ArtFest Midwest ‘The Other Art Show’ Reviews.

Medium: Metal
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show:
2015
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $5001-$10,000
Price Range of your Work: average price $30.00 up to $1,000.00
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show:
10+ times!
Number of Years You have been doing Art Fairs overall: Forever...
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5
Location: 5
Facilities: 5
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 5
Overall: 5
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Inside is such a huge thing this time of the year, storms almost yearly, and if not storms, then its the terrible heat.

Sue and her husband are right there from the beginning to the end to help. The customers come back year after year, and the crowds are loyal. The shuttle downtown brings new people every year.

Bad Things about this Art Fair:
You have to cart your stuff in but everyone is nice about it. The breakfast for the artist runs out fast. Yes there is overprice food, but no one makes you buy it.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
Don't bring your high end pieces without price tags here and expect to sell just because of your name. This is an art show for the people and while they do buy, they are not impressed with image.

Additional Commentary on this Show:
I have seen too many artist sit in their chairs and pout that no one buys from them here.
At this show (and others) you have to mingle and build a relationship with the them. Again, this is a art show for the people and the people are deciding who to buy from...

See my blog on ArtFairInsiders.com for additional commentary on this Show:
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/indoor-art-shows?commentId=2160589%3AComment%3A344111

What prompted you to submit a review today?
This show DOES NOT deserve a bad review.

Any comments or feedback?
I love this site and will check it for every show we do...

Posted by: Jerry & Jacque Crable | 01/10/2016 at 04:51 PM

Medium: Painting
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: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 5 (great)
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 2
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: 501-10,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair:
Inside air-conditioned building during extremely hot and stormy weather, friendly volunteers, high traffic all day each day, separate food line for artists, quick and easy communication with coordinators, Lots of variety in other artists.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
This was my first show so I may not have the most unbiased opinion, but I thought this was a great show. There was tons of traffic on both days and I did see most people had purchases. I recommend this show!

Posted by: Jennifer Boes | 07/01/2014 at 04:23 PM

Show Name: ArtFest Midwest
City and State: Des Moines IA
Your Medium: Printmaking
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2013
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) 5 (great)
Location: 4
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 5 (great)
Sales: 4
Overall: 5 (great)
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Great
Estimated Attendance: 10,001-50,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Promoter is awesome. Crowds were great. Set up was easy. Quality work for the most part

Bad Things about this Art Fair: The food vendor was too pricey. Music was too loud.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: I love this show.

Posted by: Mark Hill | 07/15/2013 at 10:33 PM

Show Name: Artfest Midwest, The Other Show
City and State: Des Moines, Iowa
Your Medium: 2D mixed media
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) 2
Location: 2
Facilities: 3
Ease of Participating: 3
Sales: 2
Overall: 2
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Okay
Estimated Attendance: 501-10,000 people

Good Things about this Art Fair: It is air conditioned and the artists where very nice.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: Set up was quite a trek and took a long time. No volunteers for Booth sitting. The Crowd was not an art buying crowd, in my opinion. Lots of walking and eating buckets of cookies. Not a lot of in-depth lookers. Some of the artists work was questionable for fine art, even as fine craft. Very summer craft show like, which is fine if that is where it is showing. Some of the work seemed to be mass-produced and not handmade. The food vendor was not good.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: I will most likely apply for the downtown show and may consider this one if I do not get into that one. But I may not. Depends on what else is going on that weekend.

Posted by: Kale Van Leeuwen | 07/12/2013 at 12:51 AM

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