I survived. After what felt like months of planning, although it was really only a few short weeks, the first of many of "my" artshows was this past weekend. I write "my" because I have helped others organize and execute shows but I have not had my own now for over a decade. As I reflect on the event, I have many thoughts.
Weather-wise it was perfection; breezy, sunny, and the leaves were changing into magnificent autumn colours. Not cold, not hot. I set up a few tables in front of the venue complete with some festive table cloths (autumn-themed of course) and added some lovely arrangements of sunflowers and warm-orange gerbera daisies. It was a perfect space for visitors to enjoy a coffee or lunchm- and that they did. The set up was gorgeous- other than my booth which could have been more spectacular. Why wasn't it awesome? I'll get to that.
The vendors were varied; all nice, talented, friendly and diverse. We had a watercolour artist, an acrylic artist, creators who worked in wood and cork and clay, a stained glass artist, resin artist, knitter, metal work - everything including maple syrup, homemade salsas and candles to cards and jewellery. It was wonderful. I was pleased. Guests were pleased. Their booths were professional and eye-catching. We advertised in a local newspaper, we had flyers and signage, posts online etc. We were also "competing" with many other events the same weekend. Would people come to ours? We waited in anticipation.
The first day was exceptional. A lot of people stopped by, buying gifts and having a bite for lunch. We charged only $10 for a drink, fresh sandwich on a croissant, and a bag of chips - quite the deal! What wasn't exceptional was the fact that the volunteers I was expecting to help out didn't show. No text alerting me, no heads-up - just didn't make it. I was therefore left to make the lunches and pour the coffee. My booth, sadly, was therefore neglected.
I quickly knew that I would lose lots of sales; things weren't priced, there wasn't anyone to greet people and answer questions, or to explain the story behind the artwork. Heaven forbid people took things - I wouldn't likely notice - there wasn't anyone there to watch things. Rather, I was acting as a "sandwich artist" for the day. Were they delicious? Absolutely! People were well-fed and happy. I was happy they were happy but wished I could copy-paste myself for the day and be in two places at once.
Having already invested hundreds into the venue and the food, I had to pivot. I had to accept that my sales would be adversely affected. I wanted the vendors to be happy and sell their goods and I wanted the visitors to enjoy the ambiance and the experience. Both of these things were achieved.
Day two was quite different. We had all but one vendor stay for the second day. The first 90 minutes were radio-silent. Not one car. We sat around outside chatting, sipping coffee and laughing. By lunchtime the cars trinkled in. The back-up volunteer didn't show to cover the other no-show volunteers - so again I was left with kitchen duties. Good times. Fortunately, the other vendors were so very helpful with watching my booth when they could, helping with clean-up and washing dishes. The Sunday, although not as busy as the day prior, still brought hungry and ready-to-buy visitors.
The last hour was as quiet as the first on this day. Despite asking the vendors to wait to pack their booths until the end, I gave the go-ahead to slowly pack up an hour early and I did just the same. I was exhausted, in need of a warm bath and a foot massage. I got the bath (no massage, sadly) and went to bed early feeling both pleased and tired.
Looking back at the day, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I don't yet know if I broke-even or lost money. I'm pretty confident I didn't make a profit, but I knew going into this it would be unlikely as it was our first year. Most importantly, I learned a lot - something you cannot put a value on.
There is something to be said for doing your own thing; for organizing and executing an event with your vision that isn't given restrictions or mandates from people who have never organized or worked an event. I know from past experiences that things will - and often do - go sideways. I know that not everyone will show up when they say they will (visitors, vendors, and helpers alike). I also know that despite neglecting my booth, people had a memorable experience - ultimately, that is something you just can't put a price on.
Looking forward to next year.
-Julie
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