Riverside Arts Market.

[Shwaz]

I think enough people are making purchases. I know I've spent a little dough there over the 3 times I've been and not just on food.

I know a couple that makes and sells earrings, they're there every other weekend and have sold out every time.

It's not the Avenues Mall where people are going for a specific item and have a purchase in mind before leaving the house.

[ChriswUfGator]

I think this is a great thing, but has anyone else noticed that people aren't leaving with purchases?  They seem to come to RAM, walk around by some food and then leave.  Does anyone know if the merchants there are making any money.  If not, this won't last long.

Cause' there's nothing anybody wants! I made the same observation you did, after the inaugural R.A.M., and people pretty much excoriated me on here for saying it.

But I saw the same thing as you, which is nobody was spending very much money. Speaking personally, I'm not at an "Arts" event to buy produce, t-shirts, home-made birdhouses, or women's jewelry. I can't be alone in that regard, since most of the people there did the same as me, which is to say walk around and leave empty-handed. The only money that the few people who bought anything spent was a couple bucks on food.

I had suggested a wine tasting / sales booth, maybe some gourmet or specialty foods booths, and mainly I'd like to see some actual "Art" for sale. Maybe invite a couple antiques dealers to set up booths as well. As it sits, this thing should be renamed "Riverside Crafts Fair" because that's what it is.

[stephElf]

So I am just playing devil's advocate, sort of.

I have heard the "oh its a craft fair" several times... where is the real art? And I am sorry, I just 100% do not understand that comment.

Cooking can be considered an art.. there are food vendors there and people selling their personal creations.  Music can be considered an art, there are street performers.  I have seen painters and illustrators there, jewelry makers, wood craftsmen, leather goods, other embroidery/ textile items... all of these things ARE art.

So that comment peevs me just a little.   

[blizz01]

.............micro-brewing is an art (bring it!).

[Shwaz]

I agree with Steph here... 50%+ of RAM is some kind of food vendor... and that's fine with me. I see edible items that can only be found at RAM and most of those vendors are selling plenty.

[vicupstate]

Logistically speaking, how realistic is it that you would walk around with a nice painting (since your car is parked far away), while some kid rubs his snow cone on it as he passes you by?   

[blizz01]

Those are organic snow-cones, I MUST add (no-kidding).

[RiversideLoki]

The smaller, less expensive pieces of art will always rule the day at most events. We see it happen all the time in our gallery. If we do a group show and people bring in tons of tiny little affordable paintings they tend to go like wildfire. Versus the large pieces which, while beautiful, don't sell as fast and people aren't inclined to make an impulse buy on. The artists will figure this out hopefully, and maybe we'll see more actual artists.

Some of the neatest pieces in our personal collection aren't but 5 x 8 canvas.

[ChriswUfGator]

.............micro-brewing is an art (bring it!).

+1,000,000

[ChriswUfGator]

So I am just playing devil's advocate, sort of.

I have heard the "oh its a craft fair" several times... where is the real art? And I am sorry, I just 100% do not understand that comment.

Cooking can be considered an art.. there are food vendors there and people selling their personal creations.  Music can be considered an art, there are street performers.  I have seen painters and illustrators there, jewelry makers, wood craftsmen, leather goods, other embroidery/ textile items... all of these things ARE art.

So that comment peevs me just a little.  

Oh come on, I wasn't trying to be offensive, but surely you got my point...

This is infinitely debatable, but at the end of the day there IS a line in there somewhere between "Art" and "Crafts". By anybody's definition, this was more of the latter than the former.

[CrysG]

Went this past Saturday with the husband, in laws and nephew. All had a good time. I bough more cakes and meat pies and this time had some beignets and bought green peppers. The in laws got some other produce and we ran into some family friends who also got produce.

My father in law went and like some art pieces but at seeing the prices thought better of it.

Of the 2 times we've been we've only bought either food or produce with my mother buying a necklace. I know personally in the future I'm only going to go for those items and maybe something else if it's reasonably priced and it catches my eye.

[ChriswUfGator]

The smaller, less expensive pieces of art will always rule the day at most events. We see it happen all the time in our gallery. If we do a group show and people bring in tons of tiny little affordable paintings they tend to go like wildfire. Versus the large pieces which, while beautiful, don't sell as fast and people aren't inclined to make an impulse buy on. The artists will figure this out hopefully, and maybe we'll see more actual artists.

Some of the neatest pieces in our personal collection aren't but 5 x 8 canvas.

+1

I would love to see a selection of reasonably priced paintings, etc., and I think they would sell very well. In fact, that was what I was pretty much expecting/hoping for when all this discussion of RAM first started.

[fsujax]

Any more thoughts on the trolley service for the market? Do people think that patrons of RAM will ride it?

[grimss]

The market director is actively talking to JTA about running the Riverside Trolley on Saturdays to feed the market.  JTA will do it if enough people request it; I believe there's a table somewhere at the market where you can sign a survey to request the service.

I was only there for about 30 minutes this morning, but was really impressed by the mix.  I haven't been the last two weekends, and the art selection I saw this morning was definitely bigger and more interesting.  Lots more cool food options. There was an amazing bread vendor selling all sorts of goodies; I picked up a cheddar jalapeno loaf.  Biscotti's is there now and, among other items, had a thai steak wrap available, but it was way too early for that. Substantially more produce, too.  Crowd was a little light, but I was there just when it opened; others reported that it was a good scene later on.

[BridgeTroll]

I went around noon... pretty busy.  Did anyone else notice a... well... a smell?