This Art Sunday post is really about Friday and Saturday. Friday was setup for the Holiday Market Fair which opened today in Angel Fire. Normally we are all in a very holiday spirit for this event. It is not unlike a party we pay to participate in. And for most of us artists it is a chance to not only make money before the dismal months of January, February and March but a chance to do our own Christmas shopping from the other exhibitors.This whole event this year got off on the wrong foot. First they changed the weekend. And the lied about why they changed it quoting a survey they had taken among last year's vendors and we can't find one that got that survey. Then the weather has been dismal. Not rain or snow but a chilling mix of both keeping crowds home in droves.
Then it was someone's great idea to make it more of a party and have entertainment. I am all for mixing arts but this is a small venue which means the three piece band is right in your lap. Makes it difficult to chat up the customers when you can't hear yourself think.
About four the level of rebellion was rising. One of the surveys we all remember filling in was that 5 should be the end of the day. Nobody comes out after dark in the winter. But that they chose to ignore and wanted us all to stay to 6. So from 4:30 to about 5:30 when we all walked out in mass all we talked about was the winter of our discontent.
I fully expect some vendors to not be there tomorrow. And everyone is saying they do not plan to do the fair next year unless they go back to the original weekend and our schedule preferences. Some change is good. But none of this was. I would feel sorry for the new director of this fair if she had not lied or it was not hurting me in the pocket book.
Artists are at the whim of gallery owners, fair producers and customers. It is why we like our own company.
your paintings look good up there.
ReplyDeletelets hope that next yr will be bk to normal for you...
l hate changes..
artists are sensitive ppl, they shouldnt be changed around.
lf the artists arent happy, then no one comes and the ppl running it dont make money either.
lm sorry it didnt turn out right for u all...
I am still optimistically hopeful about tomorrow but it is so hard to reverse that negative energy once it gets rolling.
ReplyDeleteWith the price point on my work it just takes a few good sales and a lot of people want to think before buying.
You sound 'fed-up' with all this... is there anyone who can listen to the 'exhibitors' concerns? You mention the director? BTW your exhibt looks lovely.. so colourful... but where my 'Greek stairway' gone....???? Have you sold it????
ReplyDeleteStill have The Back Stairs. It was in the other half of the booth photo. We were all rather fed up. So today we passed around a survey and gave them to the president of the local art council that is going to approach the tourism boss that heads up the events calendar.
ReplyDeleteIt got a lot of very positive comments.
Woo HOO THANKS your tip worked and I can now post here too LOL :)
ReplyDeleteYour work is so amazing I wish I could buy it all up and fill up my rooms with color.
Thank you for sharing this and I hope today was a good day for all of you! I know it was less stormy here so maybe there as well and more people today.
Take care
Diana
Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passadinha lá no meu, que é sobre frases e poesias, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://mil-frases.blogspot.com. Um abraço.
ReplyDeleteyeah your always at the mercy of organizers at these fair type things. A friend of mine used to participate in craft fairs until it became too much. They prob were thinking Dec is Christmas month and ppl would shop for that, but when weather is a factor, earlier is better.
ReplyDeleteI dont know if its an epidemic or what but I have seen lately that people dont think things through. At the senior housing where Mom lives, they had a BBQ outside, in August. Now what maybe seemed like a good idea at the time, is really stupid when you think about elderly ppl outside in 90° heat. Needless to say most ppl like us, were inside in the a/c.
We have a new community center director and I think she wanted the Thanksgiving weekend off and did not think like you mentioned, Anne, how it would effect anyone else. Real narcistic behavior.
ReplyDeleteBottom line is we are a tourist community and there are no holidays or use except when it isn't a holiday for the tourists. She better get with the program or find another job.