Promenade in the Park

<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>2004 Promenade in the Park</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"> <bR> <div> Nov. 12-14 Promenade in the Park, Fort Lauderdale.  Contact Museum of Art, 1 East Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301. Phone 954-525-5500  Website: www.moafl.org/home.htm</div> <div> This was once The prestigious art show in Fort Lauderdale.  It’s put on by the Museum of Art and has had a long history of devoted fans.  Over the last five years or so the Museum has gotten away from producing an art show and started putting on a carnival with rides, music, lots of buy sell items and even a flea market area for people wanting sell items cleaned out of their garage or attic.  For the last 15 years or so the show was located in historic Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale.  A temporary fence was erected and the public paid $5.00 to get in.  This year the show was moved back to Las Olas Blvd right in front of the Museum and in adjoining Bubier Park.  </div> <div> This would be a local show for us but several years ago the quality of work here got so bad and the Museum had lost all interest in keeping this an art show, we have not done the show for two years.  I tried to volunteer my time and become part of the committee that puts on the show.  After two months of listening to my suggestions I was told by the chairman at that time that perhaps I should find another show to do.  The Museum did peak my interest with this years application talking about how they are moving the festival and wanting to turn the show back to more of a fine art show.  I declined to apply but had the weekend off so Sunday afternoon I went to the show and spoke with about half of the artists there to see how well they did.  </div> <div> This was one weekend I was glad to have had off!  The only sign I saw alerting passing cars the show was going on was a two foot by three foot sign stuck in the ground saying “carnival this way.”  Again there were rides, lots of buy-sell items including light bulbs, toy cars made in China and booths from gambling cruise ships.  Years ago there were close to 200 artists in this show.  This year I counted 22 actual artists spaces and an equal number of buy-sell spaces.  About 45 booth spaces total.  Three of the artists had packed up Saturday night and left and several of the others said they had thought seriously about doing the same.  One artist selling $10.00-$20.00 items commented they had not broken the $1000.00 mark and they would rather have a root canal then to come back and do this show.  Another artist commented that the majority of people in their booth had no idea the show was going on until driving by and seeing it and deciding to stop.  </div> <div> The only person (person, not artist) I saw that was selling like crazy was a guy selling 18x24 inch canvases which he claimed were original oil paintings but were obvious copies of famous artists, for $12.00.  That’s right, $12.00 for “original oil paintings,” he must have had several hundred to choose from and I never saw the guy sitting down.  He was selling 2-3-4 at a time!  </div> <div> Two days after the show I received an email from one of the co-chairs saying that I was missed at this years show and that next year there will be a juried show and they wanted to get back on track with the artists.   I again have volunteered my services to see if we can return this show to it’s glory days of the past.  I’ll let you know how well it goes.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>