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looking for used Mesh Panels

Posted by Evelyn Zebro on August 24, 2009 at 3:19pm

Hi. I'm just starting the festivals scene and would like to buy used Mesh Panels (and Sta Bar frame) by Flourish, if anyone has one to sell. I'm in Asheville NC and would like to get one for the Kentuck Festival mid October '09, which we'll be attending (me and husband).If you have one to sell, you can reach me at 828-450-5189 or zebroevelyn@yahoo.comThanks!

Call for Entries: Howard Alan Events - 32 festivals

Posted by Connie Mettler on September 9, 2009 at 9:52pm

You know it is time to be thinking about your 2010 art fair schedule. Today's newsletter brings you a great kickstart to the search listing 32 festivals presented by Howard Alan Events, art fairs that can be the backbone of your festival season. Las Olas Art Festival, Fort Lauderdale, FL These popular outdoor festivals are consistently ranked among the top art shows in the country. Located along some of the most charming streets in the nation, Howard Alan Events brings the unique creations of hundreds of award-winning artists to thousands of art enthusiasts across America every weekend. For over 25 years Howard Alan Events has produced award winning art affairs throughout the US. Howard is known for always having something new to tempt both you and the art festival patron. Howard Alan Events October-May Festivals October 03-04 20th Anniversary Hyde Park Village Art Fair 10-11 21st Annual St. Armand's Art Festival 24-25 22nd Annual Las Olas Art Fair November 07-08 22nd Annual Downtown Venice Art Festival 14-15 Coconut Point Fall Art Fair (Bonita Springs/Estero, FL) 28-29 10th Annual Downtown Delray Beach Thanksgiving Weekend Art Fest

December 26-27 14th Annual Downtown Naples New Year's Weekend Art Fair Art Fest by the Sea, Jupiter/Juno 2010 January 02-03 2nd Annual Ft. Myers: Art Fair at the Bell Tower 02-03 22nd Annual Las Olas Art Fair Part I 09-10 13th Annual Downtown Dunedin Art Festival 09-10 23rd Annual Boca Fest 16-17 21st Annual Downtown Delray Beach Festival of the Arts 16-17 20th Anniversary Indialantic Art Festival 23-24 City Place Art Festival in West Palm Beach 30-31 7th Annual St. Armands Circle Art Festival 30-31 16th Annual St. Pete Beach Corey Area Art & Craft Festival February 06-07 9th Annual Hobe Sound Festival of the Arts Point Art Festival (Estero) 20-21 22nd Annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts 27-28 20th Anniversary Downtown Stuart Art Festival 27-28 46th Annual Key Biscayne Art Festival

District Art Annual, downtown Kansas City March 06-07 9th Annual Downtown Venice Art Classic 06-07 22nd Annual Las Olas Art Fair Part II 13-14 22nd Annual Art Fest by the Sea (Jupiter/Juno Beach) 20-21 6th Annual Coral Springs Festival of the Arts 20-21 22nd Annual Naples Festival of the Arts at Pelican Bay 27-28 13th Annual San Marco Art Festival (Jacksonville) April 10-11 21st Anniversary Hyde Park Village Art Fair 24-25 32nd Annual Siesta Fiesta May 15-16 2nd Annual Birmingham Art Fair at The Summit (Birmingham, AL.) 22-23 National Harbor Art Festival (Washington, DC) 29-30 2nd Annual Hilton Head Island Art Festival at Shelter Cove Harbour For more info: www.ArtFestival.com Visit Zapplication.org Today to Apply Howard Alan Events produces multiple shows therefore they have an ongoing jury process that meets twice monthly and juries by category. SHOW DIRECTOR'S SUGGESTION: We recommend that you apply EARLY as the show and/or most categories will fill quickly. Apply: www.zapplication.org For more info: www.artfestival.com

Recession changing art fairs?

Posted by Connie Mettler on June 17, 2009 at 9:00am

ArtFairCalendar.com (the mother of this site) and ArtFairInsiders.com made the Chicago Tribune last week! I was interviewed by writer Leslie Mann about the future of fairs, resulting in a bunch of new subscribers to my newsletters. Thanks, Leslie. Interestingly I knew almost everyone else she interviewed for the article: --Zaki Knapen, artist, a member of this site and frequent contributor --Amy Amdur, art fair producer, a member of the site and someone I've known for a long time as well as one of our advertisers --Sara Corkery, a member of this site and the editor of the NAIA's newspaper, The Independent Artist Leslie does a good job of assessing the impact of of the fairs and what artists are doing to overcome the economy. Read it here: www.ChicagoTribune.com

Fernandina Beach Art Festival

Posted by R. C. Fulwiler on May 7, 2009 at 10:14am

Fernandina Beach is a great old Florida town. The Annual shrimp festival brings out the locals and fills the town with visitors from all over North-eastern Florida and Southern Georgia. It is a street party with an art fair thrown in for good measure.Set up is on Friday between 6 and 9 PM. I arrived at 8:30 and set up at my leisure under street lighting. There is always a steady stream of hundreds of people flowing toward the food and music. The fireworks begin at 10 PM.The fair is put on by the local art group and if you're popular with them you'll get a decent spot on the main street. The first two years I did the show I was in the 600 block (the show is 7 blocks long between 1st. street and 8th. street). The higher your number, the further you are from "the party".In those years, I grossed around $5K. The third year, I found myself the second-last booth as people were leaving the show in the 700 block on main street. My sales were cut in half. But I got to watch people sprint for the buses. When I asked a member of the committee why I had ended up there, she told me the spaces were handed out according to jury scores. That means I just missed being relegated to a side street.Fortunately, that year I won an award and was told I could pick my space for the next year as long as I didn't try to bump an exhibiting committee member. I picked a great spot with shade and a corner and, of course, I had my best Shrimp Festival ever. Location, location, location.Unfortunately, during pack-up I had a few words with an obvious armature who hindered everyone around her. It turned out she was a local committee member and our block captain. The next year I was on a side street. Its a small town!You do not want to be on any of the side streets. The first few cross streets are filled with junk dealers, food booths and so-called antique dealers for a half block in each direction. I mean this literally. No other show I've ever done mixes this flea market atmosphere with art, but it all works out just fine somehow. Further down the cross streets are filled with over-flow artists.I was assigned a side street booth 3 times and by the third year, I decided I would drop the show if it happened again. It did and I did.Last year I got back to the main street and had a decent show. This year I got the same spot and did even better. On Saturday, I had sales of nearly $2K with my highest sale being $139. Sunday came in at less than half of that. My neighbor, an oil painter sold many of her reproductions on Saturday and at least 3 originals on Sunday, She had to bargain some but a triptych went for around $2500. She was very happy.A well-known photographer who was across the street shared his grief with me. He sold 2 large panoramas on Saturday but his network was down and he couldn't run his charges until he got back to his hotel. One was a completely bogus account and the other one came back Sunday morning asking for his money back. A jeweler who was doing his first Shrimp Festival did very well and will apply again. A first-time photographer who specializes in European imagery was very near the party (200 block) and was so disappointed he said he would not try it again.Setting up and tearing down in the 700 and 600 blocks is generally easy because it is a wide street with room enough for booths on both curbs and 3 lanes in between. Further down there is angled parking and some irregularities that make only two lanes available between booths at the curb. Most, if not all, artists have storage behind and some even have enough room for an outside wall to display on.Parking is easy to find within a couple of blocks unless you want to pay $10. Then you can be within a block. There is a lot for big rigs and the weekend charge is $50.A judge comes around and either tells you to take a piece in for judging or he doesn't. The ribbons are handed out around 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Checks follow.My esteemed colleague (Mr. Johnson) has written of the food and social amenities so I'll end it here.

May Show of the Month: Northern Virginia Festival of the Arts

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 16, 2009 at 9:30pm

May 16 & 17 Reston Town Center 10 am to 6 pm daily Presented by the Greater Reston Arts Center 220 artists Preview Party: May 15, 6:30-9:30, Midtown-11990 Market Street "The art and craft work exhibited will delight you in its variety, quality and vision. In these days of strip malls and cookie cutter chain stores, art fairs are undeniably the most interesting shopping venues left in the country." -- Art Fair Source Book, 2008 This top-rated annual juried outdoor street festival held in the heart of the elegant and bustling Reston Town Center attracts over 50,000 patrons and provides an interactive experience to view, purchase, and experience art directly from the unique and talented artists who have created it. The 2009 festival will also feature outstanding music and entertainment, activities for families, and delicious food. Now in its 18th year, the festival is well known for the high quality and wide variety of spectacular artwork. You can easily spend a whole day chatting with artists, selecting wonderful treasures, creating art with your children, watch- ing musical and acrobatic entertainment at the performance stages before your next foray into the wonderful world of fine arts and crafts. Don't miss this opportunity to meet our featured artist Ginny Herzog and view her architectural art. For more info: www.restonarts.org/Festival

Wells Street Art Festival - A Review

Posted by Jim Parker on June 16, 2009 at 5:05pm

I did the Wells Street show in Chicago last weekend (June 13-14). I did very well there -- it was about time, as shows in Michigan so far this year have been lackluster. Briefly, the load-in is brutal, and was compounded by rain until about 1PM. After that, it gradually cleared throughout the afternoon, and people were out in droves enjoying the art, the music and buying. I saw a lot of prints going by, some larger pieces, and it kept up until Sunday night.For more in-depth coverage and a couple of pictures, read my full blog post, here:http://www.parkerparker.info/studio/blog/?p=649

Survey for Mid-Atlantic winter show

Posted by Shoshana Matthews on August 24, 2009 at 7:40pm

Hi,As full-time artists, we've made our living on the show circuit for the last dozen years, but we've continued to have trouble finding a decent Fine Art show in January. So, in discussion with several other artists, we've decided that it's time to take the bull by the horns and create a January or February Mid-Atlantic Fine Art show, provided that we find enough artist interest. That's where you come in - please help us by responding to this survey. No obligation, of course.The conventional theory is that once the holiday season is over, Jan. and Feb. are dead in the Mid-Atlantic. They certainly are for shows. And we've tried the Florida shows, which are way over-saturated. But folks, not everyone goes to Florida! There are areas of affluent buyers (in some places, like Chantilly, they are "showed out" by Jan., but we believe there are similar areas to be tapped).Let us hasten to say that this would be a Juried Fine Art / Fine Craft Show with no Buy-Sell and no commercial vendors other than food. We're well aware of what happens to shows who let in with a policy of "Jury by Check". Furthermore, categories and percentages of art types will be strictly controlled -- this is for the good of the show and the participating artists. Working title "2010 Art Awards Show"; we want a title that reflects the quality of the show. My husband has experience producing shows at convention centers.We have completed preliminary investigation of possible venues and resources, now we need to hear from the artist community -- YOU. We need your replies, and any recommendations you may have. Your answer can be as short as "1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D". If you answer, we'll let you know the overall survey results.We have sent the survey to artists whose work we saw in the past year at shows like Craftsmens Classic or Rose Squared or Corn Hill or Crozet or Berkshire show. We will be posting the discussion and info on any resulting show on www.artawards.bizAnswers can be emailed to info@digiartservice.comPreliminary response from artists we have talked with is very encouraging, and we appreciate your help. There are just 5 survey areas where we need your input: Size of the Show, Timing of the Show, Days of the Show, Geography of the Show, and your availability.1. Size of ShowA small show usually has a sponsor (church group, community itself, civic group, private or public school, etc.). Booths typically cost $100 or less and there are generally 50 booths or less, sometimes only 10 or 12. There is no promotion budget to speak of, the fees go to the facility and the sponsor. To attract gate and buyers, we are dependent on the sponsoring organization to bring members, friends and neighbors, and to spread word of mouth (naturally, for any size show, we will also have our own website). There can be multiple events in the same general geographic area a few weeks apart. The event is usually free to the public.A large show requires a professional crew and staff as well as professional promotion and services. Most large sites are setup to handle the services and parking (typically, a convention center). They can accommodate 100 or more booths and the 10x10 booth cost is in the $300 to $500 range. There is a large promotion budget for advertising and public relations / promotion, and the size and quality of gate depends largely on the effectiveness of the promotion program. It is important that the bulk of booth revenues go into heavy promotion to carefully targeted audiences after facilities costs are paid. There should only be a single such event in the area for the month, and there should be an entrance fee to help with the high facility and service costs, and to skew the gate towards the more serious buyers.Please indicate your preference for a Jan. or Feb. show:A -- small showB -- large showC -- neither2. Timing of the ShowPlease indicate your preference:A -- January, first halfB -- January, second halfC -- February, first halfD -- February, second halfE -- MarchF -- any of aboveG -- BOTH Jan. and Feb. (different locations)H -- none of above (tell us why)3. Days of the ShowPlease indicate your preference:A -- Friday afternoon setup, short show Friday evening plus all day Sat. and Sun.B -- Friday afternoon and evening setup, show all day Sat. and Sun.C -- Sat. morning setup, show all day Sat. and Sun.D -- any of aboveE -- none of above (tell us what you prefer)4. Geography of ShowWe have eliminated Chantilly, VA because of too many shows in the area. For the rest of the Mid-Atlantic, we are open to suggestion. For large shows, we have explored facilities and their calendars, and obtained costs, for the areas shown. Please indicate your preference:A -- Virginia Beach, VAB -- Hampton Roads Convention Center, VAC -- Roanoke, VAD -- suburban Philadelphia, PAE -- suburban Baltimore, MDF -- Greensboro, NCG -- any of the aboveH -- other (tell us)5. My AvailabilityPlease indicate whether you think you would be willing to participate:A -- Yes, if the show conformed to my answersB -- Yes, probably for any of the descriptions in Jan.C -- Yes, probably for any of the descriptions in Feb.D -- Yes, other (tell us)E -- No or probably not (please say why)(We don't have a "maybe" as that will not help us!)6. Your CommentsWe would gratefully appreciate any suggestions.Everyone who responds with answers (even if they can't do such a show) will be sent the survey results.Thanks,Larry and Shoshana MatthewsClassic & Textile ArtHandwovens by Shoshana

Wobbly Economy May Benefit Summer Events

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 27, 2009 at 11:45am

How is that for an upbeat headline? We are just not going to let the economy get us down. Last week I was interviewed by Chris Coates of the Suburban Journals that cover the St. Louis vicinity about my feelings about economic conditions and their effect on the summer fairs. It is a pretty comprehensive story that includes new details on the recent Belleville, IL, Fair on the Square, plus prognostications for the future. Who would have thought I would become an expert after all the years spent putting up the art fair booth in sweltering, torrential or freezing weather, dogs peeing on the tent, sweeping the streets to keep the booth clean and the rest of the unglamorous tasks associated with the art fair business? The people Chris talked to discussed not only the economy but what they are doing to combat it for their fairs. Ask Roy-el Catering co-owner Sherry Nungesser what's to blame for stagnant sales during the annual Art on the Square festival last weekend in Belleville, and the response is quick. And, for once, the recession is off the hook.... The subtle difference is an important indicator to the legions of mostly volunteers who plan, budget and execute dozens of local community and church fairs across the region every spring and summer. Many take months of coordinating and huge sums to pull off, all with the goal of boosting community spirit, raising money or both. Such conditions would seem to put community fairs in the crosshairs of the current recession, which has cut revenues for numerous groups, especially for nonprofits. But many planners are adamant that won't be the case. The reason: More people are avoiding vacations and staying home, making them a prime customer for summertime festivals oozing with community spirit. Read the rest of the article here, keep your chins up and hope for the best: Summer fair planners hope locals stay local

Reston Report - Saturday evening

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 16, 2009 at 9:27pm

My thanks to Vicki Munn for the following report on the first day at the Northern Virginia Festival of Art in Reston, VA - ArtFairCalendar.com's "Art Fair of the Month. i bet we have applied for 15 years and finally got in. the drive out (from Bloomington in southern Indiana) we were wondering "what the hell we were doing" ...rain all weekend for sure. we just finished the first day with light showers in the early morning and a storm at 5:15 to close early. i do not know what normally goes on here but today seemed like a light crowd to me. we had a few small sales and thanks to the show gods and government jobs. ...two really good sales...so our day was fine. it is raining now so we will see what happens tomorrow. oh, have to say one of the best, if not the best exhibitor dinner we have had. thank you GRACE.... vicki munn

Kansas City - Could Van Gogh Get Past the Zapplication Jury?

Posted by Connie Mettler on May 2, 2009 at 7:44pm

The place to be this weekend, May 1-3, is definitely the Brookside Art Annual in Kansas City. Kansas City is a place that takes its two major art fairs seriously and artists take Kansas City seriously also, I'd hazard a guess that between the Plaza Art Fair in September and the Brookside event in May that they definitely get the cream of the crop of applicants for at least one of them. Here's an excellent critique by Steve Shapiro in the Kansas City Tribune: Van Gogh: Wouldn’t He Have Enjoyed Brookside Art Fair? "The annual rites of spring inevitably begin with three things: the arrival of tornado season; Opening Day at the ballpark; and the Brookside Art Fair. If the first two can disappoint, the Art Fair represents its own pleasures, which rarely prove to be a let-down. It is art, booths and booths of it, from traditional oil paintings to pastels, jewel-work and latterly digital and mixed media; as well as people, young and old, with strollers and walkers, relaxed couples wherein one half of the relationship wanders off, connoisseurs and browsers, artists and critics." Read the rest. And, you'll like the upbeat report by Mark Clegg, at the local NBC affiliate, including video: http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story/ Reading over the list of exhibitors it sounded like an art fair reunion of "lifers" in the business, including at least 25 members of this network. Donna Potts does a great job organizing and running this art fair. We pray the weather gods are with her this weekend.

Call for Entries: Funky Ferndale Art Fair

Posted by Connie Mettler on June 12, 2009 at 8:23pm

September 19 & 20 Ferndale, Michigan downtown on 9 Mile Rd. 120 artists Deadline: 6/15/09 Mark Loeb, the show director claims that his Ferndale show is, "Twice as funky as the average fine art show..." Ferndale, Michigan, is a town that skews a little younger, a little hipper than much of the world. While traditional artwork does sell here, this show focuses on less pastoral work. As many as 40,000 art shoppers attend over the weekend. Not every art lover desires, or can afford ten thousand dollar art works. That does not mean that they are not people of taste, interested in acquiring quality work. The Funky Ferndale Art Fair is directed at people with an appreciation for the best. Ferndale's vibrant downtown attracts people in their 20's, 30's and 40's. It is a lively community with varied shopping and exciting clubs and restaurants. These people have the means to purchase items that appeal to them.

Loeb continues, "We are looking for work that shows more than a bit of creativity, that challenges the mind, or simply sparks the imagination. Artwork that does not sit quietly, but invites a reaction. Overall however, keep in mind, this is a high quality juried fine art show." The art fair is organized by Mark Loeb of Integrity Shows a veteran organizer of metro Detroit events. Loeb's shows are widely praised for the effort placed toward supporting participating artists. He understands that your success is essential and does what it takes to meet your needs. Sculpture by Richard Skelton Apply on line at Zapplication.org, or visit MichiganArtShow.com ********************** Looking for more art fairs to fill your 2009 art fair season? Visit: ArtFairCalendar.com/callforentries

They're talking about us -- again!

Posted by Connie Mettler on July 11, 2009 at 2:58pm

My many thanks to all of you who have added my link to your websites, blog posts, etc. This helps

me get great SEO and carry on my mission of bringing patrons to the art fairs to see and buy the works of your hands. If you haven't done it yet, please add my link to your site. Here is where to get my links for your site. Linking helps everyone's google rankings and brings more "eyes" to our "pages." Here's my latest publicity coup. Many thanks to Liane Pruchnik of Chicago who did a great write up of my site ArtFairCalendar.com in the Examiner.com: Summer Art Fairs: Read this article and you won't miss one, no matter where you live! Here is what she says: "Across Chicago and the suburbs there are amazing Art Fairs open to the public that draw artisans from all over the United States. Food, drink and entertainment can make the outing an all day event. The only problem comes with finding out where the Art Fairs are and when they are taking place! There is a wonderful site that can help you plan your outings - ArtFairCalendar.com." Read the rest of Liane's article here. Thank you, Liane. I hope to see you at one of the art fairs some day soon.

Druzy Quartz

Posted by Kaelin Cordis on August 21, 2009 at 11:09am

Have you ever had a gorgeous piece of stone that you simply didn't know what to do with? I had been holding onto this pieces of stunning druzy quartz for about six months, reluctant to set it because I may never find another piece of such a neat stone.. I finally set it,

and yesterday I found two sets of pairs for earrings, three more singles for pendants, and I couldn't be happier or more excited. For those of you who are interested the stats are : "Space Dust" Sterling Silver, Titanium Druzy Quartz, Patina. Photo: Matthew Taylor http:www.kaelindesign.com/spacedust.html

Art Fairs Lose a Beloved Friend

Posted by Connie Mettler on July 29, 2009 at 12:35pm

Photographer JOHN PEER passed away of multiple health complications on July 2.

Born in Idaho and raised in Oregon, John spent his adult life on the west coast as a plumbing contractor. But the last 15 years he pursued his dream as an fine art photographer. Winning many awards for his work, his images now hang in private collections, art galleries, large hotels and corporations throughout the world.

One of his images was used just this year

in June as the poster at the Chicago Old Town Art Festival. He loved traveling with his wife, Mary, and participant in the art festivals and especially he liked visiting with other artists. You can view his images in the gallery at www.johnpeer.com He was loved by everyone who knew him and will be greatly missed.

Call for Entries: Bayou City Art Festival Downtown

Posted by Connie Mettler on April 30, 2009 at 10:36pm

October 10 & 11 Houston, Texas 300 Artists Deadline: May 2 Fall in Houston, the weather cools and Houstonians come out to celebrate at the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown. The Festival, set against the dramatic skyline of the nation's fourth largest city, was ranked: *the #3 art festival in the country in AmericanStyle Magazine's "TOP 10 Festivals" *in February 2009 named "Best Gallery in Houston" *in March of 2009 by readers of Click2Houston.com, named "Best Festival in Houston" *in the 2008 Houston Press as best festival in "Best of Houston" magazine *consistently ranked in Sunshine Artists Top 50 "It's rated one of the top shows in the country and the Texas economy is far stronger than the rest of the country. I'm giddy about the sales, I'm giddy about the attention and I'm giddy about the weather because I'm from Minnesota!" -Kimber Fiebiger, First Place, Bayou City Art Festival Downtown 2008, Minneapolis, MN "I love coming to Houston - there's no doubt. I love the city. I love to come to Houston because Houstonians interact so well with the artist. They really appreciate the artists. They love art here in Houston and I love the Bayou City Art Festival!" -Stephen Potts, Best in Show, Bayou City Art Festival Downtown 2008, Palmetto, GA

*Bayou City Art Festival Downtown has a demonstrated history in strong sales for artists *National studies show Houstonians consistently have twice the discretionary income that workers in similar industries have around the country *With a median household income of over $50,000 and an income growth since 2000 of 13.1% as reported in Kiplingers.com *Houston has been ranked the Number 1 city in the U.S. in which to live, work and play in July 2008 Bayou City Art Festival Downtown showcases works representing 19 media formats. For more info: www.bayoucityartfestival.com or contact Kelly Kindred, Festival Coordinator, at kelly@bayoucityartfestival.com Applications: www.zapplication.org ************** Looking for more art fairs for your 2009 schedule? Visit: www.ArtFairCalendar/callforentries

Buying Art - why now?

Posted by Connie Mettler on June 29, 2009 at 7:29pm

Here is an excellent article on buying art, it makes a good case for owning something special. 2009 - June "The paradigm has shifted. Less than a year ago, the wealthy [or seemingly rich] were in a feeding frenzy – scooping up contemporary art - at the most notable of galleries, art expos and auction houses in New York, Miami, Paris, London, Venice and beyond. The value of the art work was highly inflated – boosted by the insatiable appetites of those who wanted to consume and who believed the spin… “you must own this.” The spin-meisters? Gallerists, curators & art "advisors" who had something to gain. Less-than-well-executed paintings, broken pottery, preserved wildlife, graffiti, cartoons - even excrement – was touted as “important,” as precious, as invaluable – and hundreds of thousands – if not several millions of dollars were spent. “Good” art seemed out of reach for all but the top echelon. And the art purchased? Its value has plummeted [like most things]. It is possible it will never recover the value paid. The “investors” were sold not on quality, but on the buzz created by clever marketers. So why buy art now? Because no one else is. Visual artists throughout the world have suffered the lingering drag of the economy. Hardly anyone is .... the rest of the article Thanks to member Sandy Schimmel Gold

Call for Entries: St. Louis Galleria in June

Posted by Connie Mettler on April 19, 2009 at 8:06am

June 20 & 21 St. Louis, MO Sat. & Sun. 10 AM - 5 PM 150 exhibitors St. Louis now has Two Great Art Fairs!! Howard Alan Events is excited to bring a first class art fair to the City of St. Louis. The show will be hosted at the Saint Louis Galleria, located between the cities of Clayton and Ladue. This high end retail area is located in the affluent area of St. Louis and boasts perfect demographics. The show is also only a three hour drive from our Kansas City event the following weekend.

There is going to be joint marketing from Howard Alan Events, the Galleria publicity department and the local art leagues who will be part of the fair. We feel we have a great event in the making and hope to see you in St. Louis. Venue: St. Louis Galleria on Clayton & Brentwood Rd. Howard Alan Events produces multiple shows therefore they have an ongoing jury process that meets twice monthly and juries by category. SHOW DIRECTOR'S SUGGESTION: We recommend that you apply EARLY as the show and/or most categories will fill quickly. Applications available at ArtFestival.com and/or zapplication.org, search for "St. Louis Galleria Art Festival on Clayton Rd."

ArtFest in Dallas

Posted by Dawn Waters Baker on May 16, 2009 at 3:50pm

This is my first time to do ArtFest in Dallas, TX. I am excited. I was just wondering if any of you experienced art fair artists have done it before and how has it been for you? I paint mostly Texas skies. God bless.

Big, Big Cash Awards!

Posted by Connie Mettler on June 29, 2009 at 7:23pm

The De Vos Family (think Amway) of West Michigan is offering a the world's largest Art Prize - $250,000! There is so much to learn about this prize and all the smaller venues surrounding it. The competition is going to take over Grand Rapids, MI, in the fall with much press and activity going on. The winner is by public vote! You heard me right, the public. # Top 10 entries will receive a prize # Multiple artists can collaborate on an entry # Artists may only submit one entry # Property owners/renters in downtown Grand Rapids can become a venue # Number of artists represented is only limited by number of venues that become available Learn more at: http://www.artprize.org/about-artprize What is even more interesting is their online blog that tells the story about all the exciting things going on around the Prize. Be sure to keep track of what's going on day to day at blog.artprize.org

Toughing things out in Telluride.....

Posted by mark zurek on August 20, 2009 at 1:00pm

Well sports fans, did the Telluride Festival of the Arts this past weekend (www.telluridefest.com). While I should have done my due diligence to find out the show was not in Telluride, but the Mountain Village of Telluride, it was produced by the Cherry Creek folks which was enough for me to attend. The village is up about a mile from town, accessible by gondola, and received zero support from the townies (just so happens the town is where most stay during the Summer). It is an effort to bring folks up to the village, an area frought with ski condos and business' hanging on for dear life. The draw is a food and wine tasting on Saturday, a featured artist (Joan Osborne?) on Friday, and a very painful Sunday (read no people).I did learn how to buffalo the wine people to fill the damn glass rather than a squirt (played the starving artist card, need a buzz not a taste). I have to say, I was never so happily spoiled at a show. The Cherry Creek crowd has this down, assistance with the set up, lunch every day,free tickets to the food and wine party. They advertised the bejesus out of the event, a good attempt at making this a "destination" for the Summer crowd, but the buying crowd just never showed. We made our expenses ($2500) which paid for 5 days in some of the most scenic mountains I have ever seen. Managed to squeeze in some fun four wheeling over Imogene pass at 13,200 feet and pretended I could shoot landscapes. Guess a paid for working vacation ain't so bad after all. One of the pleasant things about a slow show is actually spending some decent time talking shop with others. We all are down at least 50% from previous years, but good to see a few tweaking and tuning their approach rather than bitching and moaning. I have a tendency to respect the business and marketing approach of photographers rather than talent or the equipment they use (is there anything more boring and irrelevant than the film vs. digital arguements?) Met one fella who left an impression on me, not for his photography skills, more for his ability to take a subject and turn it into something unique. Todd Van Fleet (http://www.toddvanfleet.com/) has taken a hot commodity (cruiser bikes) and turned into a marketing marvel. Kinda klitchy, but people are jumping all over it and he was one of the only artists having stuff walk out his booth. The kid does this full time, does portrait work to supplement the show income, has received commissions from Fat Tire beer, John Deere and others. Even an old fart like me came away impressed. Bottom line for the show, if you hike, bike, fish, four wheel, shop or just like to hang in a town where everyone seems to have money and a young blonde on their arm, don't mind playing second fiddle to the wine thing, and don't mind being spoiled to death, a fine place to spend a summer weekend. Just not one of those where you put money in the bank.

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