2014

art show blogs...

January 18 & 19

I’m excited.

 It’s 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning. There’s a full moon. It’s freezing. I’m drinking a hot coffee and going over mental checklists with my wife, Janet, as we drive north on I-75 toward the Suncoast Art Fest in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

 This is like an early morning drive to an MLB team photo day assignment during spring training, where you set up before dawn to take portraits of 80 baseball players in a 90-minutes frenzy. My mind is working full speed, running through the steps I need to complete before show time.

 Our Honda Pilot is stuffed with matted prints, wrapped canvas prints, and framed prints of various sizes. Bubble wrap. Warm clothes. Hot coffee. We’re hauling a 8-foot utility trailer loaded with an 10x10 E-Z Up tent, sections of gridwall, display stands, folding chairs, folding tables, a tool bag and cooler.

 I’m a newbie on the art show circuit. As I make this early morning drive to our first art show of 2014, I’m also making what I hope will be a transition from a freelance photojournalist business, toward that of an art photographer entrepreneur.

 You need good camera equipment to be a competitive freelancer. It’s expensive. A booth display can be expensive as well. A good canopy tent starts at $800 and up. Last year I traded some prints to an artist getting out of the circuit for a used tent. Walls suitable for hanging photos can run another $800 and up.  Last year I covered thick foam core with burlap. This year I’m using gridwall panels to hang more framed prints and wrapped canvas. I need to keep my costs down and make as much of my display as possible.

 For these new endeavors, I’ll be blending all my skills in photography, carpentry and logistics.

 For most shows, you can usually set up the day before. This particular show is set up in the middle of an outdoor shopping mall. There was a two-hour window to set up on Friday after the stores closed at 10 p.m. Too late for me to set up, drive home, go to bed , get up early and drive back again in the morning. Not worth the extra gas expense, lack of sleep or a motel rate.

 DAY ONE:

 My booth is in a great location. Pretty much in the center of all the art show and very close to an indoor bathroom. It takes a couple of hours to set up the canopy tent, the gridwall and hang photos. I’m on the shady side of the street in the morning, The temperature continues to drop even as the sun rises.

 We’re all set well before 9:00 a.m. It’s a juried competition and the judges begin to make the rounds. I make my first sale early. Then another. A decent crowd already, despite the cold.

 The flow of people remains steady all day. By mid-afternoon, I sell out of one of my more popular photos, My photo note cards are selling well. All in all, a good first day.

 By 4:00 p.m. the temperature starts to fall again after a mid-afternoon high of 52 degrees. Sales are dropping too. I’m thinking of how nice the heater is going to feel on the drive home. My feet are cold.

 DAY TWO:

 Leave the house early and there’s frost on the ground. Forecast is clear skies and warming temperatures. Hope to build on yesterday’s sales.

 There are smaller crowds than yesterday, but I continue to make sales. Around noon I see the skies growing darker. I walk down the street to get a better view. Damn, rain clouds. So much for zero percent chance of rain. 

 For the next hour or so, I’m glancing from the sky to iphone, where I’m monitoring a weather radar app. Feel a raindrop, soon a steady rain. Within 20 minutes, my used tent starts to leak. Time to pull and bag my photos.

 Most of the other artists are still dry, beneath better tents. I had hoped my tent could last through the spring. This is most likely the last rodeo for my E-Z Up. If I’m serious about making this venture successful,  it’s obvious I need to invest in a higher-quality tent. My next show is inside, so I have a little time to research and buy a new display tent.

 Before packing up, I walk the length of the show, look at other booths and ask questions about their tents. Most of the other artists are helpful. There is an openness to share information about supplies, ways to showcase your artwork, and lots of opinions about tents.

 I’ll spend Monday, putting everything away, make print lists for the next show, and search the internet for the best prices on a new tent.

 Despite the cold and rain, it’s a decent first show. I’ll make new cards and prints to be ready for the next one in two weeks. And in three weeks, I’ll be back outside beneath a new tent.

I’m still excited.

Rio de la Paz Festival

Feb. 8 – 9, 2014

Just finished a one-day show Saturday at DeSoto College in Arcadia sponsored by the Desoto Arts and Humanities Council to celebrate the Peace River watershed. My space was indoors, no tent needed. Janet helped me set up the display using the gridwall panels before the reception. We shared a space in a classroom with five other artists.

Earlier in the week,  I dropped off five framed photos entered in a juried competition that were on display inside the college. All photo entrees were judged by Clyde Butcher. One of my photos was purchased by a DAHC patron during the reception for artists Friday night. 

I made some slight changes to the display space, to open it up more, when I arrived Saturday morning, the day of the festival. Didn’t have enough room to hang all my bigger frames, but was still happy with the overall look. 

The morning crowd was good. It slowed somewhat after noon, but I made steady sales throughout the day. My final sale of the day happened just as I started to break down and pack up. All in all, a very good day. 

I unloaded the car on Sunday and updated my inventory spreadsheet. Printing new cards today, other prints on Tuesday. 

Expecting the delivery of my new Trimline tent this afternoon. I’ll practice setting it up and taking it down a couple of times this week before setting up for the Cortez Seafood Festival on Friday.

 

Cortez Seafood Festival

Feb. 15 –16

 

Janet and I planned to set up for the festival as soon as the site opened Friday morning, hoping we could be in and out quickly. We arrived at the check-in tent to a traffic jam, Vans with artists, food vendors and lots of cars wanting to go to Cortez Bait & Seafood and the two restaurants by the docks. There was no one stopping cars from driving into the site, a dead-end where vendors were trying to set up.

My space was in a great location, nestled between the docks, Cortez Bait & Seafood and the Cortez Kitchen restaurant, but totally blocked by a delivery van and parked cars. We realized this was not going to be a fast set-up. I took Janet back home and went back by myself to Cortez a couple of hours later.

Not much had changed when I returned. Only two artists out of 20 in our location had been able to set up. My spot was now open but I was still unable to set up because of parked cars. Traffic continued to drive in uninhibited. Now it was a bigger mess, with cars trying to turn around between vendor tents as more cars continued piling in. I parked my vehicle off to the side and unloaded my gear onto my space.   

It took two more hours before I could safely set-up. Myself and a few other artists blocked off our area with chairs. As the parked cars left we made sure no new cars came in. I finished late in the afternoon, happy to be finally done and looking forward to a good show. Went back home and loaded the Pilot with my photos and frames.

I woke up early Saturday morning to a pounding rain. It continued to rain as we left the house toward Cortez. The forecast was clearing skies and mild temperatures. The rain stopped as we began to unload outside the tent…perfect timing.

With my new Trimline tent, we were able to change how we set up the gridwall inside,  We were quite happy with how my photos were displayed. We weren’t using tables for the first time.

The show started slowly. Lot of lookers. Lot of positive feedback. As the day progressed, the lookers turned into buyers. Much of the time, the tent was too crowded for me to stand inside. We were set up in a great location. The weather was sunny and cool. A very good crowd all day long. 

Our tent had a great view along the dock, where festival goers were eating their seafood dinners. A band, Doug Demming and the Jewell Tones, were playing in the Cortez Kitchen behind our tent. Great music…a picture perfect day.

At the end of Saturday we were tapped. With the new tent, we just zipped up the side walls and left everything inside, confident it would be safe and sound when we returned Sunday morning.

That night, I printed some new cards that sold out. I loaded up the car for the next day and went to sleep early. Didn’t even hear the drum circle across the street at a neighbor’s house. Not one beat.

Another early start to a new day. Sunday started out as slowly as the day before. Once again lookers turned into buyers. A beautiful day. We met some great people and enjoyed talking with folks throughout the afternoon.  Lots of locals, quite a few seasonal snow birds and many people just escaping winter for a few days in sunny Florida. 

We broke down Sunday at 6pm, taking our time knowing it would be jammed trying to get out of our space. We were exhausted but thrilled after a successful show. As we drove home, we went over things to improve our display. Next show in two weekends.

Happy. Still excited.

  

Sarasota Wildlife Art Festival

March 1-2, 2014

Last year for this show, the weather was lousy, but the crowds were good. This year the weather was perfect, but the crowds were MIA. It started out so well. Two good sales within the first two hours, than far too few afterwards. Hard to engage with people when they’re not there. Not sure where everyone was this weekend, but I know where they weren’t. There were many really good artists showing their work at this show and just as many artists really disappointed with the attendance.

As I enter more shows, I see more comparisons to freelance photojournalism. Some times it’s crazy good. Other times you’re at home making the yard look nice.

You can control the quality of your work but you have zero control over attendance. The location was good. It was promoted well. It helped raise funds for a wildlife bird sanctuary. Just too few people showed up.

After such a successful show at the Cortez Seafood Festival, this was disappointing.

My son Alec helped me set up the tent Friday afternoon. Janet spent the weekend with me at the booth. Really happy with the display but need to tweek a few things. Met some new artists and saw quite a few familiar faces.

Next up, the Anna Maria Island Springfest. 

Still excited.

Anna Maria Springfest

March 8-9, 2014

Set up Friday afternoon by myself. Great location this year, along the backside of the site near the road, Nice grassy space and highly visible. Earlier in the week,I trimmed the gridwall stands lower and made the legs less wide. Everything went together smoothy despite windy conditions. Staked down the tent in the grass. Returned home to load the Pilot with framed prints, canvas and mats. Done before dark. 

Janet I returned early Saturday morning. The wind had diminished somewhat, but when we opened the tent the inside of the tent walls were covered by heavy condensation. I’m glad I hadn’t hung any photos the night before. We opened up the walls and dried off the gridwall by hand. I later learned from a fellow artist to spread a tarp on the ground when you’re setting up on grass. It will keep the inside dry. I tried that technique Saturday night with no condensation the next morning.

Both days of the show had steady sales. Sold some smaller framed photos right away to tourists from Sweden. My salvaged wood frames continued to generate interest. Lots of positive comments. Many snow birds in attendance and saw the importance of having more smaller framed images. Hard to carry on a 48 inch by 38 inch frame on an airplane back home.

It was nice to have the Pilot parked directly behind the tent especially when it came time to break down Sunday afternoon. 

All-in-all a good show. Next up, Lakewood Ranch.

 

Art @ the Ranch Fine Arts Festival

March 15-16, 2014

 

No early set up for this show. Janet worked late Friday night and I planned to arrived by myself at 5:00 am Saturday morning. The show location was inside a shopping area at Lakewood Ranch, very similar to the set up in Wesley Chapel. Was able to park fairly close by to unload. Had the tent and gridwall in place and ready by the time Janet arrived at 7:30 am. We hung the framed mages together and were ready to go an hour before the start of the show.

 Again we had a great location toward the middle of the displays. We were set up back-to-back in clusters of eight displays, which made for a more intimate show. The first hour was slow, then I sold the big framed image of the Abaco Dinghy. A great start for sales. It continued to busy all day. A highlight was receiving a second place ribbon and cash award for photography. The tent looked great with that red ribbon hanging off the front pole for the remainder of show.

 Sunday brought strong winds but we were nestled in pretty good in the middle of our row. The watercolor artist at the end of the row fought winds all day. What a difference 20-feet made.

 Sales were strong both days. My tent was packed much of the time.

 Happy to end the month on a positive note. Looking forward to my next show.

 

 

 

After the rain-out for the May 3rd show, I still had the desire for another show before suumertime. I was able to get into a show in Cocoa Village. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was good timing. It was a good mix of vendors...art, crafts and plants. Bought some locally produced honey that has sweetend my coffee in the weeks since the festival. Continued to meet new friends, including painter Ana Jones, my next-door booth neighbor.

The organizers were friendly and helpful. Layout for the show was spread around the streets of downtown Cocoa, the Cocoa Village district, a mix of shops, restaurants and galleries. A great bakery and coffee shop just opposite my booth space.

I grew up down US Hwy 1 in Melbourne. My 91-year-old parents were able to come by and see my booth set up for the first time and quite a few old friends were able to come by over the weekend. Another bonus was a birthday party on Saturday night where I reconnected with many friends I haven't seen in years.

I had more framed images than space to hang them. Sales were decent both days. Crowds were steady, but not huge, I'd like to do this show again when more spaces are filled with vendors. Gonna look into the fall and spring show dates.

Big thanks to friends Mark, Cindy, Trey and Penny.

Bigger thanks to my wife Janet. Could not do this without you.

Steve Nesius is a freelance photojournalist based in Tampa Bay. His photography can be viewed and purchased at upcoming art shows, including the Four Photographic Visions exhibit at the Friendship Center, June 13th through July 23rd, in Sarasota, Fla.