Blogging the 2012 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Artshow at link below

Come out to Marion Square, meet the artists, enjoy the music, purchase great art!
I'm blogging the 2012 art show from my blog Mimi's Painting a Day - See you there!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 16 - June 11, 2011

It's Over

Another hot day - we have had no rain in the 16 days of this show - I can't remember another show where we didn't even have rain overnight, but we'll always prefer the sun to rainy days during Piccolo Spoleto!  See you at the 2012 show - until then, have a great year and keep painting!

BREAKING NEWS - UPDATE ON SPONTANEOUS INSTALLATION MISSILE ART THEFT

For background, scroll back for blogpost of June 8th.

Official Crime Scene where Missile Art last seen

Mysterious Circumstances surround the disappearance of the spontaneous missile installation art, and no less mysterious circumstances surround the appearance, early this morning, of the lower clothed torso or the remains of what we can so far only assume may be the thief or perpetrator.  One unusual aspect of the torso is that it appears that the alleged perpetrator was used as a human missile, launched at a high enough velocity to penetrate the ground in such a way that the legs and tennis shoes are sticking out of the ground, IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME PLACE FROM WHERE THE MISSILE ART WAS STOLEN.  The strange events surrounding this entire incident have been the subject of numerous discussions and generated countless theories among the artists.  However, we can give no answers until all the evidence is tested by the police and we have something other than theory to put forth.

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 15 - June 10, 2011

Artist Steve Jacobs demonstrates stretching watercolor paper

Beginning the Watercolor Painting

Joanna Jackson shows her (almost) finished Mixed Media Demo

Photographer Scott Henderson makes a sale

(the heat can't keep us down!)

Ellen Moryl, Director of Cultural Affairs, speaks to the Artists

of the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition

We artists arrived at Marion Square early to meet with Ellen Moryl, Director of Cultural Affairs as we work together to move the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition forward in the future.  Ellen was a real trooper, speaking over the loud Friday morning traffic and the overhead planes. Some really good plans are in store for the 2012 outdoor art show, including a Petite Pavilion to host Piccolo events in the middle of Marion Square which will bring even more people out to our venue.  Thank you, Ellen and the City of Charleston, for visiting us this morning and starting our day with such positive comments and plans for the future!

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 14 - June 9, 2011 GUEST POST by Artist Rick Reinert

Owning a Gallery and Participating in the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition Present Unique Challenges and Demands

Guest Post by Artist Rick Reinert

I have participated in the 16 day PIccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show for several years but 2011 presented new challenges and responsiblities since I opened Reinert LePrince Fine Art Gallery on King Street just a few months ago with fellow artist Kevin LePrince.  

For instance, the June Art Walk is always held in the midst of Piccolo Spoleto.  An extra dose of energy is required to leave the art show after a long hot day in Marion Square and arrive at 179 King Street, looking fresh, feeling clean and being ready to host the Art Walk.

Another challenge is having enough inventory for 2 locations along with the need to create enough new work during the 16 day period to replenish  the inventory sold.  Fortunately, being in Marion Square provides a great opportunity to paint plein air in between customers.

While you could say the opportunity for sales and success is doubled with 2 locations, you must also consider that the responsiblities are also doubled.

All in all to have my own art gallery and to simultaneously participate in such a prestigious and professional outdoor art exhibition is a great experience! 

Additional Demo Coverage:

Deborah Meyer and Oil Demo 

Alice Stewart Grimsley - 2 Watercolor Demos 

We've had no rain in Marion Square since before the show began on May 27, so things get a little red and dusty:

but we still have smiles and good will because we get to do what we love the most - Paint!

Colleen Weissmann has 4 small abstracts in progress

In  spite of the heat, Danita Cole works with a hot iron melting wax for her art!

BREAKING NEWS for 6-8-11 - Spontaneous Installation Missile Art Stolen!

Last Known Photograph of Stolen Spontaneous Installation Artwork 

This photograph was taken yesterday, Tuesday, June 7th, by my 12 year old niece, Melissa Whaley, whom I hired for $10 to photograph the demonstrations in the park while I went to work. (The reason she photographed this item is because I also hired her to sniff out the news, not just any news, but big news.  News that would increase my readership far beyond the current 6 followers of this blog (especially since Kevin LePrince, one of the 6 followers, suggested that it might be easier for me just to call each of the 6 with the news instead of blogging it).

I described to Melissa the type of news I was looking for: "Be alert! Periodically check the middle of Marion Square, and if, for instance, a spaceship lands, I want you there, snapping pictures.  Try to interview the aliens,  but don't get discouraged if they refuse to communicate with you.  They probably don't know our language.  I realize this is all a stretch, but it's just an example of the kind of big news I'm looking for."

Well, unbeknownst to me, she took me at my word and she found a "spaceship" and took a picture of it - yes, this is the spontaneous installation art created by Steve Jordan after a great number of hours in the hot sun.  I blogged about the art in a prior post for "Day 8 - June 3, 2011".

Steve Jordan sought me out late this afternoon when I got back to the park after work and broke the news that the artwork was stolen sometime last night.  Needless to say, Steve was extremely upset, not just because the art was stolen, but also because the police didn't feel its value warranted a police report.  (As I have discussed in a prior blog post,  many times people don't understand the sensitivities of an artist, but artists understand artists, so I could easily empathize with Steve's pain and sense of loss. Although he wanted me to contact the Post and Courier with the story, my newspaper blood got the better of me and I decided to break the story.  I'm sure Steve will understand this was a business decision, not personal.

Whoever did this, PLEASE return the artwork, no questions will be asked. No charges will be pressed.  I was told later that Steve was offering a reward of $500 for any information leading to the recovery of the spontaneous art installation. While I understand that the $500 is in monopoly money, not US currency, please do not think that the choice of currency is devaluing of the missile artwork.  While monopoly money is not the same as the US Dollar, 500 is still 500.  

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit - Day 13 - June 8, 1010 GUEST POST by K.C. Collins

My 3-Step Guide to Being Positive at Art Shows

by Artist K.C. Collins 

First Place Award Winner

"Please Don't Go" by K.C. Collins

1. Start with reasonable expectations! My goal at every art show is to sell one painting. Anything more than that, and I'm ecstatic. Not going to lie, I've been to shows where I didn't sell a thing, and it felt like the only people walking around were the other artists (with forlorn looks on their faces). In situations like this, I look for the positive. Yes, I drove eight hours, forked out money for gas, hotels, food, show fees... Buuut did I meet interesting people? Did I network and get potential business for the future? I've participated in shows where sales were low... but in following weeks I had a lot of follow up sales and commissions from people who took business cards. You never know...

2. Try to have fun! I once did a two day show in Florida where at LEAST 500 people looked at my work and asked me if I needed glasses. Seriously. And they all laughed hysterically like they were the first person ever to say it. Yes, I  desperately wanted to throw things at them, but instead I smiled and laughed at how ridiculous it was. Needless to say, I did not sell many paintings that weekend! :) But we packed up, went to the beach, drank a giant margarita, and ended up having a great time!

3. If you're bored, play the "shoe game".  Try to predict who will enter your booth solely (no pun intended) on the shoes they are wearing. Orthopedic shoes tend to steer clear of my booth, while strappy sandals (with or without jewels) never let me down!

How lucky are we to be doing what we love?!