Featured artist in article

I should google my name once in awhile...

Today I wanted to contact the organizers of my next art show -- the Firefly Art Festival sponsored by the Wauwatosa Historical Society -- and the first link in my Google search mentioned me in the first sentence! http://www.brookfieldnow.com/userstoriessubmitted/50016302.html

Brookfield mixed media artist Cheryl Watt and painter Elaine Zale are among the 91 juried artists who will show and sell a wide variety of art Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2, at the 23rd Annual Firefly Art Fair in Wauwatosa.

Art Show Observations

It's been well over a year since I've actually been inspired by the work of fellow artists at a quality fine art show. Today I took the train down to Chicago to the Magnificent Mile art show sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Show quality was top-notch and left me inspired and satisfied.

Mediocrity in Milwaukee

All the shows that I've attended here in Wisconsin this year have left me yearning for something fresh, new, and different. Because of the economy, the quality of fine art has been missing or minimal. Juried art shows that attracted top talent in the past have compromised to "fine crafts" instead. (This includes things like soaps, candles, baskets, kitchen towels, placemats, spoon rests, cheap jewelry, etc.) Just in the past month, I've attended 2 local shows that, in past years, energized me to try new things and get back in the studio. Not this year, I'm afraid. Today in Chicago, I talked to a fine artist from Milwaukee who whose show schedule is 95% centered in the Chicago metro area because Milwaukee's market has been "compromised" with crafters who produce low-quality, low-cost items. Even the ones in the nicer areas of town seem to be cluttered with mediocrity and low-end offerings. My average piece is in the $200 range, so I cannot afford to attract "flea market" types of crowds.

I didn't see a lot of people buying today, but the show was definitely crowded and I overheard potential buyers asking lots of questions. Artists I met traveled from Seattle, Sacramento, San Diego, Kansas City, New York, and Florida, to name a few. They truly offered something unique, that I hadn't really seen before. The quantity and quality of the fine art painters were amazing. I collected at least 20 business cards and brochures. I'm eager to view and bookmark their websites.

This leaves me conflicted. I assumed if I got into this business, I would be able to "keep things local" doing the medium- to high-end shows in Wisconsin. I didn't consider that I might need to travel elsewhere to reach my target market (those willing to pay several hundred dollars for a piece of fine wall art). Thankfully, Chicago is less than 2 hours away, but getting around is always a hassle. And, more honestly, I'm not sure my husband wants to go out of his way to help me set up my booth. If a show is local, he helps me set up, but the rest of the day is his (until teardown). Anyway, a bright sunny day observing beautiful art with other artists and collectors... what could be better? Oh yeah, free lunch. Did I mention that M&M company was handing out free M&M ice cream sandwiches all day? Did I also mention that my ultra-healthy Chicken Teriyaki, brown rice, and hummus chips was also free at a restaurant that was giving away free meals? What a day!