Santa Fe – Set Up & 1st Day of Girl’s Inc. Santa Fe Arts & Craft Show
Set up happened on Friday afternoon, you had a time slot to come in and do your set up. I was on South Lincoln between San Francisco and East Palace Avenue in booth 134. Nancy, Sara, & LeAnn helped put up the tent and then had to head out for a store visit. So, I put up the walls and weights, which as a novice was not trivial. I must have called Cassie 3-4 times and laughed all the way through the process, because I did not find this whole process trivial. In the midst of the calls, I had to have a chat with my son, who was not on his best behavior with Cassie and then I got on the phone with my 3 year old. She did not want to give the phone back to Cassie. It was at the least hysterical and a reminder how our kids remind us of the difference between our real lives and our art lives. LOL!!! I eventually got done at 4 pm and schlepped back to the hotel and off to dinner at Jinja again. Then I worked until 1 am getting ready for the show, doing everything from labeling all my post cards to ironing the covers that were going on my tables.
I was out of the bed by 5:45 am and loading up the car by 6:30 am. Then off to the show for set up at 7:06 am and parking the car. Honestly, I should have gotten to my booth before 7 am, because it was my first time and I was stressed. And I had to improvise on how to hang my work, because what was originally the plan to hang my work off a chain didn’t look right or work correctly. So, I had to change gear and hang everything from fishing wire and hooks. It looked really cool. I was finished setting up just after 9 am, when the show started.
It turned out to be hot, exciting, and a great learning experience. First credit cards are the bomb!!! All but two of my transactions were on credit cards. I sold prints, which was great and one hand made journal, and one original Our Lady Guadalupe piece.
Many said that the show was slow this year. But, honestly, I really went into the show hoping that I would just be able to sale a few pieces and get new contacts. Neena and Pam stopped by my booth and just raved about how beautiful the booth and how cool my art was as other customers did as well. And honestly they were the key reason it looked so nice. Their selections of colors for me on Thursday, really made the booth look awesome.
After the show, I packed up my art and put it back in the car for the next day.
Pam invited Neena and me to visit her home and studio. Neena was exhausted from work and head home. I went up to Pam’s place and sat on the back porch with her boyfriend and friend, it was amazing. Pam lives her art. She has illustrated how work, life and art can be one. It was simply amazing.
I left her place and headed to my room, showed, went to Café Pasqual’s for dinner and then back to my room for bed. It was a really good day.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Yes, shows sometimes it’s worth it to go to shows far away. The Southwest is sparce for shows. Try the Art Fair Source Bllk or Sunshine Artists for the names of shows, or, even better, ask other craftspeople whodo shows.