When the festival season is over for me (in 2 weeks) I will have 9 festivals under my belt. By far the most I have ever done in one summer. There has been a huge learning curve and I have tweaked my display at almost every show. I have also kept notes on which festivals I will do again next year and which ones I won’t. I had good festivals and bad festivals, but there is more to it than sales. There were festivals this year I did not sell a thing at- but I am still considering returning to these festivals next year because it was good exposure, an art educated crowd, or just plain fun. Next summer will likely be more concise in terms of my festival schedule. I may also branch out a little further into Illinois or Minnesota. Fellow artists have proven to be a priceless resource in providing pointers and recommending other shows. Even when I was not selling I was learning, making connections, and gaining exposure. This weekend is Mount Mary Starving Artist Festival (which will be a very different kind of show for me). Following that is Hidden River the 14th-16th. I will stay cautiously optimistic about these coming weeks!
contemporary landscapes