Posted by J Arthur on September 21, 2009 at 1:31pm
Had my first ever art show this weekend. The weather was clear and cool. The show ran from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The crowds were steady except from 1:00 to 2:30, foot traffic was a bit thin. My sales came early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Being that this was my first show I don't know if it was a good one or not. Sold 7 pieces of scanagraphic art for just under $1000.00. Did not hear anyone say they did not like the art. Did hear some comment that the prices were too low, but they did not purchase anything. Now that I have my feet wet, I think we will do more of these shows.
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Recently, Sally Bright, from the NAIA, wrote us to tell us we had an importer on the list of exhibitors at Arts, Beats & Eats. Lisa and I (Lisa Konikow my co-director at ABE) were not pleased. We really liked the images and the exhibitor looked like a quality addition to the show lineup. But when we googled the name: misturadesigns.com and read more about the company AND the extensive list of art fairs they had participated in this year the handwriting was on the wall.
A recent email from www.thaitradepoint.com really brought this further to my attention.
I was being offered unique Asian crafts to sell to my customers. Here are some of the things I could buy (and possibly sell at an art fair):
- Ancient Beads -HANDMADE ART OF PRECIOUS AMULETIC ORNAMENT.
- Spare Robot - Amazing steel works from used spare parts.
- Wood Collection -Exotic wooden gifts for the wood passionate.
-Thai-Luna Soft Clay Flower
- Siam Sculture & Gift - Ancient Sculpture and Gift of the old Siam.
-Thai Be Proud - the masterpiece heritage of southern Thailand.
- Leaves Paper - Handmade leaves & fiber paper of Northern Thailand.
- Spaindex - Hot and Spicy Lady Clothings Exporter. (well, these may not make the jury :)
- Exotic Wallets - Authentic Genuine Leather Wallet made from great quality skin of Thai's animal.
- Wittaya Collection - Mango wood products from most skillful craftsman.
- Just-A-Crafts - The ultimate old rustic teak wook furniture.
The crafts are being sold in lots - not individually. Let's be sharp here and keep these vendors out of our art fairs. It completely undermines our reason for being.
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Posted by Sheldon Park on September 20, 2009 at 9:49pm
On September 26 & 27*Clinton Township Festival of the Senses Saturday 10 to 7; Sunday 10 to 5 200 ExhibitorsLive entertainment, taste tent and children's activitiesSeptember 26 & 27* Birmingham Art in the Park Shain Park, downtown Birmingham220 Artists Saturday - 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday - 10 am to 5 pmShain Park plays host to the original Detroit area art fair to benefit Common Ground Sanctuary. This is a lovely park with excellent artists. If you haven't had your fill of art fairs for this season you must attend this event which has a strong reputation among artists as the place to be on this weekend. Good food, kids activities and music will round out your visit.September 26 & 27*Lowell Fallasburg Fall Festival Historic Fallasburg Park Saturday & Sunday 10 am to 5 pm 80 Artists The Fallasburg Fall Festival is a unique event that develops the potential of its' extraordinary historical setting. It is held in a beautiful park with an old schoolhouse, a covered bridge and takes advantage of this lovely setting to present a small art fair that just suits the setting and its' community.If you want to spend a fall day outdoors, shopping for art, eating homemade food from local churches, watching artisans create craft objects...I'm telling you this is the perfect place. There is art for the sophisticated as well as the craft admirer. Pick up a fine etching or a dried flower wreath for your front door.For more details, kindly visit this site.
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Posted by Connie Mettler on September 20, 2009 at 7:48pm
The affluent Naples area is a much desired place for organizers to present art fairs. Times change and things change.
Here is the announcement from
Howard Alan Events about his popular downtown Naples fair: After 21 years on 5th Avenue South the March Downtown Naples show is officially moving the award Art Fair Calendar.comwinning show to Pelican Bay on Tamiami Trail (US 41). Pelican Bay: - To the South - Downtown Naples - To the North - Bonita Springs Alongside of us - The Waterside Shops, home to Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Tiffany's, etc. This great area is surrounded by high end retail, million dollar mansions, and has great road frontage on SW Florida's most highly traveled road, US 41. Our marketing plan will target Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Marco Island, and Fort Myers. We will be attracting art buyers from all over SW Florida. This event is also being sponsored by the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to the continued success of this top rated event. Visit:
zapplication.org to apply, or visit
www.ArtFestival.com for more information.
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Posted by Larry Jelf on January 23, 2010 at 10:30pm
Because I was not trying to make a living at my pottery I could spend time experimenting with many interesting techniques. To me, the wheel was just another tool. I liked to cut, twist, beat, * apply or any other method to alter the appearance of the thrown piece. Some very fine teachers were greatly responsible for my learning. I then tried to push even further. I composed my own bodies at first but when I opened my own gallery decided that I either had to make clay or pottery and chose the latter. Age and health forced me to close the gallery after four years. However, I did make my own porcelain and loved using it. I compounded my own glazes, later starting to compound my own crystalline glazes, using them on my porcelain. I loved using the crystalline glazes, too.I also had a curiosity about the effects of natural ingredients in my glazes.I have a bowl that I threw from clay that came from 11000 feet under the Atlantic due to the kindness of Woods Hole.My advice to newbies or veterans is to try it. If you don't try something you'll never know if it will work. Also, read everything you can get your hands on! To throw pottery but buy your glazes is sacriledge to me. They go hand in hand. When I wrote this I didn't think that I bought my clay later in my career. There are hopefully, two photos in my photos section showing some of my specialized tools I discussed.** These are nothing more than caster wheels with a number of filed slots in them and a wire handle. See photo to left of duscussion. I have tried to show these tools but the only way I can get them shown is by replacing my own photo. I wanted to display the tools in one spot only so I could refer to them. They are my work but I wouldn't consider them art work.
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Here is an article full of helpful ideas of good books for artists to read, not only for summer for the long haul, an excellent list full of practical books written by Charlene Davis for the Association of Artisan Businesses. Me, I do read a lot and Charlene included my list in the article. I also recommend these to you: •
Your Money or Your Life, Joe Dominguez and Vickie Robin (great for an attitude adjustment and justification for following your bliss). •
No Thanks, I'm Just Looking, Harry J. Friedman (step by step insights to selling). •
The Art of Selling Art, Bill H. Ritchie. •
Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale, Zig Ziglar •
The Secrets of Superselling, Lynea Corson •
How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, Frank Bettger •
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Bruce M. Patton •
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout In my present career building and marketing my two websites (ArtFairCalendar.com and this one) the most important book was
Internet Riches by Scott Fox, really and truly helpful to anyone who is thinking about building an online business. His newest book
e-Riches 2.0 takes up where Internet Riches leaves off. Read Charlene's article here:
Dive Into Summer Reading! and prepare to sell your art.
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Atlanta Arts Festival September 12 & 13 3rd Annual Atlanta Arts Festival Piedmont Park 200 Artists Deadline: April 27 You are invited to apply to become one of 200 jury selected participants for this beloved autumn festival. Produced by a highly qualified staff and a strong pool of committed volunteers, both sharing multiple years of event production and promotion in the City of Atlanta, the festival is dedicated to showcasing talented artists from throughout the country for its enthusiastic art buying crowd. Expect total professional management which includes: * a team with vast experience in event production and artist market management * sponsorship development * professional public relations and marketing Here are two interesting details that should be of interest to you: 1. Despite the drought conditions in Atlanta that have caused the cancellation of four events in Piedmont Park the Arts Festival has been granted the use of the park. This enables them to insure the continuity of a relatively new event in this popular location. This is good for the festival and good for you! 2008 Festival Commemorative Poster Artwork by
Aletha Jones 2. Julie Tepp and her staff understand the dynamics of bringing the "right" people to the event. Last year they turned down sponsors that would have brought large crowds to the park because it was not the audience they were seeking. It is not their goal to bring record numbers to the festival, but to bring buyers. This in turn is not exactly good for the Festival's bottom line, but it is smart strategy for a longer term view of building a quality event. Intriguing, isn't it? Read a letter from the director at the ArtFairCalendar blog, the
Art Fair Insider at this link. Visit the application (
www.zapplication.org) for all of the essential details and information on how to participate! To learn more about the festival visit:
AtlantaArtsFestival.comRead more…
1.
June 6 & 7 - A neighborhood art fair celebrates #62!! Visit the
57th Street Art Fair in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. A unique feature - if you don't know how to buy art they offer a free guided tour of the fair called "Art Buying Boot Camp."
Learn more. 2. Opening today and running until June 14 is the newly revamped
Three Rivers Festival in the downtown cultural district of Pittsburgh celebrating its 50th anniversary. It is is one of the longest-running free arts events of its kind in the United States.
Learn more. 3.
June 5-7 - Almost 250,000 visitors expected at the
Columbus Arts Festival this weekend in Columbus, OH. It is a grand party with 250 artists in the Downtown Discovery District.
Learn more. I have participated in all of these events. I really liked the old neighborhood at 57th Street. Loyal customers turn out year after year to add to their collections meet old friends and see what's new. This is not a really high ranked show but the artists who participate are devoted to it and the wonderful treatment from the committee. Downtown Pittsburgh was a revelation to me, having spent my downtown days in downtown Detroit! Wonderful architecture coupled with world class entertainment at the festival, a knowledgeable bunch of visitors who are drawn
by the diverse offerings. This year it has been downsized from a 21 day festival to just two weeks, so don't dally, get there before it is gone. Columbus has something for everyone. A wide variety of art, lots of food, long hours...terrific for visitors, but kind of tough for exhibitors. Yet the numbers are there. People attend, they buy art and artists reapply for the following year. Have a great weekend everyone. Me? I think I'm going to visit a tiny art fair near here in Winona Lake, Indiana, where I'll find old friends who are giving a try at smaller, cheaper events to see if that works for them. We'll see!
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Posted by Connie Mettler on September 20, 2009 at 7:30pm
Howard Alan Events presents a new festival in affluent West Palm Beach. The message from Howard:
We are excited about the potential for this new event. We are closing down the major streets that encompass City Place, located in downtown West Palm Beach, a beautiful downtown shopping district. This retail empire, which is rich in European architecture, includes 21 fine restaurants, a 20 screen theatre, a cultural city theatre, scores of high end shops, and private high end residences. Combine beautiful architecture, breathtaking fountains, and quaint sidewalk cafes and we have the next great venue in fine art affairs. With an average household income in the six figures this wealthy area of art buyers is well prepared for this fine art fair. Downtown West Palm Beach looks out at the highly affluent island of Palm Beach. We will be putting out a diverse and extensive media plan to make sure City Place will be jammed with art savvy patrons for this can't miss event. To apply visit:
www.zapplication.org or for more information visit:
www.artfestival.comRead more…
An artist always wants to show off their talent with highest quality and detail. A special framework is always required to display a masterpiece. A perfect frame for your artwork not only enhances its beauty but can also bring mesmerizing attraction to your piece.There are various types of artist picture frames available in the market. You can find huge contrast in the frame features, like size, texture, quality, and craftsmanship, so picking the perfect frame for your special piece of art is very important, in some ways finding the frame is an art itself. A painting is not just a piece of art; it is a culmination of emotions and thoughts, leaving an immense impact on individuals.Before you buy a frame to preserve your art, you should have an idea about the type of frame that would magnify your artwork. Wooden frames always make the artist work look very elegant. You can shop for artist pictures frames as per the size of your pocket. Apart from the material, color of the frame is also a very crucial factor. This has the potential to make your art look ordinary or extraordinary. Sometimes, looking for a frame is exhausting within itself. It's difficult to find the right frame which speaks to you. Different types of emotions are attached with each painting, so you'll need to find the frame which compliments your emotions. Sometimes it's advised that you choose your artist frame before creating your masterpiece, because the exquisite reminiscence of the frame can provide inspiration for creating your art.In many cases you'll need special frames to highlight your work. Your art may be displayed at an art gallery, auction house, an art showcase, or an ART FAIR in these special cases you'll need a special frame that stands out amongst the crowd. So, to preserve any special art for art galleries, one should opt for antique frames. Your exceptional art indeed deserves a grand treatment. An artist can leave his artistic taste on the frame work also, by making his own art frames. These frames may or may not be as spectacular as ready made frames, but such frames make any fabulous piece of art fantabulous in terms of its sentimental value. The finishing touch to art picture frames is given by glazing. It can be done by glass or acrylic. Glass offers superb scratch resistance but is heavy where as acrylic is lightweight and gives the art a superior quality.An artist cannot leave his creation to be eaten by spiders. In addition to, amplification of an artist’s work, frames act as protection force also. Art is sandwiched between the mat board and mount board. This prevents your precious art from getting damaged. An artist’s art is not meant to be stored in a box. It is meant to be framed and hung, so that its beauty and charm can be manifested. For hanging frames you'll need sturdy and strong frame hardware which will support your artwork.An artist’s work is the affirmation of his ideas and imagination, which portrays their vision and passion towards their aesthetical world. So, to scatter the beauty of their philosophy, the artist artwork must catch the eye of the spectator. Once it strikes the eyes, then it would create the magic, leaving a soothing impact on the viewers’ soul. You can easily use frames to capture the attention of your audience which will draw them to your artistic masterpiece.Wholesale Frame Company is an online store where artist can purchase wholesale frames, plein air frames, artist frames, and picture frame hardware.
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Posted by Sheldon Park on September 18, 2009 at 4:00am
I am planning to go to the most historical churches in the world which is Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, this chistmas season. The oldest parish church is consecrated in 1300s. I heard that there are 2500 graves and 10,000 citizens of Amsterdam buried including some of the famous regents. that's creeepy!!! Well, I think it will be a good topic for our research paper next year. I am so excited to study this matter. But before thinking about academics; of course, I will enjoy first my vacation in Netherlands on December. I am more excited about this part!!! I will visit some of the famous landmarks like Van Gogh Museum, Nieuwmarktrellen, De Bijenkorf, Museumplein, and other places there. And also I want to see the famous and the largest legal designated area of prostitution called De Wallen it is also known as Walletjes. Woahhh! At first, I couldn't believe that there's such place like that...but there's really a place like thaaaaaaat! Amazing!.. and I am nervous now! hahaRead more…
Posted by Joyce Waltz on August 12, 2009 at 12:24pm
I would like advice about credit card machines. Being a novice in the art fair business, I would like to remain cost effective but not at the expense of being cheap.
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Living in the Midwest and being active in the art fair business basically the year is divided into two parts, B.A.A. (before Ann Arbor) and A.A.A. (after Ann Arbor) with a four day lull in between. As an artist is sort of like the first day of school, or the 1st of January, planned for all year and always waiting in the shadows. This year I attended the fair on Thursday (traditionally the quietest day with the smallest crowds), meeting Erin Woody who I work with for the
Great Lakes Art Fair and her intern Liz. We covered all of the State Street Area Assn. Art Fair, the Guild Show on State Street, the South University Fair, and about half of the Street Art Fair, seeing only about half of the exhibitors before the sun set. I missed most of Liberty Street and all of Main Street, but have good reports from friends. Although the crowd was light on South U. (when I was there) it was bustly on North U. the whole stretch and Bonnie Blandford reported that the streets were full all day on State Street. I also heard reports that every parking place was full at Briarwood Mall where shoppers can catch the art fair shuttle. My friend from
Arts, Beats & Eats, Lisa Konikow, visited on both Friday and Saturday said there were good crowds both days. Why not? The weather was just about perfect, with temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's, great art fair weather. Comfortable not only for the artists' long hours but also cool enough to make the lake loving Michigan audience decide it might be a great day to go to the fair instead of swimming.
Always great to run into old friends, this is Mary Strope, Vice-President of
WholesaleCrafts.com who was scouting the fairs for artists for their June event in Las Vegas. The crowd seemed small that day and the afternoon brought streets that looked like this:
South University Art Fair If you are an artist and have always wanted to be part of this fair you should be able to get in. Viewing the State Street Area fair, although there were some excellent artists:
Erin Woody learns about wood from the master,
Matthew Hatala
painting by
Reif Snyder there were some empty spaces, some bad spaces (Thompson, in particular) and many, many jewelers. An artist told me that that a third of that fair was jewelers. Not good for the jewelers, maybe for the shoppers, and a sure sign that the organizers were having problems filling the show. I heard that GM had continually promised the South University Fair $28,000 and then two weeks before the fair told them it wasn't coming. How's that for bad news? Sales reports I received on Thursday (remember, this is less than half way through the show) had some sad people, but a few who confided in me they were doing well, "I had a great Wednesday", and the smart folks who had a wide range of prices were moving right along. How about you? Please add your reports!! Some photos:
Fiber artist
Mimi Damrauer at the State Street Area Fair
A beautiful sight at the fair, a customer writing a check to fiber artist
Shekina Rudoy.
One of the great things about art fairs is making new artist friends, here painter Kemper and glass artist Lynn Corrie enjoying a new friendship
Michigan painter
Jeff Condon at the South University Fair, who announced, "I just made booth fee!"
Krys Leiffers meets Erin Woody--cool weaving I hadn't seen before, South U. Fair
Metal work by
Robin Washburn, at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Posted by Connie Mettler on September 16, 2009 at 4:35pm
Lots!!
Give yourself a well-needed break from work. Come to Peoria, IL, on September 24 to attend the NAIA Director/Artist Conference. This is an easy drive for many of you and on the way to the Plaza show in Kansas City.
Why?
* to network with other artists and art fair directors
* to learn what that "booth image" is all about
* get tips for preparing digital images for jurying
* how to battle imports with a U.S. trade representative
* mock jury - see how your images stand up to a jury of your peers. This alone is worth your time. (I sat in on one of these mock juries a few years back. The images projected were from some of the top artists in the
business. They critiqued one another's images and I learned a lot. Took that info home and voila! We snagged us some excellent shows.)
* Party! Peoria Contemporary Art Center
The conference is held in conjunction with the Peoria Fine Art Fair.
Have a desire to talk with other artists and art fair organizers when you are not in your booth? This is such a relaxing and hospitable atmosphere. You will be glad you joined us. I'll be there. I'd love to meet you!
ALL FOR $25.00!! Sign up now! You don't want to miss this! Visit: www.naia-artists.org or call 810-813-0500.
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Posted by David Hipwell on August 11, 2009 at 1:04am
It was a wild weekend weather wise. It was Aug 8 and 9. Rain stopped setup til noon on Aug 8.....then hot and breezy....threatening a bit a the end of the day....then Aug9 was hot and breezy early til 2pm when the organizers wisely shut down the show because strong winds were threatening....Sales were average between rain and wind. On a good day, would do better. Few carrying bags, but I would have done half as much more if good weather. I sell paintings.Parking there needs work. Meters in the best spots near show site in park. The vendors clog them.....they need an ordinance which would make it just for customers during the show with unloading time only for vendors. And then use license numbers to move the vendors out after unloading.
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September 25-27 Itasca, Illinois Usher Park 100 artists Deadline: June 7 The first annual juried Fine Arts and Wine Festival will take place in historic downtown Itasca in scenic Usher Park near the gateway to its newly created River Walk. September is Illinois Wine Month and Itasca is taking advantage of it. There will be music in the gazebo and the winding walkways of the park will combine wine tasting, fine art and painted iron benches. What to expect: --$5000 in prize money --Free parking, electricity and a hospitality area --Volunteers for setup, takedown and boothsitting --10 x 10 booths offset so you may use up to 2' on either side of your booth for outside display; 3' maximum of storage space behind tent
What else? Benches on Parade Some years ago Chicago's Cows on Parade (340 life-size cow statues on the city streets) set off a craze over the entire country. Streets in dozens of cities are now adorned with life-size or larger-than-life figures of people, animals or things. Here is Itasca's plan: Twenty-five, 6 ft iron benches with wooden slats, will be offered to the accepted artists interested in decorating one. The benches will be auctioned off on the weekend of the festival with 50% of auction price going to the painter of each bench, the other 50% to support the arts in Itasca. Fine art, fine wine and live music make a great combination. Starting a new event can be a challenge, but from these early plans it looks as though Itasca is taking it on. This is a great time of the year for beautiful outdoor days in Chicagoland. Worth a try? For more information visit:
www.itasca.com/artfestival or email:
artfair@itasca.com, or call 630/773-0835. Apply today:
www.zapplication.orgRead more…
Posted by Ginny Herzog on April 24, 2009 at 10:30am
We have a late night setup for Art City Austin tonight. Artists load in from 7:30 until midnight, with only 45 minutes to unload. This will be a challenge. But hoping the rest of the show will be less stressful and successful!http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=238664http://www.austin.com/content/view/1504/278/
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We are asking artists to donate their time and talent to create a piece of art that will be sold at the Gala on October 23, 2009.Details:1. Gather a 6”x6” canvas, piece of paper or other light-weight medium.2. Paint, assemble, or create your work. The only requirement is size—6 inches square.3. Return your finished work along with the completed bottom portion of this form by September 30, 2009 to NCCC, 238 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY 13601. Please be sure to print your full name on the back of the work. Artists will be recognized in the Gala program and on the North Country Children’s Clinic website.4. Works will be sold on October 23, 2009, Gala at SUNY Jefferson Community College. They will be priced at $20 each.All proceeds from the sales will help to “open the doors” to a better quality of life for North Country children.To learn more about either organization visit www.childrens-clinic.org or www.ncaccess.org or call (315) 782-9450.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Detach and return this portion taped to your work- - - - - - - - - - - - - -Artist contact information:Canvas Information: ___________________________________________________________________Artist’s Name ___________________________________________________________________Title ___________________________________________________________________Street Address ___________________________________________________________________City/ST/Zip Medium ___________________________________________________________________Phone Email ___________________________________________________________________I give permission to NCCC and NCAC to reproduce my art for the purpose of promoting the 6x6 Art Opens Doors project with credit to the artist available upon request. ___________________________________________________________________Signature…
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Posted by Connie Mettler on September 8, 2009 at 10:30pm
Normally pretty loquacious on this site, you haven't heard much from me lately because I've been up to my elbows in art fair preparation since late August in Pontiac, MI, where I am one of the art directors (along with Lisa Konikow) for this rambunctious festival.
Now I have to tell you, I'm feeling pretty intimidated writing this. Nels Johnson has set such a high standard on entertaining, yet informative, show reviews ... what's a girl to do?
First of all the tequila report -- oh, oh, I was too busy to get around to sampling the tequila bars in Pontiac. Suffice it to say a little Bud Lite Lime during the marking of the streets for the booth spaces does not count. Nor, a few glasses of red wine consumed at the wine bars available within the show site. Ever hear of "Little Black Dress" wine? Not bad.
Here's the behind the scenes report: there is limitless paperwork to be done for an art fair, applications, acceptance letters, databases, press stories, lists of artists, directions, maps, site access passes, rules and regulations, show information, credentials, booth signs, press releases, lists for the newspapers, lists for the printers. You get the idea. Readying it, writing it, proofing it, getting it printed, collated and stuffed in packets seems an endless job.
Finally it is Thursday afternoon, the materials are ready. We set up the check in area (we - Lisa Konikow; Farah Darwish, my daughter who has driven in from Kentucky to be our assistant; her daughter, Mariah, our go-fer) with check-in packets, maps, layouts, sign in information and the staff is ready to go with walkie-talkies and golf carts.
In the final hours there are four artist cancellations so the map, layout and databases have to be altered.
They finally close the street and a volunteer and I take the map, the layout, the chalk and the measuring wheel and spend three hours squatting in the street marking spaces. Definitely the most glamourous part of the job.
Late to bed, up at 6 am to meet the staff and be ready to let the artists setup. This is a very urban area, we are very strict about security and want to protect everyone and their property so we are sticklers about the rules. No one sets up without checking in.
We deploy the street team -- Farah, Lisa, and three volunteers. The rest of us meet and greet -- my favorite time as I get to meet new artists and visit with old friends. Everyone is happy at check-in because there is great hope for the weekend ahead.
New this year -- because we have lost the financial support of Chrysler this year we have gated the entire festival area, at least eight city blocks, so we can charge admission. The festival site includes two long blocks of art booths, around seventy restaurant booths, six stages, a carnival, a children's art street and a "Green Street." The large parking lot has large booths with automobiles from the Big Three. As a visitor there is a lot to see and do. The community loves the festival and attends in full force, usually around 250,000 people over four days.
For the staff Friday is the hardest day because we are there from 6:30 am until around 11 pm. The art section closes at 9 pm but there is always paperwork and phone calls to be made for problems that occurred during the day and also to prepare for the next day.
We had a new electrical company this year. The new generators were diesel and the fumes were pretty noxious and the sound not so great either. I spent most of Friday afternoon talking with the artists and the electrician, moving generators, deflecting exhaust and easing tempers.
On Saturday we had to shut down a quarter of the show's electricity while the electricians rerouted the wires and reconfigured the system. On Sunday we had to shut down another area while they moved a generator to another area. Finally by Sunday afternoon all the electric was meeting everyone's needs. (See I told you this wasn't going to be as interesting as reading Nels.)
Saturday starts early for us because we meet the jurors to get them started for the jurying. It always amazes me how thorough and conscientious the jurors are. We usually have one of them be an art fair artist because we feel they will "get" the whole art fair thing. This year we had jeweler Adam Shirley, who was taking the year off from art fairs to get his MFA at Cranbrook Institute. Our other juror was Maureen Riley, former director of the Detroit Festival of the Arts.
The winners: Best of Show - Clifton Henri, photographer
First Place - David O'Dell, printmaking
Awards of Excellence:
Bruce Holwerda - painting
Neptune Hot Glass - glass
Walt Majewski - drawing
Laura Junge - painting
Robert Trisko - jewelry
Paul Adams - painting
Zhou Yu - painting
Andrea Anderson - fabric
Spirit of the City Award - Jan Kaulins
We always give a cash award and a ribbon to the best artist helper, the Golden Dolly Award. James Greene, partner and schlepper for fiber artist Deborah Greene was the winner this year. It is represented by the traveling trophy, a bejeweled cart that is painted gold and signed by all past winners. Last year's winner, Bill Beaubien, presented it to James, complete with Bill's embellishment, a bicycle bell. My advice: keep your ears tuned at your next art fair, James may be rounding the corner with a load of goods!
More tomorrow.
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Trying something new....flying to shows. Worked great until this leg of the trip. Have a slight problem getting my tent to Ann Arbor. Anyone willing to rent me a tent for the State Street show. Maybe a nice LiteDome, ShowOff or CraftHut. Just throwing it out there in hopes something will pop up. Thanks!Kelly Allenemail: Statements@aol.com
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