Monday, August 3, 2009

ARTIST'S REVIEW OF 23RD Annual FIREFLY ART FAIR - Wauwatosa, WI



KNEELAND WALKER HOUSE
Wauwatosa, WI

This past weekend, August 1 & 2, I was an exhibitor in the 23rd Annual FIREFLY ART FAIR, which was held on the beautiful grounds of the Kneeland Walker House in Wauwatosa, WI. I have been doing this show for over 7 years now, and it is absolutely one of my favorite shows!


You couldn't ask for a more exquisite setting for an art show! The Victorian garden setting gives it a wonderful ambience that you won't find at any other art show in this area.

People attending the show seem to spend the greater part of the day at the show....buying/viewing art, listening to the music, and of course....eating food. There are homemade pies, brownies, ice cream, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and more to choose from!


The artists' booths are set up througout the grounds of the Kneeland Walker house property. Some are in what used to be the grass tennis courts, bridle path, upper gardens and lawn areas.

Visitors can sit among the gardens and enjoy their food in what used to be the corral and is now filled with tables and chairs.

This photo was taken just after the show opened.

This delightful show is run by The Wauwatosa Historical Society, and they do a wonderful job. This year there were 93 exhibitors and the mediums ranged from jewelry, ceramics, photography, fiber, mixed media, acrylic and watercolor, sculpture, glass and more.


It seemed to be a "mixed bag" as far as how sales were going for the various artists. Some were selling very well (including me), others said they were doing "so, so", and some were not doing well at all. It is really hard to tell which show is going to be a good one for you, and which aren't. After exhibiting in 3 shows with low sales, I was very happy with this weekend's sales.

It has been my experience with the FIREFLY ART FAIR that it is usually pretty consistant as far as my sales. This year far exceeded even my expectations!! It was fun meeting and talking with old customers, and meeting new ones. I already can't wait until next year. My prayers were answered. no thunderstorms, and it wasn't too hot. In previous years, the temperature is usually near 90 degrees. I'm lucky to have a spot under a big tree. The only irritating factor were tiny, pesky "knats".

Below are several photos of my neighbor's booth next to me, and her colorful paintings. If you'd like to learn more about Ann and her paintings, click on the photos below.



ANN BAER

Click on either photo to visit Ann's webpage.



This show was the first opportunity I had to see how my new designs of my "butterfly flower photo" wall accents would be received. I'm happy to say that people loved them! More of these will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.




My next show will be on September 12th in downtown Waukesha, WI. I will be posting more information regarding this show in the next few weeks.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

It looks and sounds like you had a great time! i might have to check out that show next year. that house looks amazing!

Belinha Fernandes said...

What a nice place!The garden and the art!It looks perfect!
I enjoyed reading your review.
And I liked your photos very much!They also look like paintings!
:))