Mount Dora Arts Festival Reviews.

I did great at this show, always do. it was a bit slower than usual but my sales in the end were similar to the past few years. I do whimsical and different work so I don't agree with Amy that more traditional works better.. i had a neighbor with more traditional work and he did not fare as well.

Posted by: patti | 05/13/2015 at 01:24 PM

Medium: Mixed
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2015
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $2001-$5000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 3
Location: 5
Facilities: 2
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 1
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Poor
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
This fair is in a really cute little town that doesn't have a lot else around it, so the town is THE place. The town is small and walkable with friendly folks to talk with.

That said, the fair was well run, professional with a few minor details that were confusing like "dollying in" vs. dropping off and setting up.

Artists were treated very well with a good breakfast and booth sitters who were very happy to help.

My artist neighbor was awesome and I felt glad he was my neighbor!

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
Some of the communication regarding parking, dollying, etc was extremely confusing. I hadn't asked to dolly in but was put into that category (not sure by whom?)

I decided to wait, go back to my hotel for a nap and set up in the evening which was fine for me. It got a little cold and there weren't any street lights which made set up a little challenging.

Sales for me weren't good at all. I was a little surprised after, what I thought was a promising start on Saturday and then nothing for the rest of the weekend. I know others did very, very well including my neighbor.

THE LADIES BATHROOM LINES ARE 15 MINUTES LONG AT TIMES, SO PREPARE YOURSELVES IN ADVANCE!

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: This can be a very good show but it's hard to know for whom and for what.

I think more traditional works sell better at this show.

Posted by: Amy Fletcher | 02/20/2015 at 11:36 PM

Show Name: Mount Dora Arts Festival
City and State: Mount Dora, FL
Your Medium: Fiber
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2014
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) 3
Location: 2
Facilities: 1 (poor)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 1 (poor)
Overall: 3
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Poor
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Easy drive up or dolly in set up and break down. There is an artist dinner on Friday evening but due to the rainy setup this year and overall calamity of our setup (slipped off step ladder and had injuries) could not attend. Do not know anyone who attended this year. Show usually has very large crowds, or has in the past. Also a Sunday awards breakfast.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
This year not many actual shoppers. So many looked poor and trashy. Not everyone of course and there were some buyers, but not enough to go around. Talked to many who did poorly, maybe 1 out of 50 did well, 1 of 25 did okay. I did not make expenses. I donated a piece at the end of the show and the volunteer who took it said she loved it and would be buying it and the art center would get the money. Which is good, but I just wish perhaps she could have also bought something directly from me if she enjoyed my work that much to buy it.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Research what other artists are selling here and in what price range. If your work is not a fit for the show, don't go there!

Additional Commentary on this Show:
I will never be sure, but I would have liked to know if the original spot I was assigned would have been more successful for me. It was in a much higher trafficked area. However I had to be moved because they didn't put my partner next to me, despite putting booth request in four total places, two requests for each of us in our Zapp payment receipts and notes. We also had reserved dolly in lots and originally were assigned two separate lots for our shared vehicles (SUV and trailer). So had to be near each other. So were moved to end of the show where traffic was about 25k per day.

Posted by: Suzanne Ens | 02/12/2014 at 07:14 PM

Show Name: Mount Dora Festival of the Arts
City and State: Mount Dora, Florida
Your Medium: Sculpture 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: 3-5 times
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great) Location: 4 Facilities: 4 Ease of Participating: 4 Sales: 4 Overall: 4 Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Very organized for setup and breakdown. Assigned artist parking. Hospitality room for artists with breakfast. Large crowds who are pretty art savvy and willing to purchase.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Location has some hills, yes hills in Fl so some booth locations are un level. You have to follow a set traffic pattern without exception to enter or leave the show. So, if your booth is say at the far end of the show you must navigate through the show to get there. Seems like they could figure out some less cumbersome way.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: It can get quite busy, so an assistant is nice to have.

Posted by: Stephen Cebula | 03/26/2012 at 11:11 PM

Show Name: Mount Dora Art Festival
City and State: Mount Dora, FL
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: Rather not say
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 10+ times!
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great) Location: 5 (great) Facilities: 4 Ease of Participating: 4 Sales: 4 Overall: 5 (great) Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: With excellent weather this year, the attendance was equally as good. Saturday the patrons seemed to be more intense when looking at higher priced art works. Lower priced art was moving pretty well. Several painters sold nice sized paintings on Saturday with sales cooling Sunday... then again there is the Super Bowl factor... always. All in all it was a good show on a nice weekend. The artist oasis is a nice feature offering a nice bathroom and place to set down with some refreshments. The awards were good to me and I am grateful.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: The set-up is challenging at this show... It was no different this year; we pulled in after waiting in line a full hour beyond our entrance time. On the flip side, breakdown went quite well as artist were considerate and broke-down before pulling into the show.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: Mount Dora Art Festival is a show with nice opportunities for sales and some nice awards.

Posted by: Carol Napoli | 03/26/2012 at 11:07 PM

Show Name: Mount Dora Arts Festival
City and State: Mount Dora, FL
Your Medium: Painting
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: < $500
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 4
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 2
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: * 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: High attendance. Well organized. Nice location. Festival with a good pedigree (well respected). Nice volunteer staff.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Setup was a challenge, since it could not start until the evening before the event, and traffic going in was congested.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: This was our very first festival ever (we were accepted as an emerging artist), so we can't really compare it to anything else. But, we were hoping to sell more art. However, since our booth fees were waived and we had a canopy provided for free, it is hard to complain. We have chalked our lack of sales up to inexperience and a tough economy.

Additional Commentary on this Show (or about this form): We were very impressed by the management of this festival. The staff was very nice and supportive of us (being newbies in this business). Likewise, the other artists were helpful, and more than willing to give us advice.

Posted by: Ernest Lee Wilson Jr | 02/16/2012 at 02:51 PM

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