RETAIL AT JURRIED SHOWS LEADS TO THE SHOW'S OWN DEMISE
* I used to be a promoter for a Christmas boutique and some of the other promoters in our business wanted to add imported stuff so they could make more money.  Eventually we lost all our legitimate crafters and our customers got tired of the same stuff they could buy anywhere.
* If a show gets a bad reputation, no amount of advertising will get the crowds to continue to come out year after year. Reputation makes or breaks shows, not advertising.
* It not only taking sales away from artists, hurting them individually, it also causes irreparable harm to the arts & craft show and industry that true artists and craftsmen RELY on for their living through degradation of the 'arts & craft show' term in the public's perception.
* This is how shows end up going downhill. The show then ends up dying from all the retail.
* Many customers recognize retail then wonder if they can trust anyone at the show.  
* CRAFT CUSTOMERS DO NOT WANT RETAIL JUNK. Which crowd do you want? Which show?

PROMOTERS DO MORE HARM BY LYING TO ARTISTS about the competition they will face at their event:
* 'Retail' is fine at even juried shows, as long as stated. All vendors should know what to expect.
* Jury even the resell stuff and then they won't wind up with total junk.
* Why insist that it will be all handcrafted to begin with? Why not admit that you are going to allow retail, instead of having the handcraft vendors and the customers totally fed up?
* Say: "We are NOT an art show; we are a village street fair and allow retail."
* I've been to shows where they promised I'd be the only soap vendor, only to be put across the hall from someone with retail mass-marketed brand soap.
* I once had a promoter call twice and then ask for a letter describing step by step how I made one of my items.  At the show a booth across from me had plastic items with 'made in Twain' stickers. I griped  and was told that this might not be the right show for me!   Right? I will never return.

Many PROMOTERS DO NOT ENFORCE their own RULES or make good on their promises
* The problem is promoters do not enforce the rules.
* I also believe any vendor once they are set up, if their work in any way does not look 100% handmade should be asked to leave, we have to get rid of the buy/sell vendors.

MANY ARTISTS CAN NOT COMPETE WITH RETAIL AND  SURVIVE
* I have talked with vendors who had retail and they said they wouldn't be able to compete and survive if they only had the stuff they made by hand. Events letting in retail is CAUSING more past authentic crafters to mix-in retail or only sell only retail.
* Crafters see others adding retail to their booths at shows will feel more justified in trying it themselves at those shows.

CRAFTSMEN WILL BOYCOTT EVEN 'GOOD' JURIED EVENTS THAT ALLOW RETAIL! These shows will be on a slippery slope to ruin... as it is almost impossible to bring a show back without a new, trusted promoter coming in, taking it over, changing the name and restoring the quality.  Most  artisans WILL NOT do a hand-made show they know to contain retail, so once you allow some in, you will LOOSE MORE ARTISTS, necessitating MORE retail. Ad infinitum.
* I think promoters forget that many GOOD QUALITY artists will NOT BE BACK NEXT YEAR.  Therefore, in only a matter of a couple of years they will have a full blown flea market o' fun. Artists and crafters DO have other shows to consider instead, often there are MANY other 'good' shows taking place on a given weekend that were passed up for your oriental express carnival.
* Show organizers need to understand that good, quality hand crafters who actually do their own work will/can/do walk away from shows that allows import and commercially made products in.
* At the time of set-up, I have no qualms about asking for retail to be removed. I leave if they aren't.
* Those of us who truly hand craft our product do not want to be associated these fake juried shows
* I do not like to work hard only to get to a hand-made, juried show to find there is someone there selling similar items to mine that were imported in from another country underselling me.
* Artists are frustrated by shows claiming to be hand-made, but that are not. They will spread the word to others and not return themselves.
* Retail brands are starting to be boycotted by crafters, they will not do the show if one of the brands is.
* Crafters REALLY resent being charged a jury fee only to find two booths away someone with the same item type, ripping tape off boxes he got from the Orient.
* It was our 1st time to to that show and we will not be back
*  We do not return to fairs that do not follow the rules they spell out in their contract.  If the fair says crafts only and they let people sell resale we do not go back.
* I am a woodworker, I will attend art and craft shows which only have handmade items made AND sold by the person at the booth.  If I spot an item at a booth that is not handmade I will not attend the show again AND I will alert other artists to the fact that the promoter or organization allow this type of work in the show.  If the person responsible for running the show does not make the person remove the item or remove the offending person from the show, I will make sure I will notify every artist I am able to contact.
* I guarantee I will never apply to a show a second time that knowingly allows retail items despite saying handmade only. Such are removed from my list and I request  from theirs.  
* What I dislike seeing at a craft fair are people selling home mortgages, real estate agents, chiropractors setting up appointments, insurance agents and obviously non-craft stuff like ..., ... and ....
* With only a few exceptions, I will attend ONLY juried shows and will report anyone who is not compliant.  If the vendor is not dealt with, I will not put that show on my "next year" list.
* I do a limited number of shows a year, those that do have quality, hand made products.  I have done shows with obvious retail and if the promoter doesn't ask them to leave, I don't do that show again.  

CRAFTSMEN WILL SEEK OUT TRUSTWORTHY PROMOTERS AND FOLLOW THEM LOYALLY, doing multiple shows with them, even tolerating the few not so good ones, if still new and being built up, as long as the promoter is reputable and is keeping the retail out, and the number of artists in each craft categories limited.
* I will always do her shows because I make GOOD money at them. She also juries and allows NO manufactured items. She chooses exhibitors carefully and closes categories before there is a plethora.
* There is a difference in events with artists and "fine crafts" from those that present crafters.  I am a glass blower and NONE of the shows that I do have buy/sell work in them.
* On the other hand, I am loyal to promoters who are professional and reliable, and always encourage the public to attend these.
* The booth space is expensive, compared to other shows in this area, but it is worth the price.

WHY RETAIL OR BUY/SELL IS BAD
* Buy/Sell crafts from China are often of lower quality since since produced in bulk for the lowest cost.
* If the beads are not kiln annealed properly, they will break when dropped or even bumped.
* There are also unscrupulous dealers marketing the Chinese fakes. I say unscrupulous because they lie in their marketing practices, and also they copy the designs of artists and then pass them off as theirs.
* I am an artist and I have found some of my watercolor art stolen on Italian charm bracelet links!
* Junk jewelry coming from India and other countries is not fully backed. Pendants are mounted without cushioning and the back is open, not completely silver. You pay for what you get....

MOST RETAIL & Buy/Sell IS USUALLY BLATENTLY OBVIOUS, to those that Care to Look ? though usually to only other merchants and customers.
* Learn to recognize the mass-produced stuff, the retail stuff, the (what we artists call) buy-and-sell stuff, and don't let it in. Its really not all that difficult if you want to see it.
* It is my opinion that most do not do this for economic reasons, not an inability to spot the imports. If they don't see it even after told, something is WRONG with them.
* Often, I walk hand-made shows and see more than one vendor with the same item or design. What?
* 4 vendors with identical bags, items from South America
* The thing that bugs me most about retail is seeing the exact same item in many booths.
* DO NOT INVITE RETAIL - One retailer was handed an app by it's promoter at another event. So she applied even though retail ? as the promoter must obviously be OK with that fact.

SOME RETAIL IS VERY HARD TO IDENTIFY - JURORS MUST BE EDUCATED IN HAND-MADE IDENTIFICATION! They must research buy/sell trends via retail sales catalogs, wholesale shows, and Juried and Non-Juried craft shows! Jurors should also be artists themselves from DIFFERENT and diverse categories.
* Promoters should obtain and provide for jurors: wholesale catalogs, trade journals, etc!
* Promoters and Jurors should visit MANY other craft shows, well-juried shows, and wholesale & retail shows, so that they can see the variation of goods available ? handmade and not
* The promoter must be vigilant if they want a quality show. select your jurors carefully!
* Jurors cannot evaluate something by only looking. Call All Applicants & ASK QUESTIONS!
* Actual trusted Craftsman for each category should be assigned to the jury.
* We have two jurors who are jewelers. They are very familiar with wholesale and have many catalogs.
* Promoters & Jurors also need to EDUCATE themselves by attending known high quality juried art and craft shows and lower quality craft shows with lots of known retail ? Notice what you see at each. Talk with artists about identification techniques for their product type. Ask ? 'If someone were to apply to my show with a product like yours, what should I look for to identify if it is hand-made or not.'
* One promoter set category standards then photos were emailed to a few of crafters who offered. All decisions were left to the show organizer and following years results were measurably higher!

FAKES ARE IMPROVING - Fakes are getting better in appearance, Frauds are becoming more skilled at pulling ocular wool, and Retail Manufactures further help the perpetration of this fraud by actually sending their customers, your vendors or your competition, tips on getting their items past hand-made-only juries. This sounds like conspiracy to perpetrate a fraud to me, isn't that criminal? Hello?
* The problem is not in the Jury selection. I KNOW that the people with the retail items just do a good job at faking handmade goods to get into the show.
* What I see in import catalogs, etc. are not factory -made so much, as they really ARE handmade -- but in sweatshops in China or the Third World and the women forced to do these things are being paid a pitiful amount to do it.  Therefore, the retailers can undersell us every time.
* When I read "Retail at juried shows is a still growing and already pandemic problem," I'm bothered. Almost every event we sell at is juried, yet we are obviously an import company (the word 'imports' is the second half of our business name). I certainly don't see it as a "pandemic problem" to have buy/sell merchandise at juried shows; in fact, it is our very livelihood. According to your statement, my very business is a "growing and pandemic problem."

THERE ARE 'GANGS' OF RETAILERS SEEKING VULNERABLE SHOWS TO PROFIT AT, STEALING SALES FROM YOUR ARTISTS! There are foreign imports product 'regimes' where one head person books shows for many teams of people that then go sell at whatever events the booker can get the gang into!
* These con artists are skilled at getting past juries. They do it for a living. Many, no-joke jury procedures, precautions, and steps are required to keep these folks out!
* Promoters must heed the advice herein and jury effectively. Artists and Crafters need to provide the promoters of ALL juried, hand-made shows they are doing with a printed copy of this document.
* Most Artists and Crafters are familiar with these massive operations and when the see one of them at one of their shows, it's a joke amongst them in that they know it's a sure sign that a show has gone down the tube and they, the quality artists you rely on, will move on and try other shows.

MAKE YOUR APPLICATION, JURY, & ACCEPTANCE PROCESS MORE STINGENT IN  MULTIPLE WAYS!
* PROMOTERS NEED TO TAKE SUSPECT RETAIL AND JURYING SERIOUSLY There needs in-person or on-site jurying. Questions of artist intent and statement, process and inspiration, education and skill need to be asked.
* PROMOTERS NEED TO SET STANDARDS THAN JURRORS CAN APPLY THEM These should be in writing and given to jurors. These should consist of a goal statement of the quality of show aimed for, What is definitely acceptable, What is NOT acceptable, etc. Will the event be Hand-Made only or not? Must the artist be present at the show or can hand-made imports be sold? What level of hand making is acceptable ? minimal additions of moss and paint to purchased decor items or must all items be made from raw supplies? Many categories will have their own standards.
* Require new applicants to actually SEND IN PIECES OF THEIR WORK IN VERIOUS STAGES.  A snapshot does not actually do just any good.
* The event application needs to specifically Ask for a LIST OF ALL ITEM TYPES THAT WILL BE SOLD. They also need to let the vendor know that they will be ejected from the show if they bring items that are not listed or not handmade. Period.
* Ask for a  WRITTEN DESCRIPTION of their item production process.
* Ask for an ARTIST STATEMENT and a REFUND statement.
* INCLUDE VERBAGE ON YOUR APPLICATION TO DETER RETAILERS FROM EVEN TRYING TO SNEAK IN - SAY that you would like all seller to look around and report any items to the promoter that might not be hand crafted, and that you will remove folks with only retail, and have folks remove any items from their booth that was not itemized on their application. THEN ? DO WHAT YOU SAY!
* HAVE A MEMBER OF THE JURY CALL ALL APPLICANTS. These conversations are recorded so not only do they have a signed form stating your product is custom crafted, they now also have a verbal confirmation.
* If you suspect the validity of a vendor, ASK FOR ADDITIONAL INFO AND PHOTOS, etc.
* GOOGLE EVERY CRAFT APPLICATION'S PRODUCT - A search done using a description of an item will often  come up with a site selling that item for a fraction of what the ?crafter? is selling it for.
* DO NOT ONLY RELY ON LUCK FOR NEW APPLICANTS ? ACTIVLY INVITE ARTISTS TO APPLY IN PERSON THAT YOU SEE AND LIMITEDLY APPROVE OF AT OTHER SHOWS -  I spend all year visiting almost every craft show in our area that I find out about and "scout" for prospective vendors. Finding quality artists is NOT hard, if you actively try, and have not already created a bad reputation for yourself.
* VISIT NEW APPLICANTS AT OTHER SHOWS to inspect their display setup and wares in person.
* Some shows HAVE APPLICANTS APPEAR BEFORE THE JURY IN PERSON with products before you are ever even accepted. SOME ASPECT SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATED or ITEMS IN MULTIPLE UNFINISHED STAGES SHOULD BE BROUGHT.
* The only thing to make sure that the artist is doing his product by hand is to VISIT THEIR WORKSHOP. Some European promoters do it when they suspect a problem. Of course here in America the distances are far greater and they might have no money to go around.
* Request a short video file or DVD as an alternative to slides or anything else in the Jury process. It can all be viewed in a minute or two, the same time it takes to scrutinize 5 slides.
* Require a recommendation from a known artist or group?

HOW CAN EVENTS FIND MORE QUALITY APPLICANTS?
* Mention on all signs, in all advertisements, etc. that the show will be improving in quality to all hand-made. Say if it is Under New Management. Rename or move location. Actually IMPROVE!
* Upload pictures of all accepted artists' work to your website or to your EventLister.com listing so applicants can SEE what you are allowing in. Mention on apps that they can look there.
* Seek more thoroughly, don't wait for them to find you! Place ads in all the printed and online event guides. Visit other quality shows and invite those in categories you need if they pass a brief inspection.
* EventLister.com sells mailing labels of either artists, crafters, retailers, and/or food vendors.
* To 'Jury' vendors can mean essentially anything. State on your app what YOUR JURY means.
* Remove generic term 'craft show' from name. State Locally Handcrafted on/in all signs/ads.
* Advertising more? Handing out apps at shows? Shared Mailings?
* Advertise shows earlier and in more crafter resource guides, all even, print and online!
* Mailing Lists shrink each year to moves & retirements, they must be ADDED to!
* Emails go bad even more quickly, one third go bad per year! 1 out of 3 each year! Do not rely on email for applications. Send physical copies to all past attendees by mail.
* Solicit artists not only at quality events ? realize that great local craftsmen get sucked into bad shows.
* If all else fails, considered having an 80 quality artist event instead of 100 exhibitors with 20 junk ones.
* If you don't get the show filled, give the exhibitors more room to spread out. Almost every exhibitor will appreciate extra space. The public does not notice as long as the show looks full. They will notice bought-for-resale or bad work and will not be back.

QUESTION ARTISANS THAT ARE SUSPECT
* Real crafters are passionate people; Buy/Sellers want you to go away when you question.
* We know the history of each lighthouse we represent; the legends, myths, and even ghost stories.
* I'm a wood turner and might be asked: 1. How do you finish your product? 2. How do you get that look or specific effect?  3. How do you prefer to turn your wood? How does a lathe work?
* Ask questions AND for physical or photo proof & verification until you are CONVINCED!

BE WARY OF HUGE INVENTORIES, little product variations, and LOW prices.
* If the vendor has a slew of the same item displayed, it is retail or they have a very large family and no creativity.
* Some vendors seem more production automated than hand made crafts which is what we ask for.
* Personally I tend to look first at booths that just seem to have TOO MUCH PRODUCT.
* Items practically given away are not hand made. Question 40 hand-carved wooden roses for $10!
* Real artists don't display 15 of the same item at one show at one time, not even their best sellers.
* If there are many of the exact same design and color. I can't stand to make the same thing repeatedly.
* When I see trays and trays or boxes and boxes of items brought in by a vendor, I have my doubts that the crafter/vendor actually put together or made the items themselves. Most of the commercially made items have no uniqueness--everything is pretty much the same style.
* Even great sellers, I tend to change the colors, or put in some type of variation...

BE WARY OF UNDERPRICED intricate, detailed, labor intensive WORK.
* If a promoter sees intricate items selling for $10 or $15 you can pretty much bet they are not crafted if the amount of time it takes to make these items far exceeds their price range.

Be Wary of 'TOO PERFECT' PRODUCTS with NO VARIATION. Too consistently painted faces, etc.
* we sell hand-made handbags and have to compete with retail handbags all of the time. One hint to tell the difference is "too perfect" stitching.
* Fake tie dye is too regular, they have several shirts of the same pattern / color & the inside is paler.
* I look for differences between items. With handcrafted items they are usually all slightly different.
* I have been doing glass for over 10 years and there is no way I can get it exact.
* Anything too perfect is usually retail. A handcrafted item should have some "flaw".
* Most painters have a style and you can tell only one person has designed and painted what they are displaying at a show.
* the cost of the bracelet alone would exceed $20. So price is definitely a clue.  

LOOK FOR CHINA RETAIL PACKAGING OR 'MADE IN P.R.C.' or 'MADE IN CHINA' STICKERS! - Be Wary of vendors that are unpacking from China boxes and pulling finished items out of sealed plastic bags in form fitted coushining.
* Promoters need to watch for vendors unloading boxes that say "Made in China" on them.
* I have been next to a vendor who flagrantly opened his "made in China" stamped boxes and put the items on his tables.  The boxes were then placed behind his booth in plain view.  
* If all promoters would take 10 minutes and do a setup/unpacking walk and then a trailer walk most of them would be shocked at how much of the merchandise comes right out of the made in china boxes. QUESTION THEM!

INSPECT FOR REMOVED TAGS or STICKERS, etc.
* Look on the back and bottom of items.  Can you physically see or feel where the "Made in China" sticker was removed. There is often an oval or rectangular glue residue! Removal of sticker by anyone other than the buyer is illegal! Call the police if they give ANY gruff about packing it up and LEAVING your HAND-MADE SHOW!

BE WARY OF wide ranges in products types, with little variation in each product type.
* If someone has 2 types of products and each type is of an entirely different but self consistent style, you should investigate them further as they are likely not making one of both product lines.

IDEAS FOR JURY FORM QUESTIONS
  Handmade /   Is There Evidence of:
      variations within brush strokes in lettering doll faces - GOOD
      anything looking forged, molded, press cut, machine made ? BAD
      style consistency across diverse products types ? GOOD
      style non-consistency across diverse products types ? BAD
      prices undercutting what it should take to make it by hand ? BAD
      very unusual designs, intricate, & correspondingly expensive - GOOD
    Decide what your standards are
      Some events do not even allow ceramics (mold made) or any beaded jewelry.
      Some allow foreign made sweats and Ts that are embellished, others never.
    Definitely Yes & reasons why
    Definitely No & why
    Definitely Mixed & why
        What %? what items all handmade? What items all bought?
        Which items are not AS handmade as is claimed? What are they actually doing to make each?
    Unsure & why
  Is vendor a Match with the show?   quality wise / category wise /  price wise
  Overall booth display quality
    Table cloths, coverings
      Top of the line ? custom made or designer vs. Plain Generic Cloth, vs. Plastic
    Non-Flat Display
      Table shelves, racks, display cases
      Floor racks, shelves, pegboards
      Panel backgrounds, Hanging vs. Non-hanging pictures
      Quality of Displays
        Glass Cases vs. Cheap Plastic? Old, beaten up? Milk Crates?
    Uniqueness of Setup ? Does it stand out? As good or bad?
  Overall product quality, uniqueness, & diversity
    Product diversity, selection
      Diversity within a category (bowls, tea cups, & serving plates) ? Good
      Diversity of many categories/media (jewelry & pottery & dip) - Bad
    Category Uniqueness
      Basket weavers are fewer in their count than jewelers, hence more valuable.
      If you limit by category already or jury by category, this is not needed.
    Uniqueness within Category ? Cut porcelain plate jewelry scores above beaded
    Product Quality

LIMIT BY CATEGORY!  Too many in one category is BAD!  
* there were 19 jewelry vendors out of a total of 110 exhibitors; that festival was in its 6th year so the organizers should know better by now.
* Show size up to 50 crafters 1 of each type of vendor if not 2. Show size up to 100 crafters 2 of each if not 3 Show size up to 250 crafters 4 of each type.

TOO MUCH JEWELRY specifically
* Even Juried shows should limit jewelry to 10% or less! Each year promoters allow more and more jewelers into their shows, which has resulted in TOO many comments at EACH show that "this is nothing but a jewelry show" or "more jewelry,I've never seen so much jewelry at this show before". This hurts all the craft vendors (not just Jewelers).

Require MULTIPLE WORKSHOP PHOTOS of supplies, tools, items being made in Multiple Steps, and the artist and workshop itself.
* Ask for photos of: artist's booth display, setup table shots, product close-ups, work room, work area(s) at different times, artist working multiple pieces, machinery, tools, raw supplies storage, picture ID to compare on show day,
* REQUIRE a photo album at each booth of the crafter at work in their workshop.
* I think one way that vendors that create their own product... Me included ...should fight back by displaying pictures of work in process...pictures of their studio... pictures of them working. Put a sign in your booth ...........ALL ITEMS HAND CRAFTED BY ME.
* REQUIRE PHOTOS of EVERYTHING to be sold. Return photos at booth inspection.
* I know of one juried event that asks for electronic pictures that they put on their website where the craft fair is advertised. She said it seemed to help promote the fair because people can see the quality.
* Requires 20+ SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT photos of WIP MINIMUM. Require Photos of different pieces ALONG WITH WRITTEN DESCRIPTIONS of creation from start to finish and each photo's current stage.
* Most workshops/studios are a "mess"...or at least an "organized mess". No matter how much I try to keep it neat & tidy, it never stays that way for long.  I have over 300 bottles of paint, some in racks , some on work tables, and some I am really not sure of where they are. >sigh<   Other supplies; numerous paint brushes, solvents, surfaces waiting to be painted or in the process, paper towels, stains & stain clothes, price tags, jute twine, raffia, sea sponges, and tons of other "stuff" are here & there.  If my studio jury photos didn't include these things in the background, I would be suspicious!  I can't imagine that there are very many "fakers" who would go to the trouble to purchase all the necessaries that go into a working studio just to pass a jury. So promoters beware: IF THE STUDIO PIC'S ONLY SHOW FINISHED PRODUCT WITHOUT ALL THE OTHER "STUFF" IN THE BACKGROUND....DON'T ACCEPT THEM!!!!!
* One of the most common tricks used to stage fake 'I make it myself' photos is the capturing on film of the dismantling ( aka ? destruction ) of one of their items. There will be signs of the item being more damaged in less assembled states! If a basket is unwoven, you should see marks on the material as it is unwoven showing where it was winding in and out, squeezing intertween the verticals, the manhandled wicker will look curly, should have depressions, has finished edges, etc. If you have ever seen someone make a basket, the new material is PERFECTLY straight and long like reeds, lots of them at odd angles until they are all finally woven together. Likewise, jewelry taken apart will show more tool markings on the piece in the less assembled state, and almost none in the finished state.
* It must be known that there are many vendors that will send a juried event entirely false & fake workshop photos that are either well staged, of another vendor, or authentic to some degree, yet not of their main product, etc. Typically then, their items brought to sell will not resemble the ones their application represented. Some of these ? go so far as to try to sell merchandise that is not even close in category to that described. A claimed potter with pictures of someone at a wheel may arrive with only beaded jewelry and 2 Mexican vases, if that. This IS happening these days to more and more promoters and this is why day-of inspection is crucial. You must forcibly remove any vendor that tries to pull this on you! Stick to your contract and your rules which they agreed to. Call the police if they refuse to leave. All your vendors will take note of how you handle the situation.
* I'm sick to death of going thou the hassle of pictures/websites/etc to make sure my promoters know my items are ORIGINAL and HAND MADE by me , only to get to the show and be set up in the middle of people with 'bead work'  made by Cambodian slave labor, chip and dip crocks (who makes them, really?) or doormats printed with college logos?  
* For those of us who lived further afield we were allowed to jury in with pictures but we had to present the real stuff to the jurying committee BEFORE we were allowed to set up.
* ALL WORK should be inspected as the artists sign in or are setting up and compared to their photos. Require photos of every product to be displayed in booths, other items will be removed or you will have to leave the show.

Promoters would be wise to suggest or even REQUIRE ARTISTS TO DISPLAY A PHOTO ALBUM in their booth of them manufacturing their work. Whoever has ears ought to listen.
* It also is a good marketing tool, almost a demonstration of my work.
* Album and photos sent in with application should be then used DAY OF during walk around inspections.

Require COPIES of RECENT SUPPLY INVOICES.
* Some promoters ask for material invoices and/or a list of suppliers that the artist deals with.
* Some shows ask for receipts for rough rock, silver etc.  How much silver jewelry can you make if you don't buy the silver sheet??
* About a year ago, shows started requesting recent and multiple receipts/invoices of the components I purchase to make my jewelry. At first I thought this was a huge hassle but did it anyway. Because of this, I have noticed an increase in the quality of the products at these shows.
* Buy/sell from China are not able to produce receipts much less be able to explain the manufacture.
* I like the idea of requesting receipts for materials used in the crafts. I'm not suggesting that artists should disclose secret ingredients, simply provide proof that we are actually using raw supplies.
* I use spices, paper for labels, bags, etc. If you aren't making your product, you will not have receipts.
* Suppliers names can be blanked out as well as the prices if the crafter so chooses

BOOTHS AND MERCHANDISE MUST BE INSPECTED before, during, or after setup, and AGAIN after the show has started. ( frauds often put out items after setup inspection ends ) Retail MUST be removed from display or the vendor MUST be forced to LEAVE. Call the poe-lease!
* Promoters should require on applications a list of what will be sold along with photos of the items. Upon day of inspection, the promoter uses the photos in hand along with the list of products for inspection and if it wasn't in your pics, it cant be at the show! Force instant removal or eject!
* The application should state that this is a contract and once signed and returned they can be told to leave if it is found that they have be untruthful. This protects the promoters and the true crafters.
* Clarify and State in the contract that vendors sign that 1. "resale items" are NOT acceptable 2. that there will be observers checking ALL booths at the actual show 3. and should they be found to have non-artist made items they WILL be evicted from the show 4. with NO refund of their booth fees 5. and will not be allowed to return in subsequent years to any of the promoters shows.  
* "Retail Police" - Assign craftsman / artists or Jury members to (like you said) actually walk around - clipboard in hand with staff event jacket or shirt to survey each booth.
* Make retailers leave. Period. Make them leave the show, and do not allow them to do the show again. Even if they have already set up.  Letting them stay just makes it worse the next year.
* You can even inspect AS folks arrive and check in. Inspect a few items before giving them their spot number and welcome packet. In confirmation packs and applications, ask vendors to be prepared to exhibit a few items upon arrival right at the entrance before they can unload or start to setup. Exclude those from the event grounds who have items  which are clearly imported junk.
* Insist anyone suspect of having buy/sell products leave immediately. Insist anyone who's product is not as portrayed in their photos or described on their application leave immediately. Cover yourself in your applications and emphatically state this will happen.
* but they also do a walk through BEFORE opening their doors to the public, and they often do force the vendor to remove the item(s), or make them leave entirely.
* I still believe if you throw them out during the show it will make a huge statement.
* If the promoters doesn't want to make a scene, they could just use their list of violators next year.

Craftsmen should EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THAT THEIR ITEMS ARE HAND-MADE and WHY A HAND-MADE ... IS BETTER THAN A MASS-PRODUCED ....., QUALITATIVELY
* Educate your customers as to the difference!  SELL the quality of your product, make them see that your product is worth the price!
* Your booth should have a sign stating that all items are handmade by you!
* Your booth should have a photo album of your workshop and pieces in progress.
* Have photos comparing your manufacturing methods to other retail items you photograph being taken apart.
* I constantly let people know. My first line is "Its handmade by me, not from china"
* I make it a point to tell my customers that my product is proudly made by me in Illinois in the US! Ive had many people thank me for telling them - it helps strike up a conversation, and a sale.
* Make the juried vendors work at their booth.  Recently I did a craft show and the lady next to me had miniatures (flowers, cakes, animals).  I thought for sure that she was importing them.  I started talking to her during a lull in the show and low and behold, she was making these beautiful creations from clay.  She was indeed an artist and I felt guilty for thinking that she was buying them.  

ACTIONS ARTISTS AND CRAFTERS SHOULD TAKE BEFORE APPLYING:
* BEFORE you apply, call up the promoter.  Don't email, don't snail mail ? CALL!  Ask if they stand by their word on hand-made only, what their opinion of handmade is, how they jury, if they have had complaints at shows from crafters, if they remove retail or not and if they have...
* Once you are considering applying to a new show, ask a dozen trusted crafter friends what they though of the show ? quality-wise and customer-wise. Just wait to apply after the weekend's show(s) where you go around and question folks about it. Question only quality artists and you may even learn of other great quality shows!

Artists and crafters should HELP PROMOTERS IDENTIFY AND REMOVE RETAIL fraud. Even if not asked! - Promoters should ask for reports of who or what should be looked at more closely under suspicion of it being non-hand-made; but if a promoter doesn't ? offer advice anyway, this is your livelihood and you are not 'complaining' by bringing such info to a promoters attention.
* A way to catch those selling retail products is to ask vendors to jury each other.  Hand out a questionnaire to each vendor, to be returned before the show starts.
* Have a competent vendor in each category discreetly peruse each booth to spot buy/sell.
* All vendors need to do their part. Show organizers need to be alerted when buy/sell is seen.
* Often the only way to know that some things were not authentic is by having seen in in catalogs.  Therefore, it is important that the artists take on some responsibility and bring forward any questions they may have regarding authenticity.
* I've been fighting imports for years. What I find helpful is to bring the wholesale import catalogs to shows and then show the catalog to the promoter, then the "crafter" is caught red handed.
* I am a one person show and don't have time to walk around at shows. However, I have a dozen or so friends that are more than happy to walk the show. They make notes and then find the event organizer and complain about the retail crap at an arts & crafts show.
* I have talked with promoters - many tell me they didn't know they were letting in "China junk".
* Promoters need to encourage vendor policing of each other and have a policy that they actually enforce that allows for vendors to say "so and so" is selling retail items and verify it with more than one vendor then kick that person out of the show
* Organizers must think that disrupting the show and leaving an empty spot is not the way to go...they don't understand that by allowing the vendor to stay, they are a) taking money away from the real hand crafters, b) acknowledging that they are helpless to prevent fakes c) damaging the reputation of the show to both crafters and the buying public.
* When I brought this up, her response was, "Well, I figured if others were selling non-crafted items, I could too!"  How does that solve any problem?
* They say they don't want to make a scene by making the retailers leave.  They just say they won't allow then back.  That response does no good at all because the damage is already being done.
* It really gets down to whether a Promoter/Jury is serious enough about eradicating Retail items from  their Shows and if we, as Crafters/Artists, are committed enough to protecting our hand made Industry.

FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND CLAIMS WILL BE MADE ? DO NOT TRUST VENDOR STATEMENTS AS GOSPEL TRUTH ? USE THEM AS AN ALERT ONLY THAT YOU NEED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER
* Accusers should be asked WHAT items are not hand-made, weather they think or KNOW, and HOW they know. They should be able to tell you what about the item makes it questionable, then YOU should apply that standard after running it past other artists in that category. Ideally, if someone has a booth filled with retail, there would be lists worth of identification methods that they should be able to give you ? a 'I just know they didn't make it all' should NOT suffice!
* I design, cut and paint personalized .... all made from wood....Two times I was turned down because they thought it was resell so I sent them items in different stages of completion.  I was then accepted!
* While quality is important, it's equally important not to create witch-hunts...especially if you are not sure. We need to do this in a respectful manner and remember that people's livelihoods are at stake
* I know I make everything, since I am making it all, yet this year I have been juried out of some shows we have done for several years and when I check to see who got in I can plainly see that even the buy & sell got by the jury committee.
*I also have been accused of buying imports by other crafters just because of the volume of doll clothes I carry.  When this happens I gladly let the promoter inspect my outfits for labels.
* Some Crafters are SO good, however, that their work looks like retail or better. Many crafters have refined their product packaging and tagging and display to an art unto itself!

FRAUD IS A CRIME
* Artists and Crafters need to file class action suits to get their money back from promoters that say one thing then do another.  Do this several times and things will tighten up
* I sell native American jewelry. We work with families and trading post in the southwest, then bring the merchandising to new England to sell. If we knowingly sell non-Native as Native it is a federal offense. We let our suppliers know that if they slip any import into our orders that we will report them.
* Louis, it is my understanding that you cannot pull the "Made in . . . ? stickers off retail products. Like mattress tags, only the end consumer can remove a ?Made in ...? sticker.

Craft Category Specific Tips:
One last warning ? being hand-made does not mean the item is not made in China. Many craft retail items from ARE MADE BY HAND, BUT IN CHINA, IN FACTORIES, IN MASS QUANTITY. Verifying items as hand-made is one thing, but verifying if the oil paintings they have stacked on their tables and have even signed are made by them or not is entirely another. Yes, even authentic oil paintings can be bought wholesale unsigned from China ? by the truckload preferably even!

     STAINED GLASS ? Look closely at the way the piece has been foiled.  A true crafter will have the foil around their glass match at the joint.  We use very sharp blades to ensure that this happens.  This makes for an even overlap and a sturdier piece. It is hard to machine make stained glass items, but these would look too polished, too even, no flaws at all!  Some people use plastic instead of glass and the lead/copper lines make unbelievable curves that are not possible if glass is being used.  Flaws are impossible on hand made stained glass.
     PHOTOGRAPHY - The photo vendor should have the same photo in a variety of sizes and forms - cards, matted prints, matted and framed, etc. Be diligent in looking at quality of the photograph. Mass produced photos have a look to them that you will not see in original art-photography. Ask vendors for website addresses, log on and validate the application after viewing their website. With photographs - if there is a obvious sameness to how was they are matted or framed - look on the front for a signature - and on back to see if there is a label attached identifying the vendor as the photographer.
     FUSED / BLOWN GLASS ? Jewelry or other -  I sign and date the back of all my pieces.
     POTTERY - I sign and date the bottom.
     HATS - The easiest way to tell if someone's reselling hats is the quantity they have and that they're all pretty much the same size with many of exactly the same style, color and form.  Factory hats are also much stiffer than handmade.
     PAINTINGS - If you brush your finger across the painting, you should be able to feel the brush strokes , not completely smooth.
     TYE-DYE -  I can tell fake tie-dye because it is too regular, several shirts of the same pattern and if you look on the inside of the shirt, it's paler than the outside.
     RINGS ? JEWELRY -  the silver rings you see so much of.  Ask the vendor if they do it with wax relief and what their process is like, how long it takes to make one, etc.  You can tell by their answer if they do not have a clue.
     DICHROIC GLASS -  Faux Dichro is "fused" in a conventional oven, glass can't. Dichroic glass is fused in a kiln at 1480 degrees and takes about 11 hours. The faux product does not have the color brilliance, depth or shine that true dichroic glass has, and of course it is a lot cheaper to make.
     SEWN ITEMS -  Ask to see an unfinished item and turn the item inside out. It is easy to see if a button is sewn on by hand or machine.  Tags are often cut off but the remnants are viseable, stitching may be damaged even if none of the tag remains.
     SHAWLS - I wouldn't sell a handwoven hand spun alpaca shawl for less than $125.00....
     KNITTING / WEAVING - Simple weaving looks the same whether done by hand or by machine; but there are a number of hand-manipulated weave structures that can't be done by an automatic loom, they can be done by hand, even by cheap labor.  Knitting is the same way.  My thought is, if the woven or knitted shawl, blanket, stole, etc. of "hand spun" (may  or may not be) natural fiber yarn is extraordinarily cheap, the odds are the seller didn't make it herself.  If the seller can't explain what dyes she / he used, or what weaving pattern that is, might be another indication.
     POWDER-COATED METAL - Powder-coated metal is not handcrafted 90% of the time. The facilities for powder coating metal are generally not available to the average artist/crafter.
     Soldered non-precious metal is usually not handcrafted unless it's a work of stained glass or wrought iron outdoor art.
     They might have only some imported items, low-cost items that have a different "look".
     MISC -  wooden roses, the chenille puppets, mahogany wood airplanes/cars, recycled plastic woven baskets, of course jewelery that's not hand strung/wrapped (the magnetic stuff is rampant right now), powder coated spinners for the yard, a lot of the wrought iron work, south american imports and the CD's of 'native' music. Oh and Russian imports (nesting dolls/eggs), croaking frogs, wooden flutes

July 7, 2008
Top of the morning, all. Its 5AM on a golden Monday morning, and its a great time to do a little blogging. Here in the secluded woods of Burr Hill, we had a lot of rain, over the weekend, and now I have about 2 feet of water in my freshly dug foundation trenches, for the new shop. So when the rain stops and I pump out the water, I'll post more progress pictures. What do you do........its good to have the rain....good for the well, earth worms, all those beautiful black walnut trees, and you know what, it makes things feel all clean and fresh again!
Okay, I get little daily inspirational messages e-mailed to me every morning, from Joel Osteen, a very dynamic speaker, and pastor from Texas......and I have to say, that more often than not, the daily messages, that I get, really relate with things that are going on in my life. So I'm going to share this mornings thought....take a read, and let me know what ya think.........................
God doesn't want you to live with a "barely-get-by" attitude. He has new seasons of increase in front of you. He wants you to thrive, to live an abundant, overflowing life. Sometimes when things seem difficult, it's easy to slip into a "survival mode." When times get tough, it's tempting to just hunker down and settle where you are. If you're not careful, you'll develop a survival mentality that will keep you from growing ad releasing your faith. You'll be happy just to "break even." But as God's children, we're not supposed to just break even; we're supposed to break through to a new level! We're supposed to believe for more of God's favor, increase, and promotion no matter what is happening in the world around us. Make up your mind today that no matter how difficult things seem, you are going to thrive every day! Take hold of God's promises and declare that you are rising higher. As you continue to expect His favor and increase, you'll see His hand of blessing in your life, and you will thrive and live in victory all the days of your life.
.....okay everyone has their own belief's, and I'm not trying to push mine on anyone, however with that being said, this one, again, hit me square on the head! So if your one of those glass half empty, head hanging, 6 hour salad makers, learn to be a little positive, it won't hurt you!
 I'm inspired now! So it's out to the shop to create, Batman!

July 4th, 2008
HAPPY 4th of JULY ALL!!!!!
Well its finally happened. I started building my new shop/studio! Its been a long time coming, and I can't wait until the day that I am able to pound the first nail, in it. I have updated my SHOP CAM  page, which now reads, NEW SHOP & SHOP CAM . I did this, so that I could post progress pictures of the construction. I will post copies of my design drawings, and interior photo's, as the months progress.
Way back in 1776, when our country's leaders wrote the Declaration of Independence, they stood together as one, and read it aloud. Declaring this new country's independence from British rule. However it wasn't until some 7 years later, when the British finally recognized the United States of America, as a free and separate country. Wow....7 years!
Good things DO come to those who wait, and survive the struggle!
HAPPY JULY 4th!!!

July 1, 2008
Holy stars and stripes, batman, its July 1st already! Wow, how time flies, when your having fun......
 ........or when you reach 50, might be the better analogy. HA HA!
There I was pounding a piece of copper, yesterday, in the shop, and I just had to stop and look at that piece of material, that I was abusing. The metal started off, in my hands, as a small 8 inch round section, of a much larger 100' roll of copper. So I looked at it, as I placed it under my pneumatic planishing hammer, and watched it get beat into shape, at a rate of over 300 smacks of the tooling head, a minute. I thought to myself, that maybe I am cheating a little bit. Thinking back to when, over 10,000 years ago, humans first started using this material as a substitute for stone. Then came the Egyptians and a few other people, who invented, what is known as, metallurgy. That was about 4000 years ago. I guess that fire had been refined enough, and they used it and charcoal, to melt the copper from the volcanic rock, that they found the verde patina colored element in. I had to stop for a minute and think about how my planishing hammer was doing the work of about 10 men, beating and shaping the flat piece of dull copper, into a bowl. A bowl that will adorn a new "Wine Vine" model, that I am making. When the bowl is done being shaped, I'll shine it up, buff it out, etch it and then use a secret technique to change to color, back to its natural verde color.   Now isn't that kind of a long way around the course, just to get it back to its natural state. No, I thought, because it is not back to its natural state, it has grown from a fiery rock, thrown from a volcano, smashed by huge land marching dinosaurs, covered by vegetation for a few million years, pressed hard by several tons of earth, rocks and assorted animal droppings, then dug up, roasted in a fire and contorted into the shape of the bowl, that I now hold in my hand. Now that's wild, I thought! This copper bowl, has kind of gone full circle, and now will be around, in its present rendering, until the time that it is dug up again, by some creature, a few thousand years from now. Just what will that lucky person, or robot think when they find it? Who knows, but I would like to think that my work, that I've just spent a couple days making, might be placed in some sort of an alien museum, and gazed upon, in amazement for future generations.
Yea...right! What's he smoking now? That's, when I snapped out of my Walter Midy moment and realized that this piece of copper has a shelf life, just like all of us. We were born of fire and brimstone, cast out of a hot pocket, trampled and crushed, battered and bruised and then contorted into the shape we are now. When that process is complete, we will go back to the natural state, which we came from, get dug up again and it goes on and on and on...........Life's short, isn't it, in the eyes of a copper ore encrusted volcanic rock.
Wow...how time flies when your having fun......... being shaped......
June 25, 2008
 So what the hey.......
Okay, I know what your thinking...what's up with ol' rebel? Why is he blogging again, just 2 days after his last rant? Well I'll tell you why....because I pay for this web site, and I'll ride it like a wild pony, if I damn well feel like it! Okay...got it....good!, so here I go...I live in the sticks, no I should say, deep in the sticks. Deliverance deep. So deep, that my woods look like an ancient rainforest. I just happen to like that too. It keeps the outside world's influence to a minimum.
In my shop, I design and create, all day long. Some people ask, just how can I sit still and do that all day..... Well who said I sat still........ I'm convinced that I'm affected by what the doctors call attention deficiently disorder. Who doesn't have 10 projects going st the same time? Isn't that normal?...and just what is normal?
 So, mean while back at the ranch.........
I've made my art, and given it away, from time to time, never looking for anything in return, except for that hope that a new friend could be had. Don't we as artisan's do this all too often? I think so....we dream and create new work, every day...take our time planning, designing and making it...then all we ask in return, is maybe a second glance sometime, a place in ones head and heart...the return someday of that friend, to look at your work or just to ask how it is going....
Wow...that bottle of Port must have had some mushrooms in it last night.........I'm starting to slip back into reality....
stuff happens..................
Oh...by the way...I just wanted to say that I've made some changes to my schedule, for the fall season.....One of my favorite shows, in Pittsburgh, PA, lost its home sadly..a victim of an greedy developer. One of those corporate enities that are so rich, in their own mind, that the little things just waffle over their head........... they are somehow, lost in translation somewhere on the back of a hundred dollar bill.
So in that shows place, I have committed to a wonderful show, in Charleston, SC. This happens to be the same show, that started my relationship off with Gilmore Enterprises, hands down, one of the very best, honest promoters in the business. So just like the life cycle, itself, what comes around, goes around.....do I smell karma........... one's loss is anothers gain......So what the hey!
June 23, 2008
Throw me under the bus.................
First off, I'd like to thank everyone that continues to take time to e-mail me, with various pithy comments. I started this blog, as a stress reducer, a crap ball cruncher, and as a forum for artists wanting to vent about their show experiences and also as a avenue to discuss ways in which we can make our show and life experiences in general, a little better. What your average person that comes to a well produced, quality art show, doesn't see, is the intrinsic values that go into our work.  Joe and Jane Schmoe wake up Saturday morning, have their cup of coffee, from that fine machine injected, sweat shop produced, piece of crap, coffee cup, that reads, "KISS THE COOK". Yea the same mug that you see in your local buy/sell flea market/antique mart in Bumflap, West Virginia, and the local WalSmart supper store, on isle 5A. Oh by the way, it is stamped, MADE IN CHINA, on the bottom. As Joe and Jane slurp on their Spams Club hazelnut blend, they read of a arts and crafts show, advertised in the daily rag, that morning. It runs from 10 to 5, on Saturday and Sunday, down at 5th and Main St. Rain or shine, its sure to be a good time. So Joe and Jane decide that they just might want to venture out and see what kind of junk they can procure, and to see if Senior' Sack-o-Crapo, is at his regular spot, selling plastic flowers, herb crusted pretzel chips, coffee mugs and dog collars, that read, "I LUV MY SNOUZER". They need a new one for Rover. So they head out for a hum dinger of a day, after all they know that they can probably get 4 cups for the price of 2. All they have to do is drive a hard bargain.  Now what Joe and Jane didn't realize, is that this very same weekend, down at the local coliseum, is a indoor show, that has quality handcrafted works of art. Jay Woodhead, has beautiful turned bowls, from exotic burls, Judy Gemstone has her usual display of flawless blue stone sterling silver bracelets, and about 200 other artisans are displaying their work, in a finely choreographed setting, that does not include items made in China. Now these artists traveled from all over the country to set up shop for a couple, three days, to show the work that took them time, in their studio/shop, to produce. Yes handcraft, one by one. Each piece of leather was sewn together, each clay pot was thrown and glazed, each bowl was born from a 100 foot tree, cut down to size, and then turned and finished. These things didn't take 5 or 10 minutes to make. They wern't purchased by some freeloading, no talent prick, from isle 5A, in WalSmart. They all got their birth from raw materials, that were worked and worked, until they fit. When shoppers come into your booth at a quality show or festival, they need to know that the works of art that they see, were born out of a lot of love. We don't need to discount a red cent. We don't need to go the 5 for a quarter route. We just need to educate our customers, as if they don't already know, just what they are touching, feeling, drooling over, and trying to imagine just how it would look, sitting on that half round table, in their home.
All of us artists have extreme overhead. Travel expenses have escalated dramatically over the past couple years, and yet we hold the line as tight as we can. When you look at your work and figure how to price each piece, we have to figure these intrinsic values into the cost factor. At the same time educate our customers on the value of our work. This can't be done by hiding behind the curtain, or reading a book, on your favorite green directors chair, while people file in and out of your exhibit. Interact with the people that just paid 6 bucks to see yours and the other artisan's work. Joe and Jane will someday find their way into your show, because Bill and Mary Highclass, down the street keep talking about the hand painted crystal wine glasses and the autumn colored "Wine Vine"  they bought at the Craftsmen's Classic last week. Lookie here. Griswalds, we work hard for a living, and with the internet age upon us, we have to work just that much harder, to sell the quality in our work. So any of you Joe and Jane's out there, next time your at a show, stop and look at the quality of the merchandise, and ask the person, sitting just 10 feet from you, Is it made in the USA or was it put together, in some sweat shop in Mexico, while the pot smoking hippie business owner gets stoned in their bungalow. Quality talks and bullshit walks...and please don't throw me under the bus.
Later all.....see you at the show!
June 17, 2008
So what did the battery say to the potato?.....If your ever ready, I'm free to lay!
......and just what does that have to do with art, you might ask...well its just a joke, and here is the rest of the story...
This past weekend was the spring Boardwalk Art Show & Festival, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Artists line the boardwalk for several city blocks, with the emphasis on quality work. But this is where I get off the train, for a bit. I'm not one to criticize another artisan's work, however I am sick and tired of artist's, musicians and actors, getting up on their soap box and shooting their mouth off, protesting and bashing this fine country, and the people that have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving it.
The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (CACV) puts on several great art events throughout the year, and the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival, is one of them. The CACV awards over $29,000 in prize money, to the artist's, in this show. That's a lot of scratch, with the "Best of Show"  award alone,  being $10,000. This years best in show award went to Tony Savoie, of Orlando, Fl. His award winning art, combines background images related to combat dogs and soldiers. His deep meaning of the art, suggests that soldiers just follow their commands. like dogs, rather than questioning authority. WOW...just think what our military would be like if boneheads like Mr. Savoie, were soldiers, and just did what they wanted, not listening to their superior officers for direction. I wouldn't be so upset at his art, except that this is the theme that this guy follows, in a lot of his works. I'm tired of BonJovi sucking up to Al Gore, old fart Bruce singing about how bad things are, and the Dixie Chicks shooting off their mouths in a foreign country. Look. any of these clowns, could easily buy a one way plane ticket to France, and live, like the cowards, they are. Hey, if it wasn't for our brave soldiers, those French a-holes would be speaking German now anyway! So in my opinion, Mr. Savoie would best be suited to just place his art work on a pair of Hanes boxer shorts, and soil them over and over. But then again, that would require some talent. So his art work is the joke, if you were waiting for the battery and the potato tie in.
Okay, getting back to the show. I saw a lot of quality art work exhibited, in various mediums. The weather was great, except for the smoke, that you could smell at times, from the NC wild fires. The Neptune Festival is coming up later this year, and it too should provide some nice artwork, and good times.
My next show, is in Watkins Glen, NY, and I hope to see you all there! Happy summer!

May 26, 2008
Well here we are, the end of May. Another Memorial Day holiday in the books. Time passes by so quickly sometimes. Then again........ at times, it doesn't go by fast enough.
Montpelier Wine Festival is in the books, by a couple of weeks now, which means its time to move on. This spring season has been one for ages, so for me, summer can't come fast enough!
So the summer festival season is finally here and, I for one, just can't wait. This year I have two wine festivals to do, starting with The Finger Lakes Wine Festival, July 18 - 20, at the Watkins Glen International Raceway Complex, in Watkins Glen, NY. This outdoor wine festival brings in over 150,000 people to sample over 500 different wines, from more than 75 New York area wineries. Held outdoors, at "The Glen", this festival draws people from all over the country, and with the Finger Lakes as a backdrop, this festival should make for a really nice destination.
September 27 - 28, brings the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival, where else but, Smith Mountain Lake, VA. This festival is presented by the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, and is a very family oriented event. It features all the top wineries in Virginia, and there are quite a few of them out there.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Chateau Morrisette Winery, near Floyd, Virginia. This winery is one of the southern most wineries in Virginia, and it is well worth the 3 & 1/2 hour trip, from my studio. They offer daily winery tours, wine tasting and a gift shop that embraces the beautiful log beam constructed building it is housed in. Not only are the wines, that they offer top notch, but the restaurant is hands down, the best restaurant I've eaten at, in a long, long time. Their chief incorporates the Chateau's wines in his dishes, and does so, to perfection. My hats off to him and his staff, as they are, also a first class operation.
The Chateau offered an outdoor, on the lawn, showing of the classic Marilyn Monroe movie, "Some Like It Hot". Let me tell you, this was a fantastic venue for the perfect cap to a beautiful day at the winery. You could just pull out the ol' lawn chair, or blanket and sipp on wine or ice tea, while watching the movie, when the sun went down. The winery offered popcorn and assorted appetizer snacks, that really made it feel like you were at your own little classic film festival. What a wonderful day and evening. Of course the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, as a backdrop, weren't too shabby either!
So as a close to this rambling blog, let me say that there are so many beautiful places to see in this big and wonderful country. So get on your horses and go see some of them this summer, and while your at it, come check out the festivals in the Finger Lakes and at Smith Mountain Lake. Your sure to find yourself having a fantastic time, all while letting your hair down, if even just for a short while. 
May 16, 2008
Copper seems to take on it's own new light. It doesn't mind which way it is bent, or how many times either. It can be twisted and contorted into an assortment of shapes and angles, and still stands strong. Put some heat on it and it simply changes color and goes about it's way, and then suddenly springs to life, as if to say; how am I doing, can I twist this way, is there anything more I can do to make this work of art look better. When it is all said and done, it is, just what it is. This reminds me of the artist that walks around the shows. You know him or her.....Gloomy Gus and his partner Doubtful Donna. They lament as they walk, just how bad things are. You know the old glass is half empty saga. Well I'm here to say, you live to fight another fight, if you just kick the hind leg a little higher than the pessimistic complainer, that tries to disburse their gloom upon you. A show is what you make it. If your going to curl up in a corner and read you novel, talking under your breath about how things were better, gas was cheaper, Al Gore was the man, you know what I'm saying. Make the best of a rainy day. Create your best work. Take your mind off things, by thinking positive. Sure maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but at least you tried, and the next time things look down, you can draw from your experiences and learn how to do things better..........and all is right with the world. 
May 1, 2008
This blog is, as usual a couple months behind the times, but maybe next month I'll get my act together. I did a show recently, in February. It was a indoor wine festival, held at the Dulles Expo Center, on the weekend of the 9th. I told myself that this year I would be very selective about the shows that I do, specifically the wine festivals. Being that I exhibit wine related works, you would think that I would pack as many wine related shows into my schedule, as possible. Well allow me vent for a minute. This show, marketed as a indoor wine festival, should have instead advertised as another drunk fest. Whatever the tickets were priced at, be it $25 or $1, the outcome would have been the same. This was in, no small part, due to the lack of grey matter contained in the cranium cavities of the promoters, "Capital Celebration Events" What bunch of bozo's!
I guess that I should have got the memo that they only care about how much money they can stuff in their g-string, but of course I didn't, and thus, begins, yet another story. To begin with, when I called to apply to the show, I was "jurried" sight unseen, and I got to choose my own booth space! Wow, choose my own booth space. Now smack me with a wet cod fish, because I fell for this crap! Yes I choose my booth space, just where they recommended. Next to the wine school! Yepee wine school, all kinds of crowds, lots of buyers, lots of traffic.......WRONG!!!!
They wound up canceling most of the classes, because, you guessed it, the crowd wanted to drink, and drink they did. This show had more poor drunk $%^&'s than I have seen in a long time. Jack Daniels sure would have been proud! Did I see the promoters during the show? Of course not. They were hiding in their $300,000.00 RV I took pictures of the show, during the peak periods, and all the traffic was around the wineries, which were all in the middle of the show. The promoters weren't smart enough to sprinkle artist booths in with wineries. They don't care, didn't care and probably, will never care. I saw the chief jerk promoter, on Friday set up day, and then not again until he cowered into his hole at the end of the show. Oh, by the way the only way I ran into him on setup day, was that he wanted to borrow a socket wrench from me, to fix his piece of crap import car, which he had ego boosting, at the front of the show. Capital Celebrations are, hands down, the WORST promoter that I have ever done a show for, period! Anyone wishing to do one of their shows, BEWARE....just BEWARE. They just don't care. And I think that they don't have the mental capacity, to care! I was sandwiched between a very talented artist with water color pictures and a very talented potter. But of course next to me was the no talent, carnival barker, wine magazine from hell! Try to compete with a fat slob standing in the middle of the isle barking at people to sign up for their, not even on the shelves yet, crap magazine.
...........................But as they say, you live and learn! Who said you can't teach a old dog, new tricks.
Just another lesson learned!
March 1, 2008
This is my first attempt at blogging, so don't laugh too hard. In my rants and raves, I want to talk about some of the events and goings-on that I encounter in my shop and while on the road, at shows and festivals.
I cut back on my show schedule this year, not entirely because of a touchy economy, but because of yet, another attempt by some scam happy dirt bags to exploit more money from an already strained pot, of artists. Artist and crafts people that work hard, to handcraft their art and then sell it, at a fair price. We artisan's have to keep sharpening our skills, thoughts and ideas on a daily basis, so that when our clients and customers come to one of our shows, they will see fresh works and creations.
Enter now the black mark, or may I say another black mark, into or daily crap pile, of things that make us wonder just why do we even try to do the show grind. The black mark I'm referring to this time is "ZAPPLICATION", the brain child of some money hungry thieves and dirt bag slugs, bottom feeders, that obviously couldn't make a honest living by creating anything other than, another scam to bleed money from hard working artisans. "ZAPPLICATION" is a process that allows you to load your pictures onto a website, and when shows contract them to process event applications, you can apply to these shows and load your pictures onto the application, without having to send slides, or hard copies of your portfolio to the event.
Sounds pretty simple and maybe even a good idea....right? WRONG!!!!! "ZAPPLICATION" preys on the richest of rich events, the shows that offer a nice purse for best of show awards. It would be simple if the application cost was a reasonable amount, or if they kept the jury and application process honest. But they don't! I know several so called artists that don't produce their own work, farm it out to Mexico or some other third world country, to produce their wares. And yet they get accepted to these "ZAPPLICATION" shows, because they buy their way into the shows. Know someone that knows someone or produce work that fits nicely into a 12 x 12 cardboard white box.
"ZAPPLICATION" simply takes money from all of us honest artists and pays themselves a nice hefty fee, pays the show costs, lines the pockets of dishonest promoters and then have enough for a nice juicy steak dinner for themselves.
Sound bitter, you might say? Yes I am! As I said, I have and I know several artisans that have been rejected from their shows, only to see some plastic flower selling, no talent jack ass selling their made in China crap.
Lets all get wise and just reject this "ZAPPLICATION" bull #$%@, and then when the shows that use this service see that all they are getting applications for, all buy/sell filth, maybe they will open their blinders and start to jury artists honestly.
So this year, as last year,  I am working with a true gem in our business, Gilmore Enterprises. Gilmore produces several "Craftsmen's Classic" shows up and down the east coast. Their shows are top notch, professionally run and they are one of only a few promoters, that spend a very large portion of your booth fees toward advertising. Getting customers to you, by way of print adds, and TV advertising, and even billboard adds. Gilmore shows are all indoor, generally at very large venues, and they have a large staff, that is always willing to help, or listen to you when you need something. We as artist's can only wish that all promoters could be this honest. What a better way of life we could enjoy!

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