Hello,I went to see Julie and Julia over the weekend, and for those who do not know, it is basically a story of a girl who blogs every day while cooking thru Julia Child's cookbook. Seeing as how I have a birthday soon, I thought I would copy that concept and work on this blog and/or my art everyday for a year. A true and firm commitment to something I am passionate about....after all they say, it is the fruit of life, to do something you are truly passionate about. I am a working professional in the real estate industry, but my true love is etched glass.So here I begin my journey. Some days this will be long, some days it won't be. Work keeps me consumed, but hopefully within the next year, I can turn that around to glass consuming me instead. Ahh, even the thought of that makes me happy.The name "Clearly Blasted" derives from the fact I love to go etch designs on clear glass after a hard day's work. Nothing like taking your stress out that way!!!My goal is to do art shows again this fall, and also, get work in a gallery or little shops on Marietta Square...I have my eye on a shop there already....
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FABULOUS Organization for this Show!My medium is Great Lakes Nautical & Nature Photography http:www.andersonphotoworks.comHosted by the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council (WDCC) the 35th was held in downtown Milwaukee on the grounds of the Marcus Center for Performing Arts and adjacent (across the street) Red Arrow Park. Marvelous area with great restaurants and along the Milwaukee River. Likely the best area in Milwaukee. Details about and list of this years artists can be found at http://www.wdcc.org/exhibitions/index.cfmI applied for this event in February and was placed on the wait list - but was notified early June that I was accepted. This is an easy 30 minute drive from home so I pulled out of another show with hopes I'd do well with "locals". Entry fee was $350 - less for WDCC members (I may join this great group later this year). Passes were given for access to the adjacent parking ramp for Friday & Saturday. Sunday we found very close downtown parking (free metered parking on Sundays).WDCC runs the event with the artist in mind. Many attending are members of WDCC. Setup is "dolly in", but depending on booth location, there are several unload/load areas and we found no waiting problem pulling up and dropping off. We opted to set up the tent and hardware on Friday evening as we heard we would have rain that evening into Saturday morning. We brought our stock on Saturday morning. Not sure of numbers, but they have a huge amount of volunteers assisting both days. The program is terrific, listing artist alphabetically by name on one page and by booth number on another. A well defined map is included in the program. Terrible rain/storms plagued the weekend, but I must jump to Sunday. Heat index was over 100 and was sunny but humid and hot hot hot for most of the day. Around 1:00 volunteers stopped at each booth to mention terrible storms were on their way and said we had about two hours. They continued to inform us with updates (4) times up to the point of a 10 minute warning. The volunteer in our area was in touch with internet radar so he could be very descriptive & I gotta say - these guys were great. All notices were much appreciated! We actually began putting some things down at 2:00 tent, propanels, framed items etc, but left the matted pieces out yet prepared to put into plastic bins in seconds. We were totally packed by 4 and I must say - as I sit at my computer now, listening to the heavy rain, thunder & warnings on tv - I'm so glad to be safe at home with my dry tent and art work.Back to organizers - Each morning included a wonderful breakfast inside the spectacular air conditioned Marcus Center - breakfast included hot quiche, bagels & locks, huge yummy fruit platters, coffee, sweet rolls & a variety of muffins. After the show ended Saturday they held an equally fantastic "artist get together" with taco salad/chips, cheese platters, tons of other food & a cash bar. I saw some artists working on closing for the evening and volunteers noticed & brought food to their booth! Saturday had a lovely silent auction I was happy to participate in (hope my kayak photo did well). Artist information packet included the address. I don't know why all events don't have this as it's great for artists to enter into gps. I'm not so sure I would have liked being in the Red Arrow Park area as it is across the street from the main show - but each time I looked, they had a good crowd as well. VERY cold water (in those big orange jugs) and insulated coffee cups were available at all times to artists in a covered "porch" area of the Marcus Center Building. So very appreciated as it was hot. I went through alot of water.As we expected - Saturday morning was a series of several downpours until about noon or so. Greeting us at our drop off point was our favorite volunteer we met Friday. Soaking wet, she kept drop off flowing well and she dealt with cranky artists with great patience. We had thought we were quite smart in having our tent up & ready for us to load our stock quickly during the downpour. Oh my..... as we stepped into the tent, our feet sank up to our ankles (no exageration) in half of the area. This is why I always take 2 sets of extra clothing and shoes to every event. We were fortunately near the side of the Marcus Center and had a porchlike area to drop our stock and keep it dry. The rain was loud and hearing conversation was difficult. As we sat in the higher area of our tent we just waited out the rain - great time for that yummy breakfast. I did feel badly for the artists that waited to set up until Saturday. Eventually, the rain subsided and all were assessing the situation. We were on grass but those on concrete were also flooded.Adversity presents opportunities for organizers to be either loved or hated. Well - WDCC rose to the occasion. Immediately several Marcus Center grounds crew were out with squeegies & brooms swishing the water as much as they could. They continued this for over an hour. The norm for this show was to keep everything in your 10x10 booth. Adjustments were made and artists were allowed to expand outside of their area the best they could. We ended up not even using the inside and just put the propanels up for the framed work and set up on the other side of the sidewalk in a cut out area of the Marcus Center Building. While we were exposed to brief showers, this worked out well for us. During the showers we covered the matted artwork briefly with plastic & uncovered shortly thereafter. It reminded me of the art shows of the 60's & 70's - before everyone had tents. Organizers brought large cardboard for those in need (none that I saw had the mudhole we had - just water). Again, volunteers circled continually offering any assistance needed. I think we started setting up the product around 1:00. The judges were exceptional and I have never had this kind of interaction (I do shows most every weekend). They were personable, asked several questions you would think ALL judges should plus some questions that are typical of patrons. They spent quite a bit of time in each booth. This may be the reason that there was absolutely no sell/resell attendees. Screening is terrific. The event is called a "craft fair" but I must say - these were artists! I've always said to many "fine artists" that would never think of themselves in the same category as "crafters"...... don't judge a show by the name. All work at this show was of the highest quality and far better than some "fine art" shows.Artists were given typical name badges, altho these also had Barbara's (head organizer) name & cell number listed. I called her immediately after the rain about the mud and she was at my tent within minutes. She also personally checked in with each artist several times during the two days and was clearly visible as she walked the event frequently. Security & grounds crew was through the Marcus Center and the two organizations worked well together using headsets. Every problem or concern was immediately addressed.There were no porta potties on site. I hate porta potties! Artists and patrons were allowed access to the Marcus Center. Class act here. For those not familiar with the area - Marcus Center for Performing Arts is as great as Broadway. This weekend they had Phantom of the Opera and we had several high sales from those attending. It was personally fun to hear their excitement of the play. I must see it soon. A very nice food vendor and a beverage vendor (speciality coffees and fantastic fresh squeezed fruit drinks) provided artists and patrons with additional refreshments.Patrons for the most part attend this annually and are very art savvy! I enjoyed meeting them all.VERY glad to meet Geri Wenger - a member of artfairinsiders. Hubby was minding the booth for a bit when she first stopped and I'm so glad she returned. Thanks Geri.... I enjoyed our conversations and hope we meet again soon. Thanks also for the purchases!Needless to say with all the rain and late start/early end my sales were not what I had hoped. But I did quite well considering and hope to be accepted next year. I have NO complaints (do you believe it ?) other than the weather. Great potential here in better weather. I will post my typical YouTube videos tomorrow sometime.
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The start of a sale at any art fair begins with getting customers to notice your booth. What is the best way to attract customers to your booth? Here's just 6 tips that could work for you.1. Flowers. Nice landscaping can go a long way to sell a house. Flowers on a tables in restaurants put people at ease. So why not use flowers to your advantage. Last year I have used 2-4 planters with real planted flowers as anchors for my canopy. The idea came to me as I couldn't stand looking at cinder blocks or milk jugs while I sold at fairs. When I started using the planters - the first thing customers saw "Oh, what beautiful flowers" and came closer to take a look. Guess what happens next - they look in the booth and and enter it. So, perhaps planters aren't for you, what about a simple bud vase with your state flower, rose, wildflowers placed in areas you want to draw people's attention or fake flower garlands draped around an easel of your best 2-D art work?2. Large format photography. Ever find yourself driving and NOT take a second to see what a billboard advertisement was all about? The same idea can be extended to those who walk up and down aisles at fairs. Anything big draws the eye and for artists, this works like a charm especially for those who sell jewelry or anything small in size. For about $20, take a good photo of your best selling piece to a Ritz Camera (or other photo developer) and or get it framed or made into a banner and you are set.3. Good lighting. Remember the saying, "like moths to a flame"? Well good lighting in any show booth will draw customers in like moths to a flame. Darkness, shadows, and dim spaces is a natural deterrent - gets customers thinking about dark alleyways where danger could be around the corner. If people can't SEE what you make and sell, then isn't it only natural to pass one booth up for one that is well lit? Desk lamps, strings of Christmas lights, clip-on display lights, good display lamps, etc. all can work and some work better than others all depending on what you sell. Although some fear the money to fork over for electric, hauling lights and so on is too costly, I can tell you it will at least increase your sales 25-30% if not more - I am one of those who can vouch for this tip .4. Color. Commercial products in today's market place have great bright color branding - Yankee Candle, Victoria's Secret, Coca-cola, etc. I often see "cookie cutter" booths at every show - white canopy, white backdrops, white table coverings... While we can't help that fairs require white canopies and they are so easy to find, something as simple as colored table coverings, flower garlands hiding the legs to a booth, colored curtains/backdrops, simple colored scarves accenting jeweled toned necklaces, painted wooden shelving, and so on all are simple, inexpensive ways to add color to a booth. A splash of color in a sea of white (or black) will surely catch customers eyes as long as it is soft and not too bold.5. Banner. Banners do not have to be big, full of color, or expensive. Office supply stores who have a copy/print area or places online like Vistaprint can help help you make up any kind of banner you want all in the name of getting noticed. Two lines of writing such as your business name and website or tagline can truly make a booth stand out. It has a billboard effect, but also tells customers in a matter of 3 seconds I SELL POTTERY (photography, oil paintings, candles, jewelry...). This will help weed out lookie loos and drive serious shoppers into your booth.6. Demonstrate. Every show I have attended where someone demonstrates how their work is made - it draws a crowd. This idea appeals to the "mob" mentality where if one person stops to watch, others follow suit because they see one or more doing it too that it must be something interesting. Demonstrating is also a simple way to start selling without customers catching on. To show and tell a show patron how pottery is shaped and molded, watching a painter make a blank canvas flow with color, or how the sound of a hammer striking metal to form iron work is something people just don't see every day. Doing so also authenticates your work - they will never question "do you make this or is it handmade"? Can't demonstrate at a show - see point #2 - a large format photograph of you in action working away in your workshop also works just as well.I wanted to add this tip as I have had people asking me this question and recently posted it on my blog. I thought others here may benefit from the knowledge. If you like this post all I ask is to leave a comment on my blog - www.quickcraftartisttips.blogspot.com . I want to encourage everyone though to share their tips. Have you tried any of these tips and they did or didn't work - I (as well as others I am sure) want to hear it. Thanks so much for reading!- Michelle, By the Bay Botanicals, www.bythebaybotanicals.comRead more…
Comment by Barbara Sucherman just now Delete Comment I am a jewelry artist and I just did Krasl Art on the Bluff and Ann Arbor's Summer Art Fair on State Steet with the Michigan Guild. Two Michigan shows, from one to the other.This is my second year at Krasl, my 30th in Ann Arbor!Krasl was delightful. The Show Director was wonderful. The setting is beautiful, overlooking Lake Michigan... artist amenities were many. There was a hospitality room at the Boulevard Hotel...accross from my booth, breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day and lovely, clean restrooms. I didn't make it to the Friday night dinner at the Art Center (set-up takes me forever sometimes) . Volunteers were plentiful, booth sitters and all. But sunset over the Lake was spectacular (I'm from Chicago, we get sunrise, but I seldom see that).I had a hole in the grass, in front of my booth which everyone stepped in and almost fell, myself included. I mention this to Sara Shambarger and within minutes 2 volunteers appeared with a shovel and bark mulch. They cut a rectangle in the grass, peeled back the sod, put in some mulch and stomped it back down. This was an amazing thing to see. Artists, remember this wherever you are ... a great tip for show staff.Anyway, customers came to this show and were interested, the "Be Backs" came back on Saturday. My sales were good on Saturday and if Sunday had been the same... I would have made a little money. Sunday's sales for me did not add up to a hill of beans. But I will try this show again...it has much promise!Ann Arbor, on the other hand... 30 years... has gone from my very best show ever for about 20 years... to about the same as I did at Krasl. It is 4 days, of grueling hours, 10 - 9 pm. And add on an hour at both ends to set up and pack up the jewelry... need I say more! And I have an assistant I pay for all of those hours... She made more than I did!I am not sure what I will do next year...maybe a new location? Maybe a Sabbatical.Barb Suchermanhttp://silverdesignjewelry.comhttp://bsucherman.blogspot.comhttp://BarbsSilverJewelry.etsy.com
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October 10 & 11 Bloomington, Illinois Saturday 9 am-5 pm; Sunday 9 am-3 pm 125 exhibitors produced by D & W Events, Inc. Deadline: August 15 This juried fine art and fine craft festival closes the "Northern" festival season without compromising quality! This is NOT a last chance show but a gateway leading into the Florida season. Located in central Illinois,
Bloomington is easily accessible for Midwest artists. Held on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus during homecoming weekend, this festival has a captive audience and buying crowd. Expect approximately 125 artists featuring all media. Great artist hospitality including booth sitters, continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday, easy load in and out and free day and overnight parking. IMPORTANT DATES: * August 15, 2009 - Application deadline * September 1, 2009 - Artist notification date * September 10, 2009 - Last day for full refund less $25.00 administrative fee. * October 9, 2009 - Early set up available beginning at 3 pm. No security on Friday night. * October 10, 2009 - Set up begins at 5 am.
For more information, please contact D & W Events, Inc., www.dwevents.org, 847-726-8669Read more…
Photographer JOHN PEER passed away of multiple health complications on July 2.
Born in Idaho and raised in Oregon, John spent his adult life on the west coast as a plumbing contractor. But the last 15 years he pursued his dream as an fine art photographer. Winning many awards for his work, his images now hang in private collections, art galleries, large hotels and corporations throughout the world.
One of his images was used just this year in June as the poster at the Chicago Old Town Art Festival. He loved traveling with his wife, Mary, and participant in the art festivals and especially he liked visiting with other artists. You can view his images in the gallery at www.johnpeer.com He was loved by everyone who knew him and will be greatly missed.
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Upcoming this weekend, big doings in the Midwest. You can choose Minneapolis or Chicago.
The biggie in metro Minneapolis, the Uptown Art Fair, with about 350 artists: A Fusion of Art, Flavor and Flair. While you're there you may as well also head to Loring Park and the Powderhorn art fairs also. A great weekend to be in the Twin Cities!
One of the granddaddies of art fairs arrives in Chicago this weekend, the Gold Coast Art Fair with over 300 artists. You'll find this story interesting about the "stormchaser artist," David Mayhew, featured at this three day event.
Also this weekend in the Chicago area, in Batavia visit Art in Your Eye.
I'd love a report from someone who knows about this one, SoNo Arts Celebration, in South Norwalk, CT, 175 artists in a cool revitalized historic district: 33 years later, SoNo Arts Festival still a showcaseRead more…
Hmmm..... do I really want to share this gem of a show? Well, it is a gem to me - perhaps not for others. This is my first year of attendance - the event's 51st year. The event location was moved this year from Presque Isle Park to Mattison Lower Harbor Park. Read the reason for change here. Some past attendees and few patrons grumbled about the move, but then many people do not adjust well to change. I personally loved the location and I certainly appreciate the organizers difficult decision to make that change. Part of that reason, as you can read in the above article, was to keep transportation via bus costs down in order not to increase entrance fees for the artists. The Presque Isle Park location required complete busing in the patrons. Once a coal pile, the area adjacent to the marina was transformed by the city of Marquette into a fabulous huge park, located a block from the downtown and surrounded by Lake Superior and marina on two sides and architectually pleasing condos on the other two sides. Marquette has some of the best bike and hiking trails I've seen and one surrounds this park - we had many hikers/bicyclists in our tent. Artists had the closest parking in the marina lot but patrons parking was in a close lot or on the downtown streets.Tent layout was structured to have artists around the parameter of the park, leaving a large center area open. I could see this open area was likely due to the drainage areas in the center. One row of artists were plagued with a water filled ditch directly in front of their tents on Sunday. Organizers filled these areas with wooden pallets, but I would have been upset at having a booth there. I would hope there will be a layout change for that area in future years. In my opinion the organizers (Lake Superior Art Association) did fantastic with respect to artist and patron comfort. Load in/out was simple. Setup was available on Friday and driving on the grass to artist booth allowed ease of setup. Not necessary to drop off, park, then set up. There were several booth areas along the outer section near the lake that were great for disabled artists as they could drive their vans up to that area and keep them behind their tents. Tent area was 12 x 12 allowing all to spread out a bit. Morning coffee/muffins were available and several volunteers continually circled the area in golf carts providing assistance to artists. If an artist needed to access their car/van/trailer, a volunteer drove them in the cart for quick retreival. I was checked in on frequently by great volunteers who offered tent sitting and any help an artist needed. In the acceptance packet each artist received instructions for a customer parcel pick up service. Stressing the importance of customer convenience, any customer parked too far away could drop off their purchase at the info tent. They then would be given a ticket and later pick up their item by driving to the marina parking lot and retreive it from the info tent.From what I observed, the selection of art was equally varied. About the same amount of photographers as jewelers, pottery, fiber, paintings etc. The venue included a childrens area and had a wonderful selection of rotating music/musicians. From what I observed, there were no buy/sell or "crafter" booths. Those not juried in to this show participated in an alternate show "The Outback" that was located about a mile away. While I did not visit that area, I heard nice comments about it.We stayed at the City of Marquette's Tourist Park (camping) and I would recommend that location to anyone with a motor home, camper or conversion van. Anyone familiar with areas immediately on any of the Great Lakes - especially in Michigan's U.P. knows the weather changes frequently. This weekend was no exception as it was lower 60's and raining one minute, then sunny and 70 the next. The majority of the weekend was rain. Sunday was the worst with morning rain lasting until about 2:00. I was very happy I did not have to tear down wet as after 2:00 the sun was great, the wind strong enough to dry the tent but not too strong as to cause concern. I read the anticipated attendance was 15,000 and while Saturday crowds were high, I think the weather kept the attendance a tad lower. Hats off to patrons - they came with their jackets & umbrellas and they purchased. While some artists were grumbling "won't be here next year", I observed a higher than average number with bags in hand. I did well, but then, much of my work is Great Lakes - Lake Superior, the U.P, and the Marquette area art. My price points ranged from $20 to $400. I nearly sold out of the $20 items (came well prepared) and had high sales in the $70 to $150 range. None of my framed items sold (unusual) but had high amount of purchases of the 18x24 matted pieces. Many were multiple purchases by individuals. Economic times are tough and I think especially in this area, patrons are comfortable purchasing more and framing their own rather than limiting their purchase to one framed item.Bottom line - I'll be back. But this event may not be for everyone. My work is so suitable for this area and I think that's what we all must do.... understand where we are likely to do well.I'll post my link to You Tube here sometime on TuesdayLinda Andersonhttp://www.andersonphotoworks.comRead more…
October 16, 17 & 18 Rock Financial Showplace Novi, Michigan 150 Artists Deadline: July 31 In case you missed it this Spring, the Great Lakes Art Fair (fall) is returning and you can be there too. What a visitor said about the April Great Lakes Art Fair:
I just got home from the Rock Financial Showplace and the Great Lakes Art Fair. What a wonderful look and feel that new show has! I hope you are able to keep it going and growing, as it has all the earmarks of a stupendously successful show. The quality of the work is phenomenal, the atmosphere is classy and the artists are saying great things about the coordination, management and detail handling of the people putting it on. What a great way to start a new show! I want to exhibit in the show in the fall. Hope I'm good enough to get in!!! What a patron said:
I just wanted to let you know this was a SPECTACULAR event for me. I spent more $$ at this Art Show than all the others I've attended put together. The artisans were sensational! There was no over-abundance of jewelers. I raved to several vendors who told me to be certain to "tell someone" how much I enjoyed myself. I wasn't sure to whom I should relay this to, so please pass along my appreciation for such a wonderful event!Location: The Rock Financial Showplace is located in Novi, MI, in Western Oakland County, one of the nation's most affluent areas. Although spring 2009 marked the inaugural Great Lakes Art Fair, the Rock Financial Showplace has become familiar to patrons as a premier indoor venue for specialty arts over the past ten years. Jeweler Anita Spencer
Attendance: Over the past decade the Showplace has been host to premier indoor art fairs each year, during the months of April and October. Attendance figures from these fairs have averaged in the tens of thousands. With the increased investment into advertising, promotion, and production, attendance is projected to easily grow and exceed the performance of past events.
Advertising & Promotions: The Great Lakes Art Fair believes effective promotion is as crucial to overall success as the selection of artists. The GLAF's mission is to deliver a high quality experience for patrons and artists that will assure qualified buyers, return visits and exponential event growth. The superior local media and marketing relationships enjoyed by the Rock Financial Showplace will contribute enormously to the overall success of the Great Lakes Art Fair. A multi-level marketing and publicity campaign will be launched to promote the Great Lakes Art Fair GLAF throughout the region, including media partnerships in print, radio, television, direct mail and outdoor. There is also a strategic web marketing campaign aimed at building awareness of
this new regional event. the famous "diner guy" - Jerry Berta Now, don't you want to be there? I will. Full disclosure: I am a consultant for this event. Apply:
www.zapplication.org For more info:
www.greatlakesartfair.com ****************************************** Bonus: a great artists reception!
If you are doing art fairs, thinking about running an art fair, or are already running an art fair, you should find this article interesting. From the Belleville, IL, news comes this information:
The numbers are in and the survey says -- nearly half the people attending Art on the Square in Belleville in May were from outside St. Clair County.
That means the promotional efforts and publicity have been a success said Patty Gregory, executive director of the annual downtown art festival.
Read the rest of the article: Survey says Belleville Draws the Wealthy and Educated
In case you are out of the loop, Belleville's Art on the Square is very highly rated and attracts top artists. Supposedly they sell $1 million dollars worth of goods in this small Illinois town every May.
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In my mailbox today:
Connie....would you check the below link..our new intro and a new group we are featuring.......and then the question is....would you reach out to your contacts for me and help me further promote my show.......I would owe you big time......you name the rewardhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAtWnsmGTXU&feature=channel_page T
he above link is one of the groups we will be featuring this fall on Public T.V. across the country. At this point we have 115 affiliates broadcasting our show, and we'd like to get the rest. If you would take a moment to contact your local PBS affiliate and ask them to offer the "Jammin at Hippie Jack's" Americana Roots Music series.........it would be a great help. Below is a link to PBS station finder that will give you contact information...Thank you for your help........we will endeavor to persevere... Jack
http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html Do you think you can help an old hippie out? Bet'cha can! At the very least you can pass this info on to someone who can. (I'll bet a bunch of you remember photographer Jack Stoddart - now a music producer!)
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Brought to you by the NAIA
National Association of Independent Artists "The Collective Voice of Art Fair Artists" The NAIA 2009 Stimulus Plan: Project ART!
The 9th Art Festival Directors / Artists Summit Conference, organized by the National Association of Independent Artists (NAIA) will be held Thursday & Friday, September 24 - 25, 2009 in Peoria, Illinois, immediately prior to the Peoria Fine Art Fair. This unique event is the only one of its kind that is geared directly to the needs and issues of arts festivals and artists, and provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet, network, problem solve and energize with show directors from around the country. It is open to all show directors, staff and board members on Thursday and Friday.
Open to all artists on Thursday. If you've never been to an NAIA Conference, you owe it to yourself to be there. And if you've attended one or all of our past conferences, you'll find this one is targeted to provide as much valuable information to the "veteran", as it is to those who may join us for the first time. To register for Thursday's artist sessions at the $25 artist rate, click on the link below for the main conference page. In the left column is a link to artist registration.
Register NOW!! P. S. Personally I have attended at least seven of these conferences - they are professionally presented and chock full of strategic and helpful information. Plus, you have time to meet other artists and the show directors in an informal situation where you don't have to get back to your booth to sell something! ;) How cool is that? Yes, I'll be there too and look forward to meeting you.
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Can't get enough of the Ann Arbor news? Here are some good articles: Who won the prizes? Here are the winners reported by MLive.com:
Art Fairs winners announced The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair presented awards of excellence and originality to 10 artists Thursday morning. The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is located on Ingalls Mall and North University. Here are the winners: Booth A109, Leon Niehues, Fiber, Baskets Booth A133, Julie Fremuth, Mixed Media Booth A146, Robert Hessler, Clay Booth A225, Paul Eshelman, Clay Booth A226, Chris Roberts-Antieau, Fiber & Drawing Booth A232, Susan Hill, Fiber Booth A233, Shellie Bender, Jewelry Booth A256, Frederick Warren, Glass Booth A272, James Skvarch, Printmaking Booth A281, Donna D'Aquino, Jewelry Mark Traughber (Booth A157, Painting) was named as the 2010 Featured Artist. His original art work will be featured on the Street Art Fair merchandise next year for the celebration of the Art Fair's 51st Anniversary. Awards jurors for the event were Don Bacigalupi Ph.D., President, Director, and CEO, Toledo Museum of Art and Reed Kroloff, Director and Campus Architect of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum. Awards were also presented at the State Street Area Art Fair. Here are the winners: 3D Best of Show: William Kidd - Ceramics - Miramar, Fl. Booth 301 Honorable Mention: Marcia Engeltjes - Leather - St. Paul, Mn. - Booth 305 Honorable Mention: Randi Solin - Glass - Brattleboro, Vt. - Booth 220 Honorable Mention: Andrew Madvin - Sculpture - Detroit, - Booth 619 Honorable Mention: Rosario Garcia - Jewelry - Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Booth 532 2D Best of Show: James Parker - Digital Art - Rochester Hills, - Booth 633 Honorable Mention: Karyn Debrasky - 2D Mixed - State College, Pa. - Booth 206 Honorable Mention: Carroll Swayze - Printmaking - Englewood, Fl. - Booth 611 Honorable Mention: Li Wang - Painting - Palm Coast, Fl. - Booth 536 Honorable Mention: Danielle Desplan - 2D Mixed - New York, N.Y. - Booth 230 Here are the award winners for the 2009 Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, presented by The Guild of Artists & Artisans. State Street Area Best in Show: Bonnie Blandford, Jewelry, C027 First Place: Jan & Mel Fleck, Printing/Paper, C072 Second Place: David Larkins, Painting, C111 Honorable Mentions: Char TerBeest-Kudla, Fiber/Fabric, C099 Peter Czuk, Wood, C045 Peter Katke, Photography, C106 BJ Jordan, Jewelry, C063 Main/Liberty Streets Best in Show: Ari Gradus, Printmaking/Paper, D241 First Place: John & Debra Sosnowsky, Jewelry, D154 Second Place: Xiao Xia Zhang, Fiber/Fabric, D295 Honorable Mentions: Chas Gerding, Sculpture, D226 Jim Mullan, Jewelry/Mixed Media, Booth 324 Stan Baker, Ceramics, D308 Richard Miranda, Jewelry, Booth 260 Beloved Street Art Fair Director Shary Brown wears her tiara proudly as she receives accolades from the artists as she moves into retirement. Shary, we're going to miss you! Read the story here:
A tearful, tiara farewell I loved this techie item:
'Ann Arbor Art Fair' ranks among Google's hottest search termsRead more…
Living in the Midwest and being active in the art fair business basically the year is divided into two parts, B.A.A. (before Ann Arbor) and A.A.A. (after Ann Arbor) with a four day lull in between. As an artist is sort of like the first day of school, or the 1st of January, planned for all year and always waiting in the shadows. This year I attended the fair on Thursday (traditionally the quietest day with the smallest crowds), meeting Erin Woody who I work with for the
Great Lakes Art Fair and her intern Liz. We covered all of the State Street Area Assn. Art Fair, the Guild Show on State Street, the South University Fair, and about half of the Street Art Fair, seeing only about half of the exhibitors before the sun set. I missed most of Liberty Street and all of Main Street, but have good reports from friends. Although the crowd was light on South U. (when I was there) it was bustly on North U. the whole stretch and Bonnie Blandford reported that the streets were full all day on State Street. I also heard reports that every parking place was full at Briarwood Mall where shoppers can catch the art fair shuttle. My friend from
Arts, Beats & Eats, Lisa Konikow, visited on both Friday and Saturday said there were good crowds both days. Why not? The weather was just about perfect, with temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's, great art fair weather. Comfortable not only for the artists' long hours but also cool enough to make the lake loving Michigan audience decide it might be a great day to go to the fair instead of swimming.
Always great to run into old friends, this is Mary Strope, Vice-President of
WholesaleCrafts.com who was scouting the fairs for artists for their June event in Las Vegas. The crowd seemed small that day and the afternoon brought streets that looked like this:
South University Art Fair If you are an artist and have always wanted to be part of this fair you should be able to get in. Viewing the State Street Area fair, although there were some excellent artists:
Erin Woody learns about wood from the master,
Matthew Hatala
painting by
Reif Snyder there were some empty spaces, some bad spaces (Thompson, in particular) and many, many jewelers. An artist told me that that a third of that fair was jewelers. Not good for the jewelers, maybe for the shoppers, and a sure sign that the organizers were having problems filling the show. I heard that GM had continually promised the South University Fair $28,000 and then two weeks before the fair told them it wasn't coming. How's that for bad news? Sales reports I received on Thursday (remember, this is less than half way through the show) had some sad people, but a few who confided in me they were doing well, "I had a great Wednesday", and the smart folks who had a wide range of prices were moving right along. How about you? Please add your reports!! Some photos:
Fiber artist
Mimi Damrauer at the State Street Area Fair
A beautiful sight at the fair, a customer writing a check to fiber artist
Shekina Rudoy.
One of the great things about art fairs is making new artist friends, here painter Kemper and glass artist Lynn Corrie enjoying a new friendship
Michigan painter
Jeff Condon at the South University Fair, who announced, "I just made booth fee!"
Krys Leiffers meets Erin Woody--cool weaving I hadn't seen before, South U. Fair
Metal work by
Robin Washburn, at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
I am one of the patrons of an art festival that everyone is always talking about. I love art festivals, if I miss one, I am sure that the perfect piece of art will be at that festival and I won't be able to get it. Consequently, I go to a lot of art festivals. I have been known to shedule vacations so I can go to art festivals in other parts of the country. I live in Miami and just purchased a 2nd home north of Chicago, where I have lived a good portion of my life. I get to go to art festivals pretty much year round.Since I have to furnish a new place from scratch, I have enjoyed festivals more this year than usual. However, as a retired person, I have to watch my budget more closely to match quality and quantity as much as possible. I have noticed that a lot of artists have a wider variety of price points which makes it easier for patrons to purchase art. Others offer quantity discounts which is helpful to me and the artist. If I pay in cash, a lot of artists have absorbed the tax which in Cook County, IL is now an aggravating 10%. Other artists have offered me payment schedules or to negotiate the price on a piece. I appreciate all of this.(I have taken classes in various art mediums because I was curious how things were made and frankly, I was curious why some artists seemed to charge so much for their work. Understanding a process made me more cost conscious from the artist's point of view but I have also found that some artists are inordinately "proud" of their work)I go to the majority of Amy Amdur's shows. She is the largest show producer in the Chicago area. It is hard not to go to one of her festivals. For those of you considering doing a lot of her shows, keep that in mind. While Cantigney is southwest of Chicago, the majority of her festivals are on the north shore and in close proximity to one another. I am not the only one who puts off buying from an artist who I am going to see 2-3 more times in a season. Her layouts are the same at all festivals limited only by the physical limitations of the site. The artists are usually excellent and there are artists at each show that you have never seen before although I have probably seen atleast 50% of the artists at multiple festivals.DW events is finding a lot of artists that I hadn't seen before but their festivals are very small. Cuneo was a total bust, I was out of there in 20 minutes. Deerfield was good and I bought two pictures there. Northbrook was not very good but I found one of "those" pieces that made the show worthwhile for me.I have had a lot of success finding wonderful things at the independent art festivals. For sheer quality and imagination, the Suburban Fine Arts Center Fine Craft Festival in Highland Park, Il is a consistent winner. It is a 3D only festival. Through the years I have consistently had to return to my car to put away art because I couldn't carry it any longer and was not done buying.The Schaumburg Arts Center had a very nice show. It was a little inconsistent but there was plenty to see at a wide variety of price points. The Fountain Square Art Festival in Evanston was the usual mix of artists similar to the demographics of the city. I always find wonderful things to buy there from a wide variety of artists. Monument Square Art Festival in Racine, Wisconsin is back on my list. The quality this year was uneven but I somehow spent more there than anywhere and made several trips to my car.I have atleast 13 more festivals to go to this summer including Morning Glory in Milwaukee, Port Clinton in Highland Park, Il, Lake Forest, IL (most improved the last two years), Art in the Barn, Barrington, IL and Mt. Mary Starving Artists in Milwaukee which is the most fun and nervewracking festival to go to ever.Of course I will probably have most of the house decorated by the end of the season but there is always room for one more shelf for that irresistible piece of glass or pottery, room on the wrist for one more bracelet and a girl can never have too many earrings.Keep doing what you do, I will do my best to keep buying it.
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Any chance that you got into the lineup to audition for the new Sarah Jessica Parker and Magical Elves casting call for the new reality TV show, Untitled Art Project? The casting has taken place in four cities, LA, Miami, Chicago and NYC. There is still one day left in NYC to lineup up for your chance to be a TV star and an art star.
Artist Aneta Glinkowska decided not to audition but instead took her video camera and visited the lineup in NYC. Check it out to see if your friends were there: http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2009/07/sara-jessica-parkers-untitled-art-project-ny-casting/
I am looking forward to this program. It should be interesting. Better than Top Chef? Project Runway?
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In case you missed it, July 15-18 are the dates of this year's Ann Arbor Art Fairs.
I'll be attending on Thursday, making 34 years of perfect attendance for me. How about you? Meet me at 10:30 at State and North University. The press loves this event, I'd guess the most popular event in Michigan all year. Here are some recent articles to help you get there, understand the hype, and get to the root of this old rock star who just keeps on rocking: From the
Detroit Free Press:
Ann Arbor Art Fairs have come a long way since 1960, a historical look Inclusive article with interviews with three of the art fair directors, Shary Brown, Kathy Krick and Maggie Ladd. Good background on what people are thinking, from the
Ann Arbor News:
Ann Arbor Art Fairs organizers, participants try to keep sunny outlook despite economy From
MLive.com: Main Street Area Association director:
Downtown businesses strategize to take advantage of Ann Arbor Art Fairs, excellent article from the business section - how can a business make money off the art fairs? I believe Ann Arbor wins the award on this one. From the
Chicago Tribune:
4-days of summer art fairs kick off in Ann Arbor, details about the event
From the
Absolute Michigan website:
50th Annual Ann Arbor Street Fair, July 15-18, 2009, great links for information For all you oldies out there, you'll like this story from the Detroit Free Press:
Potter J.T. Abernathy exhibited at the first Ann Arbor art fair; they're both going strong. "At 86, he remains the dean of Ann Arbor potters, putting in seven hours a day in the studio and relentlessly exploring new ideas, materials and techniques. "The same things still intrigue me that have always intrigued me," he says. "Ceramics is such a fascinating medium. I'm never bored with it. It has unlimited possibilities." A great overview with tips on negotiating the fairs at
MLive.com:
You've been warned: It's Ann Arbor Art Fairs time Painter Dale Rayburn meets the admiring public at the Street Art Fair
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A little quiet here on the homefront today as artists are deep in their nests readying their nerves for the Ann Arbor Marathon that starts Wednesday morning. Those not in Michigan are recovering from last weekend's big events in Plymouth, Chicago, State College, Madison, St. Joe, Cleveland Heights, Wyandotte -- the big Midwest art fair weekend.
Here's the news from them:
Madison, WI - Big storms came in Friday night that wrecked booths, taking out some entirely. Travis Lindenbaum reported on the NAIA forum: Booths were down in every part of the show, and not just easy-downs. It seemed very random and wide-spread. Several artists were on-site at 3 AM, minimizing damage as best they could for the people who were not there. To add insult to injury the storm dropped hail on the East side of town, where many artists were staying, causing extensive damage to vans.
Matthew Hatala reported that at 2:24 in the morning hail "broke car mirror's and i have a crack in my winshield. took out about 10 booths Ann london, Steve O, Micky Cunningham, and others."
Here's a story from a blogger about Madison: Art Fair Weekend And here's a report from the Madison TV station, including a video of the event.
Any have any sales reports? anybody??
Speaking of storms, the Denver Black Arts Festival was held also this weekend and it sounds like it had a whopper of a storm, much damage. Read this sorry story and see the video.
Krasl Art Fair in St. Joseph, MI - Here's a good wrap-up in the South Bend Tribune. I was so sorry to have to miss this one this year. It is always beautiful weather and it is a great spot for a show on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College, PA - There is always something interesting going on at this event. The organizers know how to please a crowd and bring them back again - Street painters allow festivalgoers to get look at creative process
Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/1393191.html?storylink=omni_popular#ixzz0LIEbVsih&C
Wickford, RI's, big festival - nice report with discussions about the economy in the East.
Plymouth, MI - here is a local news story about this big event (400 exhibitors): Plymouth's Art in the Park
My thanks to those of you who made reports on last weekend's events. But what about the rest of you? We need to know from you. I know a lot of you were busy preparing for the next show, but by the end of this month I need to see a lot of reports! Nels, where are you? What about the rest of you? Please give us your slant. Tell us the best thing that happened.
I know, tell us the dumbest thing someone said to you. Let's make this a contest. The best story wins a copy of "Internet Riches" by Scott Fox. Deadline July 24. Comment below.
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I greatly enjoyed the 30th anniversary of Art In the Park. The weather cooperated for the 3 day show except for a downpour Saturday morning from 8 to 10. The show opened at noon and closed at 8pm on Friday, but I had patrons in my booth by 9am and did not close up until 9 as the crowds kept coming. Ditto for Saturday - closing time was 7pm but patrons lingered. My neighbor reported he did not close up until close to 10 as his booth remained busy. Thankfully on Sunday, the lovely people of Plymouth did not linger and everyone could start take down at 5. The Sunday Plymouth paper announced "Record Crowds Predicted" and I believe they were correct as the streets were filled all 3 days as was my booth.I found set up and tear down very well planned and drive up to booth was great. There was no “check in” – You received your booth assignment, and unloading instructions in the mail. Once you were set up, a volunteer brought you the booth tag. I found it nice that the food vendor area had their own street as their large trucks did not venture into most art areas.I talked with several artists and their list of complaints included:Entry fee too high (I agree)No booth sittersNo one giving out water (I will add that the local high school band had a couple of water booths and several times walked around offering to sell water – this was their major fund raiser and perhaps the reason organizers did not offer the water)Music in the center core too loudCrafters and commercial businesses were interwoven with artists. Evidentially this used to be fine art only, but there was a varied cross section of booths.From what I observed, the layout for approximately 400 booths was as good as possible. The core of the event was at a downtown intersection and booths spread out on adjoining streets. I was 3rd from the end of one of those streets. Typically I may have groaned about paying my dues as a first timer at this event, but patrons actually entered from all points of the perimeter. Greyhound type busses ran continually from various park & ride locations and dropped patrons off at one of the less desirable ends. I’m not sure if it was the design of the show or the very experienced event patrons, but I’m fairly sure any patron that attended came down to my end. It was nice to have an active booth, even though not all were buyers. They may be one day.Kellogg Park takes up an entire block and one corner is at the event’s core. The entire park was dedicated to a variety of creative, hands on, kid’s art activities including a kid vendor area where kids sold their art. Throughout the weekend I was thrilled with the higher than average amount of teens & preteens that visited my booth, initiated great art savvy conversations and even purchased some of my photography. I did not make the connection until late Sunday when I realized this lovely community is quite active in its efforts to get kids involved and comfortable with art at a young age. How great is this?Two school lots served for artist parking and ours was approximately 5 blocks away. Overnight parking for those sleeping in motor homes or vans was allowed. The organizers had arranged for discount rates at several hotels. Several of the nearby restaurants dropped off menus and offered booth delivery. Security was provided by city police – not rent a cops. A great majority of the people I spoke with (now remember, I do like to talk) had been severely affected by the problems within the automotive industry and my heart goes out to them. Having said that, I had quite a profitable show. No framed items sold, but I nearly sold out of my 8x10’s and 16x20’s. I also have (9) 18x24 & larger orders to complete when I arrive home Tuesday. I’m thinking I’ll get better gas mileage with (4) empty crates in my trailer!I do so enjoy Michigan & its lovely people. I think I’ll take the long way home to Wisconsin via the U.P. rather than deal with the high van/trailer tolls in Chicago. Yes – it’s probably a wash with the extra gas, but I get to enjoy Michigan for just a tad longer.Bottom line – Entry is high and it is not an all fine art only event. For me, it was an enjoyable show and I will return. I’ll have my typical videos on YouTube later.
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in June as the poster at the Chicago Old Town Art Festival. He loved traveling with his wife, Mary, and participant in the art festivals and especially he liked visiting with other artists. You can view his images in the gallery at www.johnpeer.com He was loved by everyone who knew him and will be greatly missed.
