OneAmerica Broad Ripple Art Fair Reviews,

Medium: Pottery
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2018
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501 - $2,000
Price Range of your Work: $15 - $110
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show:
1st time
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: 3-5 years
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 3
Location: 3
Facilities: 2
Ease of Participating: 3
Sales: 3
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: 10,001 - 50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
More than one entrance, well organized, large show

What could this Art Fair have done better?:
Hours were 11-7 and 11-6 it was really hot. Earlier hours would have been better

Additional Commentary on this Show:
I was frustrated by an artist that was selling die cut matts of Purdue, IU, Batman, etc that were placed over legos and framed. They were selling all weekend. In your opinion is this buy and sell?

Posted by: Kelly Meska | 06/27/2018 at 04:39 PM

Medium: Wood
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show:
2015
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $2001-$5000
Price Range of your Work: $70-$120
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show:
1st time
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: 2-3 years
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 3
Location: 5
Facilities: 5
Ease of Participating: 5
Sales: 4
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 501-10,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Easy Load In. I was in the Artists Lot which was the south parking lot of the Art Center.

Good buying energy until the rain came Saturday afternoon. Sunday had a good after church crowd.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Confusing layout behind the art center, especially the dolly in forested area.

Non profit/ club booths interspersed with the artists.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Fantastic group of volunteers. No scheduled booth sitter, but you only needed to hang an orange flag in front of your booth and within 15-20 minutes a sitter was there to give you a break.

Potter and jeweler near me barely made expenses.

See my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com for additional commentary on this Show:
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profile/MattEstrada

Posted by: Matt Estrada | 05/22/2015 at 11:50 PM

Show Name: Broad Ripple Art Fair
City and State: Indianapolis IN
Your Medium: 3D mixed media
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $2001-$5000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 10+ times!
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 2
Location: 4
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 3
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: 501-10,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Well organized, well known event with many activities for the entire family. Crowds and sales traditionally have been good. Quality of arts and crafts good.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: HIgh gate fee seems to be holding down participation. I realized this is the main fund raiser for the arts center, but feel that attendance has been slowing due to entry costs.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: There are different areas (surfaces) for artist set-up. It is good to review the map to see what area might be best suited to your display/set-up needs.

Posted by: Cappi Phillips | 04/06/2013 at 02:20 PM

Just a quick note to thank everyone for their helpful reviews of this show!

~Emily Sims, Rona Fisher Jewelry Design
Philadelphia, PA

Posted by: Emily Sims | 01/10/2013 at 09:38 AM

Show Name: Broad Ripple Art Fair
City and State: Indianapolis, IN
Your Medium: Pottery
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501-$2000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 3
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 2
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Poor
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Open Jury, jury scores sent to all applicants, drive up set up in Artist Field, OK to stake down tent, very good selection of artists, aggressive removal of buy/sell, lots of volunteers, indoor restrooms in Art Center,

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Pretty good crowds, but only purchased low end, Total sales $1226.16, Average sale $56, down from normal $150+

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: There are 5-6 areas to choose to set up, Artist Field is the only one with drive up access. Artist lot is easy dolly in, Artist grove is cool, tree lined, but winding paths and irregular surfaces. On street parking is not bad, even with trailer.

Have lots of less than $50 items.

For more of my commentary on this show please click on my name below to visit my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com.

Posted by: Jim and Linda Dalton | 06/15/2012 at 03:09 AM

Good Things about this Art Fair: The art center staff and the hordes of volunteers are the best there are. Everyone was cheerful and helpful despite the heat. Set-up and tear-down went smoothly (depending on your booth location) as vehicles can drive in easily to the booth site. Patrons are polite and friendly. Sales were great.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: It was hot this year. Very hot. Some good fans and plenty of water were a must.

Additional Commentary on this Show (or about this form): Regarding this form: The range of estimated sales numbers are kind of ridiculous. If I'd done as little as $500, I would have thought it was a horrible show! But that's where my sales fit. At the top end of that category for a 2 day show, I was very satisfied.

For more of my commentary on this show please click on my name below to visit my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com.

Posted by: Christine Heisler | 06/15/2012 at 02:49 AM

Show Name: Broad Ripple Art Fair
City and State: Indianapolis, IN
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2011
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501-$2000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 3-5 times
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 4
Location: 4
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 3
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Very, very helpful volunteer and paid staff, indoor bathrooms/storm shelter available at Art Center. Choices of different types of locations. People come out for this show even if the weather is not perfect.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Sales seem problematic for 2D artists. Always been of the opinion that crafts do better here. Weather always seems to be an issue of sorts whether it is just some rain or a big thunderstorm. Or, in most years, the raining down of the cottonwood 'fuzzies' to cover your things. Parking is either on one of the community streets (which then takes away from patron parking...or, in distant lot with shuttle service). Noticed some possible buy/sell last year.

Posted by: Mary Johnston | 01/07/2012 at 10:34 PM

This is a local show for me and after a number of years doing this show as a 'gallery' with others I managed to get in on my own. I was in the parking lot on the Monon Trail side which worked out well for me during the micro-burst storm on Sunday morning as we were somewhat more protected. This is a well-run show. The staff & volunteers are really, really helpful. There is a lot of 'craft' here and there were some complaints from other artists about some suspected buy/sell including some paintings..... If the weather is good the crowds show up and the sales are decent.

Posted by: Mary Johnston | 11/28/2011 at 07:53 AM

man did I pick the wrong booth location...after looking at the booth map I picked a booth next to a parking lot so I thought..that parking lot actually had a wall and a flight of steps between the lot and my booth..I officially demand 3-D contour maps for all festivals from now on...ok directors!!!! get on it!!!

but seriously...after cart loading everything up ramps I managed to take my time all day and set up my booth which was a 12x12 but plenty of space all around...they do have golf carts for artist which is great. I just have too many big things...

friendly staff and booths all over the grounds makes the traffic flow..not flow that good....but people did roam all over the grounds

weather good except a quick crazy micro burst that ripped a few booths down but after a quick soaking everything got back to normal

sales wound up pretty good for a show I never did before..most of the customers I spoke with said attendance was down from prior years...seems to be hit or miss...

i would do the show again next year fachizzle. may even take my same spot despite the hard setup and breakdown...for some reason breakdown is always easier with a wad of loot in your pocket...holla!

cheep hotels on priceline and the little village of Broadripple is awesome

Posted by: art attack | 06/15/2011 at 02:59 PM

The support staff is outstanding. I will pass on this one for a couple of years.

Posted by: Rich | 04/01/2011 at 09:52 PM

I'm a local and have done this show for years (pottery). Make sure you have a good price range of work (average $40. Walk into trendy Broad Ripple Village after the show and have dinner.

Posted by: sandi finney | 03/30/2011 at 01:39 PM

It is a well run show. Melanie Reckas,endless art center cheerleader and ex-gift shop manager will be greatly missed as her job was eliminated this year.

I tended to do this show as a way to boost my gift shop sales from year to year, it was like getting 2 medium shows for 1. Not quite as worth it for me with the gift shop now closed.

I would suggest avoiding "the grove" area unless you love dollying your stuff a ways. Fun and funky area to do a show in, but score your hotel early since it's during time trial for the Indy 500 and it can get pretty busy.

Posted by: Karen | 03/22/2011 at 09:08 PM

This is a well run show. It was my first time doing show during 2010 and gave me a lot hope for the summer. You need to select one of the parking lot or artist lots.

Posted by: Oscar Matos Linares | 12/17/2010 at 09:51 PM

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