Freezin' in Florida

Images
New Smyrna, FL

“Rainbow in the morn'; artists be warned”

At 7:30 AM on January 30, 2010 we were greeted by a wonderful double rainbow over the tents at New Smyrna, Florida where the Images Art Festival was to be held that weekend. The old saying proved correct. For 2 days we were treated with rain, cold, clouds, and wind.

From out of the northwest the wind howled between rainstorms on Saturday then the rain set in permanently at about 3 o'clock. No one was there so the committee said we could all close and come to the awards dinner early.

On Sunday the rain subsided but the wind, clouds, and cold continued. Winds over 20 mph were a constant with gusts above 30 mph. The temperature got to about 55 degrees and then went down. The crowd tried to thicken but never really got to normal levels. Sales were modest. We ended the show with about what we had done last year and grateful for it. At 5:00, closing time, on cue like someone flipped a switch the sun came out and the wind died off to nothing.

Images is a well organized show that tries to cater to the artists. The people of New Smyrna tried valiantly to support the show despite the weather. Although we did not win any ribbons the judging was done efficiently and the judges were interested and pleasant. In general the awards went to artists who deserved them.

Maybe the highlight of this situation was staying at Riverwood RV park in Oak Hill. This is not a high-end campground but it is right on Mosquito Lagoon just in back of the Canaveral National Seashore. There are usually dolphins here but this year seemed record breaking. Annie watched them often sometimes counting over 20 in one group. This may have been related to the cold or just good luck for us. Either way it was an awe inspiring sight.

Even the Bahamian Dancers could not bring us warm weather

Mt. Dora Art Festival
Mt. Dora, FL

A week later we found ourselves in another rainstorm waiting to set up for a show on February 6 & 7. The whole week in between had been cold and blustery and today was no exception.

We were able to park our RV in the high-school practice field and set up camp with about 8 or so other artist. It was about a mile from the show and when we arrived to assemble our tent the rain had nearly stopped slowing to an annoying drizzle while we worked in the crowded dark street.

Mt. Dora is a lovely small town in interior Florida lake country. It retains some of its “Ole South” charm although successive generations of northerners have managed to put their spin on it. The show is massive. At its best it will attract over 250,000 people although this year that figure would not be achieved.

The old downtown (where the show is held) remains bucolic except for the references to New York fashions in the store windows and the catering to old Midwest sensibilities in the cafes and bars. But due to the disconnect between the rather patrician town structure and the rather raucous occasion of a big time art show the downtown district crowd control becomes somewhat heavy handed.

There are strict laws enforce by the police. Dog owners are escorted out of the downtown area by the police for instance or anyone with a suspicious “drink cup” is asked to leave the street. Artists are given assigned parking which is good but once parked you can't get out. The strict rules on the artists had one veteran exhibitor telling me that the show had earned the nickname “Lock-down”.

Most of the police I talked to were pretty decent people who were just trying to do their job as instructed. Maybe a few over-reached but the real culprits were at City Hall and not with the officers.

The show is a very high quality “blue chip” art festival. Talent here is national and international quality. We were not fortunate enough to win anything but the judging was first rate and awards were given out to artist whose work merited them. Our neighbor, John Whipple, a wonderful painter won a ribbon and cash prize and it could not have gone to a better person.

Sales for us were dismal. Cold on Saturday and even colder on Sunday; perhaps topping out at 51 degrees and a constant 25 to 30 mph wind made it uncomfortable and smothered any buzz generated by the crowd. Some artists sold well but on average the show was at least down by half for many artists.

A short rest at Wekiwa Springs before the challenge in Mickey-Land

Osceola Art Festival
Kissimmee, FL

We struggled to tear down at Mt. Dora on Sunday night and get back to Apopka and Wekiwa Springs State park where we would stay and lick our wounds for the week before the next show. We got to camp in time to watch the forth quarter of the Super Bowl and see the miraculous Saints pull off the upset victory while we munched some totally appropriate Popeye's chicken.

Then there was Kissimmee. On Friday February 12 we rolled into Kissimmee to the Valencia Community College campus where the show was to be that weekend. It was raining; again. We were allowed to camp in the parking lot next to the Security Police and the was very welcome from a couple of standpoints.

At Mt. Dora our new Wal-Mart battery in the RV decide to have a dead cell and died leaving us without electric early Sunday morning and being “locked down” at the show with no way to repair it until afterward in the dark. Thank God the local Wal-Mart had a battery but without a receipt for the other one (2 months old) we paid full price again. We experienced no electrical malfunctions at Kissimmee but that was one of the few things that went smoothly.

The rain on Friday intensified. We got the frame up and the top on our tent in a strong drizzle which turned into a relative “goose-drownder” within a short time. The wind blew and the rain was horizontal but we anchored down the tent and got about 75% set up then called it quits.

The next morning was cold. You could see your breath. We finished setting up and opened to cloudy skies, cold, and more wind; perhaps 15-20 mph. Few people came we sold a little.

Sunday was colder; in the 40's. The sun came out by noon and the wind laid down a bit but it only gained about 10 degrees. The crowd was thin and not very prosperous looking. We sold a little less.

In all the years of doing shows this one did generate one new thing. I never heard so much grousing about the judging. Even some of the winners complained and that is very unusual.

Let me say a word about art show judging. First of all if you have a couple judges and expect them to work a whole show with numerous categories of art you are asking too much of the judges. Regardless the skill of the individual few people can reliably evaluate dissimilar media from oil painting to glass to metals to fabric; it's impossible to do a thorough job.

Any judges can have input on the appeal of art after selected by someone who specializes in the media but cannot be expected to be expert in all media. At the least there should be a two-dimensional (2-D) and three dimensional (3-D) specialist on the judging panel.

The complaining was not so much about who won but about the manner of the judges. After experiencing two shows with excellent judging in my opinion the ones for this show seemed detached and disrespectful. That being said I walked the show and looked at the winners. Although a little spotty many good selections were made. However, I don't live in Florida and most of the complaints came from Florida artists who may have experience this same pair of judges before.

Due to friction with the merchants this show was moved from downtown Kissimmee to the campus two years ago. By the looks of it the college was not fully on board with the show being there. Regardless how the show was promoted in the past getting a crowd in these times requires a targeted advertising buy and a lot of help from the community particularly the professional class without whom a first rate show will never materialize in this venue.

Go Back to the Homepage

Florida

January 30-31
Images Art Festival, Riverside Park, New Smyrna, FL

Sponsored by the Atlantic Center for the Arts this show is one of best known festivals in Northeastern Florida.  Less than 20 miles south of Daytona Beach the show is in a park adjacent to old downtown New Smyrna with a wonderful view of the Intercoastal waterway.

http://www.imagesartfestival.org/

 

 

February 6-7
Mt. Dora Art Fair, Downtown, Mt. Dora, FL

This year is the 35^th Annual presentation of this very well known art festival.  Ranked in the Top 100 by national rating magazines this show has 285 of the best artists from around the nation.  Mt. Dora is a lovely old town in the central Florida lake country.

 http://www.mountdoracenterforthearts.org/event_artfestival.html

 

 

February 13-14
Osceola Art Festival, Valencia College Campus, Kissimmee, FL

Sponsored in conjunction with the Osceola Center of the Arts this is the 43^rd annual presentation of this art fair.  Very close to Orlando and the Disney entertainment complex the Osceola show is conveniently located just off Hwy 192.

http://www.ocfta.com/09_visualarts.html

 

 

February 27-28
Celebrate the Arts, Marco Island Art League, Marco Island, FL

Located on the grounds of the Art League on Winterberry Dr this cozy show has always been a favorite for artists and visitors alike.  The compact layout makes it easy to see everything and there is a lot of great art to see. 

http://www.marcoislandart.com/celebratetheartsfestival

 

Alabama
 

March 13-14
Orange Beach Art Festival, Waterfront Park, Orange Beach, AL

The show is right on the Wolfe Bay art center campus and has several other cultural events at the same time the art fair is scheduled.  There is plenty to do and see for everyone.  About 60 exhibitors make this high quality show a pleasure to visit.  Lots of coastal artist as well as art from all across the South grace this well attended event. 

http://www.orangebeachartcenter.com/festivals.html

 

View from our Booth


Destin, Florida

Posted November 26, 2009

Gulf Tour 2009

 

            From the Belgravia Show we drove back to the Ozarks and had about twelve days to work in the studio to get ready for our Gulf Coast tour which began at the Mattie Kelly Show on October 24^th at Destin, Florida.  We had not got a confirmation for the Three Rivers festival in Covington, Louisiana but proceeded with the hope that we would be taken off the wait-list.

            The scene back in the Ozarks was the typical bedlam of trying to replace things we sold at Belgravia and come out with some new pieces and touch something like home-life for a few moments.  The Missouri football Tiger’s season was already spinning out of control as Coach Pinkel was doing his very best to come up to the level of mediocrity that we all expect of him and the Kansas City Chiefs were still suffering from Herm Edwards defeat-at-any-cost syndrome.  So there was little help in the diversion department. 

            Except for the unlikely New Orleans Saints who proved to be a bright spot and something to read about within the drab shroud of everyday news served up from Washington.  The Saints are my “default” team in the NFC to support when the Chiefs are in the tank.  Of course, the Saints are usually as bad as the Chiefs so I have a few other “defaults” to fall back on but these are my main two interests.

              Kansas City and New Orleans have the hidden connection that few people outside the transportation industry know about.  The venerable Kansas City Southern railroad has connected the two cities since the late 1800’s. The trade from the Great Plains to the Port of New Orleans has made a lot of people rich over the years.  There was until 1969 daily passenger train service between the two cities on the “Southern Belle” perhaps one of the finest and most beautiful trains to ever grace the iron rails. 

            Recently the KCS has been “test marketing” a restored version of the original train complete with club cars and the heritage paint job.  You can see it rolling along as it cruises through Texas on an experimental run:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLeAiNlhadg

           

            After a frenzied stay in the Ozarks we were on the road again heading for the Florida Panhandle on October 20^th arriving in Destin the afternoon of the 22^nd; about 800 miles from Missouri. The weather was rough and got rougher Thursday night and Friday morning but by that afternoon it had cleared a bit for set-up.  The blustery weather died down a little and the sun came out.  The breeze then turned to the northwest and by Saturday the weather was nice but there was still considerable wind to deal with; note the elaborate tent tie-downs common to Gulf Coast shows in the photos.

            Destin is a beautiful show.  Right smack dab on the Gulf at Henderson Beach State Park with a wonderful view and fantastic Emerald Coast beaches to look at and lots of nice quality artwork.  The problem is that this truly beautiful show has been in the sales doldrums for several years now.  The crowd on Saturday was good and sales corresponded but on Sunday you could at times have thrown a bowling ball down the aisle and not hit anyone.  I just don’t know what the deal is but something is going to have to change or there will be problems getting quality exhibitors.  That being said we were very surprised and delighted to win a ribbon and cash Award of Merit in the judging competition.

             After Destin on Tuesday we drove west through a rippin’ storm that started at about Ft. Walton Beach and continued to near Pensacola.  When we arrived at Bluegrass RV Park just east of Foley, Alabama we were met by Tom Jackson (the owner) his staff and family with a very hearty greeting from people who make you feel welcome.  Bluegrass is nothing fancy but it is clean, safe, grassy, and open with easy access to Gulf Shores as well as shopping in Foley. 

            Annie’s old friend Jill Stock, her husband, “Coach” and their friends the Sipes had rented a condo in Gulf Shores so we got to see them a few times. We also stocked up supplies and rested for a week before moving.  The artist Joe Sheffield and his wife Peggy live nearby in Daphne and seeing them was an added bonus before heading off for two more shows.

            Next up would be the big Peter Anderson street festival at Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  By the time we landed in Alabama we finally confirmed Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington, LA getting off the wait-list two weeks before the show date.  So the next couple weeks would be filled with shows and travel.

            We are blessed with several very nice friends who live in the Gulf South and usually get to see them.  Even though our friends Butch and Juliette Smith of Baton Rouge were scheduled to fly to Costa Rica they took the time to catch up with us in Slidell for dinner at the Boiling Point.  We also got to have a rare social visit at The Shed (a famous Mississippi BB-Q place) with a number of our artist friends after working “Pete”.  That was pretty cool. 

            The next day was scheduled for a day of rest after The Pete but that was changed by the weather.  Hurricane Ida was in the Gulf and they predicted it would be making landfall about 40 miles east of where we were camped.  I wasn’t too worried about this Cat I storm but we didn’t want to drive in it on Tuesday.  So we had to pack early and head out by noon and beat it over to Madisonville, LA.  When we got there we didn’t experience much rain, it just blew for a couple days but the storm surge did cause Lake Pontchatrain to back up into the RV park. (see pictures)

            The Fall produced generally good shows sales with the exception of Destin; although the definition of “good” has changed somewhat with the installation of the new administration in Washington.  Crowds were generally enthusiastic and friendly and the shows all went smoothly.  The only negative is that award judges at two shows gave ribbons to “buy-sell” booths (frauds that claim to make their work but instead obtain it commercially).

             The art jewelry category is particularly infested with “buy-sell” and it is an unconscionable scandal that shows cannot provide competent judges for these events.  With the increasingly expensive jury process and entry fees we pay a lot of money to get in these shows and deserve decent judges for the competition. Show committees are often very parsimonious when it comes to paying judges regularly selecting untrained or barely adequate people to judge these events.  I really don’t care which artist wins so long as it is someone who deserves it instead of an anonymous workshop in Eastern Europe or a Thailand knock-off of Le Vian. 



Looking at the Show from Henderson Beach



Booth Tie-Down Method Common to Gulf Coast Shows

Office With WIFI Set Up Under our Trailer Awning in Mississippi


Inside the Shed BBQ after the "Pete"


Lakeview from Slidell, Louisiana--I-10 Bridge in Background


Hurricane Ida Backs Lake Pontchatrain up into Fairview-Riverside State Park

Return to Home Page

 

 

"Home Sweet Home" (its a joke son!)

October 10, 2009

The Run-Up to Belgravia  

            Arriving back to the Ozarks after being gone for a month is an odd mixture of relief, anticipation, and dread.  It is a relief that four shows were behind us and we are home without significant injuries and enough money to go on to the next round.  Tucker our Maltese finds his usual place on the couch, looks out the window, and goes to sleep.

            Tucker's attitude notwithstanding, upon arrival the schedule gets tight.  You force yourself to take a day off although it is not really a “day of leisure”.  A day off means not getting up until 9:30, having a big breakfast, then doing bookkeeping and not heading directly for the studio. 

            We really only had about 4 full days of studio work before leaving for Louisville, KY and the Belgravia Show at the Court of St. James Art Festival. Our inventory had been depleted and we needed to get to the studio and work.  Meanwhile, we would get clothes ready, order supplies and have them shipped Fed Ex, design some new work, take care of the yard, clean the house, get birthday cards in the mail, pay bills, and generally pack about two weeks of “normality” into nine days. 

            This peculiar balancing act is known to all traveling artists and a few other occupations but is not in general practice with the public.  Therefore, it is difficult to convey the sort of organized calamity that passes for our life as these transition periods between shows are the illusion of what passes for normal to the outside observer. 

            In other words, from the outside people think when you are “home” then that is what constitutes living because home is the most common experience between people.  For us and others in our line of work “home” is just another RV park, so to speak: except this one has a fully equipped studio. 

            In general people who know us think that being home is a commonly shared experience.  That our home-life has elements in common with their home-life in such a way that we can equate our collective experience into a familiar ground: this is only partially true.

            “Home” for the traveling artist becomes a larger, less structured and more chaotic place of being.  It encompasses a physical address, a cell phone, the cab of a pick-up truck, an RV, a studio, the Interstate Highway System, strange RV parks, show-sites, strange towns, thousands of people you do not know, other strangers, Wal-Mart, truck stops, 2-lane roads, and a few friends that one is able to hang on to over the years. 

            I use the word “home” euphemistically.  When I do I am referring to our physical address in the Ozarks.  Even there I’ve got to be careful because we have 3 mailing address (that’s another story) and at times I have to translate in my dyslectic mind just which one applies to which place. 

            Over the years miles have become measured in hours the same as over the road truckers.  The calendar is marked off into show seasons.  Money is only referred to in terms of bill paying. Calculation about making a living come to mean precious metal’s prices and the caret weight of the stones we use juxtaposed to what we owe on any given day.

            Everyone is shaped by their profession.  The artist is not immune to this axiom. A Polish artist lady told us that she was trying to explain how we make a living to her sister in Poland.  “Like a gypsy” she told her.  It is the only words that translated into Polish that came close to a description; “…but good too…” she added with an ironically crooked smile.

October 30, 2009

Belgravia Section: Court of St. James Art Show

 

On Oct 2-3 & 4 we worked at the Belgravia Art Show.  Set in a beautiful neighborhood in Louisville, KY the weather was great although the crowds were a little down from 2008.  Some of the residential architecture in this area is pure Old South elegance.  What follows are some photographs of the vicinity around our booth.  Seen from the sidewalk this is a real Behind the Scenes view.

Welcome to our world....

                                                                                                                                                                               
   
Belgravia Entranceway
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                          
                                                                                                          


Landmark Building



Secret Garden


The Watcher

Photo credits: A Ann Reif

Return to Home Page

Fall Schedule

Starting in October
 

October 2, 3, & 4
Court of St. James, Belgravia Court Section, Louisville, Kentucky

This is a huge urban event that is actually about four shows at once.  The Belgravia Section is on a narrow parkway between some cool old brownstone homes.  There are about 750 artists in the whole event but Belgravia is a cozy venue of less than 100 artists. Come early to get a parking place to this monster show which will attract several hundred thousand people.

http://www.oldlouisville.com/StJames.htm 

 

 

October 24 & 25
Mattie Kelly Art Festival, Destin, Florida

Held right next to the famous Emerald Coast beaches of the Florida Panhandle at Destin’s Henderson Beach State Park this show is sponsored by the Mattie Kelly Art Center.  A good mix of Gulf Coast Artists and artist from around the South exhibiting right on the beach is a very pleasant experience.

 http://www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org/destinfestival.php

 

 

November 7 & 8
Peter Anderson Art Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

This is a street festival in old downtown Ocean Springs.  It is lots of fun for the visitors with art, good food, and entertainment. Artists and craftsmen from all over the South as well as other places exhibit here.

Hosted By: Ocean Springs Chamber 

Sat., 9-5 p.m. and Sun., 9-4 p.m. Call:  228-875-4424. 

 

 

November 14 & 15
Three Rivers Arts Festival, Covington, LA

This show is in the historic district of old Covington, Louisiana.  Great shops and places to eat with the added bonus that original artwork purchased at the show is SALES TAX FREE. 

http://www.threeriversartfestival.com/

 Share the adventure and go behind the scenes in the art show business:

Speed Park Art Show

On the weekend of August 29-30, 2009 we visited Sellersburg, Indiana about 10 miles north of Louisville, KY. Sellersburg is a small town that combines the role of a traditional farm town and a growing suburban community of nearby Louisville. It also hosts Art at Speed Park.

Sellersburg is also next door to New Albany, IN the home of several friends of ours. My wife's high school buddy Jill lives there. Mr. and Mrs. Stock very graciously allowed us to stay at their home while at the show. On Friday evening we had an opportunity go out with them to the Bristol, a great restaurant with a view of the Ohio river and the Louisville skyline.

Then as a special treat Jill and coach Wayne Stock invited us to a casual dinner party along with their neighbors Jim and Becky King and Steve and State Senator Connie Sipes. It was a really great time of nice people, good food and pre-season football; the Chargers vs. Atlanta.

The art show is spread out in Speed Park (not a NASCAR track) which is a beautiful tree shaded grassy city park. Two days of beautiful weather allowed for a reasonably good turnout especially on Saturday between 11:00 AM and about 2:00 PM but by 3:00 the crowd fell off sharply. Sunday had an predictable slow start but by early afternoon a decent crowd showed and with them sales increased. Our neighbor Jim McGie from Tennessee sold a fantastic hand made rocking chair for over $3500 to a lucky Indiana resident with impeccable taste.

Although people showed interest in our major pieces we did not sell any. However, shoppers did like enough of the smaller pieces that our sales were reasonable. Predictably down from last year sales were above our low projection number. The “new good” these days.

The show is well managed and the committee is very efficient and cordial. Getting a big crowd is always a challenge and there is a lot of competition for weekend leisure time. I think the committee may have lost some of their corporate sponsorship and that hurt the purchase prize category and possibly the advertising budget. Several artists mentioned that they did not see any of the judges; neither did we. Awards were given out but the process was unusual, noting that most of the time judges come up and talk to the artists. The slip up in judging procedure aside putting these shows on is no small feat; its a lot of work and this small Indiana town should be proud of their accomplishment.

Strange Events In Missouri

On the morning of August 31 we were back on the road heading for Missouri. After about a seven and one half hour drive we arrived home. The next day we reloaded the truck, laundry, bookkeeping, prepared the travel trailer, hooked it up and were back on the road for Sioux City, Iowa by the morning of September 2^nd.

We had traveled about 300 miles and were in the far northwestern corner of Missouri. Deciding to stop for the night we were heading for a RV park that we knew between Rock Port, MO and Brownville, NE in the Missouri river bottoms. Not one to experience premonitions I had a strange feeling about our destination: an empty sensation like something had happened to our familiar overnight staying place.

Leaving I-29 and driving west on US 136 we turned into the campground. I looked up and saw buzzards wheeling lazy circles in the pale blue sky. Down the approach road a strange animal darted across the road making a foreboding noise; a screeching or high pitched bark that sent shivers down my spine. One of the tall cottonwood trees that surrounded the park was dead and bare, a large vulture perched atop one of the highest branches.

I slowed the truck to a crawl as we came close to the small office that lay in an island between two gravel roads that formed the ingress and egress. A tattered indistinguishable flag, sun-bleached and ragged from blowing in the wind fluttered from a bent flagpole. There were unexplained holes through the flag and broken chunks torn here and there from the building. Not one camper, RV trailer, or motor home was parked in the spaces.

Coming closer to the building I saw what appeared to be a broken wooden spoke wheel with a “tube” or something protruding from a overgrown clump of ragweed and wild helianthus on the right. I thought I could see an old leather boot partially hidden in the tall grass about 15 yards away. As we slowed to see if there was any light coming from the office window I could see nothing but darkness. There was a skull and cross-bone sign scrawled on a piece of yellowing paper stuck mysteriously to the window warning people away.

I know there had been a lot of action between partisan rangers and the invading blue-coats in this area but I hardly thought that we would come upon any evidence of it. We rounded a circle drive and peered through the bug specked windshield. Across the road fifty yards or so towards the nearly mature cornfield we saw what looked to be about 20 men on horseback riding hard trailed by a cloud of dust. Although we couldn't make out much; each one was dressed differently, some with rifles, others carrying several six-guns. We took them for Confederates probably on patrol still protecting their territory after all these years. Needless to say we did not stay at this KOA campground.

Twenty miles or so north now into Iowa we crossed the river and were in Nebraska City NE where we found the Victoria Acres RV Park and decided to stay the night. No sign of a skirmish at this camp where we had a good night without incident.

North Sioux City, South Dakota

This KOA was open and ready for us and the big Labor Day weekend coming up. We arrived in North Sioux on the 3^rd and had to set up for the show on Friday morning then work the preview that night.

While talking to longtime show supporters Kim and Sherry about it we decided that this was going to be our 6^th consecutive year at Art Splash in Sioux City, IA. We had been at the old site for 2 years and this was the 4^th year at the new riverfront location.

Art Splash has a lot of volunteers, kids activities, and other events going on during the art show. I think there were about 70-75 exhibitor this year which is about the right amount for the population of an area of this size. Keeping a show proportionate to the size of the community is very important. Getting the show too big; enriching the show committee but diluting the quality is a common pitfall of art shows. Art Splash has not done that.

Even with the reported economic downturn the crowd at Art Splash was big. Sales lagged a little from last year but only modestly. The blow was softened by winning an Award of Excellence which is accompanied by a nice framed certificate, a check, and a cookie on a stick: the latter is the unique trait of the Sioux City show. No where else gives winners a confection on a stick as an award.

The show went off with no major incident and we were packed up and out before 7:30 on Sunday evening. Back in North Sioux we picked up a pizza and were at the campground in time to watch Kasey Khane win the NASCAR Atlanta 500.

Updated September 15, 2009

North Sioux City, South Dakota is at about 1100 feet of elevation above sea level. Roughly the same as the ridges around our Ozark home. Leaving North Sioux on the day after Labor Day we would be heading in a general downhill direction as we go south toward Omaha today following the Missouri River until we cross it and head uphill again in about 2 weeks.

Deciding not to endure I-29 in Iowa we jump over west to US 77 and drive straight south. I'm not sure what what they are doing to I-29. It is supposed to be a 4-lane highway but it is now split roughly evenly between 2 and 4 lanes. Both versions are equally awful akin to hundreds of miles of “rumble strips” or speed bumps in lieu of smooth pavement. Except for traffic coming towards you at 80 mph with only some orange cones separating lanes it is like driving on a sidewalk. To add to the fun when we were going north it was raining and foggy so visibility was nil. With all the mysterious construction going on maybe they are turning it into a bike path with “stimulus money”.

US 77 is a more civilized 2-lane highway as it does not carry most of the truck traffic between Kansas City and Winnipeg. We take it to about Fremont, Nebraska and then cut over to Gretna where the next KOA is located. That will be our base for the Omaha show.

The rolling cornfields of eastern Nebraska are punctuated by a few small towns. You go through the Winnebago and Omaha Indian reservations along the way. We also pass through Oakland the “little Sweden” of Nebraska. Other than that there is little distraction and none of the torn up highway that we experienced on I-29.

The KOA we stay at in Gretna is near I-80 and only about a 15-20 minute drive to the Rockbrook shopping center were the Art Show is held September 12-13. Rockbrook is an older style outdoor area unlike malls. It is full of interesting stores and restaurants. This is a bigger show than either of the last two; maybe twice as big. It is put on by Rockbrook instead of an Arts Council. This is an old well established show that has had its ups and downs but still attracts a good crowd and is not as frenzied as the big Summer Arts Festival in downtown Omaha.

You need to understand a little about Nebraska and football. The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers college football team is very close to the universal passion here. Due to the 'Huskers playing at home Saturday in nearby Lincoln, NE the crowd was thin. It was also broadcast pay-for-view in the Omaha market so it meant that everyone not at the game was hosting a football party at their home. What this means for us is a very thin crowd. By 4:30 or so after the game was over the crowd automatically got bigger. Sales, however, were slow.

Sunday was a beautiful day and people came to the art show in solid numbers. We did little better than the day before until about 3:30 and in little more than an hour tripled our sales. A customer bought a wonderful Picasso Marble piece with a 5 layer carved bead necklace. An old collector of ours also bought 2 more rings including a large green-Fox turquoise piece that I just made a couple weeks ago. The people of Omaha have treated us well over the years and we appreciate their continued support.

Updated Sept. 23, 2009

            The trip from Omaha to Kansas City traverses the southeastern part of Nebraska known by some as the “pretty part” as it consists of rolling fields of corn and soybeans with farmhouses dotting the landscape.  Western Nebraska by contrast has little of the agricultural greenery of this part of the state but a case could be made that it has its own charm.

            We drove over the Missouri river bridge again at Nebraska City and are shortly back on I-29 far south of the construction or “destruction” zone between Omaha and Sioux City.  Going pretty much straight south back into Missouri then crossing the Mason-Dixon Line somewhere north of St. Joseph we exit just north of Platte City.  We noodled around a little to find the Interurban Road and our destination; the Basswood RV Resort.

            I need to say a little about Basswood.  It started out in the last century as a hunting-fishing camp and was upgraded with a lodge to become one of the local attractions.  It was served by the old “Interurban Railroad”.  You could catch a narrow gauge electric train in downtown KC and ride out to the Basswood and enjoy a day of fishing in a number of stocked spring fed ponds or go hunting. It was visited by many of Missouri’s luminaries including Harry Truman.

            In the last few decades it has morphed into a first class RV campground.  It boasts full hook-ups, paved parking sites, cable TV, wifi, a little general store, walking trails, and of course the fishing ponds are still there.  It sits just north of KCI the big airport and was only about 10-15 minutes from Zona Rosa Shopping Center where the next show was to be held.

            The art show at Zona Rosa (09/18-20) needs a little discussion.  One reason is because it is in our home state so we have a special interest and it is also a good case study about the perils of the art show business. 

            Kansas City has a couple of big art festivals.  The most famous is the Country Club Plaza show which we have never applied for.  It is in the truly beautiful one-of-a-kind shopping center built early in the last century and has been copied widely.  The art show there is well established and casts a big shadow over the art landscape in this area; like it or not everything is compared to it.

            Nearly every high end shopping area in this part of the world wants to have an art festival to rival the Plaza show.  Zona Rosa is no exception. It is designed in a similar manner as the Plaza; classic Spanish.  It is sort of like a small town layout with narrow streets and outdoor businesses with chic apartments above the storefronts.  It is a little like the new Villages or the Boca Raton shopping centers in Florida.

            The art show is a joint project of the Platte County Arts Council and the Zona Rosa management.  These kinds of partnership committees are delicate at best.  There are priorities in common and in collision at the same time.

            Art shows are a fragile thing.  Artists are mostly concerned with their work.  We are trusting people for the most part.  We want the committee who puts on the show to be competent, deliver on their word, and be reasonably friendly.  Not too much to expect.  We know that often volunteers do much of the work and we rely on and appreciate the volunteers.

            The artists bring an atmosphere of creativity and vigor to the shopping center. Art shows are often successfully used by Downtown Redevelopment groups to revitalize sagging city centers. This unique atmosphere must be nurtured it just doesn’t happen by chance.  Good corporate management should be aware of this.   

            I don’t pretend to know all the inside details on the Zona Rosa show but I do know they have been plagued with poor weather in the last few years.  That has slowed the progress of the show but not stopped it.  Inclement weather is unavoidable but is also a good excuse for shortcomings.

            This year the weather was perfect.  The crowd was sparse.  Advertising visibility was spare to non-existent.  There was no welcome from the storeowners, staff, or community.  The volunteers soldiered on with little help from management. 

            Inflated crowd counts are a real problem as promoters often puff up the estimates to attract artist who pay big jury fees and big show fees for the privilege of exhibiting and selling their work.  Numbers were floated around that this show would have 50,000 to 80,000 attendees.  Sunday morning I talked to a member of management who agreed with my estimate of 5 or 6,000 in the first two days and I think there were no more than about 1,200 on Sunday. 

            That was not the only problem.  The entire atmosphere was devoid of the absolutely critical ingredient to a successful Art Show; there was no BUZZ!  This part is not the fault of the Arts Council.  Corporate management is in control of the environment and when they specifically prohibit storeowners from putting up simple posters in their windows; one can only imagine what other institutional and legal roadblocks for which they may be responsible.  By contrast the Omaha-Rockbrook show was plastered with posters and advertising and Sioux City had a substantial TV and media buy. 

            They did have awards but judging was on the shoulders of one person as far as I could see.  Management evidently would not hire a couple professional designers or decorators to walk the show and judge the participants. 

            It was good that a Sunday breakfast was held for artists who wanted to attend. Although part of the regular schedule entertainment was provided but no one on the stage encouraged people to visit the Art Show!  According to reports from customers the media buy was meager at best.  Many people knew nothing of the show.  More than once I was told, “…we just came down to get a pizza at Bravos and saw the art show…” or words to that effect.

            We ended up selling a couple nice pieces including a large opal to a collector in Kansas; so we fared ok.  But for most of the 23 hours we spent at Zona Rosa we talked to other artists, drank coffee, and tried to stay awake.  We have been doing this for a long time and know the market and can survive a slow show. Young and beginning artists did not do as well on average and that is a real shame.  If these show committees cannot provide a nurturing environment for these beginners to thrive and be encouraged then we will lose the future of this business.

 
Back to Home Page

Starting in August we will be exhibiting at these great Art Festivals:

August 29 & 30
Art in Speed Park
Sellesrburg, Indiana
This is a small old style park show in a darling little community park in southern Indiana about 20 miles north of Louisville, KY.  It has a spacious layout and a comfortable ambiance.
More information

September 4, 5, and 6
Art Splash
Grounds of the Mildred E. Anderson Dance Pavilion
Sioux City, Iowa
A big community event that is set in the park right on the Missouri River.  Many art exhibitors, bands, entertainment, plenty of stuff to do for the kids, and a big food court.  Well attended older established show that draws artists from the Great Plains, Minnesota, and beyond.
More information

September 12 &13
Rockbrook Village Art Fair
11004 Prairie Brook Road
Omaha, Nebraska
The setting for this show is an vintage upscale shopping center with all the amenities; restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and lots more.  This is a very big well established show with a good following.  
www.rockbrookvillage.com

September 18, 19,& 20
Zona Rosa Arts Festival
8640 North Dixon Ave.
Kansas City, Missouri
This is a new show for us.  We are told that this 3 day event has grown in popularity in recent years. Organized by the Platte County Arts Council.
ZonaRosa.com

            The last art show we worked at was in Bartlett, Illinois.  The final weekend of June was the 27^th and 28^th and we traveled up to the Chicago to participate in what was a new show for us.  Called “Arts in Bartlett” in was held at Bartlett Park one of several parks in this older tree shaded suburb in western Cook county. 

            Relatively small it had some 60 exhibitors spread out in generous spaces across the park which has a large gazebo and rustic log cabin on the grounds.  Both Saturday and Sunday saw beautiful weather in the mid to upper 80’s and clear skies although Sunday was a little breezy living up to Chicago being the “Windy City”.  As good fortune would have it the only rough weather was overnight into Sunday morning when a stormy shield of moderate rain moved through the area.  This bump in the otherwise good weather could not be blamed for deterring anyone from attending.

            We had not done an art show with our jewelry anywhere in northern Illinois so this was to be a test on several counts.  The quality of the show was typical for a suburban park show; a little spotty but generally better than average.  The crowd participation on Saturday was slow to poor although Sunday was somewhat better termed by most artists as “fair but not good”. 

            Sales followed the crowd.  Although a few artists with lower priced work reported good sales that sector suffered for the most part. Moderate and above priced work did little or (literally) nothing.  Some of the veteran artists who have shown well in past Chicago area events were shocked at the lack of crowd enthusiasm. 

            As for us; having no expectations or experience became an attitudinal advantage.  However, at the end of the day our sales experience was relatively soft.  Low attendance and poor enthusiasm took its toll although we were among those who did relatively well; under the circumstances. 

            The big surprise for us was in the judging competition we were fortunate enough to be awarded a ribbon of First Place in Three Dimensional Art.  It is unusual for jewelry to win outside the category awards so wining one of the top awards which included a cash prize was both surprising and welcome.  We are grateful to the committee and judges for their consideration and also salute the other award winners.

            Bartlett Park is a very nice setting although the show suffers from the same problems some other art festivals have had.  What I am told elsewhere by art show committees is the formula that worked to get a crowd out in 2004-2006 does not work in 2009.  Times have changed and unless the committees hire a consultant or are able to access their corporate sponsor’s marketing agent they will have problems building a crowd and reputation in the current market climate.

            Outside of the show itself we found some problems we will have to overcome if we go back.  The Chicago area is not RV friendly.  Although the committee had arranged for people to park RV’s at the nearby school lot the School District reneged at the last minute and left some artists in the lurch.  We were uneasy about the arrangements from the gitgo so we did find one of the only RV campgrounds in the area 16 miles away at Blackwell Forest Preserve which is only open on weekends with very limited facilities.  It worked and we had a nice bucolic area to stay at but only due to diligence and the Grace of God. 

            Like winning an award we had another nice surprise; this one was RV related.  On the way north and then back we found the lovely Hickory Hill RV park at Secor, Illinois just west of El Paso off US 24.  Tree shaded, park-like, quiet, and with a gracious staff it was a lifesaver especially at 10 PM Sunday night after we had packed up the show and driven 120 miles south to park our trailer in a cozy safe campground.

            Our next outing is to Sellersburg, Indiana just north of Louisville on August 22 and 23.  More about that show later.

             

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.