As 2010 is winding down, it's time to reflect back on the late summer and fall season. Since my last journal in August, I finished up my run of art festivals in the Northeast. The summer ended with shows in Buffalo,NY, Mt.Gretna,PA and Harrisburg,PA. The folks in Buffalo really come out and support the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. It's a vibrant event in an eclectic part of town and lots of fun to do. After Buffalo I did some driving around Western New York to enjoy the scenery. The state of New York never ceases to amaze me at the variety of beauty. I headed down to Southeastern Pennsylvania for my first Mt. Gretna Art festival. It takes place in a wonderfully charming little hamlet. Mt. Gretna is the kind of place you could imagine hobbits running around. There was a rainstorm that hit on Saturday, but it didn't deter the customers. They came back out after the rain ended. In addition to the show I paid a visit to the Hershey factory. Chocolate city! That place makes me feel like a kid. I ended my summer with the Kipona Arts Festival in Harrisburg,PA. There was a hurricane moving up the east coast and it threw some strong winds our way. This was quite a challenge at the show, but the artists managed to get through it with minimal damage.
As Summer ended and Autumn reared its face, I headed south home to Charleston,South Carolina to regroup and make more art. My first southern festival was in Durham, North Carolina at Centerfest. Durham is located in the research triangle and is home to Duke University. The show is put on by the Durham Arts council and they do a wonderful job. After Durham, I headed to a new show for me in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina. The show is held inside the courtyard of the Atalaya estate. It's the former winter residence of of the Huntingtons, creators of Brookgreen Gardens. The show was in a unique setting and I really enjoyed myself. My folks joined me on Sunday, which was a real treat. A quick turnaround in Charleston and I was off to the St. James Art Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The show is rated as one of the top festivals in the country and features an enormous number of artists. The weather was a bit chilly, which caused a drop in the number of people attending the show. Driving through the hills of Kentucky is always a treat and I stopped in Berea to spend some time viewing the beautiful work of American craftspeople.
Late October found me doing my first Florida show of the season in Winter Springs. Very few people attended the show, but I still enjoyed myself. Next up was the Bluffton Art and Seafood Festival in Bluffton,South Carolina. This is a small show that has become the premier art festival in the Hiltonhead area. It's grown alot in the past few years and is run by some very capable and kind individuals. The director of the show was in an automobile accident, but I'm happy to report he's doing very well. My parents live in that area which makes this show a real treat. Warm bed, free meals and a washing machine! After that I headed to one of my favorite fall festival, the Great Gulfcoast Art Festival in Pensacola, Florida. They throw quite a shindig for the artists on Saturday night. Some old friends visited me, which is always a treat. After Pensacola I headed west towards Louisiana. On my way my alternator and battery decided to crap out on me. Ah, the joys of travel. I had some free time in between shows so I spent some time in New Orleans. They're still recovering from Katrina. I went to the Museum of Fine Arts, the aquarium, the Garden District and the French Quarter. Of course, I had to stop at Cafe Du Monde for coffee and Beignet's. New Orleans has some of the best food in the country, so I enjoyed myself. I headed north across Lake Ponchartrain on the longest bridge in the world. The weekend's show was on the streets of Covington. It's a quaint little town and I had a successful show. I camped in a beautiful state park along the shores of the lake. After Covington, I drove back to Charleston for a break before Cocoa Beach's Space Coast Art Festival. The folks in this area have fallen on hard times with the layoffs at NASA, and the festival really reflects this. It's a shame. I ended my show by breaking down in complete darkness. Imagine my reaction when I reached down to pick up a bungee cord, only to realize it wasn't a bungee cord!
Spacecoast was the final event of the year for me. All in all, I tallied 35 art festivals in 12 states. December is primarily Christmas craft shows, so this gives me an opportunity to catch up at my studio. Currently I am moving into a new 1300 square feet studio, which is very exciting. It will allow me to expand my business and gives me the room i need to be creative. I'll be gearing up for a new year of art shows, beginning January 1st in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Over the next couple months I'll be showing my art in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton, Orlando, Jupiter, Naples, Vero Beach and Fairhope, Alabama. As more show acceptances come in, I'll be updating my schedule page on the website. Well, back to work creating beautiful black and white photographs, but first, a nap.