Here’s a pics of Will at the play farm at the New Mexico State Fair. The kids had to do “chores” around then farm such as pick vegetables, ride a tractor, milk a (pretend) cow, and rope a (pretend) sheep. At the end they get paid with a popsicle. It was so fun he did it twice – or maybe he just wanted another popsicle!
A group of friends and I got a booth to sell our art – we all know each other through the ATC group and decided there is strength in numbers – especially with a $250 booth fee. The woman that organizes it actually came up to me and Leau when we were selling at the Neighborhood Market – apparently she had a few empty spots and the fair was coming up soon so she gave us a discount.
The day of load-in we discovered we were right next to a “pet couture” (read clothes for dogs!!) booth. And this is NOT hand-crafted stuff – it is “Made in China” stuff. They also sold lighters, dogtags, jewelry and other “engravables”. Down the line it was roughly 30% handmade arts and crafts and 70% everything else – like Pampered Chef, balloon bouquets, tupperware, even a booth promoting a Chuck E Cheese clone! It has been a very disheartening week – we sold hardly anything – definitely did not even get back our booth fee. Apparently no one wants to buy a necklace for $30 (OMG – $30 for beautifully handcrafted, unique jewelry is such a steal!) when they can walk ten feet farther and buy one for $5 that they can have engraved FOR FREE!! And some of the comments we heard “I could make that!” and “Don’t break anything, I don’t want to have to buy that shit.” frankly make you lose faith in yourself, your art, and humanity in general. My lovely friend Leau was the one who manned the booth the entire time (I just helped out three days) and she will be blogging about hee experience and when she does I’ll post a link to it.
But I’ve bounced back somewhat today. We’ve learned our lessons from this experience (know the venue better, know the organizer better, and know what other artists (or non-artists as the case may be) they are bringing in. And I do know that what I do is unique and cool – and while I would love to share it with the WORLD – I am content to share it with the people to get it – now I just need to seek out venues that are a better fit with what I do. No more square peg/round hole stuff. OK – off to make more art.
oh my gosh! Will is getting to so big. what a cutie.
Sorry to hear that your experience with your booth was disappointing. People are so rude! Not all venues are the best fit, but you never know until you try it out. Don’t let it bring about any self-doubt. All experience is good experience, which is hard to accept at times but it sounds like you have.
Oh honey, I’m so sorry that happened to you…why do you think I travel so much?!
Your work is awesome & don’t you dare listen to anyone that tells you anything different. Albuquerque, especially the state fair, balloon fiesta, & the “craft” fairs here are NOT the place to sell our kind of art… unless of course, you want to go to China & mass produce glitzy little…oh, forget it, I’m so mad I can’t even form a sentence!
Just know that it’s not you, it’s the kind of people that are attracted to those kind of events!
AND when someone tells you that they have a space available for a discounted rate…RUN!
Dan, the girls and I were happy to find your booth last weekend. While I didn’t have the money to buy anything at the time, I loved looking at all of your lovely things. There was a picture of a little girl and a raven (black bird, crow?) on display that I LOVED and all your photography is great.
It is always the assholes who are louded and I am sure there were people who really apprecited your work (all of you) but were quieter about it.
In the end, live and learn…ob la di, ob la da and all that jazz.
Do you still have the booth??? We’re going to the fair tomorrow and I would love to visit and buy your wonderfully priced goodies:):)
How disappointing for you. Sounds like the country fair/exhibition booth lineup is the same on both sides of the 49th parallel.
From a survivor of rude and misinformed comments, just know that eventually it won’t hurt quite so much. The ooo’s and ahhh’s from wonderful people who ‘get’ your art more than make up for it.
Hi Raine!!!!!!
It was wonderful to meet you at the State Fair. Good things CAN come from popsicles and flies! Hee hee. I really love your work and look forward to working with you in the future. I am planning to invite you to some of our specialty shows at the Factory.