Minneapolis is a long, long way from home, but the Stone Arch Festival, seated on the banks of the mighty Mississippi river, made that journey worthwhile. This photo was taken from the back of my booth. It was a beautiful view, fortunately, I did not have a lot of time to enjoy it as the booth was busy the entire weekend.

Setup: This was relatively easy. I showed up about a half-hour before set-up was to begin. A few artist were already setting up and I joined them. My van was parked about 100 feet from my space, which made for a painless setup. The parking got more congested as the second group’s setup time arrived, but the promotors and the police had the area blocked off for artist parking only.

Sales: Whenever I do a new show, the reaction to my art is usually enthusiastic, but this crowd seemed exceptionally excited and it was difficult to keep track of all the smiles and laughter. I had over 60 transactions over the weekend, which is well above average, and many customers who took cards in interest of purchasing at a later date.

Teardown: This went just as smooth as setup. I always breakdown before getting my van and this allowed some of the movers and shakers to clear out. I was parked a bit farther away than setup, but hauling your setup some distance is to be expected when doing shows in a downtown location. Bring a dolly.

Summary: The weather is always a risk when doing shows in the midwest, but it did hold out for a nice weekend. The foot traffic was heavy on booth days and customers came to buy. Parking for the artist was about a half-mile from the show, but it can be a pleasant walk. Artist can come in and drop off product before and after the show if necessary. For me personally, there was no negative aspects to doing this show, it was a relaxing and enjoyable show. I hope to return and do it again next year.

Art show reviews reflect my personal experiences and sales. I share them because there is often scant information concerning vendors experiences at art show reviews. Please note that your mileage may vary depending on your products, pricing and personality.