applies to you as well as the patrons!  Celebrate event the smallest things (they often mean more than the big ones). 

I especially liked the last one. That is one of the very good things about our business. We get to meet people who love meeting you and have voluntarily shown up for that pleasure. Also, each step of the way has its joys, not to be missed, celebrated. A favorite story of mine, when we were doing shows I remember so well one day when we got accepted to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival (a joyful event, right?), and my husband saying, "Too bad. Now we've got to start worrying about getting in again next year." Me, I celebrated ...

Brenda Conway co-founded the nonprofit Downtown Peculiar Arts & Culture District. During her leadership, this organization went from an idea to a multi-award winning entity with over a half million dollars in assets and one quarter of a million dollars in grants and donations. The organization received a Missouri Arts Council Creative Community Award and became an award-winning part of Missouri Main Street. 

Stemming from her working experience, Conway developed a passion for small towns and arts endeavors. She is the author of several arts guides, including The Beginner's Pocket Guide to Becoming an Art Festival Artist, How to Organize & Host a Successful Arts Festival, and Twelve Months of Affordable, Temporary Public Art Projects. Learn more about Brenda.

St James remains a true grassroots non-profit art show, fueled by passionate volunteers for the benefit of the community. The show is held in the heart of historic Old Louisville, which boasts the largest collection of Victorian homes in the country. Old Louisville is an elegant backdrop for this display of fine arts and contemporary crafts drawing patrons come from all over the region. A destination art show attracting 200,000+ visitors annually!

APPLY: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=6451

More Information: stjamescourtartshow.com
Contact : Elaine Steele   edsteele@stjamescourtartshow.com  (502) 637-3711

I recently was accepted to the Mission Federal Artwalk in San Diego.  A few days ago, I receive a call from someone saying I should call them regarding the Mission Federal Art show.  The voice mail was very hard to understand due to their accent and fuzzy line. 

So I called today and ask for Sarah Jackson.  After talking to a rude guy insisting I know what the voice message was, I get transferred to Sarah.  I'm placed on hold... she comes on... line fuzzy with static.  I commented on the sound and it clears up somewhat.  She starts talking fast and with the accent, very hard to understand what she's saying.  I comment on her to slow down and she comments that she's going to help me on my hotel rate.   That she's authorized by the Mission Federal to help the artists and vendors.  Ok.... Let's see what she can do.  I had already booked my room from Orbitz.  As she asks questions, I answer them.  She wants the name of the hotel, the address, and she comes back with my room rate.  Hmmmmm, wonder how that happened?  She then says my rate is $248 and she can make sure I get the discount rate for vendors, which would be $237.  I'm thinking... $10 isn't a lot to save.   Ok.... she then says that she's going to transfer me to the reservation department.  I get the same rude guy at the beginning when I called.  He starts talking in the same accent and the phone line starts it's static again.  I comment on it.  He states that "the line is engaged".... who says that in America?  I ask again how he knows about the rate and hotel information.  He's authorized by various art shows to help make sure they get the discounts.   He says he sees where Sarah made her recommendations and he'll send me an email.  "You need to go to your computer now and open the email".  

Me - "I'm not near my computer".   (inside voice... I have work to do)

H - You have a smart phone, use that.

Me- I don't have it with me.  (thinking... why so urgent to open an email)

H - In order to get you the discount, we need to do this together.

Me - Alright

H- I'll wait as long as needed.

Me - I got the email. ( which is coming from OPS at(ehsrooms).com via SignNOW.com)

When I opened the email, it was an information form to fill out, I see all the highlighted areas.  All those areas are your personal information... credit card number, expiration number, name, address, etc.  And at the bottom, you sign off on the form.... Giving them all the permission to use your information.

I told him I'm not going to give any information.  His comments try to reassure me that all the information is confidential, nothing goes to "his" computer.  LOL.... maybe not his computer but it's going to be recorded somewhere, on someone's.  :)

I hung up on him and call the Mission Federal Artwalk group.  I told them about the incident.  They confirm it's a scam (someone else told them the same thing)  and they'll be sending out an email to notify the other artists.  They also said that there is an actual company of EHS ROOMS, but probably someone is using it to their own personal gain.

We might be creative but we aren't stupid!  :)

June 23 & 24
Des Moines, Iowa

Presented By: SPPG, LLC

250 Artists
Deadline: March 23

Application Fee: $30 Booth Fee: $340 - $600

ArtFest Midwest 2018, Iowa's largest fine art show, is an indoor event (with a few outdoor spaces) held in the rain-free, air-conditioned Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on the same weekend as the downtown arts event. ArtFest Midwest, an affordable alternative to the downtown show, will again offer free shuttle bus service to and from downtown. Parking and admission to the show are free to the public. Expected attendance: 30,000

New this year: ArtFest Midwest will include an "Artist Lounge" supplied with beverages and snacks for artists to take a break.

Marketing:

In addition to radio, television, newspaper and digital advertising, Artfest Midwest 2018 will be promoted through a robust social media network on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

APPLY: https://www.artfestmidwest.com/how-to-apply

More Information:  www.artfestmidwest.com