More Musings on an Art Festival .... what I've learned.

AppleFest is only my second outdoor show, so of course I was nervous about everything.  Did I forget anything, do I have the right displays, does my booth look inviting enough were some of the questions I was asking myself.  Maybe doing indoor shows helped because I really did not have any problems.

Here are some of the things I did right.....

1.  It was rainy and cold and it was MUDDY.  Not even thinking about those things, I took an outdoor rug that we use when we go camping.  My intent was to make it look "nice."  It did look nice and....... it kept my booth from becoming a mud pit which happened to some other vendors. Making a list for future reference....... take rug ...... Check!
2. I took along a small bale of straw in case I needed it.  I figured the Chamber would provide straw and they did.  If I didn't need it the bale would go home and become part of the Halloween decorations.  Friday, my cousin used it as a foot rest and Saturday morning we had to break it open and spread it around.  (There is a ton of straw in that little bale.)  The Chamber was running out of straw and I was afraid we wouldn't get any.  Our straw was very pretty and bright compared to regular hay.  We told customers that it was "designer" hay.  Another good idea..... Check!
3.  Besides the rain and cold, we had wind.  At times it was a very gusty wind.  I took my faux leather displays and my cardboard flocked displays.  ( I fully intended to use the cardboard ones until I ran out of room.)  In the long run I'm glad I didn't.  They would have been blowing all over the place.  Only one of the other displays got knocked off and that's because I had it setting up high on a column.  Next year...... only take the good sturdy displays.   Check!   (But be prepared to dust them all when they are back in the studio......... outdoor festivals can be dirty!

Book review

Along with ordering my Trimline Canopy, I also ordered a book, Art Festival Guide by Maria Arango from them. They recommended it but didn't push me to order it. (But, hey it's a book, so I ordered it. Got way too many books.)

I had already ordered a book about selling jewelry at art festivals and a book that included a section on selling jewelry at festivals. Of the three, I would really recommend this one. Not only is it informative, but it is interesting reading (which I really need these days.)

One thing that Ms. Arango has in the back of the book is checklists; display essentials, traveling office essentials, just before a show and after the show. A couple of her recommendations for just before a show is to load up and rest up. Also, to read festival packet one more time. After the show she recommends to do your accounting for the show, file sales and expense receipts, send thank you cards, make notes on that particular show and rest!

That last recommendation is so true. REST! I was so wiped out after the show. It took me days to recuperate. (Of course having a class reunion the next weekend didn't help.) And today I was back at it, setting up a show for the National Transit Gallery. I'm artist for the month of August. Now all I have to do is get my studio back to normal (after throwing everything in there after the festival) and then I can rest. As if that's going to happen.

Festival Canopy

As I mentioned before, I bought a tent for the Oil Heritage Festival. Not knowing what canopy to buy I did what most of us do now a days, I searched the internet.

The canopy I chose was rather pricey (at least for my budget) but was worth every penny. When other canopies were perishing in the wind and rain, mine held up. The roof is domed so the rain rolled right off. An add-on feature was the stabilizers which firmed up the canopy at the base.

And, I do have to retract my comment about no directions in taking down the canopy. They weren't on the CD but they were in the written instructions. (Never took a look at them until the day of the festival.) The CD had great directions for setting up.

Their website is http://www.flourish.com/trimline_intro.html. (This is probably too much web info, but it's what I have in my bookmark bar.) They don't take orders on line. You have to call and they are very easy to deal with. In fact they are down right comedic.

If anyone is looking for a canopy, I highly recommend them. (Tell them I sent you and I get $25 dollars. Hey, can't blame me for trying.)

What is success?

If success is measured in dollars, my first day of my first show was not successful.

So.... why do I feel successful? Maybe because money wasn't my goal. I went into this show for the experience and my first day provided lots of experience. Experience with wind, rain (heavy rain), thunder and 90 degree heat in the shade. (Thank God I bought two fans last night and paid to have electricity at my site.)

That expensive tent was well worth the money. Neither wind nor rain bothered it. In fact we zipped up and stayed inside during the heavy storm. (Several others lost walls and one person lost "all" her inventory.)

I made contacts with many, many people and one never knows where those contacts will lead. Lots of people are interested in the classes.

One of my biggest goals was to have a high class display. Never having done a show before, I was a little apprehensive about that. An artist friend was told to come over to see my display because it was so beautiful and professional looking. Someone else told me that it out-shined all the other displays and still another person told me it had a gallery feel. She mentioned that it was obvious that I had done many shows. (Nope, this is my first.)

I took pictures (since other shows want to see what your booth looks like.) I only had my small camera with me, so they are probably not the best. Tomorrow I'm taking my Nikon D40 and hopefully will have better pictures.

I would have shown you the pictures I took today, but I can't find my camera. I seem to have misplaced it. (Thought I knew where it was, but the heat fried my brain.) Hopefully I find it tomorrow or it's going to put a damper on my feeling of success. (Come to think of it.... I hope I can find my Nikon. Not sure where it is either!)