This weekend I participated in ArtsFest 2010 hosted by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University; I would have to say this was one of my favorite festivals. The perfect 
weather may have had something to do with it, but not everything. The low entrance fee which made for quick profitability helped it to be high on my favorites list, but that was not all. It was the people that came to my booth and the wonderful conversations we had that made the difference. Many of the visitors were students who expressed real interest and a desire to learn. They didn’t seem to get bored when I rambled on about processes and techniques; they asked more questions. This same interest and excitement seemed to be contagious as even the non-students were very excited about the art they were seeing, they wanted to talk about the pottery, and hear the stories about what inspired a certain piece and what it’s like to be an artist. Everyone who has done a show has heard “nice work” or similar words when someone is leaving the booth. But to have someone show genuine interest is very uplifting.
At most shows I put out a box of seconds that I call “Charity Cases.” The pieces are not priced, I simply ask for whatever donation the buyer feels is appropriate and donate that money to charity. It made me feel really good when a young boy who was volunteering for the local humane society saw the box and said “I’d buy more stuff if everyone gave the money to charity.” He bought a mug for his grandmother because “she loves to drink coffee.” I could see how much that boy understood benevolence at such an early age. I hope he never grows out of it.
I’d like to express a big thank you to my friend Laura Biering for letting us stay at Brinson’s Race which is always a wonderful experience, to Gayle Shaw Clark a Facebook friend who made it a point to stop by and say “hi” and to all the people at Georgia Southern who helped to make this a really great show for everyone involved.
ArtsFest 2010
