A Walk In The Park

I had the opportunity to attend the annual College Hill Arts Festival last weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa. And for anyone in the least bit interested in art, if you missed it, well, you missed it. (I'm not in any position to judge the quality of art displayed, not being an art critic myself… I just know what I like when I see it and I saw a bunch of stuff I liked, but alas, couldn't persuade the artists to give-up their paintings for free. :) (I will say this tho, the weather was fantastic, the grounds were perfect for an art fair, and the booths were very nicely laid-out.)

Nope, it wasn't all fun and games for me. I went with very specific purposes in mind: to network with other artists, if I could; to get a handle on what would be needed should I apply and be accepted to exhibit in the show next year; and to see where I stood regarding how I price my own work.

I was able to meet several artists, one from Kentucky, (there were something like 17 states represented), and another from Des Moines - cool - all of our work very different.

Of the work I saw that I'd call comparable to my own, I found that I was right in the ballpark as far as how I'm doing my pricing, which eased the second-guessing I was doing to myself. So, if I want to sell my art, it looks like I should be concentrating on its promotion. Makes sense.

There were all kinds of other things I learned simply by paying attention to how I was reacting as I browsed the outdoor aisles, e.g., why I passed-by one booth and not another - back-tracking when I realized what I was doing. (If I hadn't become suddenly aware of my behavior, I wouldn't've gone back to see what I'd missed.)

Some of the exhibitors had inadvertently? created barriers to people walking into their booths to view their artwork - things like chairs, stands, or tables at the front. Their placement didn't completely bar people from getting into the booth to take a closer look, but they didn't make it completely inviting either. I don't think I'm off track when I say, "Uh, I don't think you should do that cuz don't people wanna see things before they buy 'em?"

Another thing I learned was what's best to make available as handouts for visitors - not just business cards - what I'd call from my corporate days, "collateral literature." (I picked up a lot of the most attractive for future reference.)

All in all, it was a productive, enjoyable, and relaxing walk in the park.

That's all for now. (I'm severely behind in my correspondence :( but will write again soon.)

Cheers!