'tis the season to be applying to art shows

'tis the season to be applying to art shows

Last year I dipped my toes in the art fairs pond. I had blast. It was both educational and very demanding. 

It involved having inventory ready and packed. It also required you to do some driving. I decided to stay in Wisconsin, but for the farthest show I did, I had to drive for some 3.5 hours. I know some potters who travels several times that amount. 

Once you get to the art fair site, there are tons of rules and regulations you have to follow. Some shows are very good at communicating what you have to do. A few other you learn and you make the mistakes. Luckily they were all staffed by very helpful people. 

I learned that my canopy is not the best for this kind of shows. Everyone else got there Friday night, set up they canopies, zipped them up and were ready for the weekend. I did not have any of those sidewalls, so for me, I have to set up and taken down my stuff every day. 

If you are looking to apply to show, you have to create a zapplication. You'll need some pictures of your work, one of your booth, and an artist statement. The artist statement, by far, was the most difficult part of the process. Some of the art shows give you only a 100 words to say something significant about your work. 

This year I'm aiming for a show every month from May to December. Wish me luck

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