Sales ‘Brisk’ at 16th Annual Washington Craft Show

he most recent Washington Craft Show, presenting some of the “most talented craft artists in the country today,” fittingly took place in the glittering new Washington Convention Center in November 2003. “The show was very well run, in a beautiful new setting, and presented a lovely collection of artists’ work,” says potter Terry Gess, a full-time artist for 15 years who also has exhibited in the American Craft Exposition and the Smithsonian Craft Show. “This was my first time at this show but sales were brisk.”

Jewelry artist Marianne Hunter of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., has been doing the Washington show for about five years. “The show is absolutely beautiful!” Hunter says. “[Promoter] Betsy Kubie has a very sharp eye for what makes her shows stand out. The result is that works selected to be in her shows are admirable, the display of the work is most professional and dramatic, and the show as a showcase is elegant.”

Another first-time Washington Craft Show exhibitor, Robert Briscoe, agrees. “I found the show to be extremely well-run, conveniently designed for setup and tear-down, and elegantly presented,” reports this ceramic artist from Minnesota. “The audience was sophisticated, knowledgeable and appreciative.”

Briscoe, whose stoneware prices range up to $750, believes the “current market for craft is excellent, particularly for artists making [unique] work.”

Candone Wharton, a full-time ceramist for 25 years, was doing the show for the fourth time and says her sales were up 30 percent. Wharton believes an individual artist can succeed despite the “much slower shows, especially wholesale” in 2003. “Those that are able to grow creatively and show new work will keep the buyers attention,” says Wharton who also owns a small gallery in Sanford, Fla., “if not now, when the economy is stronger — the sales will return.”

Only eight of the 27 artists responding to our post-show survey report sales lower than expected. More than 50 percent of the respondents tell us that their sales were “very good” or up from past years. Wearable fiber artist Lori Bacigalupi of Norman, Okla., says she has been doing this show since it started and she made “substantially more” than her costs. “We were up 15 percent [over previous years],” says Bacigalupi who has also exhibited in the Smithsonian and Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft shows. “This show is managed brilliantly and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

And glass artist Mark Russell of Greenville, Tenn., says sales of his work, ranging in price to $3,000, were “very good” on all days of the show. “The relatively small size, spacious layout and high quality work shown makes this a very attractive venue for me,” says Russell, a full-time artist for 25 years. “If my schedule allows, I would very much like to participate again.”

Metal artist Alex Austin, doing this show for only the second year, summed up her “better than last year” experience. “The show is hard work and can be difficult,” reports Austin who has been in business for about 10 years, “but for the audience captured and brought in, it is more than worth it.”

Interestingly, 19 of these 27 exhibitors have been in business for more than 10 years — some for more than three decades. Of those who report doing any wholesale shows, 20 say the American Craft Council’s shows are the only ones they do. And, demonstrating that they are moving with the times despite their long tenure, 23 of the respondents tell us they are actively selling or marketing their work on the Internet.

Many of the artists with a Web presence, including mixed media artist Lynn Whipple of Winter Park, Fla., say they sell online to people who saw them at shows. “People buy work from my Web site, often after seeing it in person or in print,” says Whipple.

Others, like wood artist Cindy Drozda of Boulder, Colo., use their site primarily for marketing. “I do not sell directly over the Internet,” says Drozda whose work ranges in prices up to $3,500. “I feel that would compete with my galleries. The Web site is a complement to the galleries and a [marketing] tool for them and for me to use at shows.”

In business since 1996, Cornelia Goldsmith of Sausalito, Calif., says she definitely wants to get a Web site up in 2004. “Customers like to see work on the Internet,” says Goldsmith. “With high-end jewelry, the Internet may not account for many new sales, but it is always a big help to customers who meet me at trade shows to be able to refresh their memory with pictures online.”

Elizabeth Kubie of Crafts America reports that the show had 1,053 applicants and many of the 185 participating artists are represented in important corporate and private collections as well as museum collections, such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Corning Museum of Glass.

Three artists received awards of excellence at the Washington show. First Prize went to ceramic artist Mariko Swisher of Oxford, Pa., for her colorful miniature vessels. In 2003, Swisher also earned the Best of Show Award in the St. Louis Art Fair.

Virginia artist Elizabeth Ryland Mears was honored with the Collector’s Award for her distinctive glass sculptures. Mears work, in which she uses the glass-blowing technique of flamework, was also featured on the cover of the show’s program.

North Carolina artist Mark Gardner, who says his signature ebonized vessels and carving of intricate patterns reflect the African and oceanic artifacts that he uses for inspiration, received the Award of Excellence in Wood.

Judges for the awards were Rebecca Klemm, collector and craft advocate; John Kotelly, president of the James Renwick Alliance; and Mary E. Petzak, editor of The Crafts Report.

Crafts America LLC, also presents the Westchester Craft Show in White Plains, N.Y. In March, the promoter premiered the Palm Beach Fine Craft Show in West Palm Beach, Fla. Artists accepted for these shows must live and work in the United States and demonstrate masterful technique along with exceptional contemporary interpretation.