Affaire In The Gardens Art Show

[Blake]

I have been applying like mad to competitions and I finally got into one.
This is my first try at something like this so any advise is welcome.

If you are in LA. PLease stop by and say hello I would love to meet you fellow artists.

Affaire In The Gardens Art Show, sponsored by the City of Beverly Hills, which will take place this May 15 & 16, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I have booth number 193 on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Rodeo Dr.
For a map go here
http://www.beverlyhills.org/civica/f...sp?BlobID=5837

For additional information on our "Affaire in the Gardens Art Show"
http://www.beverlyhills.org/attracti...nformation.asp

Hope to see you there
Blake

[racine]

links more baffling than usual.. a cuff? as spring like taiwanese tiffany lamps.. words from delphi slide both ways i find,

[StevenW]

Is this a competition or a difficult to get in to art fair in a well to do neighborhood? My guess is booth rent in Beverly Hills isn't all that cheap, but the buyers may be. Bring the good stuff and then bring some miniature "collectibles" you can sell off to the masses for 300 each. If one or the other works you'll still be driving away with a new BMW.

Good luck and have fun Blake!

[desertrock]

I have done 24 shows in the last 15 months, and I've heard from other show artists that this is a good show.
I tried but did not get into it last year. I didn't apply this year.

Good luck!
Mark

[GlennT]

Originally Posted by StevenW

If one or the other works you'll still be driving away with a new BMW.

To drive it back to Monaco, he'll need to get the James Bond submarine conversion model. (with optional rocket launcher)

[Ries]

I did that Beverly Hills show once, back in the early 90's.
I had this gaggle of women come into my booth, and one of the younger ones, mid 20's, says "MOM- isnt this cool?"
And I hear a then very familiar voice- the nasal whine of Rosanne Barr-

"NAAAH".

But then I had another guy pull out his wallet and start handing me hundreds- he got me down a bit, maybe 10%, but I wasnt complaining- then had me help him load the piece into the buttery leather back seat of his big brand new 4 door Rolls Royce.

In the end, though, it wasnt that great of a show for me, never did it again...

[Blake]

Thanks for the words of advise.
Good idea to bring some smaller things.
I was surprised to get in to this show and I really did not find the cost any different from the other fairs of this type.
I have never gone for this booth type of fair before so this is a new experience. I am looking forward to it.

I'll let you know how it goes, somehow I don't think my work will be all that suitable for it, but I thought that if I were to do a booth type of "arts and crafts" fair this is the one to do. I hope I don't get any nudity complaints.

I have latest work up on a Java site (you can get it on your iphone)
www.blake-rethink.com

Hope to see some of you there
Blake

[robertpulley]

This sounds good. I'm trying to re-think marketing as well. I'm retiring from teaching into my art this year. Have done galleries for the past 20 years, but galleries seem to be suffering in the Midwest and I plan to try some art fairs.
Starting with "Sculpture in the Park" in Loveland, CO. If you think it will be a waste of time, please don't tell me. I'm committed. The problem is identifying those fairs with well heeled, aesthetically sophisticated audiences that might be a worthwhile gamble from all the others.

[Blake]

The way I am looking at it you have to get the work out there and I am going to learn by trial and error. I never thought that I would do a show like this but never say never. I will post the results.

Like you Robert I am committed so it doesn't matter who tells me it's a waste of time. The show must go on.

I have been applying to allot of shows this year and have been accepted by most so that alone gives me some confidence in the work.
My July is booked and Sept, Oct Nov. so it is working, now to cover the costs.

By the way SteveW the fee was $300.00 plus tax and i think that I will hire a tent top for another $40.00. It is the hotel and transport that will represent the biggest dent in the budget.

Hope that some of you may come out and look me up.
Blake

[StevenW]

Hi Blake, Robert, they're not a waste of time at all, but you need to be aware of the demographic if you want to succeed at least monetarily. The guys who do really well at these events have their original works and then small desk-top sized miniature replicas (6 inch figurines) that they sell for 100-300 dollars each and they go like hot-cakes. Almost anyone has 100 dollars to drop at an event like this and from a sculptors POV it could be equated to a painter having their originals and then selling prints for 100 or so each right next to them. It seems to be a fairly well proven formula for these events.

300 isn't bad at all and i think a booth at Cherry Creek Art Festival starts at 700 bucks and goes up, but the exposure is around 300,000 people.. That's why I think it is important to have something you can turn a profit on and that goes similarly for Loveland. Everyone who goes to these things loves art and wants to get a piece for themselves, but not everyone has 10-20k to drop. lol
Let your big pieces serve as ambassador's for your work and let the little one's pay the bills. Just my take and Blake, you could have some of yours laser scanned and reduced and replicated pretty easily I would think.

Robert, if you're at loveland this year I'll probably see you..

[tobias]

Jesus only $300.00 thats cheap man. I am thinking about doing a show in Vancouver this december thats $1200.00 for the weekend. I do a show that goes all summer in our down town core that was very profitable last year for me. The only thing I have to say is dont turn your nose up at any one. I made some of my biggest sales to the ones that had to work the hardest to scrape together tha cash. Also when your pricing remember that you have some wiggle room. If you start with prices at gallery level you can come down to what you would have actually made on a piece after they take there cut.
I hope you sell tonnes(literally) of work man. I really enjoy this sort of thing because you get reaction from the ones who are actually buying your work. Not some director or amature wanna be art critic on a forum!!

[robertpulley]

StevenW,

My understanding a Loveland is that you only get 8 pieces max. in the booth.
I will have a variety of prices, but mine is all one of a kind and 4 or $500 is the low end. We'll see. I'll look for you.