Booth Setup Redux - Art in the Arbor

As promised, I'm sharing another booth setup photo today.  This one is from my second outdoor show which was two weekends ago at Art in the Arbor in Louisville, KY.  I decided the walls needed a little jazzing up so I had a couple of photos of my pieces blown up and put them in poster frames on two sides of my booth.  I think the photos added a nice touch which made it easier for people to understand what I was selling without actually stepping into the booth.   I also decided to bring a few different accessories to mix it up a little bit.  In particular, I brought my 'wire lady' to hang one of my necklaces on.  She is such a good display that some people have even tried to buy her from me!   

All in all it was a good show and I was happy with the function of my booth setup but there are still a few things I'd like to tinker with.  I'll probably look to have a professional banner made with my shop name and some images of my work to hang across the back of the booth.  And I'm planning on cleaning up my artist's statement and framing it alongside some photos of my studio so that people can understand me and my process a little bit better.   What are some things that you've seen or done at art shows that you thought were particularly successful?  I'd love to hear about them in the comments section here!

My First Outdoor Booth - Artwalk 2009

So I had my first outdoor art show a couple of weekends ago at the Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook and these are the photos of my first set-up.  For my first time out, I think I did pretty well.  I would like to have had some more levels to the display and want to 'loosen' it up a bit, but I did get lots of compliments and that was nice.  The above photos shows the overall set-up with my pendants all displayed on the two tables on the left.  I put the  tables up on bed risers so that the pendants are higher and easier to see.  On the right I set up a little checkout area on a card table so that people making purchases could select a necklace to go with their pendant, check out and I could wrap their packages.

I used a mixture of jewelry trays and wood and ceramic trays with risotto and black beans to display the pendants.  I think a lot of the pendants show up better in the rice and beans and people always comment about what a neat way that is to display them.

They say that when you do something for the first time you learn exponentially and I couldn't agree more.  Just last weekend I had my second show and already instituted a few improvements.  Setting up the booth itself was a snap because I knew exactly what I needed to do to attach the side walls.  Another handy tip I learned by watching more seasoned show attendees was to roll up my sidewalls before detaching them.  Then you don't have to fight them and the wind to fold them up and store them.

I'll post the photos from last weekend soon so you can see the changes I've already made.  But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them!  

Upcoming Event: Art in the Arbor

This upcoming Mother's Day weekend Art's Desire is happy to be participating in the 42nd Annual Art in the Arbor in Louisville, KY.  With over 100 artists' booths, great local musicians, good food and beautiful wooded grounds this makes the perfect Mother's Day or post-Derby weekend outing!  As many as 8,000 visitors are expected and free shuttle service will be available every 10-15 minutes with pickup points at the Browenton Building and Ballard High School.  Drop off will be at the festival entrance in Crossgate.  The church and it's grounds are located at 4936 Brownsboro Rd. and the hours of the festival are Saturday the 9th from 10-6 and Sunday the 10th from 10-5. So come out and join us for what promises to be a beautiful weekend of art, music and fun!

Upcoming Event: Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook

I'm happy to announce that Art's Desire will be participating in the 1st Annual Artwalk at the Promenade Bolingbrook on May 2nd & 3rd!  Held the weekend before Mother's Day this is the perfect chance to get out and find a special handmade gift for your Mother or simply find something unique for yourself!  The festival is being held at one of the area's premier open air shopping centers which is conveniently located at the Boughton Rd. exit off of I-355 in Bolingbrook, IL.  With live music, fine dining and tons of great artwork - what's not to love!  If you're in the area be sure to come out and see me!

For more info on the show, visit Virgo Rising Presents or check out the pre-show exhibit on display in one of the storefronts at the Promenade Bolingbrook.  The promoters have done a beautiful job with this exhibit and I'd like to thank them for including my work!

Art's Desire at Andrew HS Spring Art & Craft Show

Next weekend, Art's Desire will be at the 22nd Annual Spring Art & Craft Show at VJ Andrew High School in Tinley Park, IL.  Admission is $2 for anyone 14 and over and it goes to support the school's Music booster club.  Parking is free, concessions will be available and there will be over 100 crafters!  The doors will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 4 and I'll be at booth number 173 in the gym.  Hope to see you there!