Detail of High-fire Stoneware
by Gordon Krause
A watercolor by
Carol Ann Parsons
Jewelry
by Cynthia Koshalek
A Ceramic Vase by
Judy Laubmeier
 Photography
by Tom Lazar
2010 Show Date
Art Fair OFF
the Square
July 10 - 11
2010 Show Date
Winter Art Festival
November 13 - 14
Quilted Box
by Barbara Pelowski
Bead work
by Phyllis Lee Lethco
Anodized Aluminum
with Hand Beading
by Laurie Shovers
An Image of Madison
by glass artist,
Cheryl Brown Rogers
Going Digital
Beginning with 2010, WAAC will be requiring digital images for jury submissions. Stay tuned...it won’t be difficult!
|
|
Survey Summary
•The music was great, a real plus!
I was wondering if there was any
way to better connect with the
farmers market upstairs. It is
generally packed and many of
those people have no idea what
is going on in the exhibit hall.
Perhaps some one giving out a
$1 off coupon to people coming
out of the market with better signage by the
doors and escalator.
• volunteers are great
• Would appreciate be able to move a vehicle to
the loading docks prior to 4 PM. was the
change in loading procedures a requirement of
Monona Terr. If so they did not monitor the time
spent in the docks
• Everyone associated with the show is very artist-friendly
and helpful. You know what artists want
and need, and you try to make that available.
• The folks who helped us get our vehicle in and
out were very helpful. Good job!
• I’ll tell you the fellow at load out was RUNNING
back an forth to get us out What a nice guy : )
Load in was pleasant as always.
• couldn’t hear the music well so no comment but
it’s a nice touch.
• We really had a bit of a bottle neck when it was
time to go. It took me an hour and 20 minutes
to get everything taken down and packed, and
then an hour and a half to get my vehicle
loaded. Most of the loading time was waiting
in line
.
• This is show is a lot of work— but I do it happily
because it’s such a great art fair. I had no
difficulty at all throughout the whole weekend
getting what I needed or wanted - a bathroom
break, a snack, or whatever. The music was
tremendous! Especially Beth Wilson and Jon
Schipper, and the students on Sunday afternoon.
• Regarding sales, everything is relative. They
were better than last year and WAY better than‘07 (we didn’t make expenses those 2 years),
but not anywhere near the sales of ‘06. We
have been in the show from the beginning except
for a year somewhere in the middle, and have
always found it to be totally unpredictable. ???
• Perhaps we could try again to persuade the
convention center folks to allow traffic to flow
east to west through the hall.
• The silent auction was across from my space.
The volunteers were great—each time someone
brought a donation they reacted by commenting
on what really nice piece it was and how glad
they were the artist gave it. It made me want to
go donate a second piece!
• We loved the speeches on Sunday. It was perfect
to bid farewell to the past 20 years and to look
forward to the future. Thank you for the time
and energy it must have taken to polish the
wording of the speech
• Saw an ad, and an article, in the Cap 77 free
newspaper. Looked fine, with the official logo,
and big enough to attract notice on the page.
Nice story and photo too.
• Hear the one on WPR. I liked
• Advertising was good, radio, news paper
• Ads were all great. Print ads were abundant.
TV ads are great .
• Channel 3 TV—needed to be on Madison
Verve.com which is Channel 15’s source of
events
• my sister saw the tv commercial while she was at
Wisconsin Dells. I didn’t hear or see any—from
Milwaukee
• saw banner across University Ave and in the
Madison newspaper, a paid ad. Also a major
listing with other art and gift fairs in the area for
the month
• Postcards were great— discount always a draw.
This show would be better if:
• A dangerous question. Of course, more patrons
buying. Keeping the public interest is a difficult
problem.
• A lot more buyers showed up.
• customers spent more money/economy was
better
• the show is fine the way it is
• You had Christmas music playing when there
was no group or entertainment. It would liven it
up and put customers in the mood for shopping.
• It is beautiful and totally satisfying. No
improvement is necessary.
• If I had a couple angels to tear down my booth
and load up my van for me when the show was
over, this would be my perfect show...Everything
YOU do is great! You make it fun.
I like doing this show because:
• Time of year is perfect and generally good sales
• Great location, well organized and efficient
show
• Great Quality, good sales (for indoor show),
great people.
• The WAAC staff and officials are all such great
folks. I feel so welcome being in the show.
• Great organization, artists, publicity— excellent
job by everyone! The economy is slow, otherwise
this would be as good as ever.
Would you be interested in a spring show in
Madison?
Yes: 66.2% No: 33.8%
A summary of opinions for the Winter Art Festival
Gathering
of the Clan
The Winter Art Festival as seen through
the eyes of WAAC Member, Mimi Wuest
I went to the clan gathering in Madison last weekend, and the air simply sparkled with energy and creativity. When the people of prehistory came together to share goods and ideas, there may have been the same kind of electricity and excitement. On solstices and Saint’s days and summer galas and fall festivals throughout human history, people have journeyed from far and near to spend enriching hours together.
My clan was Wisconsin artists and the wonderful people who appreciate and support them. We gathered at The Winter Art Festival at Monona Terrace; we came like gypsies with our trailers and our caravans and our tents. Out of chaos and noise, a magical city began to appear. Screens and rods and poles and boards and fabric panels became little enclosures to house and display all manner of beautiful things. Every ten feet, another booth sprang up, until the great hall was filled with color and light.
Our festival filled two days with shared delight as hundreds and hundreds of people poured through our temporary village, admiring the wares we had for sale. The air was full of music and the murmuring of crowds. The hall was a visual banquet: bright paintings, sparkling glass, deep, rich pottery, shining jewelry, amazing sculptures and dazzling fabrics. It could have been overwhelming, but as a merchant in the midst of all this splendor, I had the good fortune to be able to wander the aisles for a while and then return to sit in my little store and sell my cards and stones, and then to sally forth again to browse.
There is a mysterious, almost mystical appeal to this gathering of artisans and browsers. It is our history and our nature to come together seasonally, to share and celebrate. Festivals like this are a throwback to forgotten times, times that live only in our collective memories. We are drawn to congregate and share our knowledge and our ideas, as well as to trade and barter for things we want and need. It feels good to be a community, if only for a few days, with strangers and friends alike.
Our culture has out-stripped our nature, and we no longer shop at open markets where people stop to chat and argue and exchange ideas. We can do it all on-line, without ever seeing another human being, and we grow ever more isolated and estranged from our neighbors. Markets and festivals are about much more than the exchange of goods; they offer the chance to form new friendships and alliances as well as to renew old ones. They present opportunities to learn techniques and skills from one another and to network for the good of all.
This festival brought some of my dear old friends up from Chicago to see the show and share a dinner. It was a very happy reunion. Our children were also there, one daughter also selling her lovely paintings, other children and grandchildren come to help and to enjoy the fair. It was truly a clan gathering, a community of our blood family and our creative family, and it felt just wonderful.
Then, at the end of the second day, the lights dimmed, the hammers and screwdrivers came out, and the whole village was disassembled in a couple of hours. Caravans and trailers drove off into the Wisconsin dusk, their boxes of goods a little lighter and their purses a little heavier. Much more than merchandize was exchanged at the fair. Friendships were rekindled and new ideas percolated in many minds. It was a rich and rewarding time in so many different ways. I loved it all, and I am sorry to see it end for this year.
 |
Ed Note: The article below was written by a friend of Clarence. Andrew Denman is an internationally-known wildlife artist. Although he is not from Wisconsin, his article expresses a common situation for both artists and collectors at this time. He has graciously granted permission to share his article with WAAC artists..
|
|
Artists & Collectors Struggle
in the New Economy
By Andrew Denman
It's been said that you can judge a society by how well it treats its artists, so what does it say about our current economy when so may artists are struggling to make ends meet and even returning to work at "regular jobs" to pay the bills? The fact of the matter is, everyone must make sacrifices, and artists have to understand that their livelihood is entirely dependent on a clientele with disposable income they feel comfortable spending on purely luxury items. Having said that, the frustration of the artistic community, of which I am part, is understandable and hard to avoid. I've never been one to buy into the notion that "misery loves company," but it may none the less help artists to know that many collectors are equally frustrated by the economic losses and uncertainties restraining their desire to purchase new work. The following are my tips for artists and collectors to weather these difficult times:
Tips for Artists:
1. Consider this economic crisis as motivation to reinvest in your work. Some artists may be tempted to decrease quality and increase output to encourage a higher volume of quick sales. This may yield positive results in the short term, but the long term consequences could be disastrous, which leads to tip #2...
2. Before you consider sacrificing your artistic integrity, find other work to supplement your income. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it beats the alternative.
3. Step up your marketing and your communication with your client list. Whether its through a blog, a newsletter, e-mail updates, or mailings, let everyone know that you're still active in the field. E-marketing opportunities are especially cost effective.
4. Make sure your collectors know you're available for commissions. Follow up on any leads you may have sidelined when you had more work. A collector who missed the opportunity to buy a favorite piece may be interested in commissioning a similar painting today.
Tips for Collectors:
1. If you're in a financial position to buy original artwork from your favorite artist, now is the time. Of course it's not your responsibility to keep anyone else's budget in the black, but if you've been wanting to commission a special painting or hoping for a good deal on an unsold painting from a previous show, this is an ideal time to actively pursue it. Most artists are unlikely to be "too busy" for your project or unreceptive to a reasonable offer.
2. If you do see an artwork you just "have to have" but are made uncomfortable by our current economic uncertainty, consider buying original art an investment. It's true that the only good reason to buy a painting is because you love it and want to make it a part of your daily life, but the investment value is a nice secondary benefit. With the value of stocks and paper money so tenuous, there is a great comfort in buying tangible assets.
3. If you must forgo your art budget entirely this year, you're not alone. Take the time to enjoy the artwork you already own. In the mean time, keep up to date with your favorite artists' careers and make contact with them when appropriate. Just responding to the occasional newsletter or update with an encouraging word or constructive comment can make you a "favored client" when the economy (and your checkbook) recovers.
A Final Note:
For artists and collectors alike, even in tough times such as these, those of us who allow art to be a part of our daily lives are still the fortunate ones. Remember that the most negative and immediate effects of this recession manifested quite suddenly, and they could end just as suddenly. Until then, let's all stay creative and take stock in the beauty that art and life have to offer.
|
|
Circle the date on your calendar
DIGITAL WORKSHOP |
Larry Sanders, well-known photographer for artists and their art, will be conducting a digital workshop, FREE to WAAC members. Other artists may attend for $35, which includes a one-year membership in WAAC.
DATE: February 13, 2010
TIME: 11 a.m.
(Participants may bring their own lunch)
PLACE: To Be Announced |
|
|
|
