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Sad to see Michelle lash out at others and basically blame artists for customers not buying her art.  And to think I defended this  Michelle when a customer came in complaining about Michelle's photography.  Saying they couldn't believe she took a picture of a dogwood flower she picked, stuck it on a remote part of a tree and decided to take several angle  pictures of it and sell it.  They then went on in reference to her many shots that were out of focus only to emphasize a small focus of a small image of nothing.  Boy this person went on to talk about how she then went on to mass produce copies of these images.  They seemed to be pissed because they overheard Michelle  relentlessly going on about artist, her award, the promoter, etc, etc in a negative way.  First of all I respect all photographers and appreciate the money investment and time involved including their artful wisdom  in purchasing the right frame to compliment their print.  I really do as that is so important.

Fist of all, Amy Amdur, decided to give an appararent inspiring artist of eight years old, the experience to give an artist an award.  Amy's empathy, passion, humbleness, hard working, hands on, etc, traits never cease to amaze me.  Though she is so successful, she has never let it go to her head, as she remains humble to inspire others, including an 8 year old boy.....never the need to fall in the ditch of snootiness, arrogance, or lack of empathy to artist or people of any financial status.  Could you image Amy Amdur's job, dealing with city quidelines, security, insurance, and endless unappreciative, cranky artists? First of all don't try and accuse me of being Amy's friend, sister, or cousin and making it look like that was the reason I was in the show.  Amy is equal to all.

The economy has changed, and though I love fine art, Amy is listening to her many customers who cannnot afford much and yet would like to purchase something.  She is apparantly a savy business women and instead of having the show so completely aimed at a particular income, she evidentally believes if she offers something for everyone, that the customers are more likely to show up.  First of all it is very grosse to assume you know if things are buy/sell.  If a person has variety, apparantely they are savy business people and want to offer something for everyone's taste.

I sort of had this hope that when people left high school, the bullies evolved into human beings and that their sheep developed their own thought, brain and compassion, but that isn't the case.  We are who we are from beginning to end....most of the time anyways. There will be many bully leaders and the sheep will follow.  Some how, some way there will always be many followers.  Degrees of Hitlers in many people and the sheep they command are always plentiful

In my post, their may be many grammar mistakes and mispellings, but its not worth my time to correct them as everyday is a race to create more art and purchase more bandaides for all the times the wire and beads cut my fingers.

God Bless to all of us hard working artist, fine crafters, hobbiest and hard workers in genereal, as I find you all worthy of a good, plentiful, lovely day.  I actually feel better overjoyed when I see you doing great at a show, even if you may be doing better than me.  To me, it is one less person to be worried for, not jealous of.  I value all of you for your efforts and for the fact that you are not sitting on your butt.  I'm not mad at Michelle as I have not been perfect in my life either, but instead say a prayer that she will do unto others as she would like done unto her.  

This is my wrap-up post, the previous two are just behind this, start at the beginning if you are new to the thread.  To all, thanks for following it, give me some feedback.

THE NOW--2013 

Well, last year was an improvement over 2012.

In 2012, I had open heart surgery with a bunch of by-passes and new valves.  It kinda put a crimp on my art-making and sales.

In 2013 I was a lot stronger and healthier.  I passed out at a couple of shows, while setting up, from that pesky atrial fibrillation.  Got that fixed in August and it has been smooth sailing since.

Here are some of the lessons and trends I gathered from last year. (Don't forget I am a 2-D guy so my observations are swayed that way.}

People loosened up with their spending in the early year, the winter months in Florida.  Shows in Jupiter, Bonita, not Naples though, New Smyrna Beach and others improved.

People were quicker to come out with the credit cards.  Still, most wanted a deal, most were not content to just pay the listed price, especially if they were buying more than one item.

I saw a pleasant uptick in the $100-$200 price range.  Nearly doubled 2011 results.

High end sales were better.

In Florida they have big,tall walls, they need big work.  Heck, a 26"x36" piece is a dink on most walls.  So people with the right work did very well.

Most of my friendly competitor photographers sold large panoramics on canvas and did well.

Painters with tropical themes, and wildlife, flourished.

The trouble is that there are too many shows in Florida on any given weekend and it dampens the need to buy, now, at the show.

Naples has a ton of shows, and most of them suck.  Lots of wealth there, but they treat us as a pleasant day out walking the dog at the show.

Speaking of wealth, the middle class of America has been savagely wounded, and their spending may never come back with the way our economy is going.

This does not bode well for us.  We need them.  We need to fill their walls with art.

The housing industry in Florida is slowly waking up, but way too slowly.

Now, at any given show, there may be a few good whales walking and looking to buy.  The competition and price points are enormous.  There are only so many of them to go around.  So a few, artists, prosper, and the rest go home with diminished profits.

Face it, most of us sell to the middle class.  Not many of us get to sell to the uber-rich. We need those middle class people and they are evaporating in front of our eyes.

In May, when I headed north for the summer, I started strong, but by late September, it was poor-city for me.

I live in Saugatuck,MI for five months and do the midwest shows.

June shows were a mixed bag, Cincinnatti was a passable show, Columbus was its usual killer, and Boston Mills is slowly sinking into "who-cares" territory.

July brought South Haven, a pleasant one-dayer, then a very down Krasl.  This usually always is strong for most of us.  Last year, it stunk.  Then came Ann Arbor, another show slipping in oblivion.

August brought several small shows where I barely made a paycheck.

September brought the one-dayer at Upper Arlington (it is slipping badly) and then a great-killer Saint Louis.

Then it was back to home in Ybor City,Fl.

My fall ended up being one of the worst in the last 12 years.  I barely survived.

OK, so what did I learn from all this.

First, you gotta keep coming up with fresh, new work.  I had a new body of work for 2012, it got me into great shows, but did not necessarily translate into great sales. I hope to build on that.

I think a photographer needs to have 40-60 marketable images working for him in at least three price points.  Of course, the bulk of your sales will come from the top 30 per cent.

The trend in photo right now definitely leans towards canvas work, with work on aluminum starting to catch on fast.  Work on paper under glass is considered old school.

Once they learned to put a white undercoating base on aluminum it made the color image so much brighter.  The process is costly, so you end up with a lot of money tied up in the inventory til you move it.  A certain number of people love it.

The people who come to shows anymore are not as savvy as we saw in the 80's and 90's.

Part of this has to do with the lack of art education in our country.  People have no history, and thus no passion for art.  It is mostly a design market.  That is not going to change.

To illustrate that, think about this scenario.  Two women show up at Naples and I have a great photo of the second Coming of Christ, on canvas.  They start swooning over it.  One women reaches for her credit card and then her friend does the "kill-the-sale-move."  "Margaret, you can't buy that, there is no purple or gold in your room."  End of story, end of sale.

I encounter people all the time who ask what those numbers are on the mat below an image.  They have no concept of a limited edition.  Many don't know that 1/1 means a one-of-a-kind.

The shows have learned to use us as a marketing diversion to bring in a x-number of patrons who they can market expensive vehicles, cellphone plans and real estate to.  Many times these people get the prime booth locations and we are relegated to lesser places.

The hand-held device works against us.

Too many are engrossed in looking at it while not really looking at the art.  It is hard to have a sustained conversation with a patron because of constant blips and alerts on their cell-screens.  Kids are the worst.  They are our future and it doesn't look good.  They would rather photograph your art with their phone, to share with friends, rather than buy anything.

With the advent of digital cameras and ones on phones, everyone is a photographer now.  It is not as easy to "wow" them with great original art.  Most, don't care.  They would rather have big screen TV up on the wall.

When I visit most people's houses, I see very little art ever hanging on the walls.

Couple this with the increase of buy-sell booths showing up at our shows and it portends a tough future making a living in this biz.

Too many show promoters will gladly take the booth fee even if it is BS.  They don't want open spaces.  Too many of the shows are way too large.  When you have 250 artist show at a mid to small location that means a lot of artists are only going to get little slice of the pie.

2012 saw an increase of shows who allowed their deadline for submission to pass, and then extended it.  Why? To grab more fees.  This will only get worse unless we can shame them and call attention to this practice on social forums. If they want us to adhere to their prospectus then they have to do, likewise.

2012 has seen the continuing rise in the price of the booth fee.  Trouble is sales are not increasing.  We are in a biz with increasing costs and diminishing sales--this is a poor business model and most cannot survive doing it.

Social media is probably a boon for most of us.  We can now stay in touch with friends instantly.  We can help, pronto.  Need to know about where to ask for a boothspace--get on the internet.  We are able to put new work out on sites and gather attention to it.  Possibly even sell some of it.  We can get instant feedback about any given show now.  No need to wait for results to be printed.  Just ask those who you trust.

The process of our biz has made our lives one continual journey of applying and paying for shows.  There no quiet times anymore.

Everybody wants results now!  We live in the era of instant-gratification.  The lust for it is insatiable.

This biz tends to favor the richer artist.  If you have plenty of moola, you can buy your booth first day it is available.  Prime spots go fast.  Double booths are scooped up quickly.  Tough shit if you are waiting for that last sale to clear in your account before you can buy your booth.  Heck, a lot of us have to wait til the last moment to buy a space because money is so tight.

I had a tough dilemma in December.  Good thing was I got accepted into some really good shows like Gasparilla, Winter Park and Main Street Fort Worth.  Bad thing was, all these booth fees were due by Dec. 15 at the latest.  December is my worst month of the year.  My holiday sales and shows always suck.  It is the worst time to have to come up with $3400 in booth fees.

I am quite sure I was not alone in this dilemma.

With the increase in booth fees rising, it inhibits new people from entering into our biz.  It is now very costly and not for the faint of heart.  That is not a good trend.

It is becoming increasingly harder for an artist to make a real living in this biz and pay all the bills that come due.

With that said, here is what I see coming in the future.  Some of this is happening now, others are coming, later.

FUTURE TRENDS

Booth fees will continue to escalate.

The day of the $50 jury fee is coming, sooner than we want.

Many promoters will politely continue to turn a blind eye to buy-sell.  They want all spaces filled no matter what it does to a show.

More and more, the "Square-type application" will come to the forefront.

With it will come embeded chips in the cards, no more magnetic strips.

This of course means a new generation of card readers, probably at higher costs.

The Biggart-Waters flood insurance act will have a profound effect on sales in homes near water in Florida, especially.  Thus, a diminished market of walls to be filled with art.  This is not good.

Travel costs per mile for artists will escalate when Congress finally addresses the revenue  shortfall for highways in America.  Right now, it comes out as a small per cent of every gallon sale of gas in America.  If they come up with a user fee, where you are taxed by the distance you drive in a year, we all will be severely affected.  Won't see as many long road trips to shows.  Sausilito, forget about it, same with Cherry Creek.  Only the very rich will afford it. Which leaves the majority of us out of it.  Artists will have to be more regionible.

Fewer young artists are drawn to our biz anymore.  We are an aging group.  Your health will be a major issue for you in the next decade.

Staying on top of blood pressure, eating lowfat and low salt will become imperative to living well.  A weekly exercise program where one achieves a steady aerobic workout for at least 45 minutes, three times a week is a must.  Maybe cutting back on eating so much of that show food will help.  Forget the fries, eat kettle corn, it is better for you.  You must keep yourself strong and supple.  The show setup and teardown is an arduous task.  You are only as good as your back and legs are.

I just don't know how well one can live off sales from their website.  This is one dicey area, I see very few who are successful at it.  The website is a valuable tool, but is not an end itself.

WRAP UP

I want to end on a most positive note.

Can you hear the explosion of fireworks in the air?  The big bands are playing.

If not, take another hit.

Swallow some Jack and listen on for a few more lines.

I am 68 and hope to be doing this when I am 78.  My goal is to evolve from being a photographer to being a painter by age 72.  It is a daunting goal--but I am goal-oriented.

I had open heart surgery and got a second chance.  I take my health very seriously, and I want all of you to do the same.

As I said in the first blog, WE ARE IN THE GREATEST PROFESSION IN THE WORLD--PEOPLE ENVY US.

I wake up every morning of my life with purpose.  There are never enough hours in the day, I could always use more.  I have a burning passion to create new work and it propels me.  As long as it can sustain me, I will die a happy man.

I love this site, and the blog especially.  It re-awoke a passion for writing in me that I kind of repressed in my twenties.

Hope you all got good things out of this series.  I think it has been a unique experience explaining our business.  It is one hell of a life's journey.

Aloha, and much success to all in 2014.  Nels Johnson

PS.  To date, I know of nobody who has done a comprehensive, analytical look at our industry like I have just published.

Glad he's dead?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-bc-us--obit-kinkade,0,5107630.story

I like being an artist and everything that goes along with our career.  It's my belief that its the pioneer spirit that lies within us that causes us to chart a new course every day of every week of every month of every year.  We're the ones that would have traveled the Oregon trail east toward the promised land.  We roll the dice and take our chances that are creations are going to keep us in beans and tequila, although I'm finding a taste for a nice porter beer now and then.  Now for the beef.

I just opened an email on upcoming deadlines from Juried Art Services with four shows and each one had an Application Late Deadline available.  I know that I've read a few gripes and I've never chimed in.  Well now it's time.

The Sausalito Art Festival's deadline is March 1, 2012 with a $45 jury fee.  Yea, I think it's high but I don't want to deprive anyone from making a buck.  But here's the kicker.  They will cheerfully take a late application by March 14, 2012 for an extra $100.  Are you kidding me?  Do I have a sign on my back that says, "KICK ME"? Or, maybe there's a finger on the front of my shirt pointing upward that says, "I'm with Stupid".  For the first time in over 20 years I'm going to say enough is enough.  This is the show that already charges $1,200 for an inline 10x10 and $1,850 for a single corner spot.  Everyone has to make up their own mind, but I believe that we artists need to draw the line on this kind of gouging - I'm pretty sure in a number of states, this may be extortion.  And, it's not that I have an issue paying the booth fee.  Heck, I did the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle last weekend and paid more than that, but I also had a premium spot and had several sculptures placed in other key areas for that.  It's just the whole excessive jury fee is getting out of whack. 

For me, I'll stand up and say forget it.  The only reason why shows do this is because they get enough people applying and hoping to get in; it would be interesting to know what percentage if any actually get in. Unless we as a collective organization refuse to participate in this, it will only get worse!  Listen to your inner pioneer spirit and think about it.

Joe

Hi Friends....Here is my review of Ann Arbor 2013!

First, let me say that this was an experience like no other I have had before.  I will summarize first by saying that I will do it again, it was profitable, it was grueling and it is not for the faint of heart!  If there is a proving ground for art fair artists, Ann Arbor would be it.  I am going to review the show like I always do and this time I am going to throw in some musings I had along the way.  Keep in mind that I and 1100 other artists sat in the oppressive heat for 41 hours over 4 days doing this show!  Read on.....

I arrived on Tuesday afternoon about 30 minutes prior to my assigned load in time.  I was prepared to wait, but there was space open for my van, so they let me pull in and set up.  Staff from The Guild was very helpful and very nice.  Set up was typical and I was hustling to get it done as it was very, very hot on the street.  I had it all up in about 2 hours. 

The show opened at 10am Wednesday morning and ran to 9pm, as it did for Thursday and Friday as well.  The show ends at 6pm on Saturday for a total of 41 show hours.  Wednesday crowds were light and they weren't buying what I had.  After 11 hours in the serious heat, I had $80.00.  Not cool! 

Thursday was better, much better!  I had good sales minutes after opening (story on that later on).  Thursday's sales were very good all day!  I ended up covering costs by the end of the day on Thursday.  The hi light of the show, for me, also happened Thursday afternoon.  Connie Mettler, Farah Darwish and their fried Sandy spent the afternoon and evening with me in my booth!  We had a great time talking and people watching and I took a walk with Farah and it was fun and hilarious.  If you see this Farah, yes, it is, oh it most certainly is!  :-) 

Thursday evening after the show, Scott Pakulski, who had been to my booth a couple of times and had nice conversations with me as well as Michael and Vitoria Terra, Anna whose last name I can't remember, Larry Berman and several others all met up at Sava, a nice restaurant for drinks!  We had a nice time chatting and meeting one another in person.  I had a lovely dinner with Michael and Victoria and Henry inside the restaurant and had the best Cuban sandwich of my life.  It was great visiting with all of them too!  Nice, good, fun people.             

Friday was a bit slow to get going, but good nevertheless.  Sales were good and by this third day of being at the show for 11 hours in the heat, I was ready to get to the hotel.  I immediately went to bed Friday night. 

Saturday, the short day (8 hours) was more like a Sunday.  It was the coolest day of the show and was quite comfortable considering what we had been through.  I had my fan on low! Woo Hoo!

Sales were slow until the last two hours of the show and all of a sudden, the be backs came back and I had a very good 2 hours of sales. 

The Guild requires that artists be completely torn down and then get a load out slip to bring the vehicles in to load up.  Smart policy for a show of this size.  I tore it all down and got a slip and went to get the van.  This was the fastest tear down and set up for me, ever.  Very efficient and was on the road home an hour and 10 minutes after the show closed. 

I am home now, with Ann Arbor under my belt and as I said before, I will do it again. 

Now for the analysis and the musings.....If you don't like my sense of wit or some pleasantly sarcastic observations, go find something else to read.  Otherwise, this is what I observed.....

First of all, find out where you are going to park before you get to the show.  Parking is abundantly available if you know what you are doing.  There are also parking sharks everywhere, so beware.  Day one, I was so overwhelmed with the sheer size of the show, I didn't have a clue of where to park.  I arrived downtown and saw a sign for parking that benefited the Boy Scouts near the show entrance where my booth was.  I pulled in and was asked if I was a "vendor", my how I hate being referred to as a "vendor."  I said I was an artist and was told that it would be $100 per day!  Yes, per day!  Talk about a total ripoff!  I said hell no and found a meter and parked the van.  I emptied out my coin purse and had about 2 hours available.  25 cents buys you 10 minutes, insane!  Fortunately for me, on the short walk to the show entrance     

Seriously. I was robbed. As a result, my art show season ended with some big surprises last fall in Albuquerque, NM.

And really, I’m okay with that.

Now.

I was in town doing The Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival, which runs the same time as the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The fiesta is one of the largest international balloon events in the world. 

On day three of the two weekend event I returned to the hotel found a big surprise: my trailer had been stolen.

The police were called in and the papers filed. I was told at that time “good luck” getting it back and that it was probably long gone in Mexico.

In the hope of getting some relief, I talked to the front desk at the Days Inn and asked to talk to a manager.  The manager was not in but I was assured there was surveillance video of the parking lot. The next day I returned to talk to the desk because I still had not heard from the manager.  I was told she had been ill and would call me later. Did I mention it was the Days Inn in Albuquerque on Menaul Blvd?

I heart those boots.

My good friends, David and Judy who were also at the art show, let the show directors know of my plight.  The show directors called a local news station and I made the evening news.

This was good because it brought people to my booth that might not otherwise have stopped.

My second surprise came when I realized the Days Inn in Albuquerque on Menaul Blvd doesn’t give a care about me or my trailer.  I never heard from the manager. I never received a phone call. They even refused to hand over the surveillance tape to the police.  I even went so far as to call the chain to see if I could file a complaint and never heard back from them either.

We  stayed at that Days Inn in Albuquerque on Menaul Blvd ELEVEN days and nothing EVER happened.

Then my third surprise came!

I got a call on the Friday of the second week of the show and the police had spotted my trailer in downtown Albuquerque. According to the police I was one of the lucky 1 in 20 to get theirs back!

Great news, I was ecstatic!

During this time I was thankful I had insurance to cover my trailer. I was lucky that most of my art and booth were at the show. I lost three bins full of prints, display items, packaging materials, lighting equipment and a small original.

However, when I tallied up the number on exactly what it was that I lost it was still at around $2,000. I thought this was still worth putting in a claim.  This is where surprise number four came in.

After putting in my claim I was told it was not going to go through. They said it was because my art business is, “only covered up to 500 feet of my office.”

MY office?

What office?

I am a fine art painter!  My agent knew the nature of my business when I signed up for the policy.  I stated that I need the insurance because I travel and do outdoor juried art shows.  I needed protection from weather, theft and car accidents. I needed to have the trailer and its contents insured!

According to the agent, after the fact, none of this was covered.  The reality stung.

I felt as if I had been robbed. Again. Twice.

Once by a couple of yahoos in a hotel parking lot and a second time by a licensed insurance professional.

Then I began to thank my lucky stars.

You see, I had been in an outdoor show last spring where a small twister took out 10 booths in a different part of the show.   Had I been one of those artists, I would have lost everything.  So I am in pursuit of a new agent and insurance because April 6, 7 & 8 I’ll be at the Deep Ellum Arts Show outside of Dallas in Deep Ellum, Texas to kick off my art show season (I’m in Booth 20!)

Lesson learned ……I will make sure all my bases are covered properly. After all, this is a business and not a hobby.

Just to be clear – did I mention it was Days Inn in Albuquerque on Menaul Blvd?

Calling all artists:

1) Applications for the important shows begin to be due in Setember, 2011 through January, 2012. And then it can be over for the big shows.

2) I am asking all experienced artists in the major categories to state your expertise and then which shows you consider the top ten. THEN, which shows YOU are actually applying to show in 2012. Thanks for sharing!!

3) We know we need to get professional pictures taken NOW, our booth shot MUST include all three walls (NO one inside and no signs)........there's lot's of advice out there. on AFI. Go to Larry Berman's website if you need more:

http://bermangraphics.com/

Thanks,

Linda

So with great anticipation we took the plunge into the art festival pool this past weekend in Fernandina Beach as part of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.  Here is our top ten lessons learned.

10. Although it may seem like a good idea to pack your canopy weights in the front of the trailer for weight distribution for traveling, if you are setting up in rain and high winds you do not want to have to unload the whole trailer in the rain to get to the weights, especially when your wife is precariously perched on the canopy to keep it on the ground. If you decide to leave the art fair business you could rent your tent out as a parasail.

9. Overkill on your tent weights is a good idea. I had made two 32-34# for each leg By the second day of your tent staying put, when others are taking flight or collapsing, some people will think you are some kind of tent guru, especially if they were not there to watch you bumbling through the initial set up.

8. If you have a five page list of things you just had to have for your first show, you will spend a lot of time looking for stuff when setting up in a storm. You will get very wet while doing this. It did not take us a minute over five hours to set up our display. (We did receive many compliments regarding the finished product, thanks to much good advice from folks on AFI.)

7. Being a Good Samaritan comes at a price. If you move you vehicle and trailer to help another person leave the show as a result of their canopy actually turning into a parasail prior to the show, you may look for a place to put your truck and trailer for an hour or more. Especially when a few inconsiderate %$%#@&$&! will leave their cars, trucks or RV’s anywhere. (I moved my truck because some idiot had parked in the middle of the street so these poor folks could not pass to leave).  I don’t regret the decision, but I did lose an hour.

6. Do not take the connecting pins to your knock-down display panels when you leave for an hour to move the truck. By all means, do not insist to your wife that you do not have the same connectors in your pocket, which may result in her having to look through the same five pages of stuff referred to in lesson 8.

5. You cannot use too much tent sealer. However, you can use too little. Fortunately, we only had a couple of leaks that were manageable.

4. The 12 volt marine battery powered electrical system with 12V LED spotlights and 12V fans worked great. We did not have to use the fans till the sun came out on Sunday, but we had plenty of power from two marine batteries. We only used about 20% of our available power and we did not have to worry about the 12V system in the rain. This proves the old saying that even a blind squirrel finds the acorn sometimes.

3. The ability to understand different dialects is crucial in large festivals. For example I had to translate the interesting language of drunkenese, when the young party-goer slurred to my wife and  I that he had been in one of her paintings all day and he just had to hug the artist, which fortunately was not me. If necessary, I would have rescued her once I was able to stop laughing.

2. The artists, the host organization representatives, Island Art Association representatives, the volunteers, and the patrons, were friendly and helpful. We met many nice and interesting people.  The lesson is that these are great people to hang out with for a weekend.

1. Although all the oohs and ahhs and compliments as to the quality of the art cannot be deposited in a bank, the positive encouragement was priceless especially when it came from other artists. We only sold one small painting but the experience and confidence we gained learning to deal with difficult weather,  how to improve our set up and marketing will pay off in the future. Sherry nearly ran out of business cards. We will be much more confident with our next show in Roanoke, Virginia. We threw ourselves in the pool and we didn’t drown.

Like some other old timers, I've  been doing shows for 30 years and after some breaking in, sales during the 90s and early 2000s were great!!! Sausalito, Ft. Worth, Sun Valley, about 17 per year and sales were booming. Then 9/11 and later the recession of 2008 I noticed my sales were HALF of the usual. I also noted that the booth fees did not dip, nor the hotels, or gas or food. So each show was a gamble after that time. Dave Piper may have had it right- Bayou City may be dead in a few years. How can a show in a city of 2+ million (+ surroundings) get a gate crowd of only 20,000. Yeah no parking. Well solve it!!! Bayou City should get at least 100,000 many with oil money. And after Harvey, people's walls will need clothing so to speak. If I'm right, I think most artists are hurting for great sales again. If I heard this once I heard it a zillion times, "My walls are full, I can't buy more art." Hey let me come to your home and take some of that awful shit you have and put mine up!" Needless to say the sale did not happen. So if the seniors are not buying wall art (art on a stick? give me a break), what are the millenials buying and from where. Well I hear the millenials are buying prints online for cheap with frames or at shows they buy cutting boards, bowls, hard stuff that is useful.

It is very discouraging to see a national trend go south like this. Is this true for you? And as art fairs do worse, other bright eyes start a new one to entice us but then the old adage, "Never, ever, never do a first year show (unless it is free)". 

At Bayou City in Memorial Park, out of 20,000 attendees I see virtually 25% as teens and volunteers with no money just dorking around.

It makes me start to consider money laundering or campaign finance so I could retire.

(For those who do not know me, I make wooden instruments - lap dulcimers & bowed psalteries)

WELL, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!  After working with wood and making instruments since the mid 1970’s, last Friday, Aug, 23, it finally happened.  I was cutting some pieces on the table saw when, in a split second, I was staring down at four bloody fingers dangling by thin strips of flesh from my right hand.  It happened so fast that I really don’t know how it happened.  I do distinctly recall thinking, and perhaps uttering, some pointedly unkind thoughts regarding the specific circumstances which had befallen me.

I wound up in Charlotte in the care of a group hand specialist surgeons who told me candidly that I might very well lose all four fingers, but under the best case scenario I was facing a long, frustrating path of surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy and that he and I were going to become very familiar with each other.

On Tuesday, the 28^th I emerged from a medicinally induced haze in the ICU.  The surgeons had operated on my hand for 5 hours.  They were not able to save one of my fingers – which will somewhat limit my ability to communicate effectively, if you know what I mean- but were able, at least so far, to fuse bone, shorten and save three fingers.  So the journey of recuperation has begun.

I do not yet know what is going to happen to my art fair schedule for the rest of the year, but – “Oh, the unkindest cut of all,” I did have to drop out of Long’s Park.  However, to quote the indomitable Gen. MacArthur, “I SHALL RETURN”.  I have NOT lost my skill, nor my experience, and I WILL adapt my muscle and eye coordination.

This “down time” is giving me time for serious reflection on the future.  I have just reached my 69^th birthday and, while I have been blessed/cursed with a true love for this business, I know that I cannot go on indefinitely.  So, here’s the deal, at present I have a good supply of bowed psalteries already in stock.  For the future, I am going to create fewer, but higher end psalteries.  There are psaltery makers out there who make very nice functional instruments.  With the materials, inlays etc. that I use, I cannot compete with them pricewise, nor do I wish to.  I am going to concentrate on building truly unique, one-of-a-kind, heirloom instruments that are not just functional instruments, but are functional pieces of art.  This will allow me to grow, be able to “spread my creative wings” and concentrate more on the creation of these truly unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of musical art.   This will also create a niche, which, to the best of my knowledge, is virgin territory.

I would appreciate any kind, “healing” thoughts which you may feel inclined to send my way.

Archie Smith

Archie Smith Instruments  

Got this email today from someone I don't know, asking for information on starting out with shows. I spent more time than I intended answering his questions, and thought some of your other newbies might benefit as well. Here's his email:

My name is *** and I’m a photographer...  As a fellow photographer I would like to ask you a few questions regarding art fairs.  

I’m exploring the idea of participating in a few art fairs for the 2014 season; I anticipate my start up cost to be approximately $10,000, does that sound right to you?  This start up money would buy a tent, print enough material to have on hand at the show, and traveling/art fair cost?   I assume subsequent shows won’t cost as much; is it safe to conclude each art fair thereafter would cost approximately $6,000?

How do you determine the number of prints to display; do you sell the display pieces, and if you do, does the customer take the purchased product at the point of purchase or do you keep it until the show is finished?

How many smaller unframed prints do you carry to each show; for example, do you bring twenty 8x10”, ten 11x14”, and two 14x17” of each picture?

In taking with other photographers I am aware that I want to look for shows that are juried, is that your opinion also?

My last question is a bit sensitive and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, however, I appreciate any advice you can provide: Roughly, what kind of sales may a photographer expect to see at an average size art show?  I know there are a million factors that come into play but I’m looking for a rough idea on what to expect.

So here's what I wrote back:

That's a lot of questions. Fortunately there are a number of resources to help you get started, and to commune with your fellow artrepreneurs!

First off, let me suggest http://www.artfairinsiders.com

There is a lot of material there, much of it based on questions similar to yours. There are forums for just about every media, and many of the subjects come up time and again. There is also a photographer's forum.

On Facebook, there is a group for art show photographers. Started by Larry Berman as a Yahoo forum years ago, it's morphed into a group that sees some activity. Feel free to join, ask questions, lurk. If you're already on Facebook, here's the address: http://www.facebook.com/groups/artshowphoto/

There are several good books devoted to selling and setting up at art fairs. Among the best is Maria Arango's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Festival-Guide-Artists-Festivals/dp/1430319763

and Bruce Baker's CD set on selling:

http://bbakerinc.com/store/

Check out the NAIA organizatoin: http://www.naia-artists.org
Some helpful information there, too, although you have to join to get most of the meat.

Show information is much easier to come by these days. Several pubs deal this out:

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/

http://www.zapplication.org is the main online art show application application. Most of the big national shows list on here. One thing to keep in mind: once the deadline is past, the show drops off the Apply to This Show list. You can find a list of all the shows that list though, under a separate navigation topic.

http://www.juriedartservices.com
This is the other major listing application. What isn't on ZAPP or JASV is on Entry Thingy

Greg Lawler's Art Fair Sourcebook used to be worth the subscription price, especially for those starting out. Now, maybe not so much, but take a look at it anyway. http://www.artfairsourcebook.com

Your cost estimate isn't too far off.  You will need display materials inside the canopy however, and those are not particularly cheap.

Flourish makes the most solid tent. Solid steel frame, heavy vinyl, heavy duty zippers. You can trick it out any number of ways, but a basic Trimline will run you about $1000.
http://www.flourish.com

You can start with an EZ-Up, a Caravan or any number of other cheap folding tents, but I wouldn't advise it if you can afford a stronger tent.

A set of Propanels (9 x 38" x 7') run another $1000 or so. Depending on if you buy braces and lights, you can spend more. Their site is instructional.
http://www.propanels.com

Armstrong Display products makes a similar set of panels for about the same cost.

Jury fees set me back about $1000-1500 per year, depending on how many shows I apply to. If I'm accepted, the booth fees run anywhere from $200 for a small local show to upwards of $1500 for the very top shows in Coconut Grove and Sausalito. Most good juried shows fall into the $400-600 range for a single 10x10 spot. I do about 20 shows a year, which run me on average $500 per booth. That come to about $11,000 just to play. Some shows are less, some shows charge you extra for electricity, if they have it, or a corner space, or a double.

You should have liability insurance. Some shows require it. That may cost you $350-650/year, or you can insure per show with a company called Artists, Crafters  & Tradesmen Insurance http://www.ACTInsPro.com

Miscellaneous show equipment:

• Weights for your booth: at least 50 pounds per leg
• Awnings
• A chair
• Some sort of write-up desk
• Bins or folding racks to display matted prints
• A credit card system. Most people use the Square now, or PayPal's swiper, or Intuit. You can still open a merchant account and use a wireless terminal. Square requires that you have an iPhone or iPad, and a cellular data plan or access to wireless. Same for the others. Lots of research on this.
• Office supplies: stapler, tape, duct tape, bags, all kinds of miscellaneous stuff.
• A flashlight, lantern, or headlamp
• Raingear
• Plastic tarps
• Bungie cords
• A-clamps
• A dolly to move stuff back and forth to your vehicle when you can't drive to your booth location
• Plastic tubs to carry matted prints in

Travel costs depend entirely on how far you plan to range for shows. The further you go, the more it will cost you. $6000 / show is way high, though. For a two day show, you might have three days' of hotel, two days on the road, meals, gas, etc. Priceline, Hotwire, Orbitz, other sites all help you reduce travel costs. If you stay within a 50 mile radius of home, you can probably sleep in your own bed and cut out travel costs entirely. But you can't make a season of shows too easily doing that. You can get a couple of practice shows in.

A transportation system. This stuff needs more than a Honda Element to cart it around in. Although I know a painter from Canada who can do shows in an Element. Most people drive big white vans or Sprinters. I haul a trailer with a pickup truck. If you are going to use Propanels, you'll need something more than an SUV, unless you go with the knockdown panels. (I had those for a season -- got rid of them at the same time I bought my first trailer).

There is way way more to this than the summary above.

You single biggest cost over time will be inventory. You absolutely must have framed work or canvas wraps, or metal mounted prints, or some other sort of work to hang on your walls. As far as the number of pieces to make? Only time and experience will help you here. As a rule of thumb, you need a couple different sizes of matted prints, and a couple different sizes to hang on your walls to draw people in. I hang about 20-25 pieces, maybe have another 40-50 choices in the flip bins, in multiple sizes. You can start smaller than that, but you will need 4-6 pieces on each of three walls as a minimum. You are better off making fewer larger pieces than a whole passle of little dinky ones.

Selling

When you sell a framed piece off the wall, people usually expect to take it with them. You wrap it up, either in a black garbage bag (tacky and cheap) or using premium materials that show the work off as it walks down the street. It helps to have a postcard with your logo on it that you can slip into a clear bag. Sometimes you will have to deliver a piece if it's too large for the customer to take home. Every once in a while, you can keep the piece till the end of the show and the customer will return and pick it up, but that's the exception not the rule. Mostly the framed work is there to sell matted prints or smaller version. If you have two pieces, one bigger and one smaller, people will mostly opt for the less expensive of the two. Not always, but mostly. It helps to have a few extra framed pieces to fill in the holes when you sell one. Near the end of a show, it sometimes helps to leave a blank spot or two to indicate that you're selling out.

Sales are wildly variable, based on the show, the attendance, the weather, the competition in your media, the competition in other media that compete for wall space (paintings, drawings, prints, 2-D mixed media), how good you are, how cheap you are, how exclusive you are... I have grossed $0 at more than one show; I have also made close to $10,000 for three days work. Keep in mind that $2000 gross at a show where you can sleep in your own bed and sold nothing but low cost items will make more profit that $2000 at a show that you had to drive two days each direction to get to, with hotels at $100/day and a booth fee of $500. Make yourself a business plan that gives you an idea of what you have to sell in order to be profitable. If you don't you will lose money steadily for several years before you figure it out. There are very few photographers making good money at shows these days. I know most of them, and even those guys are not making what they did ten years ago.

Keep your presentation cohesive. Don't show a little bit of wildlife you shot at the zoo, some pictures of barns in the snow and the shots you took on vacation. That stuff will NOT sell anymore. Trust me on this. Develop a point of view, and DO NOT steal other people's ideas. You will need an artist statement that says, in 100 characters or less, what it is you do, and what makes your work different. Start there, and develop a few key images around a concept. Otherwise you will be throwing your money down a rathlole. People can get cute kitty cats and lions sleeping at the zoo on the interwebz for much less than you can sell them at a show.

You will need a booth shot showing how your booth looks when setup for a show in order to jury for shows. If you don't have this, some shows will let you apply in the emerging artist category without one. Ann Arbor, the Original, for one. Main St. Fort Worth, for another. Do your research. Start with the local shows, closer to home. Call the show if you can't find the answer online. But look online first. Check the show websites.

You will need a website. Something simple at first, that can showcase your concepts, highlight your show schedule and maybe sell some work for you in the off season.

Be prepared to work very, very hard. Be prepared to get very, very discouraged. This is not a business for the faint of heart. It helps to have deep pockets, because you will lose money learning.

And lastly, you can check out my blog for some personal ideas. I haven't updated it in a while, but there are some useful posts there.

http://www.parkerparker.net/studio/blog

Okay, I'm sure you all have your own tips and tricks to add to this, so I'll leave it at that.

We hear a lot of talk about photo quality and the jury process and, really, it hit me yesterday what we're talking about.

 I sat through the first day of the Fort Worth open jury and it was quite an experience.  It was the first one I’ve ever attended and I was surprised in some areas.  I understand the jury’s only job on this first day was to decide “yes, no or maybe”  so, there seemed to be very little going on.  No dialogue or conversation of any sort.  They went through the photos very quickly with no conversation of any kind.  The second time they looked at them, a very short artist statement was read while the photos were being viewed.    They had a few more than 1300 applications and that’s around 6500 photos they had to look at.  To say they hurried through them would be a gross understatement.  There were 214 jewelers with five photos each and the only thing the jurors will ever know about them is how good their photos were.

I now understand why it is necessary to have photos that blow their socks off.  The person with nice, yet average, photos doesn’t stand a chance.  They don’t have time to study artistic quality so, the photos with the greatest initial “pop” are they ones that catch the jurors attention.   It doesn’t seem quite fair because a lot of outstanding artist are being left by the wayside simply because their photos aren’t eye-popping.

If  everyone could see this they’d be lined up down the street at Larry Berman’s house!  I suppose the bottom line is this:  If your photos don’t snap, crackle and pop, you’re not going to get in.  Simple as that.  The jurors won’t even notice the artist whose photos do not fit this category.  You could be the best artist on Earth and you’re going to be quickly overlooked and cast aside..  I now have a much better idea of why it is so difficult to get into some of the better shows.

Also, the entire process can get pretty boring if you‘re a spectator only interested in one or two categories.  To me, one of the best things about it was that it offers up some good ideas for booth set-up.

I have felt like I have some pretty decent photos but, "pretty decent" doesn't even come close to what one needs.  The ideal is to have photos that sort of slap a juror in the face as soon as they pop up on the screen.  Anything less than that is simply going to mix you in the pot with about 1000 other people and then it becomes difficult to stand out from the rest. 

One parting thought.  Is it common practice for a jury member to also be an applicant to the show in which he is jurying?  To me, that smacks of a conflict of interest and should not be allowed to happen.  Does anyone else agree?

For those who have never had the experience, I highly recommend attending a jury session for one of the big shows.  I think it will give you a whole new perspective on your photos and whether or not you need to make some changes.  Larry and others have been "preaching" this for a long time and I've now had the opportunity to see why they stress the importance of this.  It can't be overstated.

Just curious if other artists have automatic "dealbreakers" when they are filling out applications.

I came across this one again today when looking at the application for the Talbot Street Festival. It's one of those festivals that wants you to include the booth fee check with the application. Which I think is only marginally OK, but the dealbreaker for me is the following clause: "Your acceptance to the fair is your obligation to appear. Once accepted, no money will be returned to any exhibitor for any reason." I feel strongly enough that I should be allowed to accept or decline their application without having to pay an entire booth fee as a penalty that as a general rule I do not apply to these kinds of shows. Period.

Along these lines, I also wish that I could un-apply for shows as well when they announce that "due to artist demand" or "due to an unexpected federal holiday" or some other BS reason that they are going to extend the application deadline.  Now that would be a great feature for Zapplication!!

Any other things that cause people to take an application and put it in the trash?

So... here it is Friday morning, October 2; and I’m here in my studio instead of on the streets in Louisville. I’ve done Louisville several years running and I enjoy this show. It’s never been a great money maker for me, but, being my last show of the season, it has always helped me get over the hump before the winter shows start. I had always depended on some revenue from this show to help finance the winter booth fees.

When I applied to Louisville earlier this year, I applied to the 3rd Street section, which I have done several times in the past. Last year, at the show, I walked the Court section to see how that show looked. Impressed by the overall quality of the artwork in the Court, I decided to try for the Court next year. So, I applied to the Court section as well as the 3rd Street section, hedging my bets, like we all do, hoping to get into one of them.

When the results came, I was invited to 3rd Street, but put on the wait list for the Court. I promptly paid my booth fee for 3rd Street because I wanted to insure that I would be in the same booth location as last year. Waiting to pay my booth fee could get me a poor booth location. Then, surprise... I got an invitation from the Court off of the wait list. Seeing that the deadline for receiving a refund from 3rd Street was still a month away, I requested a refund and accepted the Court invitation. I paid my $550 booth fee to the Court and a couple weeks later, received a refund from 3rd Street. I was pretty excited about exhibiting on the Court with some of the best artists on the circuit.

A couple weeks went by and I got a letter from the Court informing me that I had been disqualified from participating. Huh? Reading further, I learned that the Court has a rule that if you accept an invitation from one of the other sections, you were prohibited from accepting an invitation from the Court. Since I paid my 3rd Street booth fee, I was prohibited from the Court, even though I received a refund from 3rd Street. I was devastated. 

I went back to Zapp to review the rules and, sure enough... I blew it. Here’s how the rules read:

Court Section Rule:

• Participation in more than one section of the show is prohibited. Once you pay a booth fee to one section you may not accept an invitation from another section

3rd Street Rule:

• Participation in more than one section of the St. James Court Art Show in the same year is prohibited.

In a panic, I promptly composed a letter to both 3rd Street and the Court to try to reverse this disqualification. I pointed out that I was guilty of missing that rule, but the penalty for missing that rule was incredibly severe. Last year I earned around $4000 on 3rd Street. In effect, the Court was levying a fine of at least $4000... income I needed, and depended on, for upcoming booth fees, mortgage payments and food for my family’s table. I also pointed out that both 3rd Street and the Court could have avoided this “disqualification” with a single sentence warning me about this rule.

It took me a couple of tries but finally, 3rd Street responded to my letter and would not let me back into the 3rd Street section. But the Court did not respond, and they still had my $550 booth fee. I made several attempts to contact Margue Esrock (Court), by phone and by email, hoping to reverse their decision, and, at the very least, get my booth fee back. I got no response until September 30. Here is her response:

John

At this point I will speak with you after the show. I thought this was settled and thought you might have gone back to Third St. 

Marguerite 

After all my letters and phone calls, I’m not sure how she could have determined that “this was settled.” And, I still did not have a refund for my booth fee. 

Yes, I was a “bad boy” for skimming the rules on Zapp, and missing this one. (who reads them all?) Especially a rule that I had never seen before in all my years doing art fairs. I’m not a lawyer, but the rule may even be somewhat illegal. It stifles competition and may be an anti-trust violation. But what irks me the most is the total disrespect I received as an artist. I felt the Court could have done a much better job of communicating with me. And, after my disqualification, why couldn’t they promptly refund my $550 booth fee? As of this writing, I still have not received it.

Next year I will be applying, again, to 3rd Street and the Court, not because I like the management, but because I have customers in Louisville. What’s the chance of me getting into either one of them after this post?

Hello everyone. 

A very special AFI member needs our help.  He is a little under the weather.  I think it would lift his spirits if you could send him a cheery note that you are thinking about him and sending positive energy his way.  The person I am talking about is Nels Johnson.  Nels has been a big contributor here and he has passed along helpful hints, good information, and, of course, amusing and entertaining commentary.  I know we all wish the best for him and hope that he is soon back to his old self. 

Would you mind leaving a message here or sending him a private message?  I think it would greatly help to lift his spirits if we could load up this post with a ton of well wishes.  I hope if you open this and read this that you will please leave a comment.

Let's show Nels how important he is to us.Rest up Nels and get back to your old feisty self. 

Melanie Rolfes:  I love to read your show reports – they are always full of useful information.  One of the things in your reports that always baffles me is how you get your booth set up and broken down so quickly.  It takes my wife and me between 5 and 7:30 hours to load in and set up our booth, and 3 to 4 hours to break down and load out.  And that is for a single Trimline, not the double you are setting up.  How you are able to get it done in 1:30 hours and 45 minutes amazes me.  What is your secret?

(Rather than post this comment in response to one of your reviews and hijacking the thread, I thought I would start a new thread, hoping others will chirp in with “tricks of the trade” regarding efficient setup and break down, making for a lively discussion on this topic).

Hi my name is Kara and well I have slowly tried to enter this site and learn some things about art fairs, including whether I want to do them. I have been preparing myself to do them by going to any fair in my area for the last few years. I am just concerned to be honest. Maybe someone out there can direct me down the right rabbit hole cause I'm not making much progress on my own.

I am a very sensitive person, and to be quite honest it makes me sick to my stomach when people are rude to me. If it makes me somehow not qualified to do shows, that very well might be true. But for now, since I have created work to be shown, I still need to earn some kind of wage. I keep coming up against remarks as opposed to helpful information. What I am asking for is helpful information. I hope I can get that here.

For some reason many people seem to be successful in the fairs, if there are some magic recipes please share. My intent in life was always to do fine art and sell it, but I kept changing directions when I came against a wall. Generally I would get a sense I was choosing an art I enjoyed but didn't want to have solely as what I was known for, so I would move on.

I found moving on as an unfortunate repeated offense until I found clay and sculpture. I had to work on my talent, then I had to work on a plan. Well, I am as broke as they get so I don't have room for guess work. When it comes to fairs and getting started, that seems to be just how it is, guessing. I have lost many years running in a circle. Anyone who has known me, knows how hard I have tried but, I just don't understand how to make a living at being an fine artist. There is some little piece of information in my head that is missing, I just know it, but I can't seem to figure it out.

Here are my concerns

1. I am a victim of two very violent crimes, because of this I have panic attacks. I have to have someone with me, so I feel safe. Is there a problem or does it generally cost more , if I have someone with me at all times? are there rules I should know?

2. I can't sell my work cheep and then slowly raise my prices as I get known. I need to be in shows where the buyers purchases are approximately $2000.00 not $200.00.  I have been told that I need to be in little shows before I can be in big shows. Not that I know what a big show is.

3. I won't be able to travel a lot due to the chances of breaking my sculptures, they are truly fragile.

4. If you were going to suggest a show in all of the states, where where higher price art sells, and you are accepted on the quality of your piece not how well you are known, what show would you suggest?

5. Are any indoor shows in the states that meet these criteria that you know of.

I realize these are confuse questions, but I am stressed. I'm beginning to feel like I have been going down the wrong rabbit hole again.

I’d appreciate any input, gut reactions, or other advice, from those who might give it. I’m a long time lurker and while I haven’t had much to add to discussions here (haven’t done any fairs in 6 years), I really value AFI!