Why Attend a Regional Arts and Crafts Show?
Regional arts and crafts shows overflow with garden arts and artifacts. Juried – selected – exhibitions bring eminent and superior artists and craftspeople together. For the landscape gardener, this is an opportunity to enhance garden spaces and collect what may become tomorrow's antiques.
Garden art and artifacts at high-end juried shows have price tags of anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand. Many large pieces end up in collections like those of Michael Kittredge, founder of internationally known Yankee Candle Company (Photo#1). However, smaller pieces, equally at home in one-acre or balcony gardens, are the bread and butter for many artisans.
No matter how much money you spend in buying quality, one-of-a-kind pieces, you support the local craft industry and artisans who may be your neighbors. Doing business this way brings muscle to the saying "Think globally; buy locally!"
Attending a regional show is also an opportunity to meet and talk with makers of garden art and artifacts (Photo #2). The artisans, through the medium of their exhibits, are selling themselves as surely as they sell their creations. Introduce yourself, chat with the craftspeople, and ask sensible questions. Most craftspeople are delighted, if not busy with other customers, to talk about their work.
Questions to Consider
Sensible questions about their artwork usually grab the craftsperson's interest. A good way to start a conversation is to focus on a piece of garden art that you find fascinating. Try to learn all you can about it. Sometimes, the vendor has charts or write-ups explaining his particular creative processes. However, here are examples of questions that can educate you, the prospective buyer, as well as any interested bystanders:
- How is the garden art / artifact piece manufactured?
- Were any unique processes or materials used in its creation?
- Does the craftsperson think the piece has "artistic value"? Has it been displayed in any other juried competitions?
- How did the piece come to be created? Is there a story behind its creation? (Photos #3)
- Does the piece have importance to the craftsperson?
- Does the craftsperson have any tips or specific instructions for placement of his piece in the garden landscape? (Photo #4 & #5)
Here are some tips to make your visit to a fine arts and designer craft show relaxed and productive:
- Wear comfortable (and waterproof) shoes with tie-up laces. Large, public spaces such as fairgrounds, armories, or arenas host fine arts and designer craft shows. Grounds are usually rough and may be hot and dusty, wet and muddy, or cold flat cement.
- Carry a large and strong tote bag in which you stash
- program and map of the arts and crafts show,
- vendors' brochures and business cards,
- pencil and notebook containing measurements of your garden landscape,
- snapshots of portions of your garden landscape,
- lightweight camera for snapshots of pieces you might want to buy,
- retractable tape measure to compare measurements of pieces with your landscape,
- plastic bottle of water and quick snacks,
- bag containing hand wipes and other health and beauty items, and lastly
- small purchases.
- American Style - America's premier arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers. Features Top Ten Art Fairs in America; datebook lists state-by-state art events, and art fairs and festivals.
- Festivals by Howard Alan Events and American Craft Endeavors - promises an Arts or Crafts Festival every weekend. Venues include Colorado, Florida, llinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming.
- Crafts America organizes these three shows: Washington, D.C. Craft Show, Westchester Craft Show (White Plains, NY), and Palm Beach Fine Craft Show (West Palm Beach, FL).
- The Paradise City Arts Festivals coordinates five shows each year: Northampton, MA, (Spring and Autumn), Marlborough, MA (Spring and Autumn) and Philadelphia, PA (early Spring).
- Craft Producers delivered six New England-based Festivals in 2007: The 29th Annual Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival (Manchester, VT), 15th Annual Hildene Fall Art & Craft Festival (Manchester, VT), 25th Annual Stowe Foliage Art & Craft Festival (Stowe, VT), 26th Annual Adirondack Art & Craft Festival (Greenwich, NY), 1st Annual WNPR/CPTV Arts Festival ( Farmington, CT) and The New Taste of Stowe Arts Festival (Stowe, VT).
©Text and photograph by Georgene A. Bramlage. 2007. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
Georgene A. Bramlage - Suite 101 Landscaping Feature Writer and Topic Editor Free-lance Garden and Landscape Writer and Consultant
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