The “Booth” Shot

2019 Booth Photo for Joey Welsh Illustration

Never underestimate the power of the “Booth” shot. It may be the most critical component of any art show application. It can make or break your chances of getting accepted into the very best art shows.

One of the most exciting aspects of being an independent artist and applying for the best shows around the country is not knowing what shows will hand you an invitation each year. Many of my customers don’t realize that there is a jury process to get into reputable art shows. These shows will require artists to submit an application describing their creative process, submitting an artist’s statement about the objective of their work, photos of their art and a photo of their booth as it will be displayed at the show. Aka, the “Booth” shot.

More often than not, at least for me when applying to the higher-end shows, the reply is a rejection. For example, I applied to the Utah Arts Festival four years in a row before finally being accepted on the fifth attempt. When I did the show in 2016, it turned out to be the best show of my career, so it was worth the wait. But the rejections are still hard to take, no matter when you receive them. They never come with any explanations as shows are not required to give reasons for declining your application. Which leaves little direction for improvement.

For me, I believe the whimsical nature of my work softens my chances of getting accepted into many shows because it does not convey the high-end, contemporary vibe that many art shows promoters wish to emit. I also believe many jurors forget that it’s okay to have fun, affordable art mixed in with the serious, expensive art for the patrons strolling through the show. The art world is subjective, so I can only speculate on the reasons why I don’t get offered a spot at more shows. I’m just grateful for the successful opportunities that I’ve had.

Last year I made some changes to my booth to create a greater impression on my customers that I hope will also extend to the show juries. First, I made the booth taller so that I can display more artwork. Second, I implemented a set of shelves to display my books more prominently, because this is the only way I can let juries know that I also write & illustrate books in addition to my art. Lastly, I had to create more storage space within the booth since I have so many images that I try to keep in stock at shows. I’ll let you know how my strategy works in 2019.

15 Years at Fiesta

When I saw the green star next to my name in the program for the 30th Annual Rio Grande Balloon show, I discovered it meant my fifteenth consecutive year participating in the show. My disbelieving brain had me check my records, and yep, in 2004 I did my first Balloon Fiesta show on the second of the two weekends.

Over the years, this show has become one of my favorite ones to do. The promoters are first rate. The quality of art is very high. The balloons ascending each morning is always a joyous sight. But most importantly, the customer interaction at this show never fails to remind me why I became an artist in the first place.

One of my fondest memories of this show came in 2006. It was the year my first book, The Gekkleberry Tree, was published and for sale at the show. For the first time, I had a real-life, actual line of customers waiting to make a purchase at my booth. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was a nervous first-time author trying to sign books and that delayed the purchase process or maybe it was a genuine marker of creative success.

In addition, I’ve had some memorable experiences in New Mexico outside of the art festivals. As an avid mountain biker, I always bring my bike on this annual two-week trip and go exploring on my days off. There are some beautiful trails in ABQ, Gallup and Tijeras. I’ve had the opportunity to take my kids and extended family onto the field and gaze up in wonder at the mass ascension. I got the chance to be interviewed on the local news about my hot-air balloon storybook, The Magnificent Race, in 2015. But my favorite adventure, was our family trip to the rattlesnake museum in Old Town ABQ. What can I say, I’m a reptile fan.

Each year I try to debut as much new artwork as possible at this show. My customer base in ABQ is keenly aware of what is new and what is not, so I do my best to populate my booth with new and exciting images.

This year, customers were surprised to see I have been exploring concepts with animals outside of the reptile kingdom. This year I had crabs playing golf on the beach, a family of owls in a treehouse and a momma tarantula trying to keep track of her many babies. I look forward to getting back to work on new ideas I will bring to the 2019 show.