When I sit to write about artmaking each week, it helps me to sort through ideas about artmaking.

I’ve written about color, printmaking, the process, and sources of inspiration, and many other elements of creating work.

In all of that, it’s important not to overlook the obvious: At some point, if you are serious about what you make, you need to show it to somebody. And, if that process of showing involves a Festival, or a gallery showing, or shipping work to exhibit elsewhere, it involves a lot of STUFF.

STUFF: All that goes into showing work AFTER the actual art is made.

As I am preparing to exhibit at the Fall Festival of the Arts this weekend, a few takeaways:

STUFF involves finishing. Here’s work on my table I’ve prepared to show at this weekend’s Festival. This week I spent time finishing the hanging rods, (in which I get to have fun hand-sawing and using the Dremel drill), mocking  up a booth layout that matches up the width of available walls with the dimensions of the work I want to show, sewing labels on the back of each work, making title/price tags for the booth, then rolling up all the work and getting it in the car.

STUFF involves a lot of non-art supplies.

Here’s some of the stuff I still need to get in my car:

Here’s the back of my car with what’s already packed:

I am very grateful that years ago I purchased a second-hand tent that is still working well and that I also purchased a set of second-hand display walls that I’ve now used for about 15 years. They were both great investments.

STUFF involves early rising! At this Festival, artists can’t set up the night before. So, much like the elephants setting up the tents in the early morning hours before the circus, artists will be out on the streets of DeLand at 6am unpacking their cars and vans and creating a Festival of art-filled tents out of an empty street.

There is a HUGE army of dedicated volunteers behind every good street festival. I am grateful for all their work to get things ready and to help it run smoothly.

BUT – as every exhibiting artist knows, and as we hope Festival-going patrons know also, artists work hard!

I have no complaints nor whining – I choose to do this and I enjoy the hard work. But, a casual Festival attender may well not understand the process. I’ve had well-meaning Festival attendees ask me if the City or the Festival provided all these tents for us, or how much they pay us to be in the event. (Answer: No. Artists provide their own display materials. And each of us has paid at least several hundred dollars in exhibit fees, plus travel expenses for those far away.)

So . . . here I go. I am writing this post on Friday before the event begins, and by the time it goes LIVE on Sunday evening the event will be over. I’m sure I’ll be pooped.

But also glad to be a working artist and glad to be able to do this!

For all the artmakers: Happy creating
For all the art lovers: Happy appreciating

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi

bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com

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