Mayfaire 2007

<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>Mayfaire By The Lake 2007</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> May 12-13, 36th Annual Volvo Mayfaire By The Lake, Lakeland, Fl. Contact: Polk Museum of Art, 800 East Palmetto Street, Lakeland, Fl. 33801, 863-688-7743 www.polkmuseumofart.org. email: Mayfair@polkmuseumofart.org. </div> <div> App fee: $25.00, space fee: $145.00, space size 12x12, number of artists 180.</div> <div> This is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write. I have spoken with more artists and gotten more feedback about this show than any show we have ever done. </div> <div> It all started out so well, it's a very well run, well organized show in a great location with lots of space for storage, artist party, $28,000.00 in awards and a great little town. Sales for us were ok, a slightly below average total, only one sale all weekend but it was a good one. A pencil artist said he had his best show ever. I spoke with 4 photographers, all four reported sales at slightly below average. Three painters reported, one slightly below average, two did not make expenses. A jeweler reported slightly below average sales also. </div> <div> The weather in Central Florida in mid May is usually really hot. This year there was a new layout for booths and we had spot under a huge shade tree and it really made a difference. </div> <div> About 3:30 on Sunday the shows staff came around and warned of a severe storm coming, the show is closing, pack up as fast as you can and get out, vans/trucks would be able to pull in at 4:00 pm. About 4:20 what's referred to as a micro-burst hit while most artists were in the middle of packing up and not nearly ready for what followed. Wind gusts up to 60 mph, heavy rain and small hail. It was the worst storm I have ever witnessed at an art show. About 40-50 booths were flipped, blown around and partially or completely destroyed. I spoke with two artists that were trying to anchor their booths by holding onto the top bar and they went completely airborne with their tents! George Rhodes was one of those artist, he said " It all happened so fast, one minute I was hanging on, the next I was airborne. I flew about 30 feet and landed on my back on top of one of my pro panels. It helped break my fall." </div> <div> After the storm several artists went looking for show officials and/or volunteers to get help salvaging their work and no one from the show could be found. All of the staff and volunteers including the police left shortly before the storm hit and did not return with the exception of the museum director Daniel Stetson. He came back with his daughter and did help artists salvage what they could. As I was breaking down I had about 15 or so artists come up to me and ask "where's the show staff/volunteers? And the comment to make sure to mention the fact that no one could be found in my review of the show." </div> <div> I called the Museum Monday morning and spoke with co-chairs Brenda Friedman and Helen Ramsey on the phone. They did confirm that they and their staff left shortly before the storm hit and did not return to the show. They had heard that 2-3 tents were damaged but had no idea the destruction was as bad as it was. "We did not think the storm was that severe so we didn't think to come back." </div> <div> Three weeks later at another show I spoke with four artists that were at Mayfaire and asked them, "now that it's all over, how do you feel about the staff leaving the show?" Three of the four used the word "appalled" several times to describe how they felt about it. "It shows a lack of concern for your fellow human beings to simply go home and not bother to check after a storm like this," said photographer Dick Cunningham. Brian Call lost his entire booth and went looking for staff members to help him salvage some of his work. He stated, "there's no excuse for leaving and not coming back!" </div> <div> I spoke with assistant marketing director of the museum, Meredith Spresser (cq), several days after the show. She told me the committee was now planning a disaster plan for future shows that would not all of the staff simply going home. </div> <div> I was and still am personally appalled by the staff at what happened after the storm. Will this keep from applying next year to this usually very well run show? I still have not decided. Should the excuse "we didn't know," be good enough to cover such a faux pas? Not for me to say, I'll leave that up to each of you individually. </div> <div> Good luck out there, secure your tents and keep your head low!</div> </td> </tr></table></body>