The Uptown Art Fair was a Bust for Me!

I was looking forward to the Uptown Art Fair in its new location at the west end of Lake of the Isles – one of the most-walked lakes in the Metro. This is the perfect place, I think, for the Uptown Art Fair to make a true comeback.

The Uptown Art Fair began in 1964 to raise funds for neighborhood initiatives and grew to include over 350 fine artists and high-end craftspeople from the U.S. and other countries. It was jam-packed with visitors every year. This fair had a stellar national reputation. And then the Uptown area of Minneapolis began to decline due to COVID, construction, and economic factors.

I don’t know why this area, so loved by young people, was left to falter. Restaurants were great. There were music venues and clubs. Shops. Bars. All the things that make a lively go-to for an evening out were thriving in Uptown. Just blocks from the Minneapolis lakes system for walking, biking, sailing, and more outdoor activities, this neighborhood had it all. And then it didn’t.

The art fair moved to a parking lot in a southern community suburb while the neighborhood deteriorated. It was just another art fair with no real prestige. But this year, some incredible people from the Uptown Neighborhood Association took the fair to Lake of the Isles and now begins, I believe, the rebuilding of this fair’s reputation for excellence.

The excellence part remains to be seen. Art fairs that tout themselves as juried fine art shows are no longer focused on fine art. Some of us cannot understand why, as fine artists, we are paying jury fees to be in a market that equally supports low-end craft & kitschy items. More and more visitors are looking for (and spending their art dollars) on art prints and lower-end jewelry. This fair was no exception.

I offer original art pieces of varying sizes, but they have a higher price point. Why don’t I reduce my prices to accommodate the market? Because I never meant to be in a mixed market situation. But it keeps happening. I did speak to a couple of organizers of this fair about creating sections for low- to high-end work, making an accommodation for everyone but still marketing to buyers of high-end original fine art. We’ll see what happens next year.

In the end, I sold nothing. And that is a problem because it cost me over $2000 to do the show. People don’t realize what goes into making these exhibits happen. Lodging, transportation rentals, some food, booth fees, jury fees, sometimes insurance fees. Added to this, because of juries, I might not get into a fair that returned a terrific profit the year before. That happened twice this season, resulting in a potential 2/3 reduction in income!

I have one more fair to do this fall. I need to turn a profit, or I’m out of the show business. I usually make a profit that well exceeds my expenses, and half of that profit goes into the next show.

I’m letting you in on the business side to help you understand some of what artists are up against to make art available. It is expensive to make art and expensive to try to sell art to cover the costs of making art. I laugh as I write this.

One way you can help is to send people who buy original art to artists who sell original art. Liking the work because we’re friends is nice and appreciated. Referring me to potential buyers makes me grateful!

I no longer have all of my art on a website becasue because of image theft; however, follow me here to see new work or follow on Instagram to see past image posts.