James Court Art Show

<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>James Court Art Show</B></div> <div> <B>6260 N.W. 19 Street, Sun</B><B>rise, 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>October 6-8, St. James Court Art Show, Belgravia section, Louisville.</B> </div> <bR> <div> The Southern hospitality of the people of Louisville is hard to beat, and treatment of the artists at this show is second to none. Residents of the neighborhood where the show is held open up their homes to the artists for breakfast, lunch and bathroom breaks. There's a warm, glad-to-have-you-back attitude that really makes you feel good about being here.</div> <div> Setup lasts all day on Thursday, so the procedure is pretty spread out and well organized. However, it can be a bit hectic at times, especially because St. James consists of six separate shows with a total of more than 700 artists setting up in a three-block radius. The ease of setup depends on which section you are in and where your booth is located. Some exhibitors can park right next to their booths, while others must dolly. </div> <div> This was our fifth year in the Belgravia section, and, once again, it was a well-above-average show for us. In general, very few artists I talk to do well their first time here. It takes a few years to build a following, and sales increase with longevity. Having a mailing list helps greatly. It took Patty and me three years before we had what we would call an average show - and it's still building. Reported attendance for this show is between 300,000 and 325,000, and if you want to see what that crowds of that size look like, come here and look around. It's amazing how many shows jack up their attendance figures, but St. James' numbers are accurate. </div> <div> I spoke with four painters. Three reported well-above-average sales, and the fourth reported the best show of the year. One woodworker doing the show for the first time reported slightly above-average sales and will try again in 2007. A sculptor reported the best show of the year - and the best show in a few years anywhere. Finally, a clay artist and a potter reported well-above-average shows, with the latter adding that this was usually the best show of the year. </div> <div> The weather this year helped out greatly, as it was sunny and cool. It even got down into the 40s at night. Brrrr. But temperatures rebounded into the 60s and 70s during the day. </div> <div> Breakdown can really get hectic here with so many artists leaving at the same time. I see some artists who choose to dolly two or three blocks instead of waiting in line to get a parking space close to their booth. Patty and I have gotten wiser and more patient in past years and now choose to go out to dinner, go back to the hotel for a few hours and return about 9:30 p.m. to load up. There was a street light next to our booth this year, and plenty of room for parking. Being patient, going out to dinner and then returning made breakdown much easier.</div> <div> We'll definitely be back in 2007 and are looking forward to it! How do we know we'll be back? The Belgravia section pre-juries about 80 percent of the artists back in. In fact, you get your invitation for the following year on the Sunday afternoon of the show. It's such a relief to know you're back in - no jury fee and no applying to backup shows in case you are rejected. It's wonderful! I wish more shows would do that!</div> </td> </tr></table></body>