This year there will be three different Miniature shows on the
same weekend in Chicago during April.
The Miniature Show, The Tom Bishop Show and the Three Blind Mice Miniature
Show.
I was pretty excited when I saw the list of Exhibitors at The Miniature Show in April, 14, 15, 16...2016. Hyatt Regency Schaumburg ~ Chicago http://theminiatureshow.com/ The list was impressive because there are so many people listed from other countries I have never seen.... Mike Sparrow, Danny Shotton, David Provan, Dominique Levy, Herbillon, Janet Reyburn, Johannes Landman, Pascale Garnier, Paul Saltarelli, St.Leger. Nicola Mascall, S.Gustavian and so on. In front of their listed names they all have numbers which I assume are table numbers.
I noticed that Gerd Felka was not listed at the Tom Bishop Show this year on the "Dealer List". He is usually there every year. Sadly, I found out Gerd is not coming because his wife is ill. He is listed as an "Exhibitor" at The Miniature Show. However...That started me thinking. So I began to cross reference the list of "Exhibitors" http://theminiatureshow.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7&zenid=7118743cb5d96cc87bc535ecc1b1bd22 to the dealer list at the Tom Bishop Show http://www.bishopshow.com/#!chicago-intl-dealer-list/c12i Hrmm... A few people are on both lists such as Jim Irish, David Iriate.
I emailed a few of the listed "Exhibitors" at 'The Miniature Show' to ask
them if they were going to be there in person. I got an email from Mike Sparrow
telling me he was not going to be there and one from Nicola Maschall, she also
is not going. She seemed a bit confused because apparently I wasn't the first
person the ask her about this. Danny Shotton has retired from making
miniatures.
Swan House Miniatures gives a huge artisan list of people it will be representing at 'The Miniature Show'. Missing from that list are people who they happen to have an enormous inventory work on their web site http://swanhouseminiatures.com/store/. Such as Gerd Felka, Herbillon, Paul Saltarelli, Johannes Landman. Hrmmm...Some of those people have nine or more pages on Swan House Miniatures web site. Several hundred thousand dollars worth of work. They are not included as people who Swan House will be representing. How interesting!
I usually expect when I go to a miniature show that the Artisans who are listed are actually going to be there in person. It is a matter of semantics I suppose. You can exhibit your work in Siberia while you are basking on a sunny beach in the Bahamas!
Hmmm, a little dubious. I wonder if there will be a few disappointed patrons? Probably hard to compete with the Chicago International.
ReplyDeleteThe emails I sent out are still coming in. Pascale Garnier just wrote to say she will also not be at The Miniature Show.
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for several more.
So nice to have so many miniature shows to visit, but confusing about the exhibitors list for sure.
ReplyDeleteYes it is very confusing. I think it is clear to me now though.
ReplyDeleteWow looks to me like you can save tons of travel money and just sit home on your computer and accomplish the same thing on the Swan House website, no? Seems like the "exhibitors" you will meet are the people manning the tables.....semantics indeed....
ReplyDeleteI have never seen it done this way before.
DeleteQue feria tan estupenda....una pena las que no podemos acudir.
ReplyDeletePasarlo bien.
Feliz año
Un abrazo
Maite
Chicago es siempre divertido.
DeleteHello Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything more disappointing then looking forward to meeting an artist and realizing only their work is on display and not the person. Such a shame, but still it must be a wonderful show.
Big hug
Giac
I agree. Imagine spending money for air travel and a hotel because you thought you would be seeing new work from those artisans.
DeleteJ'ai eu peur ... Je lis le début de votre texte et je découvre que Pascale Garnier va exposer à Chicago cette Année !
ReplyDeleteJe suis choquée ...quoi ...mon Amie Pascale ,mon Amie depuis 20 ans ..ne m'a pas dit qu'elle exposait cette année à Chicago . Haha ! Cela a été ma première réaction en lisant votre texte . Heureusement que j'ai lu votre page jusqu'au bout . Je vais raconter cela à Pascale , elle va bien rire .je comprends votre étonnement. C'est une manière trés curieuse de présenter les choses . Les gens vont être déçus .
ReplyDeleteElle sait déjà. Je lui ai écrit pour lui demander si elle venait.
La déception des gens est exactement pourquoi je l'ai écrit ce post.
I think the names are used to attract the public, but it would be much more honest than the organizers were saying such craftsmen are actually present and which only represented by their work ... In any case, there will be great and beautiful miniatures!
ReplyDeleteCurious to know from you your personal feedback, if you go...
Love dear,
Flora
I understand that there needs to be a certain amount of advertising strategy to attract buyers. This method is unprecedented in my experience. So no, I won't be going!
DeleteFrom what I have read elsewhere, this is not really a dealer type show. The guy putting it on will be exhibiting the things he sells in his business. So no artisan dealer tables, just what he has.
ReplyDeleteYes but why conceal that. Removing those artisans from Swan Houses list.
DeleteI understand the confusion Catherine, that's weird, especially when never done like this before... too bad and a good thing you noticed. Like you said, it's ashame if you have spend time and money only to discover it's completely different from what you expected and are right to expect!
ReplyDeleteTrue and I cannot help but think it is a deliberate deception. I don't want to have to play detective for stuff like this.
DeleteI'm afraid so too.. And you're so right, you shouldn't have to be!
DeleteI am travelling from the UK to Chicago for the first time this year intending to go to the Tom Bishop show. I wasn't aware of the other shows but eventually came across the other show and like you began to realise that a lot of the tables will only be manned. The main trouble with this as far as I can see is that they will probably be priced according to the web site which I have to say are much higher than if you buy from the artisan directly or at a European show. This is a great shame for both the artisan and the collector.
ReplyDeleteHi Janice,
ReplyDeleteThat is very true. Swan House always jacks the prices way up. I am sure the artisans know that though when they sell to Greg. He usually buys things out right rather then the artisan waiting for it to sell. They have sold it for what they wanted to get for it. It is up to the buyer if they want to spend so much more on those pieces.
I was bewildered as I have been going to the Tom Bishop show for years and had no idea about the others. As far as steep prices, Tom Bishop seems pretty steep too! Did anyone go to Three Blind Mice show? What was it like?
ReplyDeleteI have never been to the Three Blind Mice Show when I went to Chicago for the Bishop Show. Part of what makes things so expensive is the 10.25 Illinois sales tax. That is pretty steep.
Delete