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Sunny outlook for art fair

By Rich Copley rcopley@herald-leader.com

Lexington Art League ­director Allison Kaiser, going over the ­basics of the this weekend's ­Woodland Art Fair, said, ”Most everyone knows it's Central ­Kentucky's ­largest free cultural event.“

That's been a given for years. But this year, free might be more of an operative word for the annual art festival in the downtown park. And the price and a promise of good weather might bode well for attendance.

Amber Luallen, ­cultural arts director for the ­Lexington Fayette Urban-County ­Government Division of Parks and ­Recreation, said that most of the department's free and low-cost events have done well this summer.

”Ballet Under the Stars had one of its biggest years in recent memory,“ she said, referring to the dance showcase July 31 to Aug. 3 in Woodland Park. ”The audiences on the weekend extended back beyond where they normally are. And the Tuesday night Big Band and Jazz concerts at Ecton Park, which usually bring out 500 to 700 people, have been getting crowds of 2,000 this year. It's almost outgrown the venue.“

Luallen attributed those crowds, as well as strong turnouts for Free Friday Night Flicks at Jacobson Park, to the faltering economy and high gas prices. Many people have decided on ”staycations,“ looking for diversions near home, rather than hitting the road for the beach or the mountains.

”People are looking for ­inexpensive things to do that won't impact their wallets too much,“ Luallen said.

The economy has not buoyed Parks & Rec's activities all by itself. Luallen also said that a fairly dry and moderate summer has ­encouraged people to come to ­outdoor events, and that's exactly what Woodland Art Fair ­organizers and exhibitors hope for this ­weekend.

”If it's weather like this, that's half the battle,“ ceramic artist Marianne Brown said from her Lawrenceburg studio on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures in the low 80s.

Good weather, which is predicted this weekend, is good for turnout and sales for the artists, who are dealing with an off-summer like everyone else.

”A piece of art is a discretionary purchase, and right now, most people have less discretionary income,“ said Timothy ­McCoy, a photographer from Asheville, N.C., who sells at shows around the country.

Artists who sell at art fairs aren't just hit with sluggish sales. The cost of transporting their wares has increased. You can't exactly throw large-format, framed photos or ceramics and a booth into a Prius.

”People see you in a 10-by-10 booth, and they don't realize it takes an SUV pulling a good-sized trailer to transport all of that,“ said Lexington-based weaver Harriet Giles.

But that's business, and ­Woodland is a great place to do business, McCoy said. The ­photographer likes the fair so much that he will leave from a Chicago fair to come here, exhibit for the weekend, then head back to ­Chicago for another event.

”A lot of events are run by ­promoters,“ McCoy said. ”This is run by the art league, and that makes a difference. It makes a ­better atmosphere.“

Sunshine Artist Magazine recently ranked Woodland in the top 15 of more than 900 fairs that it surveys annually.

Kaiser said the art league has worked over the years to increase the quality of the art and crafts that are exhibited and sold at the Woodland fair. This year, there were more than 600 applicants for the 200 available slots at the fair.

That said, Kaiser emphasized that Woodland is far from a high-brow affair.

”It's a very accessible entry point for people who don't consider themselves art aficionados to find a way into the visual arts,“ she said.

Of course, the exhibitors hope that people will find it in their wallets to invest in some visual art, be it decorative or functional. Although the economy is down and art is discretionary, artists have a variety of experiences with the ­current sales climate.

McCoy has felt the effects of the housing downturn. He sells large photo prints, so some of his best customers are new-home buyers with big walls to fill.

”Not a lot of people are ­buying homes,“ he said. ”You plan for these things, and the economy is cyclical.“

Brown, who produces her ceramics using ceramic stamps for repetitive patterns, said she was lucky enough to happen upon a horse pattern and a shade of red that have been popular with wholesalers.

On the other hand, Giles, the Lexington weaver, said her sales to wholesalers are down, but direct purchases from her are steady or even up. And she is expecting a good weekend in Woodland Park.

”Even when the economy is down, Kentuckians appreciate fine arts and crafts,“ she said.