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This week’s blog is focusing primarily on how I price my polymer clay sculptures for sale. It isn’t an exact science and I’ve played around a lot with it. I have found that pricing my art fairly and within market value range is extraordinarily important.  

I really shot myself in the foot when I first started out. I waaaay over priced something to someone who very easily could have been a long-term client. Big mistake. My problem?? Was ignorance.

It was right around the time that lots of local people were seeing my work and I was tinkering with the idea of charging more than just the cost of materials. A lady saw my work and she wanted a logo made. {She owned a business of her own} She explained what she was looking for, we brainstormed and she seemed to love my ideas. She wanted to own the rights to the artwork and put it on all of her apparel. She asked me for a price, and I told her I would think about it and get back to her. Sounds pretty good so far doesn’t it?

On the drive home I spoke with my husband and told him of the opportunity. He being married to me thought as highly of my work as I did and saw first-hand how much effort went into them. He saw how many sketches I did before I ever put paint on the brush. He told me that I should look online and see what people charge for exclusive rights and logos. Still sounds pretty ok right?

This is where it goes wonky. I wish I could blame it on bad fish or temporary insanity, but nope. It was me being me. Darn it. I looked up logos and exclusivity.  What I found was an agency in New York who had created logos such as Nike and Abercrombie and Fitch. So those logos cost somewhere in the range of 4,000.00 to 10,000.00. I was blown away. I showed my husband and did a little dance around the living room. {Seriously… can I just blame the fish?} When I spoke to this lady again, I brought up what I had seen. Keep in mind I never looked past that one page. I never once checked out local artists, or even stopped to consider the fact that the lady I was speaking to was not any different than you or me. She was an everyday lady trying to be in business for herself, doing what she was good at. I sometimes wish future me could go back in time and slap past me.

{Deep breath…} I told her what I had found, and what ‘people were paying’. Not once did I actually give her a quote. But by bringing it up, the damage had been done, absolute and irrevocable damage. Fish anyone?

I have since tried desperately to regain them as a client even offering ‘freebees’ but to no avail. I had stepped outside of the trust circle. I had to accept what I had done and learn from it. It was a tough lesson and completely avoidable, had I done more research before biting off more than I could chew.

Ok. So, here is what I have so far, and so far it seems to be working for me. I am borrowing several bits and pieces that I have learned from others and adding a few changes that I have found that work very well for me. I want to share this with you in the hopes that you are able to figure out a pricing system that not only works for you, but also for your clients. They can be hard to come by. So we, as artists, want to take very VERY good care of them. We want to be able to explain why our art costs what it does. Just in case we are asked. At some point…they always ask. {insert wink}

 

EXPENSE    {we must count our expenses. This is okay. Don’t feel bad, because this is a business and people do understand and even expect it} 

Let’s say my monthly expenses are 1000.00, I divide that by 4{weeks}=250.00 I divide that number by/40{hours} giving me a base rate 6.25 per hour. {This number will vary depending on your expenses.} If your monthly expenses are higher and this is your primary source of income than you will have to adjust your expense rate. If you are just beginning to build your business and you have help or additional income to help you with your expenses then you can be a little more lenient. Your base cost should be this number and you should build the remainder of your piece’s cost from there

  • {rent, electricity, gas, etc, I add my etsy/paypal/advertising fees into this amount }

 

Materials {always pay attention to what you use and how much. This will give you a great idea of what it takes to produce your art, and in my case helps me to avoid wasting}             

  • {clay, glaze, metals if you’re making jewelry, paints, resin…etc, glass eyes I buy or resin eyes I make.

One standard sized sculpted figure typically takes me 1 1/3 block of Sculpey Premo clay. These are between 2.77-3.00 each {depending on where you are-I don’t account for sales or promotional costs because I can’t guarantee I will always be able to get them at that price} if I gloss the piece, I add .30, if I paint it or do detail work with the paint I add .30 {Remember this is just materials and not time.}

  • Sometimes I will add little ‘trinkets’ to my pieces, for example miniature items or charms. These are things that I will make in batches. For example, it’s Valentine’s Day, and I have made a bunch of chocolate covered strawberries to add to figures. I can make a batch of 25 strawberries from one block of clay. So I will divide 3.00/25= so each strawberry will cost me .12 to make. The chocolate costs me .04, the headpin for the strawberry charm costs me .03 and the lobster clasp for the charm costs me .11  do you guys see where I’m going with this?

Let’s review what we have so far…

Say that I make a standard sized figure {glossed and painted} with an accompanying charm

4.00 + .30 + .30 + .30 = 4.90 {just materials} add that to your ‘expense’ 4.90 + 6.25 = 11.15

Let’s say that minimum wage is 12.50 an hour. I want to pay myself at least 12.50 an hour for labor. Add this to the amount above:

11.15 +12.50=23.65 Multiply this amount x2 and that will give you the wholesale price of 47.30 this is the base amount I must charge to by the skin of my teeth justify all other expenditures.

Theoretically for retail price it is the wholesale x2 so 47.30 x 2= 94.60

Ooooh… but here is where it gets a little sticky, because the more time it takes you to create a piece the greater its value, right? Not necessarily. I have not yet been able to charge what I am calculating retail to cost to be. I auctioned a piece off, and got close. In the meantime, wholesale lets me stay in business. Replenish what I have used and hopefully put money back into my business.

When I am trying to figure out what to charge, ultimately I have to take into account….’factors’ {seriously, that should be a four-letter word.} “What is a factor?” These are those annoying little things that effect what we can charge vs. what we want to charge.

Some examples of factors would be: Competition {take a look around you… see what some artists are getting for their work. I’m not referring to Picasso or Dhali… but you and me. The little guy with the great big dreams {encouraging look of…encouragement} Find work that is similar to yours. If you are using an internet based storefront, browse around and check out the other stores.

Don’t look skin deep. Really get in there and see if they are making sales. There may be one person charging 150.00 or higher for one piece but if they are only selling 1-2 pieces a month. This is not the way to go, for me at least. On the other end of the scale, there may be an artist selling pieces for 10.50 and has 100 sales in a year. Still not going to cut it, I mean great for them =) but I personally want this to be a monetarily successful business, so I want to find out what people are willing to pay for what I have on a consistent basis.

I’ve looked all over at everyone I can find… I’ve checked out as many online stores/sales that I can seek out who carry anything even similar to what I have. I write to the artists. It is probably one of the most educational and simple things I can do. Most of them are extremely helpful. Only twice have I run into artists who are so fiercely protective of their methods they’d sooner plaster their eyes closed than to give me information. But no worries, life goes on. I fell in love with the majority of the artistic community and I want to pay it forward.

Back to competition. I’m not going lie… there are a couple of people out there who can’t have their stuff up for 5 minutes before someone snatches it.. I’ve seen customers have bidding wars over their art... I’m talking 3-400.00 for one piece! This is my goal…seriously.

I know it sounds terrible but on more than one occasion I have just been beside myself wondering ‘why aren’t these same people wanting my stuff and paying that price? My art is just as nice as theirs.’ The answer is semi-simple. These people have worked their tushies off and in the process gained a fan-base {nothing but respect for these amazing artists} we’ll get into that later… back to factors.

Buyer’s Remorse… that’s an icky one. The more money a person pays for something, the higher their expectations, as they should be.  If they buy something from me and this ‘something’ shows up at their door in anything less than perfect condition, then the buyer will lose faith in me and I will have lost that customer for life. You don’t want this to happen. Word of mouth can go a long way, especially in the art world.

No worries!! Your talent and beautiful artwork captured their attention. So much so, they gave you money for it and that is a wonderful thing! Now it is time to capture their hearts. Because this is an area that we can really shine!  There are so many little touches you can give your packages for very little expense, and this can mean the difference between one time buyer and repeat customer!! There are lots of factors that can apply. It is up to you to figure out which ones will impact you/your business the most. In the long run, it will be the little things that keep people coming back. Be sure that you don't skimp on the little things. Take the time to talk to people who have questions. You never know who you are talking with or what connections they have. If you make a great impression, chances are they will get your name out there. That is exactly what you want. 

When I package my pieces, I use gift boxes. I get them in bulk either from the dollar store, or www.Uship.com great shipping stuff in bulk by-the-way. I decorate my gift boxes, something simple like glitter-tape that color coordinates with my business cards, a ribbon or seasonal fun from the dollar store… I love the dollar store… I add fun tissue paper and a personal hand-written note, and ‘TA-DA!’ It feels like a real treat when they are opening their packages. What a nice surprise for them! I like opening gifts..Don’t you?

I don’t add the cost of the shipping materials to the purchase price of the piece itself. I add it into the shipping cost. I add the box < 1.00 depending on where I get it, .05 for the tissue paper {if I get a box of 20 from the dollar store} .05 for the ribbon or glitter tape. It is inexpensive for me. It is a little extra effort on my part, but this is what I want to do. I am sending a small part of my soul that I created and I want the new owner to treasure it as much as I do.

I hope this is helpful to those of you who are struggling with the idea of pricing your art for sale. For me, this venture has been a most humbling journey. I hope that in some way you will have benefited from my mistakes, and found this material useful. Your feedback is always welcome.

Remember, you are a beautiful and creative soul, truly a gift among people. Here’s hoping you all have a wonderful week full of fresh ideas and inspiration.

As always, until next time,

XO ~Alicia, LDA

 

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"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." - who said this?

You're at the show. People are interested in your work they are about to leave (empty handed!!). And they turn and say,

do you have a card?

Your reply: Sorry, I don't want to be bothered when I'm not at the show. I'm here now. What can I do for you?

do you have a website?

Your reply: the show is my livelihood, what can I do for you?

how can we get in touch with you for a piece for our anniversary/new family room/cottage when it is time?

Your reply: how about now?

I have seen this scenario many, many times. The people walk away dazed and confused, and empty-handed. This may seem extreme, but you know it is factual. Do you have business cards? Do you always have them on you?

At the show they can carry them off and have a tangible piece from you that may bring them back today because you've written your booth # on it. Away from the show they are a visual memory jog about you and your work. A good card is the cheapest viral marketing and advertising you can do.

Here are a few cards I've picked up recently that show some very good basics:

What's missing from this card? Nothing I can think of. How about you?

8869142867?profile=original

Front of Wendy Bedolla's card

8869143078?profile=original

Back

8869143099?profile=original

And, we need to have our house painted - great card, no?

8869143855?profile=original

Do you have a business card? Can you show it to us here?

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Let's All Vent....

Who the hell are you to walk in my booth and ask for a discount? Do you have any idea how long I worked on this piece? Are you that self absorbed and greedy to expect me to take a pay cut so that you can enjoy a nice work of art? Go to hell!!That is just a bunch of junk! Really? My work is just a bunch of junk? Are you seriously saying that out loud to my face? Do you know what an antique is? Do you know anything about art at all? Why are you here? Do you value your teeth?I don't have room for another thing in my house. Then go the f@@k home and stay there. Enjoy your house full of treasures, hoarder!Where do you find all of the things to make your sculptures? Oh, they just fall out of the sky and land in my workshop in mint condition. I go out to antique shops and buy them, you damn fool!Oh, you have to pay to be here? No, it's free, we all just show up and pitch a tent and wait for the money to flow in.So, you fly to all your shows? Sure, me, my rig and all my art just hop on a plane and jet across the country. Nope, I drive!I am in a mood today, feel free to vent.....
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$250,000 prize to one of our gang!

September 22-October 10 there was a fine exhibition of art throughout the downtown public buildings and museums of Grand Rapids that brought thousands of people to stand in line to view art and talk about it with their friends. It is called ArtPrize. ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends. There was almost $500,000 in prize money at stake and is sponsored by the De Vos Family, founders of Amway. 2010 was its second year.

Over 1700 artists displayed their work in over 300 locations. Anyone could vote to choose the prizewinners. You had to go to Grand Rapids to register, then you could vote at your leisure on your computer or at various balloting places around the city.

So why am I telling you about this again? The winners were announced last week and it has just sunk in on me that the big prize winner, Chris LaPorte, winner of $250,000 is someone I have met! Where? at an art fair!! Don't you just love it? The public speaks and who do they choose? Someone who draws portraits and caricatures at art fairs. Granted this was not caricature, but rather a huge graphite drawing 8 ft. x 4.4 ft., a pretty amazing drawing.

Read about Chris' life as an artist and learn about the drawing at ArtPrize.org. Here is 90 seconds with Chis LaPorte, a video: http://blog.artprize.org/2010/10/05/90-seconds-with-chris-laporte/

Read a little more here: Democracy comes to the art world

Yes, I am telling you about this because Chris has lived your life, but also because maybe, just maybe, you'll start thinking really big about where you are going with your art next...I can't wait to see it.
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Towel...throwing...in

Hey kids,

The last show I did was an inaugural show. Duh. Kick myself. I stood in freezing weather, and rain - in a location that was frequented by no one, sold not a thing... like most of the people around me. Booth fee, hotel, meals, gas...had to be $1K for zip.

I could bitch and moan about this business, but I signed up for it.

I have always wanted to control my career, and as we all know, we can't count on festivals to make a living...although many of you do, and I applaud you and admire you a LOT for figuring out how.

I am going to take the money I have left and open a bricks and mortar gallery/workshop/open studio space in a small town down the road. I'd rather be mad at myself if things don't go well than blame a promoter, blame the weather, blame the customers, or get mad at the next dog to pee on my work.

I'd rather control what I show, who sees it and how I market it. It's possible I've lost my mind, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

One thing I am good at is marketing and PR... I know how to talk on TV... I can manage my own web site, and for once, I feel like I can control my destiny... creating a space that [I hope] people will want to visit - and potentially buy some art. I am going to CURATE my own shows, and my own life.

I'm also over 60, and want to use the energy I have to create something I've always wanted...

For now, I'm going to keep the pro-panels, and find a place in the garage for the tent...just in case.

Good luck, everyone -- you are the real road warriors, these days!

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A new Buy/Sell?

Here is art glass that has a showroom in High Point, NC, amazing blown glass from China. They are at every gift show. I have no problem with this. The Chinese have done a very nice job of copying art for the U.S. market -- it goes on in just about every product category. And I have no problem with their selling at this marketplace. This glass is made and marketed by Viz Glass and is sold at low price points: $45 to $75. But look at this work:8871896088?profile=original

8871896263?profile=originalBesides the Chihuly knock offs does it look like work you have been seeing at the art fairs?

 

 

 

 

Here are two pieces recently submitted for an art fair that are directly from the Viz Art Glass catalog:

8871895868?profile=original8871895889?profile=original

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the Viz Glass site:  http://www.vizartglass.com/

Learn more about Viz Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbBxEXZo_nY

If you were the show director and you received these submissions what would you do?

Do you "like" this post? If so, would you please click on the "like" (thumbs up) button?

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Better Quality Display Canopy Comparisons

I'm upgrading from a decent EZ-up and I've been pouring over people's opinions and advice about this brand and that of higher end display canopies throughout the discussions here but I'm still teetering between two major brands. I do my set-up solo - am of a 'certain age', who wants set up and tear down to be a breeze. You know, I want the world - in a display tent!

Must Haves:

  • 1 person set up
  • 10' x 10'
  • dome
  • zipped high quality side panels
  • skylight
  • front and back vents
  • awning
  • durable
  • high quality
  • replacement parts available

Considerations:

I'm attracted to the lightweight portability of the aluminum frame components of the Show off but love the guys at Flourish who make the Trimline that has taken over and improved on the Crafthut experience.

My research here through the forums and posts has found that there are enthusiastic supporters of every brand out there. I decided to compare apples with apples to get a handle on how things stack up! All prices shown are from the websites of each individual company as of today August 28, 2012. At first I thought there were wild ($300ish) price differences but then I looked into the add-ons and found they all come in very close to each other price-wise.

Comparing with: upper vents, 4 sidewalls, skylight, front awning)

Trimline:

  • comes fully loaded 
  • shipping extra (~$80 - 100)
  • heavy (steel)
  • 36 main components to frame
  • Many components = time consuming set up
  • Very Stable
  • Many replacement and upgrades available
  • Great Service
  • Comes with anchoring kit
  • Awning Add $125
  • Carry Bags Add $52
  • BONUS: Awesome sales support - thorough online presence with tons of info
  • Bottom Line: $1152

ShowOff

  • 'free' shipping
  • light (marine grade aluminum)
  • The top canopy goes on the roof frames while still on the ground - maybe not so easy for the person who finds it difficult to squat or bend over
  • 16 main components to frame
  • easy solo set-up
  • Comes with 2 carry bags
  • 2 center zip walls included
  • Said to be super stable
  • Good web site with plenty of info (not as much as Trimline folks though) responsive to email inquiries
  • Bottom Line:  $1170

 

CraftHut = TrimLine (were bought out)

Light Dome - Finale

  • Finale configured comparably $1069 + Shipping (+ $80 - 100)
  • (Note: doesn't include skylight as they say their tent material transfers light well)
  • Aluminum Frame
  • Top canopy must slide onto roof frame with legs partially extended - maybe not as easy for the shorter person
  • 21 main components to frame
  • do-able solo set up
  • Has some tremendously enthusiastic users many of whom attest to its rain and wind worthiness
  • Replacement parts and upgrades available
  • Carry Bags included
  • All 4 walls come with center zip standard
  • of the 2 Finale seems to have an edge over the Light Dome
  • Not the best web site. Actually pretty 1990's-ish, lol - but a nice gal answered the phone when I called.
  • Bottom Line: ~$1150

 

Suggested additional Upgrade: get a center zipper in each sidewall so solo roll-up is do-able without a special tool

Another Thoughtful Recap

An artist/blogger by the name of Ron Frazier went through this process a couple of years ago and recapped his thinking here: http://ronfrazier.blogspot.com/2007/08/upgrading-to-better-canopy-p...

Be sure to read the comments. They're making me lean towards The Finale as of this writing.

Add YOUR opinions below if you like:

  1. What canopy do YOU use? 
    Brand and Model if you know
  2. What do your LOVE about it?
    your top 3 features.
  3. What do you wish was better?
    (if anything) about it?

What I Chose:
I went with the SHOWOFF. Here's WHY:

  • fewer overall parts
  • The top is set up before the legs are raised - so no struggling on a step ladder to get situated
  • Tons of customizations available (I added zippers to both sidewalls so I can roll them up easily without using a contraption or a neighbor - I also purchased the rear awning fittings but not the pricey vinyl lean to - I intend to either clip my back sidewall up when my booth is open or add a lightweight tarp as necessary)

I didn't ask for nor did I receive any % off from the seller for announcing this choice.

All three main companies make excellent tents that work great for folks with slightly different needs.  

If your needs are similar to mine and this post helped you decide to also go with the SHOWOFF please mention me (Marti McGinnis) as your referral when you buy yours. They'll give me a little rebate. Then when you tell people about your purchase you'll get one too!

 

----------------------

Comment from Discussion (that I closed and moved here)

Permalink Reply by Brandee Ross 14 hours ago

I bought a Light-Dome earlier this year and set it up exactly once: one time was enough to make me realize it was NOT a one-person operation (not this one person anyway).

I really like the ease of a popup tent so I started researching what the food and sponsor guys were using at shows. I found out about TentCraft (tentcraft.com) but at ~$1,000 it was more than I wanted to spend. Then I came across a knockoff by Eurmax: http://www.eurmax.com/ProCanopyPackage10x10.html. I LOVE this tent. My favorite features:

 

Eurmax PRO 10'x10' Package

  • Hexagon, NOT square legs that are over 2" wide made of thick aluminum
  • Heavy duty, but light enough to put up easily and quickly on my own
  • Good side panels included
  • Side panels attach at top with a velcro border -- no straps/excess shows and it's quick to install
  • Replacement parts available
  • Nicest tent bag of any I've owned
  • Price - under $400

I can't think of any improvements. I don't use an awning but I did buy side rails to add stability, and in the future I might use them to display graphics in my tent.

Good luck!

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What I am going to say is real.  I did it.  This is not fantasy.

First, a caveat (means, possibly, a warning) when you do the following you can probably give up any hope of getting in that show in the next 20 years, unless they all get Alzheimers, which I do not wish upon anybody.

That said, I got my annual rejection from Oconowoc, WI for the 15th year in a row.  Never have even made the wait list.

So this is what I just Emailed them.  WTF, I have nothing to lose because I will never, ever, let them suck another dollar out of me for a jury fee.

It could be a good model, if you have nothing to lose.  In my case, they have sucked more than $600 out of me in jury fees.  Mind you, I have sent, fresh, new, innovative work every year to them.

 

 

Here it goes.

 

"You people can go recuse yourselves.

I have applied to your show for over 10 years, without, once, even getting on your wait list.

"In the meantime I have been in shows way above your level like St. Louis and the Plaza, to name a few.

"I sent you ground-breaking work never done by many photographers before--and I don't even make your wait list.

"You are mired in mediocrity.  I will never apply to your show again.

"BTW.  I have done shows for more than 37 years and won more than 300 awards in juried competitions.

"Obviously your jury does not know good, original work that stares them in the face (Or is it only floral arrangements of flowers that does it with you folks).

"It is your loss, Nels Johnson."

 

That is what I sent.

If shows can relentlessly raise their jury and booth fees, w/o due consideration--they ought to be able to take a little heat once in a while.

Of course, you political-correct newbies, and oldies, will go--are you fricking nuts?

Enough is enough.

As the man said in a great movie, "I am tired of it, I aint taking it anymore.

 

That is all folks.  Nels.8869107688?profile=original

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Bayou City Art Festival (March 28-30)  seems to be having a communication problem.  Websites and Face Book pages all over the internet are buzzing.

I have no horse in this race (obviously) although I did live in Houston for ten years and I have had the pleasure of being threatened with a lawsuit by an "artist" whose work I questioned, thanks to the Director of BCAF a couple of years ago.  

And there was last year's "art heist" held during the final hours of last year's show that I objected to so some might think I don't have a lot of love for the folks running this show.

I don't make this stuff up, it just happens naturally.  Apparently no one has received any information about booth space, hotels, load-in and whatever other info is usually sent prior to the show.  Inquiries for the most part were not answered leaving artists wondering what is going on. At  one point, artists calling the number of the BCAF office heard the phone picked up and someone in the background saying  to hang up the phone.  Then there is the rumor that the show has been expanded from 300 artists to 450.    300 is a lot of artists but 450 is a ridiculous number.  If the show has attendance to support 300 that is fine but if you are going to increase your booth number by 50%, you damn well better increase your attendance by at least 75% just to be safe.  Those are very small pieces of pie for the artists.

One of the artists received an email (finally) from someone in authority at BCAF with some sort of verbiage about making this a world class event that collectors from all over the world would rush to attend except it is a little late for this year with less than a month until the show.  As to the change in the prospectus from 300 to 450 artists, this was explained by a change in the board of directors after the prospectus and application money was received.  Others are checking into the legality of changing the show from what was listed in the prospectus.  (oh, did I mention that this information came out after the date for any kind of booth refund had passed?  Is anyone surprised?)

Adding to all the fun surprises, the  Fall BCAF had an application deadline before the Spring BCAF had even taken place.  Something that hadn't happened before, it is usually after.  But, have no fear, they have extended that deadline a bit for all those who didn't know they had made it so much earlier than previous years.  

And the surprises keep on coming--those called off the wait list (you have to fill those 150 booths somehow) are not being told that the show has been increased by such a large amount either.  

Of course all this fun led to some interesting comments and questions on their FB page where you can rate the show.  Gee, that section of the page seems to have been removed and there is no place to add commentary other than under something they have posted.  

Now with all this going on, including the hiring of people to help spread the gospel of wonderfulness that the BCAF will be, one would think that there would be some information disseminated today to stem the flow of conjecture and ill feelings towards this festival but alas, the silence has been deafening.

Houston--YOU have a problem.

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Bad News and Good News

Three weeks ago, while I was in Louisville, Ky, for the St James Court Art Fair, in the week preceding the show, my van was robbed and 3/4 of my beaded jewelry was stolen. I didn't realize it had happened because I wasn't using the van for driving around (I was there also to visit my son and granddaughter who live in that city) and didn't even notice it until I started out that fateful Thursday morning to go set up for the show.

Well, you can believe that I was devastated, in shock, thinking that somehow I had just misplaced everything and that it was somewhere else in the van than I remembered. I didn't actually start to cry until I got to the show, and after having torn open every box, told the show organizers that I had to withdraw from the show and blubbered out what had happened. The loss represented over 2000 hours of work and about a $30,000 loss.

I spent the rest of that day talking to the police, composing a flyer to hand out (like a lost cat), and going to local pawn shops with the few pieces that I had left to show them my work and ask for cooperation. Eventually, one nice lady at a pawn shop told me to not bother with pawn shops anymore as my work was beaded and beautiful, but they only bought precious metal and gemstone jewelry. My husband, back in Los Angeles, had contacted the local paper and written a press release for them. They then posted that on their blog and that connection became vital to the proceedings.

The next day, starting day of the show, I was armed with 200 flyers and went to the show, handing them out to every jewelry vendor at that show, thinking that they would be the most likely candidates to be approached if someone was trying to sell my work en masse. It's a huge show, 750 vendors, and I was happy to have an excuse to go and see ALL the booths. Just a side note: it is a real mix of the good, the bad and the also-rans. It was a fine day and I had a mission.

Talking to the other vendors was great therapy; they were wonderfully receptive and sympathetic and helped to ease my shocked nerves. Mid-day, I got a call from the local news channel asking for an interview which would air on the evening news. They had read the blog site for the paper! I drove to the TV station and did the interview; it went pretty well. Next day, I canvassed my son's neighborhood, a cute shopping/eating section of Louisville called The Highlands, posting and handing out my flyers to likely store owners and inside cafes. Many of those to whom I spoke knew about what happened from the newspaper and the TV news! I was amazed. I got a wonderful flow of support from them all and everyone promised to watch for my work if it surfaced.

Connie Mettler posted my sad story on this site and I got many emails from fellow artists with warm wishes, prayers for a good outcome and offers of help. The Louisville show organizer wrote to me to tell me she was refunding my booth rent amount in full with an open invitation to participate next year, should I decide to come back. CERF+ contacted me offering assistance in the form of a grant or loan to get me back to battery. The police even called me a few days later to see how I was doing and find out if I had any leads for them, which I didn't.

So, even though the situation was bad, I was bombarded with good thoughts, warm wishes and positive energy as well as actually help and advice.

Then something incredible happened.

This morning the Louisville police called me to say that they had recently been given a tip that someone had been seen entering/living in a vacant house near to where my son Cassidy lives. They went there to check it out and caught the fellow who had been squatting there, hiding up in the attic. A look-about showed them piles of stolen goods that this fellow had stashed, including my jewelry! It was all there, plus much more!


The officer looking over the confiscated goods saw that my jewelry was unusual in nature and so took one container-ful over to a little shop in the Highlands area, Edenside Gallery, 1422 Bardstown Road, Louisville, to get an opinion from the owner, Nancy, as she was known to this officer to be an expert on hand-made crafts and unusual jewelry.

She recognized my work instantly because she was one to whom I had spoken and handed out my flyer when I was canvassing that neighborhood after the theft. Nancy pulled out my flyer, showed the officer and together, they called me with the good news. It was only a few hours later, after some paperwork with me to finish up the business,
that all the jewelry was released to Cassidy and he is shipping it home to me tomorrow!
What a success story!


Oh, happy day!


Kathleen Caid

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Boycott (Announced in advance)

"We, the under-signed artists, believe exorbitant jury fees are un-necessary and unfair.  Starting December 31, 2013 we will no longer apply to art shows that charge more than $35 for an application/jury fee.

We believe that with fair-warning shows can adjust their budgets accordingly and plan ahead as we, artists, have to do."

Anybody with me on this?  If sent to every show in the country, would they respond?  Would they, boldly, go ahead and release their new show announcement with a $40, $45 or $50 application fee?

You tell me....

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I am going to add new info for Labor Day right here so you don't have to go thru the whole dang thing. Monday was the nicest day, though very chilly. Think heavy wool sweaters with chilling breezes.  People were out early, sales were being made.  I had the most fun with people on Monday, did not make as much as Sunday, but I made a profit.  When interviewing my fellow artists about Sunday sales, a number had done $4-5K on that day,a small number of artists.  Most others if they did $1K they were lucky.  Many unhappy campers who will not be coming back.  We head home for Saugatuck today.  Give me a day to unwind and I WILL REPORT A NEW BLOG WITH THOUGHTFUL OBSERVATIONS, MEANINGFUL EDITORIAL ADVICE AND GIVE THE PLUSES AND MINUSES TO THIS SHOW.  Too bad Webbie could not make it here, he could have said a big load of things.  Later Gators.

Below here is where I started my Friday report.

 

I have added new info since Fri. morn,Well, we are here.

Weather forcast absolutely sucks.

Today, heat at 95 degrees with 30% percent chance of rain.

Tomorrow, 90 degrees with 40%.

Sunday, mid-eighties with 30%.

Monday, sunny--high of 66 degrees.

We will do our best, but frankly, this is going to hurt attendance.

Pray for us.  Nels and Ellen.

 

New Info.

Returned to hotel Fri. nite, exhausted from 96 degree heat most of day.  Guess what?  Looking forward to a cool shower and a cool room.  AC was busted, in the Westin, they moved us to a new room.  That just about summed up the day.

 

Show is well organized.  But, we are just one small part of this whole affair.  It has the feel of a giant eight-block country fair with loud music booths and food boooths everywhere.  Oh yeah, then there is some art, us.

We were mostly ignored.  Most people did not do even $300 for the day.  I made $236, Ellen made zero.

New info about Saturday

 

Just a few quick notes before leaving for show on Sunday.

Read the comments below especially on second page--they tell ya about the bad weather, again, that hit nthe show.

There was no warning about high winds when we decided to buckle up for the night at 7:30.  But, it sounds like shades of Columbus all over again. One tell,Richard the Wooden Spoon Maker told us thet had done a manutory evacuation of the Ann Arbor Stadium earlier around 7 PM. 

When Richard isn't wrapping a spoon every five minutes that tells you a lot about sales.

All I know is that in our section on 7th which is like the beginning of the show, sales were pretty abysmal for most of us.  The Angel guy was killing them with lowend prints.  Aaron from Georgia with great African folk art paintings made several big sales during the day.  Ellen sold one small one for $295--that is her only sale for the whole show.  Me, I didn't even do $1400 for the day.  These people were wandering in La-La land.  Very few interested buyers.

Weather is a factor, went to a high of 95 degrees which kills most sales.  Economy in Royal Oak is not good.

On the other hand, out on the main drag, Washington Street, there were bigger crowds and a lot more successes.

Then, there are the legion of lost souls area. 7th crosses WaSHINGTON.  MOST PEOPLE TAKE A RIGHT TURN AND WALK THAT WAY, BUT IF THEY KEPT GOING STRAIGHT, THEY WOULD FIND ABOUT 20 MORE BOOTHS HIDDEN BEHIND A GIANT FUDGE TRUCK DISPLAY WHICH ALMOST TOTALLY HIDES THEM.  MOST PEOPLE THEIR WERE UNHAPPY CAMPERS.  I TALKED TO THREE OF THEM, AND THEY WON'T BE BACK UNLESS A MIRACLE HAPPENS.

 

I AM PRAYING FOR A GOOD MIRACLE FOR ALL OF US.

 

THANKS MUNKS, FOR ZIPPERING UP OUR BLOWN OPEN TARP--YOU ARE A PRINCE.  HOPEFULLY YOU WILL SELL A FEW BIG ONES TODAY.

THANKS TO JIM PARKER, AS ALWAYS, A STALWART FORCE AMONG ARTISTS.

 

NEW INFO ABOUT SUNDAY.

Cooled down finally to low eigthy, crowds werew larger and sales were somewhat larger.

Trouble is, most people were still unhappy with sales for the day.  Lots of them did less than a grand, some were lucky to do $1600, and then a lucky number did outstanding sales.

 

Most exhibitors who were there last year agreed that thus was not the  buying crowd they saw last year.

They are a blue collar crowd and they dont seem to want to spend much money.  They reminded me too much of being like the Ann Arbor crowd we saw.

Ellen tells me we gotta go now in order to get our parking spot.

Will continue tomorrow where I left off.

 

Parker, others, feel free to jump in.

Aloha, Nels and Ellen.

 

 

 

 

 

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A "Stumble-Through" of My Booth Setup

8869084276?profile=originalI've sort of adapted my booth development process around the theatrical process...  

When you're rehearsing a play, you start out in a variety of different ways, but eventually you start a process called "blocking", which is where the actors and directors figure out where the actors are physically positioned and begin working on fleshing out the dialogue.  Then you move onto "working" rehearsals, and eventually you get to a "stumble-through".  From that point, you keep doing the play over and over, tweaking bits and pieces until you can start "run-throughs", and then suddenly you find yourself in technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, previews and opening...  It's an interesting process, and I like to think that my booth is heading toward it's opening but I'm not there yet.

Today, I did my first "stumble-through".  I had a plan, I knew where everything was going to go, and I decided to give it a shot.  Wow.  Did I learn a LOT.  Even without my stuff there to display, I learned a number of different  things that I need to develop in my "working" phase so I can eventually get to a series of "run-throughs" allowing me to practice setting everything up over and over and over until it runs smoothly.  By that time, I'll be ready for a "dress rehearsal" (which I may make into an invite-only trunk show) before I hit the big time and do my first real, upscale art festival.

Depending on whether I can get juried into one.  : )

8869084870?profile=originalBut obviously, I have to work toward a goal.  I'm taking things slow, yes, but I believe that (much like a theatrical presentation) the opening night audience pays for the same tickets that the closing night audience does, so they deserve to see the same show.  I'm going to make sure I've got my booth ready for my first show.  And that's just gonna take a bit of time to ensure it's right.

So my stumble-through was incredibly productive.  As I said, I learned a lot.  I've included pictures here of my initial endeavors.  My banners arrived this week and I was excited about them, so I was very keen on doing a trial run this weekend to see if they were going to work.  Of course, I hadn't brought any of my stuff from storage, so there was only a handful of current projects in my studio that I tried to spread out as much as I could...  It makes the booth seem quite spare and empty.  But I'm workin' in baby steps here, so it was a good thing I didn't have it in my way...

Things of a general nature that I learned:

8869085068?profile=original 1) 8' walls don't measure 8' from the cross bar at the top to the stay bar at the bottom.  The walls themselves do, but the metal structure on the inside is smaller.  My 2'x4' grid wall panels were too tall, as were my banners.  Duh.  I hadn't thought that all the way through...  This caused some logistical problems I had to figure out...

 

2)  I need more practice putting this thing up. A lot more practice.  This was the first time doing it by myself, and I practically wiped myself out.  I have to get the "choreography" memorized in order to make it as swift as possible.  Otherwise, it will take me too long to set it up, and the shows will open around me, and I'll be a bad artist who won't be allowed back.  And wearing comfortable clothes, gloves, and sunglasses is a must.  Being in southern California, sunblock is a no-brainer.

 

3)  Marking the tent poles with permanent marker where the grid wall should go is a good idea.  I tried guesstimating, but soon whipped out the ol' tape measure to do it right. 

 

4)  Having a plan is a must.  I wouldn't have been able to progress this far unless I had already drawn out what I wanted over and over, asking for opinions and imagining how it would all go together.  A good director plans (generally) what he wants the audience to feel and understand when they see his show.  He knows the high points and the low.  Likewise, a person doesn't build a house without a set of approved architectural plans.  Don't "wing it" when it comes to your booth.  You'll think it's fun to organically develop things, but in the end you'll be frantically trying to get things done, and lose any sense of salesmanship you might have had because you're too tired from setup.  I learned this the hard way as my neighbors came over to see what was up, and suddenly I found myself explaining my work with the few pieces I had on hand in my studio...  I was tired, and it took a lot of energy to be "on".  Don't let this happen to you.

Things of a specific nature that I learned:

 1)  I need to make my banners a smidge shorter than they are by taking 2" off the top and the bottom.  They're just a wee bit too long.  Good thing I have the technology to do that...

 

2)  I may be horribly particular, but I don't like how my gridwall overlaps.  I plan on shaving off three rows on the bottom pieces so they actually hang correctly without overlapping each other.  And maybe that's just an accepted industry standard.  But it drives. me. nuts.  Looks sloppy to my eye.

 

3)  I have a series of things I still need to purchase--a long mirror for above the display table, a rug, weights, more display heads, a marine battery, a tool box, clear crates for my product storage that will fit under my tables...

 

4)  I have a lot of things I need to make, too: an informational banner that I'm going to create that reminds people of custom ordering possibilities and the one-of a kind nature of my pieces, a fanny pack/apron for my "bank"that I can wear, and pennants for the poles above my business banner in front.

 

5)  I need to order more zip ties.  I'm gonna run out of the 1000 I already bought at the rate I'm using them... I think I will be clipping away zip tie ends in my dreams tonight.  It looks terribly sloppy if I don't...

 

8869085491?profile=original6)  I forgot to put much time into my table display--a sorely needed aspect that I can't neglect.  I have to seriously ponder what I'm going to do there...  While it's the "fun" part for some people, it's frustrating for me--I was so concerned with the layout of the tent I hadn't really thought about what my table top was going to look like...

 

7)  I didn't even get around to setting up any electrical stuff, as I still need to get a marine battery and all the accouterments...  But I did realize that my Christmas tree lights that I purchased last year probably will run the battery down too much, so I need to get LED lights instead...  ...  That was disappointing...

 

8)  I made my sheer striped panels too long, and need to shorten them so they don't pool on the bottom stay bar in such an ugly fashion.

 

9)  I need a support rod for the top of my business banner above my entrance--I thought I could get away without it, but obviously I can't as the banner itself just isn't capable of being pulled taught.

 

10)  I need lights to show off the rhinestones of my neck lace items which will be on my table top.  The natural sunlight is too diffused by the transparent panel in the ceiling of the tent to be effective.  And I've read that "sparkle sells"...  If I'm going to use rhinestones in my items, I might as well show them off--I mean, seriously, I work in show business!  I gotta have my spotlights!!  : )  So I'll be investing in some lighting once I get my marine battery mechanism.  I have the stay bar for them (which I am also planning on hanging some of my recycled tin can mobiles from) it's just a matter of buying the fixtures and the lights themselves.

8869086053?profile=originalThis was a very educational day.  I learned a LOT.  I put the fourth wall up on my tent and left is standing tonight, just to see if it would make it through the night and what it would be like tomorrow morning.  I don't want to go to my first festival and try that for the first time...  That sounds like a potential disaster in the making...

Anyway, it's done for now.  Time to turn my attention to the new mountain of work I need to accomplish to be ready!  Haha!!  If you see anything in my pics that stands out as something I might need to address (o ye sages of Artus Festivi) please let me know!  I'd appreciate the feedback now while I can still do something about it!  : )

And remember to Live Life with Relish.  After all, isn't that what it's all about?

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Something to Think About

I just got my annual rejection from Cherry Creek and it got me thinking.  There is a problem in our business that effects many artists like me.

The last time I did Cherry Creek was 1992 (its second year).   I was 11 years into my art fair career and still showing tried and true photography,  That year I showed an ironic new image, that combined with a provocative title, caused people to see themselves in a whole new way.  My sales went up dramatically and I had my best show to that date at Cherry Creek.  

After that, I began to look for more image/title combinations and soon ironic turned to comic.  I became successful beyond my wildest dreams topping out a few years ago at Main Street; Fort Worth with a $21,000 show.  People come in my booth and chuckle constantly, then, before leaving, they say, "I love your sense of humor".

Well, 34 years into my career, my body of work has progressed to the point where what I do is very popular with patrons of art shows, but because of the restrictions of 10 second viewing by jurors I can't include my titles and even if I could they wouldn't have time to "get the joke".  A glance won't do it!  So, of late I'm getting more rejections because I'm jurying with my new work assuming shows want variety and diversity.  Wrong!  It seems to me, that shows want the same-old-same-old work every year.

The problem with the whole system, is that the entire jury process is disconnected from the buying of art.  Shows choose their jurors from the same pool every year.  The jurors are all from the pool of people who are "suppose" to know art.  NOT people who consume art.  So, the same artists (many great ones) populate the best shows year after year.  However, the public is denied the experience of seeing a greater variety of artists (many great ones).  

We all know the serious type of people shows recruit to their juries (e.g. Museum directors, gallery owners, artists and academicians).  I don't believe they take humor seriously!  

If you have four eye-popping images that take no thought to process you're in.  It's the same with judges at shows, they glance at a wall of work but consume none of it.

I know the people of Denver would love my work, but they will probably never get the chance to see it. 

An artist friend of mine thinks the best shows are commission shows, because the public votes with its dollars and the top sellers are invited back.

Something to think about.

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How do you stay cool at Art Shows?

Today I was reading how one artists was planning to keep herself cool at her next art show.  I think this could be a very timely topic as we are in the midst of a large heat wave.  What do you to keep keep cool?  What tricks work for you?  Have you ever had a heat stroke at a show?  Did you have to leave the show and go to the hospital?  I think this is a great time to share a few of your secrets to help artists who may be starting out and haven't given much thought to this topic.  Please post some of your cooling tricks. 

Jacki B

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I have been wanting to have event promoters discuss this topic for quite some time, but never got around to posting it: Why do juried events accept STAGED (FAKE) BOOTH IMAGES for evaluation purposes and then weight them so highly?

Truth is, most on site booth set-ups do not resemble the submitted jury images. They do NOT usually show browse bins, density of merchandise marketed for sale, signage in use at the show, and that often many exhibitors move their displays outside the boundaries of their booths. They may even show prints of originals staged as originals when the original was sold long ago. Juries already accept works for evaluation which are no longer in the artist's inventory and may be 10 or more years old - not reflecting the work which the artist currently does....

Why not require CURRENT (within the last 12 months) booth shots which are actually obtained at events to show what an exhibitors set-up REALLY looks like...warts and all.

Juries will have to acknowledge that they are live shots and not optimized for being pretty. Most exhibitor booths are not pristine, nor exhibit the Spartan emptiness which juries seem to adore. They may need to weight them less heavily to reflect the reality of so many situations 

Most booths are filled with as much product as possible in order to hopefully have items which might appeal to a customer.

CAVEAT - there are some higher end painters and others who do often only display 15-20 pieces in their booths... BUT often they are set up where you cannot see the interior of the display because of the zig-zag walls and mini-maze set-up used to display their work.......... But some of these also have non-show booth jury shots that don't reflect the rather claustrophobic actual booth conditions.

An artist who submits an actual at-the-show-booth-image is often penalized because it reflects reality.

Meanwhile, there are those in the art community who have created a separate revenue stream by offering booth shot creation and post-processing services. Some of these providers appear to have insinuated themselves into the jury advisory process... which gives the appearance of perpetuating the use and preferred acceptance of fake booth photos.

While I admire these folks for their revenue creation efforts, the truth is that those who doing this as a service are enabling a dishonest practice if their clients are not going into a show and setting up their displays in the same way that the images are submitted. And the juries are not being backed up by the show personnel actually going to confirm that the booth looks like the jury image.

If shows have a preference for this Spartan display look which maximizes the booth space and not the amount of product, then they need to be more specific in their jury criteria. In any event, juries need to require actual set-up images for evaluation of perhaps they should scrap the fake booth jury image altogether.

Let the firestorm begin........ I'm wearing my leopard skin print Nomex outfit.....

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A Legal Reminder about Posting on AFI

Dear members,
It's great that together we have built a friendly, open community where people can discuss the issues important to the art fair business.

I hope that we can continue to do that.

However, recently there has been a lot of discussion that has been less than kind, to say the least.

I'd like to remind everyone that typing here in the Forum is not that different than having conversations in the real world.

For example, making statements and accusations about people or businesses that are untrue, defamatory, or damage a business can lead to legal liability.

Informed opinions, polite argument, and even a certain amount of gossip is no problem.

Libel is a problem.

Definition of Libel  (abridged from Dictionary.com)
To publish in print ...an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation... It is a tort (civil wrong) making the person or entity open to a lawsuit for damages by the person who can prove the statement about him/her was a lie.

The primary examples we are struggling with lately here include discussions where people are stating that others are engaged in fraudulent business practices.

If you are making accusations for which you don't have supporting facts, I'd encourage you to please consider the tone and potential impact of your rhetoric to help reduce its potential for getting you into legal trouble.

I'm just running a Forum here - it's not my place, desire, or job to pass judgment. 

When defamatory statements are made here there may be consequences.  Those consequences may simply be removal of your posts, suspension of your membership, or even legal action.

Some of you may want to quibble with my legalese here but the point is really not up for debate.

Unfounded accusations are not welcome here and can get you into real trouble. 

Thanks.

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Can you make money at Art Fairs???

I am an older person who went back to school to study photography after my family business of over 50 years closed down. (I have an art degree from a LONG time ago.)

Before I go back up into the "real world" to try and make a living again, I thought I would TRY and see how I would do at several Art Fairs.

So I registered for 8 or 9 (thinking I MIGHT get accepted into 1 or 2.) However up to now I have been invited to 3 of the 4 that have been decided. 

I have couple of questions that I would like to ask you people out there with more experience in these fairs that might help me:

CAN YOU MAKE MONEY ON THE FAIRS? 

Taking into consideration the:

Cost of a tent

Cost of entry fees

Cost of booth fees

Cost to mount/and or frame your work

Cost of a hotel room, food, miss. income..

Is there enough left over to actually make a profit???

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I like Zapp. It has become easy to enter shows. No going out and making expensive slides, no SASE for a lot of shows with potential to miss the mailing deadline. Just click, click, click click and you're done.

What I don't like is the same thing many artists talk about. "I can't get into the shows I have been doing for a long time." Let's look at some reasons this may be happening. There are now more applicants than ever. Digital images can be professionally created by anyone to show a beautiful image. The problem is are some people applying on Zapp who do not do their own work?

If you are a promoter who has integrity and a mission statement that focuses on true original art, it would be interesting to hear how you decide from Zapp if the artists are authentic or buy/sell enterpreneurs. Many of us who make a living from creating art from raw materials find it appalling when we find individuals selling 'art' that we know they did not make. It's the same old story: how did they get into the show? What screening does the promoter do? Is it our job to critique the show for the promoter?

If anyone has information on this topic it would be helpful to know!
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