A little clay from the Garage Sale Art Fair

Today I finished posting the pictures of the accepted artists for the 19th Annual Garage Sale Art Fair that I run with Michael Kifer down in Kalamazoo (on Feb 28). Then I just kind of sat back and smiled at the images from all the wonderful artists that will be joining us this year, some for the very first time. Then the slight feeling of panic sets in. It now rests on us to do everything we possibly can to insure that these artists leave our show happy with their sales and the show itself. Now to find a "good weather" dance that actually works...

From the top, John Bauman, Kristy Jo Beber, Fong Choo, Eric Strader and Brian Beam. A little bit of clay from the show.

Break time is over

For the first time in my entire career, I took a break from the studio this winter. I concentrated full time on the small show Michael and I run until the first of March and then concentrated on home life and other things. For fun I took an enameling class at Kendall College of Art & Design to add more color into my life and my work. Now it's time to get back to the studio because I have a great schedule of shows coming up and I have lots of ideas for new work. But I will look back on this winter as the best winter I can ever remember. What a gift!

After jurying 3 art fairs in 2 days, this is what I learned...

You’ve applied to hundreds of shows over the years. You know what to do and not do with your images. ZAPP and JAS have made it really easy to quickly apply and not really think about it. BUT, when was the last time you went into ZAPP and checked your profile? Checked that all your information is correct? Checked your capitalization, spelling and punctuation? Have you checked your artist statement to make sure it’s current?

The same things are important on JAS but on there your artist statement is even more important. When you’re being juried on JAS (monitor jurying), your artist statement is right in the center of the page, easy for the juror to read. And you wouldn’t believe how many people make mistakes in there. The wrong words, extra punctuation, missing letters and the big one is your name! Sometimes just the first name, sometimes the full name, “James does this”, “Mary Smith likes that”. I was shocked during my latest jurying how many statements had names. Have you checked yours lately?

Your artist statement should be current and if you want a juror to read it, it should be short. I don’t need to know where you went to school, what your life’s path has been or how many years you’ve been doing this. I need to know anything critical to what you’re showing me in your images. This is not your resume, please don’t list all the shows you’ve done. Short, readable and to the point.

And then there’s the old issue of a name in the booth image. There are still many, many booth shots that have either the artists name showing or the business name. Please, please remove it. It will not help you and it may hurt you. Take down the booth signs that the show gives you even if you can’t read your own name on it. Anything that distracts from what you want the juror to be looking at which is your booth and the work in it. Leave the chair, that doesn’t bother me at all but get out all the signs.

And I’ve learned a couple of new things in this last round of jurying that I’ve done. Photographers as a group have the most odd looking booth images of anyone. Many of them look like they’re 20’ x 20’ booths and amazingly they show under 10 pieces with no flip bins! Wow! Please don’t take offense if you’re a photographer because it’s probably not you I’m talking about but you probably know someone who fits this. Just something to think about.

The other thing I’ve learned is that sterling silver must no longer be a precious metal. No one told me! Jewelers - if there are two categories, precious and non-precious and you work in sterling silver, fine silver pmc or gold, you belong in the precious category. And trust me, you don’t want to be in the non-precious category if you don’t belong there. There is some absolutely wonderful jewelry being made these days without the use of precious metals and you don’t want to be competing with them if you don’t have to. Of course if you’re applying in the non-precious category then I’m not competing with you for a space so maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this…

Borrowing from the Duggan Sisters

 I'm not sure what the proper etiquette is when you want to share something from someone else's blog. This from the Duggan Sisters blog just hit home with me so I wanted to share it. They write a great blog and this is just a snippet from a wonderful both sad and uplifting post. Click the link to read the entire post. They have just come home from a show and write:

"We are so tired that we’re nauseous. That is what a show, wholesale or retail, does to every single artist every single time. You assemble a singular and stunning booth showcasing your wares. You stand and explain and educate and sell and endure insults and ignorance and accolades. You do it indoors under lights too bright with unforgiving concrete beneath you. You do it outdoors in wind that sometimes becomes a microburst or a tornado and you stand shivering in snow in early October and you get rained on until you are soaked to your kneecaps. You sometimes sell big and sometimes hardly get noticed in the crowd. And then you disassemble your perfect booth and pack it into a van and drive to your home which might be across town or across many state lines. You are an artist. These shows are absolute bread and butter essential and they kill you every time."

I really related to this. All true statements...so why do I love this crazy business so much???

On the road again!

My 2011 art fairs are starting and it's so exciting! This has been the longest break from shows that I've had for years and it was needed. I'm making all kinds of new work and I'm so excited to finally be showing it to people!

I'm making rings!!! For years I was known for my rings which lead to extreme ring burn-out. The rings I'm doing today are primarily sterling, some with 22k gold since I do so love that metal. Some even have stones or pearls. They're all constructed out of sheet metal instead of casting like I used to do. They both have their advantages but I really like doing fabrication. Pictures are coming soon!

My next art fair is the Canton National Art Fair, held at the Canton (OH) Museum of Art, April 29 - May 1. It's a small show of only 80 hand picked artists and I can't wait!

It's done for another year...

I woke up Sunday morning and felt truly at peace. The 15th Annual Garage Sale Art Fair was on Saturday and all the hard work and preparation paid off. The weather held out and we had record crowds with the line forming at 8:05 for a 9:30 opening. That was really great!

This was a hard year. For the first time ever, we had a bunch of cancellations right at the last minute so we had to scramble to try to fill those spots on top of the normal "right before the show" craziness. But it worked. And now, life will go back to a little more normal. Time to actually start making some jewelry again!

The one on the right is as fried as she looks...

Stupidity in Memphis

The month is almost over and my blogging really got left behind this month. Not enough time at home. I've had all kinds of things to write about but now when I actually sit down to do it, my mind is pretty blank. Unless you want to hear about shows that do stupid things. Okay, let's talk a little about that.

I went to River Arts Fest in Memphis this past weekend. Not as an exhibitor but as a "roadie". I had done the show last year and found Memphis didn't love my jewelry but just had a wonderful time in the off hours. The fun was not to be missed this year so I tagged along with friends.

The show is held on historic South Main Street in downtown Memphis, complete with trolley's adding to the ambiance. It runs with booths on both sides of the street for most of the show and then a long stretch with booths only on one side. After set-up was well underway, with many people almost completely set up, the show director decided to come tell about 10 artists that instead of setting up facing the middle of the street, they had to turn everything to the side and face their next door neighbor. Leaving the side of their booth facing the street. WHAT??? Seems the fire inspector felt this was important for safety reasons because the trolley would be running in front of the booths. Probably 15' away (I'm not good with distances).

I'll admit that this made absolutely no sense to me but having dealt with fire inspectors at other shows, I know their word is law since they are perfectly willing to shut down the show if you don't comply. I assumed that this was something that had just come up which was why the artists weren't told when they checked it. But no, not the case at all. A little later I was talking to the show director and said gently that the artists would be handling this better if they had some notice. It turns out that she knew this long before the artists were on site but that "she had too much to do" and never thought about whipping out a quick e-mail to those 10 artists!!! Unbelievable...

I'm not one of those artists who think it's us against them, artists vs show directors. That would be especially hard since I'm a show director as well as an artist. I truly believe that we're all in this together and we both need each other but geez. Give us some consideration here or we won't show up and then what are you left with??? An art fair without art???

Rethinking art fairs

I'm just home from the Longs Park Art and Craft Festival and feeling great. Shows have been so tough lately but this show reminded me of why I love doing shows and it has nothing to do with money. In fact my sales weren't what I hoped for at the show but I had a great time!

Set-up was miserably hot and humid as most shows have been this summer, followed by a hot opening day. Which was then followed by three of the most perfect art show days ever. Cool, sunny and good crowds.

It costs $10 to get into this show but it's what they do with the money they make that's so great. It funds free Sunday night concerts for 13 weeks during the summer. And they get some big names there! What a wonderful thing for the Lancaster community! I sat with a Board member at the Saturday night dinner and learned all about it and the pride they have in bringing this to their community. Who wouldn't be happy with how they're using the money they make from the show!

My sister Karen came up to the show to help me for a couple of days which really upped the fun factor. In my very early days of art fairs, she did a bunch of shows with me and we had great sister time. Now she lives too far away and I just don't see her enough so it's great that she was able to join me. She walks in the booth and it's like she never left... Good times!

On Saturday while she was there we had this fun flurry that was just like the old days. Both of us were busy, we were laughing and just having fun while trying to make sure that everything got to the right person! Boy did that feel great!

The chairperson for the show this year was Diane Moore and she was GREAT! It was her first year but you'd never know she hadn't been running art fairs forever since she was on top of everything and always smiling. She was always around, very visible and very approachable. Just the type of person you would want in charge. Plus her husband Dave helped me roll up my sides one morning!

Have to say that I had great neighbors at this show as well. We were at the end of a "leg" so we didn't get quite everyone walking to the end but we still had a great time. Good neighbors make all the difference, especially at a long show since there will always be slow times and sharing a good laugh makes the time go faster! Michael Schwegmann was there helping in Patty Lindbloom's booth (wonderful jewelry), and he hunkered down my booth for me in preparation for big winds. Felt nice and safe after that! Carolyn Shattuck was my immediate next door neighbor with her wonderful husband Ted. We were meant to meet and be neighbors last weekend.

So why title this post "rethinking art fairs"? Because just when it seemed like shows were just too much work and too darn hard to not enough return, I had a warm, fuzzy show which reminded me of why I do this. We all need to be reminded of this once in a while!

Rediscovery at Birmingham

I rediscovered something wonderful this past weekend. The absolute joy of having someone walk up to your booth wearing something you made! Plus seeing all those wonderfully familiar faces of long time customers who have collections, both large and small, of my work. I've been doing all kinds of new shows lately, in areas I've never been in before so this was such a welcome change. It was a little scary though when one person said she's had the earrings she was wearing for 30 years!

The other wonderful thing that happened this weekend was that I had help in my booth from my long-time friend, Nancy Martin. Since she has an extremely busy "real life", she hasn't been at many shows in the last few years other than Ann Arbor so this was a real treat for me.

Lots of great things about the new Birmingham art fair, now renamed Art Birmingham. Having the show on the street really opened it up and made it so much easier for artists and customers alike. It was easy to get around, there was plenty of parking and lot's of good coffee! Plus with the Guild now running it, it was well organized and easy to do. Just a weekend with a lot of warm fuzzies!

The Garage Sale Art Fair

It's over. We work all year to put on the best art fair for our fellow artists that we can and then in a flash, it's over for the year. So what do we do next? Start planning next year's event before we're even done with this years cleanup.

The list of things to change, review and add to the show is already long. I'm asking friends for their opinions and ideas and that's where a lot of the really good ones come from. Sometimes it's the things that seem so obvious like needing a street address of where the show is located on the postcard. Huh? How did we miss this???

It feels like this huge responsibility that we have to get buyers into the show for our artists. Every year we try new advertising venues while keeping things like the television ads that seem to work really well for us. Who knows what's the best right now so we'll keep trying new things.

Next year is our 15th anniversary event so we want to come up with some extra fun things to do. Not sure what they'll be yet but I do know that we'll do everything we can to make it a success for everyone!

Being on a waiting list

As an "art fair artist" there are times you just don't get into all the shows you apply to. Okay, I never get into everything I apply for but overall my track record is pretty good. This winter I'm wait listed for 2 shows and I really want to get in!

ArtFest Fort Myers is this weekend and I've made the commitment to be there, even if I don't get in off the wait list. So what I'm hoping is that a bunch of jewelers had fantastic shows last weekend and don't have enough work left to do the show so they have to cancel! I may be dreaming but I'm hoping to get lucky and actually get in.

As the co-director of an art fair myself, the Garage Sale Art Fair, I'm getting calls and e-mails from our artists on the waiting list wanting to know if there have been any cancellations. It's hard on both sides of this. It's hard to tell people that really want to do the show that there isn't a space yet. But darn it - it's much harder to be the one waiting!!!

Bonita Springs National Art Festival

Amazingly I survived my first art fair of the year plus had a wonderful time! The Bonita Springs National Art Festival was the perfect show to start my year. The director, Barry Witt runs a tight show with a smile on his face plus enforces the rules which I dearly love. It helps everything run smoothly and the show looks so clean and professionally run. Beautiful location, wonderful neighbors. I was proud to be there and can't wait to go back in March.

Michael and I stopped and spent the night with the Hecker's on the way down which started the whole trip with a warm fuzzy. Great people, great food, glorious hot tub outdoors and three of the most wonderful furry kids. The only downside was leaving but we had to continue on.

In checking my records I discovered that the last time I did a winter Florida show was in 1996. In that 14 years, I think they moved Florida further away from Michigan. I truly didn't remember it being so far but finally we got to the Florida Welcome Center and I got my long anticipated, free glass of orange juice. That meant I was really in Florida. Sunshine and warm weather. Very welcome for a Michigander in January!

Starting up shows again

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. My first show of the new year is a week and a half away and even though I'm not close to being ready, I'm so excited!

The show is the Bonita Springs National Art Festival in Bonita Springs Florida, January 16 and 17 and it's my first time there. I haven't done any winter Florida shows for years due to my wholesale show in February but with each year comes changes. Boy am I looking forward to some warmth and sunshine in Florida instead of the cold of the Philadelphia show!

After I finish my shows for the calendar year and hopefully get a small break, I start on the list of jobs that I need to do before I start up shows again. Usually I have until April so it's not a big deal to get them all done, but this year the list is long and my time is short.

So what's on my list? It goes from washing and cleaning EVERYTHING to restocking and reorganizing to coming up with better ways to do things. I love forms so I have forms and lists for everything from what jewelry to make to what I need to take to each show and those constantly need updating. I really need a new banner showing images of my work for my booth.

Even using a GPS, I still need to print maps since I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and have my GPS get a hiccup. I spend hours researching hotels since I now want cheap but still clean and safe with a good bed and shower. And it really helps if there's good coffee close by...

Since I never got my summer clothing put away because I was in warm weather areas until mid November, at least that part should be easier. I repainted my chair in the fall so hopefully that still looks good. Whew, so much to think about. I need to start some new lists!

And yes, I'll even be making some great new jewelry! Can't wait to get back into the studio and try out some new designs and even make some old favorites. Look here for new designs coming soon! And look for this booth at shows this year. It will contain some wonderful new work looking for the right person to own it!

Can I be funky?

I leave in a little while for the Funky Ferndale Art Show and I'm wondering if I'm even the least bit funky anymore. As I've been sitting in the studio making new things for the show, I realize that right now my work is more zen than funk.

So when did my work change and mellow out? All my life changes and everything that happens is reflected in what I make. For me with the world so chaotic, my work is coming out more calm and peaceful. Feels right to me!

All I can hope for this weekend is that in and amongst all the funky work in Ferndale, people will be drawn to a little sea of calm...

Cheap Advertising

I don't understand why art fairs don't have lists of their artists and links to their websites available for the public at least 2 months before their shows. This is the cheapest form of advertising I can think of yet so many shows don't take advantage of it!

As a customer, I go to the art fair's website first and see if there is anything there that interests me. I love discovering new artists or new work by old favorites and then I can't wait for the show. I cannot understand why shows don't have that information available and do it months before the show. Yes, there will be cancellations and changes before the actual show and no, I don't expect it to be constantly updated but what's so tough here???

It's cheap advertising and I think as artists, we should demand it!

Vacations

I've never been one of those people for whom a vacation means travel to faraway lands. My idea of a great vacation has always been seeing interesting places, meeting interesting people and enjoying a new experience wherever that may be. Now, because I'm doing so much traveling for shows, the entire word "vacation" has taken on a new meaning.

Vacation now means a hammock at our favorite little rented cottage on the beaches of Lake Michigan. Up on a bluff, right on the lake, with woods all around and very few people seen. Ah, perfection.

I'm now home from the most needed vacation that I can ever remember, ready to get back in the studio! I have a HUGE group of shows coming up, the most I've ever done in a short amount of time and I need to be well stocked so that no one is short-changed in selection because I didn't get enough done. I feel refreshed, revived and have tons of ideas of new pieces I want to make.

It's now 50 weeks before I'm back in that hammock, listening to the waves crash on the beach, napping and reading good books. I have a lot to get done before that...

Scheduling Art Fairs

For me the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in July have always signaled the end of summer. My next show is normally in September so I take August to regroup, restock and take a vacation. I've always wondered how people turned right around after Ann Arbor and did another show. This year, I'm going to find out. Okay it's not really right after Ann Arbor but it is close. I'm doing the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis Aug 7-9 before I get a vacation.

If you like control over your work schedule, this isn't the life for you. You can apply to dozens of juried art fairs and get into none, all or somewhere in between. Okay, I've never gotten into everything I've applied to but I can dream big!

Sometimes your schedule just works out beautifully with close shows back to back and other times you're criss crossing the country, which is going to be my fall schedule. Michigan, Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, Ohio. It would be nice if I went right from Tennessee to Florida but there's a week in between.

This works really well for anyone who likes road trips, which I do but I've never done this much traveling in such a short time. 5 shows in 7 weeks means instead of typing this, I need to be in the studio! Back to work...

Great Lakes Art Fair

This is my booth at the Great Lakes Art Fair with my new black bottoms. It makes the booth kind of dark but I'm asking all my friends for their opinions. This isn't a good picture. So Pat, what do you think, since this was your idea???

It's so much fun doing an indoor show and this one has all kinds of other things going on as well. Massages are available which at the moment, sound like heaven! There's a martini bar and frozen vodka. Might make doing a show a bit tough but both sound like fun!

The people running the show are wonderful and I'm really happy to be here. Day one is almost done and then the party with music by George Benson. Can't possibly be the real one can it?

Woodlands Waterway Art Festival

What a beautiful location for an art fair. My booth backed up to the water canals where they were doing water taxi rides for $1. Really wanted to take the ride but needed to work instead!

Even better than that was I was in a row with Jon and Patricia Hecker and Michael. Jon and Pat thought it would be a good thing if they were the booth between Michael and I since we were in the same van for the 25 hour ride. I'm sure they were right!




One thing about doing art fairs outdoors that always worries me is wind. I've lost one canopy to a microburst in Charlotte NC and tore up another in Detroit so I know what can happen even when you do everything right. This was a VERY windy show! But as great as Jon and Pat are as next door neighbors, I appreciated Jon's ratchet strap skills and being physically attached to their booth almost as much. I didn't worry at all about the wind because my booth was not going to move! I can't say the same for my cases...

Pat was sitting in my booth so I could run to the restroom and she said something like "what happens if a case goes over?". I kind of laughed and told her to stuff the jewelry in her pockets and then I took off. Right after I left, my biggest case went over in the wind. This has never happened before but luckily Pat was right there to rescue my work. Also lucky was that it fell into the booth where I have a rubber floor so the jewelry wasn't ruined! I came back to this...
the case hit my drawers and knocked them over as well. What a mess. But I learned a very valuable lesson. If Pat asks a question like "what do I do if this happens", pay attention!!!

This was a lovely show to do, wonderful people, beautiful location and perfect weather (other than a little too much wind). Best neighbors ever of course! Loved the show but it's a very, very long way from Michigan and having to be gone for a full week is tough. Not sure I can justify it but I would love try it again sometime.

Art Fairs

I've never looked forward to doing art fairs more than I am this year and I don't know what the difference is. This winter was NOT spent making jewelry so I'm not the least bit ready and I have a really full schedule. I've just added my shows to the schedule to the right and looking at it, I'm a little worried that I've added too many shows! But that's a GREAT problem to have.

So, support the art community and your favorite artists and shop at some art fairs this year. Spend a little or spend a lot, but help all of us that make our living by making things for other people to enjoy. Everyone needs art in their lives!!!