Like the other Crafts America shows (Washington Craft Show and Palm Beach Fine Craft Show), the
mere quality of the work exhibited at this show annually is equal to the handful of “best” craft shows in the U.S.
Given that it rained pretty much all week leading up to the show including Friday, the aisles of the show were as busy on Saturday. Being an indoor show can make a big difference. Most of the shows up and down the East Coast suffered because of the nasty weather, with the exhibitors having no where to hide except in there tents.
Speaking to many of the artists and reading their comments, there was an issue with the lack of on-site advertising/signage for the show. Being that I’d been to the Westchester County Center numerous times, I didn’t notice the absence of signs. Truth is, just getting into the parking lot can be a challenge.
This show isn’t for the meek. If you are a serious collector of fine crafts, then this is your show. If you are just a casual shopper out for the day, once you pay the $12.00 admission price, you aren’t going to find a whole lot of inexpensive items.
If you can afford it, there is great work by great artists. I was particularly drawn to the original designs of mixed media artist Kim Crow and the turned-wood creations of Cliff Lounsbury from River Turnings. In fact, if you are interested in buying something “different”, this showed is filled with it.
Like any great show, the line of artists wanting to exhibit is long and rich. With only 115 spots to fill, the jurying is strict on craftsmanship and originality. The cost of a booth is more than $800.
If you do get in, you can count on a core attendance of regular collectors who have been shopping the show for more than 16 years. Local signage aside, Crafts America also does do a good job of advertising the show in the local media, including New York City newspapers. Whether next year’s show will be any better, attendance-wise, could rely solely on the health of the economy.
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Craft show reviews are researched and written by the editors of CSN. When reviewing a show we try to provide a perspective that will, hopefully, benefit the artist who may think of applying to the show, the collector who may plan on visiting the show, and the show producer looking for an objective point of view.
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Westchester Craft Show '09
SHOW: Westchester Craft Show (White Plains, NY)DATES: October 16-18, 2009
TOTAL HANDMADE EXHIBITORS: 110
CRAFT EXHIBITORS: 100%
EST. ATTENDANCE: N/A
CLICK FOR SHOW SURVEY RESULTS AND COMMENTS
Like the other Crafts America shows (Washington Craft Show and Palm Beach Fine Craft Show), the
Given that it rained pretty much all week leading up to the show including Friday, the aisles of the show were as busy on Saturday. Being an indoor show can make a big difference. Most of the shows up and down the East Coast suffered because of the nasty weather, with the exhibitors having no where to hide except in there tents.
Speaking to many of the artists and reading their comments, there was an issue with the lack of on-site advertising/signage for the show. Being that I’d been to the Westchester County Center numerous times, I didn’t notice the absence of signs. Truth is, just getting into the parking lot can be a challenge.
This show isn’t for the meek. If you are a serious collector of fine crafts, then this is your show. If you are just a casual shopper out for the day, once you pay the $12.00 admission price, you aren’t going to find a whole lot of inexpensive items.
If you can afford it, there is great work by great artists. I was particularly drawn to the original designs of mixed media artist Kim Crow and the turned-wood creations of Cliff Lounsbury from River Turnings. In fact, if you are interested in buying something “different”, this showed is filled with it.
If you do get in, you can count on a core attendance of regular collectors who have been shopping the show for more than 16 years. Local signage aside, Crafts America also does do a good job of advertising the show in the local media, including New York City newspapers. Whether next year’s show will be any better, attendance-wise, could rely solely on the health of the economy.
CSN
category | Retail Shows
author | Larry Hornung