An Art Show for the Ages: A Tale of Wind, Water, and Winning
This past weekend, my husband Aaron and I had an adventure at the Art in Bayfront Park show in Duluth, Minnesota. It was a beautiful location, right on the water with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge in the background. But as any outdoor artist will tell you, a great location doesn't guarantee great weather.
The first day started with rain, which cleared up by midday. Since I sell stoneware pottery, I don't have to worry too much about my product getting wet. My work is fired to a high temperature, so it's non-porous and water-tight. Still, it's a stressful feeling to have water coming down and all over your booth, even if your products are fine. After the rain let up, the wind started to pick up, a sign of what was to come.
If the first day was about rain and a preview of wind, the second day was all about the wind. A fellow vendor, who's been doing shows for 12 years, said it was the worst he'd ever seen. The forecast had called for 20 mph winds with gusts up to 35 mph, but we decided to stick it out and play it by ear, prepared to start taking things down if needed. We read later that the gusts actually hit 41 mph, and it certainly felt that way! They were constant and relentless.
It's in moments like these that you're grateful for the little things. We were able to stake our tent down, something not all venues allow, and I'm so glad we weren't on concrete. I heard that some tents shifted dramatically. We came prepared with sandbags and even weighted down our shelves and tables. I also scooted everything in a bit, knowing the wind would make the tent walls flap, and I didn't want them smacking my display. It made the booth a little smaller, but a smaller booth is better than a broken one!
As the winds picked up, even some of my heavier bowls started to slide. We began taking down our larger pieces that were catching the wind. The last hour of the show was wild; many of our neighbors were packing up early, their work flying everywhere. I don't blame them one bit. We all adjusted, but that's just the reality of outdoor events—we do them rain or shine. While some artists have the luxury of leaving early, for many of us, it's not an option. We've invested time and money in these shows, from submitting our work to paying for the booth and our accommodations. You simply have to make the best of it.
This is where having my husband Aaron by my side is a lifesaver. He's my rock. Many vendors do these shows alone, so we always try to help out our neighbors. As an introvert, I'm lucky to have my extroverted husband as my assistant. He was a stagehand for years, years ago and he is a veteran, so he's fantastic in intense situations. We've been together for over 20 years, and I'm so incredibly proud of him. (That’s a whole other blog I’ll have to write.)
After two days of battling the elements, we drove home exhausted and sore from bracing against the wind. It was a challenging weekend, but it was all worth it. I am absolutely over the moon to announce that I won the Festival Favorite Award in my category! I was so shocked and honored. To have my work recognized after all the effort we put in is just incredible. It makes all the hard work worth it. So I’ll be there next year!
I’m sure there are other artists out there that can relate to the festival life. I also did an awesome trade! That’s always so much fun.
