I will be participating in an art fair, this fall. I was a teenager the last time I participated in an art fair. It’s true; I tell everyone I am 19, but I’ve been 19 for a very long time, so it’s been decades since I have been in an art fair!
I applied to the Penrod Arts Fair, held on the grounds of Newfield’s, the fine arts museum in Indianapolis. According to their website;
“In 1967, a group of twenty-two men formed The Penrod Society®. “Penrod” pays homage to Penrod Schoefield, a literary character from Indianapolis novelist Booth Tarkington.
The Society is an Indianapolis-based, all-volunteer whose mission is to support arts, cultural, and educational activities and institutions in Indiana. The artists, students, arts organizations, and various other not-for-profit organizations whose missions and programming include arts, cultural, and educational activities.
Over 20,000 fair patrons visit the Newfield campus on the first Saturday after Labor Day. Penrod showcases hundreds of artists and offers live music, performing arts, and local cuisine. Proceeds from this one-day celebration provide grants for Indianapolis-area arts and community organizations.”
Artists apply to the show, and a panel of judges, just like a juried art show, either accept or reject your application. I am told it is difficult to be accepted into Penrod, so I am honored to have been invited.
At first, I purchased a relatively inexpensive tent, thinking I was clever! Then I had to face the reality of what a rainstorm would do to my cheap tent and the paintings tucked beneath it, so I had to trade up!
I found display panels that come apart easily and, in theory, don’t weigh much. The woman who sold them to me attests that she can fit hers into the back seat of her BMW, so I think I should be good!
So now I’m getting into the fine details! It’s all the small things that add up if you come unprepared! For example, I thought I would only accept credit cards and use an app on my cell phone to process them. I learned from a Facebook art fair group that there were issues with cellular connections at previous Penrod’s. So that told me that I have to bring a cash box!
I need to figure out how to bag or wrap sold items. For the small items, my boyfriend gave me some lovely shopping bags, but I have some larger paintings that I usually wouldn’t bag. What if it rains that day? I must be prepared!
Fortunately, my daughter has agreed to help me, which is a beautiful gift! The truth is that I am not the best in big crowds and have to force myself to be outgoing under those circumstances, so having my daughter along with me will be a great support.
If you live in the Indianapolis area and plan the attend Penrod, it will be held Saturday, September 10, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. I probably can be found hiding in the corner of my tent, so make sure to drop by to say hi (I will be hiding under the table at my tent)!