Spring 2021 Newsletter
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Let's Do A Show

Since we haven't had many in-person shows for 2 years the number of artists doing their first show is larger than usual: I've had several glass-newbies ask me what to expect. Even if you never do a show it is interesting to look at how different artists solve the various issues involved.
The basics needed are:
  • An attractive, stable way to display your work. This includes price tags or clear signage so people can tell what things cost rather than having to ask. "Selling height" is the region between waist and eye level. Things above and below this are often ignored. Drapes and table coverings set your customer's expectation that your work is not at flea market pricing. Plus they allow you to store things out of sight under your display table. Any fabric decor should be fire retardant for safety. In Seattle and other large cities this is required. Take this seriously: at a recent show the metal zipper of a jacket thrown under a table caught in a plug strip, setting the jacket smoldering and shutting down the show until the source of the smoke was found. If you plan to do several shows think about investing in Inherently Fire Resistant (IFR) fabric rather than paying to have it annually treated. GeorgiaExpo.com is one source I've found reasonably priced IFR drapes. There are many others listed on-line.
Sean Goddard at Sorticulture last year. Note the height of his chasir and well organized sales corner. His Pro-panels stand in broad, flat, heavy, metal feet (look to the left of the customer's hem) and the panels are linked together in an L to keep from tipping over.  You can't see it here but his tent also has a weight on each leg.
Karen Seymour's booth with 500 watts of pre-LED lighting in two sets of track. Each track is mounted to a 2x2. The tracks and other 2x2 are held together by U-bolts. The round leg poles have holes in the top for another U-bolt to hold a 2x2 at right angles. Patio umbrella stands hold the poles. The green drape is IFR fabric. Note the taped flooring edge.
  • Lighting: the way glass transforms light sets it apart from other media so you need to properly light your work, especially in indoor shows. Shows usually allow you only 500 watts total power and some shows come around to verify your power usage. You'll usually want as much light as you can get so investing in LEDs is worth the extra expense (incandescent blubs take more power for the same amount of light). Also try to choose a consistent bulb color so you don't distract from your work with multi-colored lights unless that is your intent. I find 3000K works well to warm the cool florescent light most venues have, without making my glass look yellow.
  • Pricing: as you can see from the list above, it costs money and time to sell things. You need to include this "overhead" in your pricing. Most marketing info suggests at least 50% of the retail price is the cost of marketing the product and getting it to the customer. Even if you don't consider yourself a business, please don't undermine artists who are trying make a living at selling their work by pricing your work for merely the cost of materials. That is blatantly unfair. Save the low pricing for your garage sale.
  • A way to take money. Unless all your work is priced under $10 you must have a Square, Intuit, or other reader for your phone or some other way to take charge cards. Even though most sales will be charges there are always a few cash sales. You should wear or otherwise secure your change. Pick-pocket pairs are adept at distracting the artist and stealing the cash.
  • A way to wrap your sales and the table space to do so. Single use plastic bags are frowned upon and even illegal in some places. If you have higher end merchandise you might consider buying some colorful reusable bags to wrap your sales. You also want a business card to include with the sale or to give to those who may want to contact you later.
  • Last, but not least, buy insurance even if the show doesn't specifically require it! CERFplus has a good set of guides https://cerfplus.org/studio-protector/artist-insurance/ If you find them useful, consider donating to the organization. They've helped several local artists through disasters.
Carmen Komm (Mad Mosaics) uses gridwall with large metal feet to display her work. Her nicely draped wrapping table is in the foreground.
To survive the show, you'll also want a comfortable chair. If it isn't tall enough to look your customers in the eye you'll be constantly standing up to talk to people. Floor coverings make your booth more appealing and easier to stand in all day, especially if you have foot issues. The best $35 I spent on my booth was the carpet pad I put under the seagrass mat I used for a floor covering (be sure to use venue-approved tape around the edge so people don't trip). Finally, ask for help: have a friend show up to give you a break or at least ask the show if there's someone to sit in your booth while you eat. Realize you probably won't make sales if you, or a trained friend, aren't in your booth. Empty booths cause visitor frustration so try not to wander out of sight even during the slow spots
The kind of show also matters:
Unjuried shows are usually less expensive than juried ones, but do you really want to end up next to someone selling things similar to your own that were made in China? The cost of your neighbor's work helps set the customer's expectations of your own prices. If you do higher priced work juried shows are usually worth the extra cost.

Established shows are more likely to be profitable: it takes 3 to 5 years for a show to develop a following. You also want to ask around to be sure what kind of following a show has. For example a younger crowd usually has more renters than home owners and so are more likely to buy prints rather than large paintings.

Outdoor shows generally have lower booth fees than indoor shows but you have to have come prepared for variable weather and that costs money, transport space, and set-up time. There are many on-line discussions of what kind of outdoor booth is best. If you're just getting started, see if you can borrow or rent something or try a few indoor shows to see what works before investing in a tent. Note that in our weather you'll also need weights to keep the wind from turning your tent into a kite. For multi-day shows you'll either need to pack up your work every day or have some way to secure things overnight.

There are 3 very different established shows in the next two weeks at which you can talk to artists about shows:
April 23-24 Art In Bloom Garden Art Studio Tour in north Seattle (Free).
Also April 23-24 in north Seattle The Best of the NW inside hangar 30 at Magnuson Park (Tickets Required)
May 6-8 the Gathering of the Guilds in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland (Free)

Plus: the Pacific NW Glass Guild General Meeting Monday April 25th at 7pm on Zoom will feature a discussion of what's involved in doing an art show with glass. For details see the event listing.

Have a fun, safe, and profitable year in glass!
 NEXT ISSUE Unknown: I'll be helping write the Pacific NW Glass Guild newsletter: subscribe (free) or join the Guild ($45/yr)
Karen Seymour, Editor

What's New? 

For those who got there after she sold out last fall, Bridget Culligan will have more owls this year at the April 23-24 Art In Bloom Garden Art Studio Tour & Sale in north Seattle (site #4)
Janiene Fitzpatrick will have rainbows and lots of other colorful work at both the April 23-24 Art In Bloom Garden Art Studio Tour and Sale in north Seattle (site#1) and the May 6-8 Gathering of the Guilds in Portland.
Lesley Kelly just created this blue and yellow covered dish for the Ukraine fundraiser at the May 6-8 Gathering of the Guilds in Portland. Lesley will also be selling her work in the PNW Glass Guild Group booth at the show.

 Announcements & Events

Looking for other glass folks?
Two shows in north Seattle this weekend April 23-24 one outdoor and one indoor
The 8th annual Art In Bloom Garden Art Studio Tour & Sale April 23-24, 10am to 5pm has 21 artists at 6 artist's yards/open garages. There are glass artists at almost every site and most have demos of some sort. All would love to talk glass with you (the editor is at site#5). ArtInBloomSeattle.com
The Best of the Northwest, April 23-24, is put on twice a year in Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park by the NW Art Alliance. This is one of the best juried shows in the NW and features around 100 artists in all media. There is an entrance fee.
NWArtAlliance.org
And an indoor show in Portland May 6-8
 Portland's free Gathering of the Guilds
is a celebration of handmade at the Oregon Convention center May 6-8
It features about a dozen PNW Glass Guild members plus members of 5 other guilds.
May 6, Friday - 10:00 - 7:00
May 7, Saturday - 10:00 - 6:00
May 8, Sunday - 10:00 - 4:00*
*Mother’s Day Special: masks required from 10 am to 12 noon
Arts Organizations are still figuring out what they are going to do in 2022 so verify info by going to the website before attending.

24-25 Art In Bloom Seattle's Garden Art & Studio Tour, Seattle WA
            (say hello to Karen Seymour, your FriendsInGlass.org editor, at site #5)
24-25 Best of the NW, Seattle WA,
May
5-7     Pilchuck Spring Tours, Stanwood WA
6-8     Gathering of the Guilds, (including the Pacific NW Glass Guild), Portland OR
6-8; 14-15 Camano Island Studio Tour, Camano Island WA
18-21  Glass Art Society conference, Tacoma May , 2022
June
10-12   Sorticulture, Everett WA
July
?  Bullseye Resource Center, Portland OR, summer sale
9-10   Wedgewood Arts Festival, Seattle WA
15-17  Salem Art Fair and Festival, Salem, OR
TBA    Museum of Glass' Glass Fest Northwest, Tacoma WA
29-31 BAM Arts Festival, Bellevue WA
30-31 Bellevue Downtown Arts Market Bellevue WA
August
6-8    Anacortes Arts Festival, Anacortes WA
17-19  Edmonds Art Festival Edmonds WA
20-21  Fresh Paint, Everett WA
20-21  Whidbey Working Artists Summer Studio Tour, Whidbey Island WA
26-28 Arts In The Garden, Bellevue WA
September
3-5    Art In the Pearl, Portland OR
9-11   Art In The Park Boise ID
TBA  Pacific NW Glass Guild Open Studios, Portland OR
17-18  Edmonds Art Studio Tour, Edmonds WA
30-Oct 2  Local 14 Art Show and Sale, Portland OR
Your favorite glassy event isn't here? Send us a note or post it to our moderated Facebook page.
We've simplified the Classes/Resources page. If you offer classes (or want to help someone who does) please see if I have you listed/linked correctly. If you have a specific class coming up please post it to our moderated Facebook page.
FriendsInGlass (you know the symbol) mindspring.com or (206) 525-1577
Thanks!
Karen Seymour
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