Four Bridges Arts Festival 2005

<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>2005 Four Bridges Arts Festival</B></div> <div> <B>347-LOVE-ART  (347-568-3278)   Toll Free 1-877-512-3333</B><B>   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"> <bR> <div> May 6-8, Four Bridges Arts Festival, Chattanooga, Tenn.  Contact: Association For Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave, Chattanooga, Tn. 37405.  www.4bridgesartsfestival.org  423.265.4282 Space size 10x12, fee $275.00, 150 artist spaces.  $10,000.00 in awards, $100,000.00 plus in patron awards.  </div> <div> This show is located at The First Tennessee Pavilion, a steel and glass open air building with concrete floors.  One of the best artist friendly locations for a show that we have ever done.  The only down side here is that artists are divided into two groups, a main building with 125 artists and a secondary building with about 25 artists.  Needless to say artists in the secondary building were not happy with traffic.  Set-up is on Friday morning/afternoon with a patron preview party Friday night.  Staff is friendly and very well organized.  Lots of information in artists packet and discount hotel rates close by.  Parking is close but bring your dolly.  Carting work was very easy across the concrete floor, set-up and break-down was very easy with plenty of artist parking close by.  </div> <div> The weather was perfect both days of the show and attendance was in the 20,000 range of enthusiastic art lovers.  The town and it’s people really get behind and support this show.  People also come from as far away as Atlanta and Nashville to attend this show.  </div> <div> I get very nervous every time we do a show that’s not in a major market city but we had heard good things about this show so decided to give it a try.  Our work got lots of attention but only two small sales and both of those came from people living in Atlanta.  We had people in our booth with paint and fabric swatches that said they were going home to measure but not one came back.  I really enjoyed doing this show and may decide to try one more time.  It’s a bit far to travel but there is potential here if you are one of the chosen artist that the public buys from.  About 40% of the artists I spoke with did well, the other 60% were not happy.  Most high end artist I spoke with said they did pretty poorly with the exception of three artists.  A local part time oil painter that had an awesome show, selling 10-12 large originals in the $1000.00 range and a mixed media artist that said this was his third best show ever and metal sculptor had an average show selling work in the $700.00 range.  Low and medium priced work sold best here, prices in the $25.00 to $150.00 ranges. </div> <div> Stained Glass had a slightly below average show selling work in the $50.00-$150.00 range.  Glass bead jewelry had an above average show with average sales in the $75.00 range.  Two photographers I spoke with had differing results, one had a slightly blow average show selling mostly unframed prints. The other barely made expenses and would not return.  Pottery in the $25.00- $50.00 range had a great show and was very happy with the show.  Two acrylic painters I spoke with said they barely made expenses, one had been here the year before and had done ok.  He returned this year hoping to do better but did worse instead.  Isn’t this the same logic I was using earlier?  Maybe I should have my head examined!  Both acrylic painters said they would not return.  A sculptor selling in the $100.00 to $500.00 range said he barely made expenses and would not return.  </div> <div> We’ve done several shows like this, very well organized, very well run but the public just doesn’t have the financial strength to support a high end art show.  You would think that having $100,000.00 plus in patron awards divided between only 150 artists would be like fishing in a barrel.  I’m not sure where the certificates went, I saw a few ribbons but very few artists I spoke with had actual sales from them.      </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>