A Failure of Sorts

November 23, 2011

We all have setbacks and failures of sorts. I had one this last weekend. Friday and Saturday was the National BBQ Cup in Cumming, Georgia. I had read about it on a website advertising festivals in the Southeast. They said it had plenty of people (10,000-15,000) and art vendors. I went to set-up on Friday afternoon.

It was really cold out but things seemed great. I had a level display area and it was nice and clean with a plot of grass behind the tent.  Things went downhill quickly. First was the cold. It did not take long before my feet were half frozen. Second was the darkness. No one wants to buy art in the dark. Third was the smoke and soot falling and soaking into everything. It smelled good for a while but then everything I had was coated in a fine ash. The Mount Pinatubo of festivals. We went home early.

Saturday we returned. I had high hopes. It was cloudy and cold but things would be good. Wrong. No good in sight! The BBQ men and dead pigs were there and so was the smoke. No buyers. No interested people. No talkative people. People walked by but no questions. They just wanted meat. I sat there all day. I tried to talk to folks. I tried to draw for the crowd. No good.

I did have a small group of girls who liked my art and bear stickers. They watched me draw and asked questions for a little bit. I am glad they stopped by. At least a few small humans showed an interest.

The afternoon came and went and the crowd started to dwindle. We decide to pack it up. Nothing. No sales. No sales at all. I did not even sell a print or a 5 dollar cardboard stencil bear head. A bit of shock fell over me. Shock and ash. After I got home I had to wash the tent. Oh what a mess. A smokey soot-covered mess. Thanks to my girlfriend for all of her unpaid labors and patience.

It has been a couple days and I am still aggravated. All of that work for nothing. No one cared. If that had been my first festival I think I might reconsider art as a career path. I have done pretty well at the other shows. Good things have happened. The National BBQ Cup in Cumming, Georgia was a horrible waste of time and energy.

I will back up and try again. Take two steps back and rev my engine. We all learn from failures. Hopefully things get better and you will improve. I know I will try.

I do not eat meat or BBQ anymore (I had enough growing up to last a lifetime). I would not have gone to that festival if I was not going to be an art vendor. I suppose I should not be in any shows or festivals that I would not attend myself. This will be my new rule.

My display tent looked awesome. I think it was the best yet. Now I have a lot of really nice new artwork hanging on my walls at home. I made some of my best work in a while for this show. Why don’t you stop by and take a look?

– Kyle