cottonwood 2006

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="05bfd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Cottonwood 2006</B></div> <div> <B>6260 N.W. 19 Street, Sunrise, Fl. 33313 Toll Free 1-877-512-3333    Email: </B><A HREF="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com"><U><B>mike@mikealbin.com</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="05cd2043.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike Albin.Com "><U>Mike Albin.Com </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wd.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Web design"><U>Web design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="ma.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Articles"><U>Marketing Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Show Reviews"><U>Show Reviews</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mt.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Tools"><U>Marketing Tools</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="l.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#777777" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>May 6-7, Cottonwood Art Festival, Richardson, Texas. </B></div> <bR> <div> Richardson is an affluent town just northeast of Dallas. The Cottonwood Art Festival is put on by the City of Richardson twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. </div> <div> This was our first time doing the show. We had heard good things about sales, treatment and quality, but we had been warned about setup. When we go to a show for the first time and have been warned about hectic setups, we go with the expectation that it will take us all day. We try to be patient, and if we get done sooner than we expect, great. If not, that's OK. </div> <div> The show took place in a park, and booths were situated in rows on the right and left of a one-way road that cut through the park. Artists started lining up early in the morning for their chance to drive in and park along the road to unload. Artists' vehicles could be seen waiting in line for blocks. Some artists we spoke with waited as long as four hours. Artists were only allowed to pull in once another artist left. Despite the warnings we had received, this massive undertaking was coordinated very well by the show staff. </div> <div> On another note, Patty and I volunteered for the visiting-artist program and went to an art class at a school in Richardson. For doing this, the show staff gave us a head-of-the-line pass for unloading. We were then able to move right to the front, and our wait was only about 45 minutes. It pays to give something back from time to time!</div> <div> The weather for the 37th annual Festival was somewhat in question all weekend long, but it rained only late in the day on Saturday, and not for too long. It did rain very hard during the night on Friday and Saturday, though, leaving puddles and mud all over the park. The Festival staff had carts with hay to scatter around, so the grounds were passable. </div> <div> We spoke with several artists who had been doing this show for 15 years or more and one artist who had done both spring and fall shows for over 30 years straight. That's loyalty to a show! And we found out why that exhibitor was so loyal once the patrons starting coming. We sold a total of five pieces, including two of our big pieces, and came home with a five-figure show! We just don't have too many shows like that any more.</div> <div> I spoke with three painters, and all three reported above-average sales. A potter and a photographer both reported above-average sales, too, but a jeweler and a mixed media artist said sales were down for them. However, both had been doing the show a number of years and said this was usually a well-above-average event. </div> <div> Treatment of the artists was well above average also. Exhibitors enjoyed 15-foot-wide spaces, a reception after setup on Friday night, very art-savvy patrons and a flourishing economy in Texas. </div> <div> Breakdown was a bit hectic, so we chose to head out to dinner first, go back to the hotel for a few hours and come back about 9:30 p.m. Most artists had already gone, so we found a parking space close by and were able to pack up in about an hour. </div> <div> This was a very well-run, well-attended show. Every artist we spoke with said they would reapply and hoped to be back. We have another show we do that conflicts with the fall dates of this event, or we would definitely be back for that one too. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>