March is came on rapidly and it’s leaving just as rapidly for us. We had KY Crafted the Market the second weekend. It’s a wholesale combined with retail show. Though sales seemed to be down for most artists. I often think if the government really wanted to know how the economy was doing they’d talk to artists. After all, our work is a luxury item for people.. it may feed the soul, but if the budget is tight more people are worried about feeding the kids than they are their soul. Artists are really mom and pop shops, small venues with only certain types of merchandise. In this economy, I’ve seen to many artists friends stop making their beautiful art because there are not enough sales to pay their bills. At times, I think we will be one of them.
Sometimes I think people who visit art shows forget that artists are there to sell their art because they have bills just like they do. I know before I started in the art business I didn’t really think of it. I would admire someone’s work and maybe even tell them how beautiful it was.. but I seldom did the biggest compliment of buying it. Funny thing is now that I work as an artist, I spend more money on art. Even though as income goes ours is about a fourth of what it was when my husband worked for someone else. But now I understand that this art isn’t just a beautiful work to stick up on the wall.. this art is someone’s soul. Being such it feeds my soul. So just a thought, don’t buy a print from Wal-Mart, buy an original from an artist and if you can’t afford the original then buy a print of the original. Find that stained glass piece that puts color in your life and makes you smile every time you see it. Buy that cuddly teddy bear that someone has hand-stitched with love instead of the one that is an assembly line product. Home-made soap brings scents filled with love or that special piece of jewelry makes you happy every time you wear it. Sure there is a lot of art that is maybe too expensive for everyone’s pocket book.. but almost every artist has a piece that is the price of fast food for a couple of meals.
So Buy Art.. Feed your Soul… and eat at home.. it’s better for your health.
Artship 