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Highlights (& lowlights) from the last day of 2011…..
I pack and load the car with the 10 paintings in the “Ontogeny” series (5 ~ 16×20, 5 ~ 11×14).
I decide at the last minute to grab an 11th, an older painting which some of you might already be familiar with, 
”Marching Orders”. It happens to also be 16×20, the importance of which I will soon share with you. Figured that the layout of the room (three walls, each a different length) might require an “extra” piece of art, perhaps to be paired with my artist’s bio.
I unwrap the artwork, not all of the artwork mind you, because ‘clever me’ (***said with sarcasm***) decided it would be okay to wrap every other one, leaving the 2nd, 4th, etc. paintings unwrapped. Bad form. Bad, bad form. Because even though 9 out of the 10 paintings were unscathed upon arrival, one frame managed to get so scratched up I actually let out a screech when I saw it.
And so my chicken painting came to the rescue of my frog painting.
Thankfully, I had also decided to take my point driver and needle nose pliers, both of which I don’t typically have along for hanging a show. I did a quick switcheroo of the frames and hung the frog painting on the wall with the bio next to it. I packed up the damaged frame and chicken painting, and headed out the door thankful that a last-minute decision proved invaluable.
I am pleased to be participating as the featured artist of the Winter Craft Faire, Art & Wine Tasting at Pony Village Mall (North Bend, Oregon) on Saturday November 19th and Sunday November 20th, 2011. On display will be a new series of acrylic and ink paintings that celebrate the vibrant, colorful bounty found during the harvest season.
Wine, appetizers, music, crafts and artwork…your participation in this feast for the senses helps benefit Star of Hope and the wonderful services they provide in the community.
What does a venue have to offer in order for people to want to visit it?
Music?
Food?
Drink?
Should it be free? Or does charging an entry fee make it ‘the cool place to be’?
Should there be other things to do there, like play games?
Should it be casual or formal in order to draw a crowd?
Should it appeal to the young, old, poor, wealthy, male, female, etc.?
Should the advertising be online, on tv, on the radio, on posters, in the newspaper, on leaflets stuck under windshield wipers?
Why am I asking these questions? Well, I’m surprised by something and maybe you can shed some light on it. It pertains to the Coos Bay-North Bend Art Walk. No, don’t stop reading just because you aren’t from this area…YOU may have experienced, or may be experiencing, the same scenario in your hometown.
I am surprised by two things…
1. That artists aren’t FLOCKING to the Pony Village Mall for the Coos Bay-North Bend Art Walk.
2. That the public isn’t FLOCKING to the Pony Village Mall for the Coos Bay-North Bend Art Walk.
Okay, maybe ‘flocking’ is an exaggeration, but there is an opportunity here that simply is NOT being used to its fullest potential.
Back in May, the Pony Village Mall began participating in the Art Walk by providing a venue for artists to set up displays of their work. What does the Mall provide:
- A display venue for FREE (there is no vendor fee or commission taken).
- Tables, easels, chairs…even tablecloths for FREE. They set it up and break it down.
- Lets you set up early (Art Walk is from 5-8pm, but you can set up as early as 10am when the Mall opens).
- Music/other live performances…FREE.
- Food & beverages…FREE. (Many provided by the stores or culinary vendors.)
So with all of the above, WHY aren’t more artists joining in? The numbers have been hovering between 10-15 and I know for a fact we have ten times that number in Coos County. Is it lack of time? Lack of artwork? Competition? Shyness? “Family’s in town”? Do they try it out, become discouraged by lack of sales and not come back? Or (now we come to the second thing I’m surprised about that I mentioned earlier in this post) are they discouraged by the lack of interest by the public?
What does the Art Walk or Pony Village Mall or ANY event/venue have to do in order to draw in people? The public has the opportunity to visit the Mall not just for shopping, but to enjoy art, food & drink, and entertainment. Granted Pony Village Mall’s participation in the Art Walk is only a few months old, and perhaps the word simply has not gotten out to ‘all’ artists and community members about this opportunity. Or maybe there is some greater force of inertia at work here, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.
Got any ideas? 
