Art Fairs - Yup

Greetings -
I was a late-comer to the art fair circuit. We missed "the Glory Days" that the old-timers talk of when we gather around on a Saturday evening with a plate of goodies and the beverage that might make chats even more intriguing.

However, in our case, better late then never. It's been a quickly moving time since that first mostly horrible experience in a nearby town. A bad-craft fair. We didn't know. Pitched a booth of some s orts, offered some now-remarkably-semi-awful stuff... and yet... and yet.... the few drawings and words done on cheap paper and poorly-presented resonated with just enough quirky folks that we were encouraged to carry on. Thanks, you few customers of 1998! Without your kind words and chuckles no more bears would have made it on to more paper. All the Bob bears would not exist. The books and teeshirts, and greeting cards and magnets and Real Art would not exist.

Passersby and customers - you never know when YOUR one sentence to an artist might be just the sentence that person NEEDS to hear that day.

We progressed. Whew. The booth grew more colorful, if not the most tidy. The economy changed. Sales of smaller pieces saved the day when maybe only one or no originals would sell. Sigh. Tell us again about the Glory Days "old-timers." Yet  prizes were won, galleries asked to carry our work, and wholesale accounts were created.  The bears, cats, and piggies were starting to move out in to the world! And the chats held in and around that 10 x 10 piece of white plastic ranged from a lady baking banana bread to feed to a DNR-trapped bear to people dying of bear attacks. We discuss cancer & children & politics & religion & food & relationships & philosophy, & of course, the weather. "Sue's Booth of Truth" one woman stated. I try.

An empty booth, though filled with stuff, is gloriously different when filled with People.

This is a tiny part of the crowd at the 2012 Ely Blueberry Festival. At this event our booth, good old #15, next to Al and Shirley, is a destination to many people, and we knock wood and cross fingers that it continues to be so. Having been one of the emptier booths in our earlier adventures it's gratifying to find an often-filled booth on our hands. Some times potential customers give up and come back later or see us at a different show. The difficulty at a busy event is trying to chat with friends, old and new, while conducting business and making eye contact and saying "Thank You!" and "Would you like a bag?"
The current year's comment/suggestion/contact notebook is always open for stories, good words, and the like. Each year's book is a treasured reminder of things to do, places to see, new things to make. And GREAT STORIES. Garrison Keillor said that it's all about the stories, and I agree.

So....  this is a short piece covering a long topic. Even if you don't plan on buying art just go walk around a good art fair. You may find joy in one booth and truth in another. You might learn about a craft you'd never known existed. You might meet an an old friend from high school. We artists will be glad to answer questions and give advice to the brave sorts who might want to pitch their own booths next year.

Summer is almost over. It's been short, long, slow and busy. Soon it will be time to start those application processes all over again. That's never fun - so we will not speak of such right now.

On to September, October, and then resting the tent.
We'll be doing some indoor events, but remembering those sunny days at a good fest.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue