Comments on: When Art is Secondary at an Event

By: Patricia Bucko

Patricia Bucko — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 03:26:44 +0000

Last April, a friend persuaded me to participate in a similar event…dubed “Ladies Night Out & Wine Tasting” Since it was indoors, no entry/table fee and local, I signed up as a vendor. Spent weeks preparing special pieces of art that might appeal to women in such a relaxed “shopping” environment. The event director placed me close to the door. Good location, I thought. My table was also sandwiched between Home Interiors, Southern Living vendors and seveal whole-sale jewelers. Although I’ve sold at public events during past five years, this was the WORST experience of my artistic career! Shoppers blew by my display without a glance, headed for that wine & cheese! I was friendly, out-going, making eye contact etc but could NOT compete with ailk flowers, candles, cubic zarconia and merlot. It was a valuable learning curve and I’d never agree to exhibit at such an event again! Only wish I’d gone FIRST as a visitor, to get a sense of the atmosphere and crowd. All advice given prior to this post is VERY wise and prudent…trust your gut! PS There was another visual artist there, offering prints of her lovely watercolors; she packed up and left early too!

By: phillippa lack

phillippa lack — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:46:38 +0000

Food/wine will always win out at any event over arts or wearables. I have found this to my cost. You get folks ‘a little over the top’ spilling wine on your goods, or they ignore you altogether. Unless it is very cheap to enter and you don’t have to buy a tent, panels, etc. don’t bother with it. Especially if the organizer has never seen your work. He/She is just gathering bodies to fill the space.

By: Greg apier

Greg apier — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 18:24:18 +0000

There is a wine and art fair up here in the mountains in Twain Harte Ca every Aug. I have had a booth for the last two years.This is only because it’s free to me because the gallery I have paintings in has me set up in front of the gallery. I wouldn’t pay the have a booth. The first years was ok. I didn’t sell anything but I did get to talk to a lot of people that stopped and checked out my art. Last year was a downer because people didn’t take the time to even look at my work. I am going to set up again this year with a nicer looking booth and more paintings and see if I can get people just to stop long enough to look at some very good art. The first year I sat off to the side so people didn’t know I was the artist and could hear their commits. What I heard was very positive so I can say my art is very good art. I did move next to my paintings later and was able to talk to a lot of people about my paintings. Last years was the disappointing year because only four or five people show any interest in art.

By: Sari Grove

Sari Grove — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 18:12:27 +0000

If you have not shown before you really should get your feet wet…Artistically this will help you to grow…Good, bad or ugly, it will give you experience…Try not to spend too much or get your hopes up or drive yourself crazy with perfectionism…Just show up- maybe share a booth with someone who has all the stuff already…or do it ala cheapo…crummy or not, you will have your first show under your belt, and you will have learned invaluable lessons that can’t be taught…and you will feel braver next time…what is the worse that can happen?

By: john t unger

john t unger — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:14:00 +0000

I wouldn’t do another wine show with art after my first experience… The people *did* get awfully tipsy and I spent most of the show trying to make sure that people didn’t walk into the fan blade of a huge whirligig sculpture I had brought. The blade was big, shiny and obvious, but people had a tendency to stand right in its path. I didn’t make any direct sales, but the people hosting the show commissioned me to do a sculpture. They ended up stiffing me on the final payment… the only time in ten years that anyone has ever done that. Later, I found that they had done the same to three other artists before me. I’m sure that doesn’t mean that all wine shows involve bad business practices, but for me, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

By: Kathy Wasilewski

Kathy Wasilewski — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:06:25 +0000

Wow..I can’t thank everyone enough for all of your valued input and feedback! I am enjoying reading everyone’s personal experiences with this type of setting. It appears that my gut reaction in being hesitant to participate is soundly justified, which goes to show you that you should trust your instinct in situations such as these. When the negatives outweigh the positives, then it’s time to reconsider. This thread has been most interesting and helpful to me, and I thank you all again for taking the time to share your experiences and suggestions.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:00:52 +0000

Hi have done several of these types events and they all vary depending upon location, amount of advertising and promotion. I’ve done an art show at a wine tasting for the past 3 years and its a fantastic event for me. I’ve actually found that wallets loosen a bit with more spirits! With these events you have to look at the cost (this one was free so it was a no brainer) and at how long its been going. I would say if you are apprehensive go to the first event as a visitor talk to the artists there then think about doing it the next year. Some of my best events have been secondary art events and I look at them as exposure opportunities and ways to get more names for my mailing list.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 16:23:09 +0000

Beware the Wine tour! Santa Barbara has one each year and having a studio gallery downtown I felt compelled to pariticipate thinking, if anything, it would be good advertising whether there were sales or not. I can’t tell you the anguish each year of dealing with the wine tasters. One gal actually knocked several paintings off the wall because she’d had too much to drink and the year following someone almost pulled a display over, on top of themselves. The last and final year (my fifth trying) I had good clients inform me that they wouldn’t be coming to the opening because they didn’t care for the behavior of the wine crowd. Then one wine taster summed it up for me. She had been standing in the middle of the room with her glass of wine and I watched her do a full body flinch and pronounce “OH my gosh, is this a gallery?” The sad reality was that I didn’t even have an opportunity to talk with peole about my work or even give them a business card because they were mostly interested in the wines. A five year veteran of the tour, I would have to say I’m still a bit tortured by the memory. I had a much better experience at fine restaurants and coffee houses.

By: Cas

Cas — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 12:45:24 +0000

I agree with the comments given – it probably is your target market, but can be frustrating to sell to – especially if they’re inebriated (that works better for auctions). I’ve often been warned by seasoned art fair artists of participating in events that feature food or drink heavily – and art secondary. We have a huge event in the summer here that’s called the street fair, and everyone attends for the food more than the wares. As such, many local artists don’t participate in it anymore, (and the quality of wares IMHO has gone downhill) and instead organized their own annual art crawl (no food involved) that happens a couple of months later, and another art street show a month earlier (that hasn’t had any food available….yet).

By: Kathy Partridge

Kathy Partridge — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:28:24 +0000

Personally, I would skip the event this year, and just attend as a visitor. This way you can see if it’s well attended, if artists seem to be selling enough to make it pay. If the event is successful, and you like what you see, then you can make plans to participate as a vendor/artist next year. If the thing’s a flop, they may not even hold one next year and you’ve saved yourself a bundle in the meantime.