Friday it took me three hours to remove and reorganize the hangers for the new arrangement on the display board. It involves a lot of measuring from the sides and/or top and bottom so that everything is evenly spaced, level, and orderly. Then it probably took me an hour to set up and then dismantle the display. Then I selected the other pieces I was going to take and got everything all wrapped and packed, made sure I had all the necessary items like tools, business cards, tape, dust brush, bags, bubble wrap, etc. etc. and the car loaded by 5 PM. Made my price cards that evening and even figured out and made a list of the sales tax on each price point and I was ready. I don't think I've ever been this ready and prepared for an open house. Usually I'm still sticking price tags on stuff when we open.
Got up at 5:30 Saturday morning, was on the road by 7 to a dense fog all the way to the event building, arrived by 8, was set up by 9 with an hour to spare. I did not take a single picture. But this is how it all looked...my display was in the center against the back wall, Gene's fused glass was on a display unit to the right and Dick and Kathy's blown glass was on a display unit to the left, two 2' x 6' tables along the front with a space in between with more work on those. Gene's lights were set up so all the work was well illuminated.
There were fewer artists for this one day show than they have had in the past because all the spaces for artists to set up were 6' apart but there was still a nice variety. We had a weaver with handmade clothes and scarves to one side of us and a clay, mixed media, and watercolor artist on the other. There was a wood turner across from us, several jewelers, an origami artist, a vegan baker (who sold out!), a writer with her books, an artist who made fun stuff out of old license plates, a photographer, a couple of painters, a crochet artist with scarves and an assortment of things, a couple of ceramicists, a furniture and other items made with wood and/or leather artist, a woman who made rosehip beauty products. I'm sure I'm leaving someone out.
All the vendors were required to wear masks during the show hours, 10 AM – 5 PM, attendees were also asked to wear masks and most did. There was a steady flow of people up until the last hour and a half or so. I sold two of the framed feathers (the barred owl and the blue jay), the first in the first two hours and the second in the last hour, and 3 of the snowflake ornaments so since I didn't expect any sales I was happy. I got to know the mixed media artist next to us (we've each been following each other's work via social media) and we plan to stay connected, reconnected with a past gallery owner who still connects artists with collectors and she thinks one of her collectors would like the sandscape with the fern frond so that might come to something.
Best of all, most of the non-glass artists who have usually participated for the past decade in our open house that the glass blowers sponsored every year were there so we all got to hang out for a day. Here we are.
We took that picture to send to the woodturner that always joined us before he and his wife moved out of state.
It took me a little over half an hour to repack and dismantle my display and get it loaded in the car so I stayed to help my friends break down their displays, left at 6 and was home by 7.
