1000 Woodcuts: Bellevue Washington Arts

Showing posts with label Bellevue Washington Arts. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Some Festival Trivia

The Festival Life for Me

Upcoming! http://www.bellevuearts.org/fair/

As the story goes, I had a real job once! Armed with a Masters in Exercise Physiology and a lot of energy, I managed health education programs for a large insurance company and later for a rehabilitation facility. Then I started making art seriously and found myself enamored with the process of creating something from nothing. I struggled to take the leap into full time art because I liked helping people fix their aching backs, quit smoking, lose weight and manage lifestyle diseases. But I eventually couldn't stop myself from diving head first into the art world.

Once in art, I found that the "art scene" wasn't really my cup of tea so I kept finding ways to make myself fit in. Calls for entries helped build a nice resume of exhibits both in US and abroad; groups kept me motivated and involved with other printmakers. Then one fateful day, I entered into an art festival, a small local affair. I showed my artwork on clunky easels made with plywood; I shaded myself with an umbrella; I didn't sell hardly anything...but I was hopelessly hooked.

My "brag-wall" with mementos and awards from festivals

That was 1998, fast forward to now and I am planning a 1000-mile drive to Bellevue, Washington to participate in one of the most coveted art festivals in the West US. I have an indoor and outdoor setup, a modified truck to carry my wares and a trailer just in case I take off on a blissful two-festival run sometime again. The "good" festivals are few and far between and are competitive to enter so I am happy to travel wherever the collectors like to shop.

Kings Mountain Festival, California, they let you camp in your booth!

Thus far I have participated in some 200 festivals
Longest drive to a festival was 1300 miles one-way
Income lowest was $142, highest $12K
Longest festival 7 straight days, 10 hours each day
Worst experience in Scottsdale, Arizona, festival cut short one day, overcome by rain and wind, got caught in a desert flash flood on the return trip
Best experience in Colorado, a two-festival trip (Breckenridge and Castle Rock); between the festivals I stayed in a State Park campground where I was the sole happy camper aside from deer, elk, bunnies, birds and other forest dwellers

Sleepy booths in Fountain Hills Arizona

The Road Awaits

One of my favorite things about the chaotic festival life is traveling and seeing the great scenery go by. Desert, forest, mountains, farms, cities, rivers and railroad tracks...I become mesmerized by the getting there and the variety of things and people along the way. The first anxiety of a festival is getting to the destination in one piece with all my artwork and setup intact. Road travel is like a meditation, I love driving; I marvel at the fact that there is pavement between almost any two points in this vast country.
For my European friends, Vegas to Bellevue is about the distance from Barcelona, Spain to Hamburg, Germany, give or take a click.
Bellevue, Washington, here I come!

I took my Mami to a show and we took this pic in Nevada

Upcoming! http://www.bellevuearts.org/fair/

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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Work Between Festivals and BAM! Bellevue Here I Come!!

Bellevue Arts Museum

First thing is first, here is the official announcement:

And Now More Work...

One of the "bad" things about having a good festival is that I have to mat and frame more and more between events. And as my hubby likes to say "are you bragging or complaining?" Weeeellll...a bit of both I suppose (she says with a smirk).

Anyhow, upcoming is a first for me, the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) Art Festival and I am told it is a good one. I applied with figurative works so I have been working my fingers to the bone trying to fill my empty art containers (I'm just bragging now).

But seriously! Usually I need a week of rest right after a festival to allow the bruises to heal, catch up on my sleep and generally go on "hermit mode" to make up for all that socializing.

Some of the works going with me:

Baila, baila

Oculus

The web

All Those Details

Not this time, I am on full production mode and am about 3/4 of the way back to having a full truck. I also had to find indoor poles and lights and such minutia. The festival is not exactly indoors but under the protective roof of a parking garage so my indoor setup is the appropriate one. Which reminds me of the time I forgot my legs...well, not MY legs but the canopy legs! Yikes! I had to make do with some short poles cut off with a hacksaw at the last moment as the replacement for the bottom section of the leg poles. Sigh.

All my indoor track lights got new LED bulbs to have more light with less heat and less amperage. Awesome. Indoor curtains (required division between neighbors) got a freshening up, as did my carpet floor covering. Business license for Washington...check! Extension cords...check! Reservations for halfway points (1200 miles one-way)...check! New banner and signage...check!

And the list goes on...now you know where I've been. Here's my new banner:

Stay in touch!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Festival bugs and wandering artists

One for the Calendar!

Words raining from heaven itself to the ear of the festival artist:

Congratulations!

You have been accepted to participate in the 70th annual Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair! We are honored to have you participate in this important community event! The jury was extremely competitive this year due to the overwhelming amount of national submissions from leading artists. In 2016, 840 talented artists applied to the BAM ARTSfair and only 315 artisans were accepted.

Word of congrats, a little flattery and...a precedent to a half-day of filling out paperwork, studying festival maps, making reservations (yes, this early) and a bunch of other work. They say that opportunity often comes in coveralls and in the festival world, this is certainly the case.
The Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair takes place July 29-31, which seems so far away at the moment but there is much to do before then.

Work Begins Right Now

For interested artists, an acceptance to a major festival often comes with a dozen or so "little" tasks to do. First and foremost, paying the booth fee (I think this is the reason for the flattery in the acceptance letter) which varies from $200s to $2000 depending on festival, desired location, special requests for my booth, parking (not always included) and a long and surprisingly varied etcetera.
This is a new festival for me so I have no idea where to place myself although the map helps. A little studying of the layout, imagining foot traffic patterns of viewers, making up theories about where the load in may be easier...oh how fun!
After a while of imagining stupid things, I randomly picked a booth or three and paid the 1K for a 10x15' space. Whoooosh, mailed right back along with the registration forms and other disclosures, sign the bottom line, I swear I read every word of the Artist's Guide and a trip to the post office.

Seriously, some considerations for me are space behind my booth and sometimes a corner, although not for an extra $200. 10 x 15 feet inline suits me just fine. I like to be "in the fray" not too close to an exit, not at the end of a row against the wall where people will turn before finishing the row. Long load in/out treks don't bother me too much as long as nobody rushes me or tries to "help."

Booth picked and reserved, now I Google the place in question and make reservations for a walking distance not-so-ritzy not-a-dump hotel. This festival will take me 1700 miles from home and days are long so I will accordingly require a good quiet place to rest. I like walking distance to the festival so I don't have to worry about my big ol' truck and parking every day. I pack a bike if needed. Luxury doesn't impress me but comfort, value and quiet does so that's how I choose.

That's it for now, the quest for the perfect hotel continues, I have a little time although I like to have things settled and out of my head well ahead of time. Head clutter really bothers me so I empty my brain on a daily basis by getting things done.

That's it for now...more as the date nears. Meanwhile, if you are anywhere near Tucson Arizona on April 1-3, drop by my booth and bring coffee or chocolate will ya?